June 19th, 2014 – Tok, AK to Whitehorse, YT ~385 miles
We left Tok, and in the process left Alaska. I was actually pretty bummed at this point, mainly because we missed out on the Denali Highway and Top of the World. As we left Alaska, it dawned on me that it might be a very long time until I get another chance to ride these roads.
My mood was almost immediately uplifted once I got a chance to snap a picture of a moose! I had seen several of them on this trip (including one that surprised me as I came around a corner at a good clip), but never had a chance to get my camera out in time.
Again, there’s a several mile chunk of road between the border signs for the US and Alaska, which I find interesting.
At the border post, a couple in a sweet R12GS sidecar rig went the other way. If I wasn’t about to get called up by the border agent, I would have tried to track them down!
Ominous cloud cover awaited us.
How the hell do you get a dead bug on the INSIDE of your visor?
I was paying for gas when Bui met a couple from the Netherlands who flew their bicycles into Ushaia (bottom of Argentina) and were almost done with their 18 month trip to the top of Alaska. Bui was convinced that the guy was going to propose to his girlfriend once they got to the top.
Baby Jack gets a beauty shot in some wildflowers. Aw.
Saw another fox, but this one ran in front of us on the road after having caught a squirrel.
This one is for any Auburn fans (or maybe just Bama haters?).
We got to our hotel in Whitehorse, where one giant vehicle was taking up all the dedicated motorcycle parking. Unfortunately, the only spots available were in front of this thing, and it didn’t seem like it would be able to get out if I parked in front of it, and I can’t imagine it’d be easy to reverse. “It” in this case is a Thoroughbred Stallion, which has a 2.3L Ford engine and tailights from a previous-gen Acura TL. If you want more information on it, I’ve featured one on Bike-urious in the past as part of a ‘three oddball trikes’ post.
While I was initially annoyed at how this vehicle prevented any other motorcycles from parking, it was easy enough to find a different space in the parking lot. Check out that crazy patriotic paint job.
We got dinner in town, and found a place on Yelp that supposedly had great sushi. I wasn’t expecting that in Whitehorse, but I’ve got to say – I was impressed. Consider it highly recommended, because every restaurant in town is overpriced and touristy anyway.
Before calling it a night, I noticed the license plates of the Northwest Territories. How come more states don’t go with unique shapes?
Go to Day 17
June 20th, 2014 – Whitehorse, AK to Liard Hot Springs, BC ~400 miles
Go back to Day 15
June 18th, 2014 – Fairbanks, AK to Tok, AK ~200 miles