Lost with Mike
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      • Jaw-ja Trip #2 - Cousin's Wedding
      • "You rode 1300 miles for BBQ?!?" (2010)
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        • Day 1: Arlington, VA > Arlington, VT
        • Day 1-2 (Continued) Back to VA!!!
        • Day 3: Newburyport, NH > Sandy Cove, NS
        • Day 4: Loafing around "The Neck"
        • Day 5: Sandy Cove, NS to Antigonish, NS
        • Day 6: Antigonish, NS to Meat Cove, NS
        • Day 7: Meat Cove, NS to Port Aux Basques, NFL
        • Day 8: Port Aux Basques to Port Saunders
        • Day 9: Port Saunders to Big Brook
        • Day 10: Big Brook, NL to Trans Lab Hwy
        • Day 11: Trans Lab Hwy to Pinware River
        • Day 12: Pinware River, LAB to Norris Point, NL
        • Day 13: Norris Point to Blue Beach
        • Day 14: Blue Beach, NL to Port Aux Basques Ferry
        • Day 15: Sydney, NS to Sandy Cove, NS
        • Day 16: Chillin on the Digby Neck
        • Day 17: Sandy Cove, NS to No. Sandwich, NH
        • Day 18: Sandiwch, NH to Arlington, VA (Home)
      • Algonquin Park 2013 >
        • Day 1: Home to New York
        • Day 2: Chataugay State Forest to Brent, ON
        • Day 3: Brent, ON to Nipissing River Portage at Nadine Lake
        • Day 4: Nipissing River @ Nadine Lake Portage to first island in Red Pine Bay
        • Day 5: Red Pine Bay to Hogan’s Lake
        • Day 6: Hogan’s Lake to Catfish Lake
        • Day 7: Catfish Lake to Cedar Lake to Fredonia, NY
        • Day 8: Fredonia, NY to Brookville, PA
        • Day 9: Brookville, PA to Alexandria, VA
      • Think I'll ride to Montreal this weekend...
      • Ontario on a Whim
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      • How to Hit a Tree, By ME!
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      • White's Ferry and some Maryland Backroads
      • 1000mi right near da' beach (2010)
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      • From a Wedding to "Where-da-fugawi?"
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      • First Big Trip to PA (2010)
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      • What the Fog? (Northern Neck, VA - 2013)
      • Uncle Bucks Ride to Eat and Snowy SNP
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      • Ruck'n Across Virginia (2010)
      • Impromptu Camping with 'DC Rider' (2010)
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      • Rella-Vous and Skippii Rescue
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      • GS and an NSX? (2012)
      • Seneca Rocks Camping Two-Up (2011)
      • Panniers Only Club at Seneca Rocks, WV (2010)
      • Laurel Fork Fall 2010 on the Honda Ruckus 50cc (2010)
      • Dog Days Rally and Rella's Gift (2010)
      • Pops and Richmonders in WV (2010)
      • Rocket Boys (2010)
      • New River Gorge and Rella's (2010)
    • Cross Country 2009 >
      • Trip Preparation
      • Day 1: (Sept 3, 2010)
      • Day 2: (Sept 4, 2010)
      • Day 3: (Sept 5, 2010)
      • Day 4: (Sept 6, 2010)
      • Day 5: (Sept 7, 2010)
      • Day 6: (Sept 8, 2010)
      • Day 7: (Sept 9, 2010)
      • Day 8: (Sept 10, 2010)
      • Day 9: (Sept 11, 2010)
      • Day 10: (Sept 12, 2010)
      • Day 11: (Sept 13, 2010)
      • Day 12: (Sept 14, 2010)
      • Day 13: (Sept 15, 2010)
      • Day 14: (Sept 16, 2010)
      • Day 15: (Sept 17, 2010)
      • Day 16: (Sept 18, 2010)
      • Day 17: (Sept 19, 2010)
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69'000 miles on a      Honda Ruckus named
La Tortuga

Klondike Highway

8/20/2014

0 Comments

 
Picture
I departed Dawson City into a fog shrouded highway.  The cool morning air slowly turned my gear a darker shade with the mist falling from above.  Along the roadside lay massive piles of tailings, the remnants of gold-mining in the area.  Large dredges rusted away on the roadside and strange red-hued iron boilers and steam powered equipment littered hillsides.  Shallow dredge ponds of lime green color sat amidst the moonscape.
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I spotted a lone red fox slinking around the roadside.  I paused for a picture and took some with my P&S then a substandard one with my iPhone.
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Just before the Dempster Highway, the sun began to burn through the clouds and I was rewarded with a beautiful view of the sky and blue sky to warm my bones.  I pulled over at the turnoff for Mile 0 of the legendary Dempster Highway for a second breakfast.  I had coffee with a banana/raisin/peanutbutter wrap while drying gear in the sunshine.
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What about the Dalton? I have the sticker too!
The day's ride was uneventful and I didn't break any parts on the bike or myself.  I passed along flowing streams and large rivers eventually winding down to the Yukon River.  Large game herds of Elk or Caribou frequent these areas. Signs indicated which herd was in the region and whether or not subsistence hunting was allowed.
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I prepared to camp near Tatchun Lake, 15mi shy of the town of Carmacks on the Yukon River.  I pulled off the road and set up my tent on an unused trail.  I had set up my tent and was grabbing my sleeping bag and pad when I notice something to my left.  About 20 feet away, a full grown black bear is staring at me with it's paws elevated on a log. WAY too close for comfort. I jump up, startling it and begin to wave my arms and yell loudly. Screaming at this bear, I inch backward and grab my bear spray, fumbling with the safety latch.  I hold my jacket over my head to appear larger.  it huffs a stern groan and continues to hold its ground.  I yell and scream at it which eventually turns into some kind of native-style chanting song about "STAY-A-WAY-BEAR, GO-ON-GIT-BEAR" as I disassemble my tent and hastily throw it into the stuff sack and under my bungee net.  Still 30 feet away, it continues to paw around the woods as I don the helmet, key the starter and bounce my way down the path.
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That night I camped at the established campground 3 km down the road.  I pulled in late, set up a bivy and was gone by 5:15AM without dropping a dime. 
The morning sunrise was glorious to my rear as I headed south on the highway.
Picture
In the town of Carmacks, I pulled in to the Gold Panner's Restaurant after getting gas and filled up my belly with that money saved.  I had the "Klondike" - 2 eggs, 2 slices bacon, 2 pancakes and perhaps 3 cups of coffee. I also made a deal with myself not to blow money on breakfast unless the conditions were so terrible outside (read wet and cold) that it was a shelter from the elements as well.
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Just outside of Carmacks 10 miles, I was surprised at a strange vehicle up ahead in the roadway. As I approached,  I made it out as a new Ford Raptor truck rolled on it's right side.  I could barely believe it.  I stopped and took some pictures of the damage.  The wreck was significant enough to completely destroy an A-Arm and crack a forged rim in half.  A spring lay in the ditch a few feet away.  The wreck was recent since power steering fluid still leaked slowly on the ground from a height of 8 feet.  The trailer, now disconnected, sat with a massive boulder lodged between two wheels. I feel that this may have contributed to the damage but I will never fully know.
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The headwind that persisted for the entire trip after crossing the Canadian border intensified after 10AM.  Rain began to fall and made for a cold and miserable ride along Braeburn and Fox Lake.  I could only keep up 30mph so it would take me quite a bit longer to reach Whitehorse than planned.  Each mile ticking way was one more closer to my much needed front wheel bearing.  The shop was closed on Monday for Discovery Day so I would have three days to relax in Whitehorse and explore town.  I hoped I could find a place to camp along the way or near town to limit my travel on the worn out bearing.
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    Where is Mike?

    Mike Saunders

    In May 2014 I quit my job to ride a Honda Ruckus over 69'000 mi and counting. Wild camping most nights and cooking most of my own meals, I keep the costs low and the landscape changing. 

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  • Scoot
  • Paddle
  • Pedal
  • Moto
    • The South >
      • Merchant's Millpond State Park, NC
      • BRP and a visit to Charlotte, NC
      • South Carolina and Back on my GS (2011)
      • Jaw-ja Trip #1 - Visiting my Nephew
      • Jaw-ja Trip #2 - Cousin's Wedding
      • "You rode 1300 miles for BBQ?!?" (2010)
    • Canada (eh) >
      • 2012 - Beards to Canada >
        • Day 1: Arlington, VA > Arlington, VT
        • Day 1-2 (Continued) Back to VA!!!
        • Day 3: Newburyport, NH > Sandy Cove, NS
        • Day 4: Loafing around "The Neck"
        • Day 5: Sandy Cove, NS to Antigonish, NS
        • Day 6: Antigonish, NS to Meat Cove, NS
        • Day 7: Meat Cove, NS to Port Aux Basques, NFL
        • Day 8: Port Aux Basques to Port Saunders
        • Day 9: Port Saunders to Big Brook
        • Day 10: Big Brook, NL to Trans Lab Hwy
        • Day 11: Trans Lab Hwy to Pinware River
        • Day 12: Pinware River, LAB to Norris Point, NL
        • Day 13: Norris Point to Blue Beach
        • Day 14: Blue Beach, NL to Port Aux Basques Ferry
        • Day 15: Sydney, NS to Sandy Cove, NS
        • Day 16: Chillin on the Digby Neck
        • Day 17: Sandy Cove, NS to No. Sandwich, NH
        • Day 18: Sandiwch, NH to Arlington, VA (Home)
      • Algonquin Park 2013 >
        • Day 1: Home to New York
        • Day 2: Chataugay State Forest to Brent, ON
        • Day 3: Brent, ON to Nipissing River Portage at Nadine Lake
        • Day 4: Nipissing River @ Nadine Lake Portage to first island in Red Pine Bay
        • Day 5: Red Pine Bay to Hogan’s Lake
        • Day 6: Hogan’s Lake to Catfish Lake
        • Day 7: Catfish Lake to Cedar Lake to Fredonia, NY
        • Day 8: Fredonia, NY to Brookville, PA
        • Day 9: Brookville, PA to Alexandria, VA
      • Think I'll ride to Montreal this weekend...
      • Ontario on a Whim
    • Maryland >
      • How to Hit a Tree, By ME!
      • Ruckus Stealth Camping in MD
      • Ruck'n around Southern MD
      • White's Ferry and some Maryland Backroads
      • 1000mi right near da' beach (2010)
    • New York >
      • Cornell, Niagara Falls and PA Coal Country (2012)
      • Finger Lakes trip to NY (2011)
      • New York City Trip (2011)
    • Pennsylvania >
      • Early Spring in PA
      • Michaux Camping
      • From a Wedding to "Where-da-fugawi?"
      • Pennsylvania Leaf Peeping (2012)
      • First Big Trip to PA (2010)
    • Virginia >
      • From the Mountains to the Sea in Ol' Virginny'
      • What the Fog? (Northern Neck, VA - 2013)
      • Uncle Bucks Ride to Eat and Snowy SNP
      • Charlottesville Area Ride
      • Serious Helmet Time in VA (2011)
      • Ruck'n Across Virginia (2010)
      • Impromptu Camping with 'DC Rider' (2010)
    • West Virginia >
      • Rella-Vous and Skippii Rescue
      • New River Gorge Ghost Town Exploration (2011)
      • Five States from Laurel Fork (Spring 2013)
      • A Little Dirt, A Little Clouds, A lotta Fun, WV (2012)
      • GS and an NSX? (2012)
      • Seneca Rocks Camping Two-Up (2011)
      • Panniers Only Club at Seneca Rocks, WV (2010)
      • Laurel Fork Fall 2010 on the Honda Ruckus 50cc (2010)
      • Dog Days Rally and Rella's Gift (2010)
      • Pops and Richmonders in WV (2010)
      • Rocket Boys (2010)
      • New River Gorge and Rella's (2010)
    • Cross Country 2009 >
      • Trip Preparation
      • Day 1: (Sept 3, 2010)
      • Day 2: (Sept 4, 2010)
      • Day 3: (Sept 5, 2010)
      • Day 4: (Sept 6, 2010)
      • Day 5: (Sept 7, 2010)
      • Day 6: (Sept 8, 2010)
      • Day 7: (Sept 9, 2010)
      • Day 8: (Sept 10, 2010)
      • Day 9: (Sept 11, 2010)
      • Day 10: (Sept 12, 2010)
      • Day 11: (Sept 13, 2010)
      • Day 12: (Sept 14, 2010)
      • Day 13: (Sept 15, 2010)
      • Day 14: (Sept 16, 2010)
      • Day 15: (Sept 17, 2010)
      • Day 16: (Sept 18, 2010)
      • Day 17: (Sept 19, 2010)
  • Photos
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  • Contact
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