June 24


Got up to discover it was not raining, but appparently had not stopped to much earlier as there were still huge puddles and mud in the parking lot where I was staying.

Packed up and got ready to leave. Gassed up the bike and turned in my key. Wearing my snowpants for the third day in a row. If I'm on vacation, why am I not in jeans and chaps??

I left the motel, and went right to the grated bridge that Daizy Korn likes so well. She hates the way the bike shimmies and shakes when it goes across. This photo is for you, Daizy.

The Teslin River Bridge is the background.  Just to the right of it is the little motel that took me in out of the cold and wet.

It's just not a trip without seeing some of the Sign Forest in Watson Lake.

It's a cool place and you could spend hours wandering around looking at the signs people from all over the world have left.The day was a great one.

Someone will always take your photo for you. 

I saw lots of bison, four black bear, sheep, goats and one moose who was just as surprised as I was when I came around a corner.

The bison were in several different groups throughout the day. I only saw a couple the first few times, then two larger herds.

Some bison like to claim the middle of the road for their own. One stood there today, directly over the center line, claiming both lanes. He dared vehicles to try to move him. I was off to the side when an old guy from Alabama in a sedan told me to follow him, that he was going to move the bison. I did not follow him. Eventually the bison moved after he realized an 18-wheeler really is bigger and probably does own the road. I made sure to keep my distance.

The road was his, all of it.  I did not argue.

Another encounter later in the day had me on one side of the bison, and multiple motor homes on the other. This time two bison claimed the road. Some vehicles were trying to edge by and I was concerned they'd push the bison toward me, so I rolled the bike backwards, then when I thought I had enough room, I stopped. Clop, clop, clop. I looked behind me, and here was a bison no more than two feet from the back end of the bike. I quit breathing and made myself not think fear, show fear, when all I really wanted to do was get off the bike … couldn't get the kickstand down, and where would I go anyway. But he wasn't interested in me and just went down over the side of the road. The photo I took is after he walked away from me. Couldn't even think to get the camera pointed in the right direction … too much angle anyway. Later in the day saw a herd with three young ones. Too cool.

They're just about as cute as they can be.

The black bears were awesome, too. I photographed two of them.

Another was way small and right next to the road, so I figured not to stop as there might be a mama somewhere close by. The first one was just rooting near the road and I watched that one for a while until he started moving. Another was near something dead. How did I know? I smelled it long before I saw it. I thought at first it was a moose, but later figure it was a bison since it was in the area where there were a lot of them.

At one point the bear came toward me, and I figured I was in its way where it wanted to cross the road. I moved forward and a car behind me moved also, sheltering me … nice of them.

As it turned out, the bear was only going to the kill to snack on more of whatever dead thing it was.

Had to make a gas stop at Toad River … Daizy's place. She loves the toads.

Vern made his first appearance as I took him out of the tour pack. Hope he doesn't think he'll be out all of the time now. But I did let him pose with a toad just for Daizy.

Chicken Vern is the little dude you can hardly see.

Did get photos of the goats, but not the sheep. At that point I was dealing with winding mountain road, a downpour and traffic behind me. Bummer. Oh well, maybe coming home.

There were two of these little guys hopping around with their mamas. 

The road today was absolutely the best. Lots of winding turns, gentle and good corners, mountain terrain, loads of wildlife.

Of course all good things must come to an end. As I was coming down out of the mountains toward Fort Nelson, the skies were getting darker and darker. I decided it was time to bump it up a little. Some places I could; some I could not. Then the sky opened up. Still some winding road. Gravel patches, and then a heartstopper. I came up on a piece of road that was not gravel, but that dirt that turns to slime when it gets wet. Oh what fun, slip sliding away. I had a moment or two of wondering if I would stay upright. The luck of the Irish held, and upright we were, Miss Scarlet and me.
I pulled into Fort Nelson in rain that was hammering me, wondering if I could find the hotel where Harvey, Zookeeper (Tom) and I stayed in 2006 when my Road King broke down, for the second time. Went to it like a homing pigeon and pulled into a full parking lot. Walked in dropping water from every piece of clothing and the helmet, and lucky me, got the next to the last room. I think it was a Holiday back then, but it's a Ramada now. In chatting with the guy who I remembered, he didn't remember me particularly, but he did remember the incident. Love this place. So nice. Full of construction workers.

Anyway, a great day. Miss Scarlet and I flew through the corners, bonding, holding hands right and left. She is absolutely AWESOME in the corners, and the handlebar adjustment has made all the difference in the world.

So folks, as some say on the CB, I'm all in.