10th June

Up just after 4am and helped Murray load the bike and waved him off as he left to catch his bus. Went back inside where some tantric loony was huffing, puffing and gargling as part of his morning ritual.

Cab arrived late on the way to the airport but checked in fine. In my short acquaintance with the bike bag I have come to loathe it deeply.

Dull flight over millions of acres of Canadian nothing and arrived at Minneapolis 30 mins late. Had the joy of tearing around the airport, just making the departure gate for the final call. Looks like we’ll be about 30 mins late in to the air as well… why can’t they… oh why bother! With luck I’ll sleep on this flight. $130 to get the extra bag home – better be at Gatwick in good nick. Now we have inane yoga on screen. I’ll have a nice day if I want to. Aaarghhh!

Coming in to land at Gatwick and it looks as if we will only be 10 mins late.

THE END

Loading the bike

Safe Journey mate

9th June

Mild hangover, that a coffee and a Dr Pepper fixed, and then did all the re-packing of all M’s stuff to go back to the UK. Took a bus downtown and bought the last things I need, including the glue to fix the brewery sign that I broke off the bike yesterday – beer in a seedy bar on the walk back from downtown and then was back at Spenard.

Fixed the beer sign and M returned from his shopping trip. Suddenly it’s time to go home! The return always seemed such a long way ahead, and now I have one last night. Well, my last night was a quiet, low alcohol one. Went just over the road to Gwennie's for a BBQ ribs and a last glass of Alaskan beer. The TV was showing the program of Alaskan crab fisherman.

Back to the hostel and shifted all our stuff out of the bunk room to the lobby, so we don’t disturb anyone with our early starts; M leaves just after 5am to catch his bus to the border, and I have a cab booked for 06:45. Everything’s done…. So it ends where it began… Spenard Hostel and Anchorage airport. Still have not worked out what to do about sleep and jet lag. Will try to sleep on the transatlantic flight I think; never had jet lag before, and am not looking forward to it.

8th June

Up at 8 and checked on the bus from Wasilla to Anchorage – difficult to get the info online so we did a re-calculation and changed plans – load the car, drive everything to Spenard Hostel and then Murray drops the car off at the airport and cycles the 2 miles back to the Hostel.

Cleaned up the things we had used at Colleen’s, loaded up and drove out of Wasilla. On the way we managed to get all M’s photos transferred on to a CD-ROM, so I’ll be able to take them home. On the way to Anchorage I finally saw some moose – grazing in some flat marshland in the preserved land on the west of the Highway.

Arrived in Anchorage and drove ‘round ‘til we found Murray’s bus departure point for Sunday morning. One more stop at REI for stuff, where the bike was given the once over by an Aussie working there, and it was on to Spenard. Checked in, sent a quick email, found out more about Igloo City and then caught a bus back to the Snow Goose.

Had the best seafood meal I’ve ever had; halibut stuffed with crabmeat in a parmesan sauce with garlic potatoes and fresh asparagus – god it was good. Left there and went to a lively bar, and then back to Humpies for a last pint. Excellent R&B band playing. Eventually left and caught a cab home.

7th June

Up at 7 and sat at a table in the woods with a cup of tea listening to the birds singing. Went to the viewpoint with the bear spray, ever hopeful, but still no bears. Woke M with a brew and he ate his breakfast while I chatted to a guy on a mountain bike from Fairbanks called John.

Drove the last 24 miles to the Talkeetna turning where I sorted out all the stuff in the car to make room for M and the bike. When he gets here he will have ridden 759 miles since his start point just south of Deadhorse (according to the milometer in the car).

Murray arrived after 2 hours on the road, did a quick change, loaded the bike and we drove in to Talkeetna, passing Larry & Jane on the way. Met them and bought them a lunch to say thanks, in the West Rib. Apparently, the local school burned to the ground 2 days ago! Said goodbye to Larry & Jane and drove to Wasilla, past an unpleasant looking road accident and arrived at Coleen’s where we emptied the car, did our stinky laundry and reorganised our luggage.

Colleen arrived home from work and we took her, and Dale & Linda (who’d lent us the car Murray had when I first arrived) out for a nice Italian meal (hello, I’m Lisa, I’ll be your waitress this evening) and came back. Said goodnight and goodbye to Colleen, who was getting up at 5am, polished off the last of the rough whisky and went to bed.

Morning view

Sleeping arrangements

Back to square one.

6th June

Igloo City

Up at 7.00 to find that the wind had died away and the wind generator wasn’t even turning. Breakfast and M was away by 8.20. I drove back to Cantwell for water and coffee & pecan pies.

Drove on to "Igloo City" to wait. It is a 4 storey high igloo with dormer windows made of ply & covered in foam and a waterproof render. Looking through the windows at ground floor level the inside is entirely studwork, but with no evidence of any plasterboard having been put up and the wires still not terminated – I don’t think it was ever completed. Murray hates it…. I think it is wonderful.

While we were there the RV Convoy we had passed at Nenana turned up and a couple of ‘em came over for a chat; as usual, nice people, even if the vehicles are absolutely preposterous. This was only a brief stop for architectural appreciation and then I drove on to Hurricane Gulch, where the bridge spans a 240’ drop to the river.

On the way I passed a deep ravine in the lush green trees that was still a solid block of blue white ice. Should get a good shot of the bike cycling over this bridge; providing I don’t fall down the sides! It turns out that we had both seen the red fox hanging around on the road this morning; though it was very fluffy and I need to find out if arctic foxes change colour in the summer.

Drove the 15 miles on to the Ermine Hill trailhead. 20 more took us to yet another trailhead, this time with an olde worlde water pump that we both had to play with, there was a woman dozing in the sun here with a husky and .44 magnum – apparently for protection against bears. On the way to this stop I passed a porcupine on the side of the road. I managed to get a couple of photos as it shuffled away, looking furtively over its shoulder at me.

M said he felt good for a few more miles, so drove on 17 more to a lovely stop in the trees with no mosquitoes and a short walk to an outstanding view over the Chulitna river valley. A braided river about ½ mile wide. That made a new record for Murray of 83 miles. We cooked up our last meal in the open with only 21 miles or so left to do until he rejoins his previous route.

Needed to phone Colleen & Larry & Jane so we went 13 miles back North to a café for a beer and the barman let us use his mobile. All arranged for tomorrow. Tried to buy a carry-out but it is against the law from a bar… hence the separate room at Cantwell’s bar last night.

All is done for tonight. Last glass (mug) of whisky and then it is our last night in the back of the trusty Durango. Traffic has quietened right down now, even the flights in and out of Talkeetna seem to have finished and we sit in these woods in peace, with birdsong (poor buggers don’t get much sleep in the summer!) and the frothy cream coloured blossoms of what looks like ground elder. If it is, and it survives up here, there’s no wonder you can’t get it out of your garden.

Hurricane Gulch

Bloody Mosquitos

Pump it up

5th June

Late start with M feeling a little worn out after yesterday's 78 miles, but after breakfast I drove on to the thoroughly commercial area ‘round the Denali Park entrance – the names of the rivers and streams the road crosses are superb – Iceworm Gulch, Penguingue Creek (sic), Bison Gulch, Dragonfly Creek.

The bridge over the 100 foot deep gorge that the Nenana River cuts is unnerving due to the high winds – this is evidently quite frequent as half way along it there is a wind sock to show drivers what to expect. Murray arrived absolutely bushed. Said that he had tried walking but cycling did give him about 1kmh increase in speed. The wind had blown him to a halt while free wheeling down hill.

Sat in subway and ate a roll and then drove 22 miles on to a windy layby right on the bank of the Tanana river. It is shallow and fast flowing here, but very grey and silty with all the rock dust shattered and ground out of the mountains that surround it. Murray decided that the 44 miles was not enough for the day so decided to go on another 19 as far as Broad pass, which is the highest point and leaves only 100 miles to do to the Talkeetna Junction, and the linking of the two cycling journeys.

M made good time to the last stop. I’d driven to the agreed layby at milepost 201 a dull layby but with superb views of Mt McKinley; so photo and quick clip of video after the Princess tour bus departed, then drove ½ mile back down the road to the automated weather station and nosed behind that – lo & behold an airstrip, with a hedge to keep the noise of the road away and level ground.

The book says it was created for P51 lightnings during the war, as it was out of range of carrier-born jap bombers. Parked up here and had a good meal of beef, garlic sausage & rice; washed down with a 6 pack of Bud that I’d bought from a seedy bar in Cantwell 7 miles earlier. Seems to be few mosquitoes here (not that I’m obsessed) and I think the wind is keeping them away. If that is the case then it has been the only good thing about it – it’s been blowing in his face all day and the calorie counter says he’s burned over 4000 calories today – the hardest day’s cycling yet. McKinley looks stunning; summit above the clouds. I will try to take a photo of it as the sun moves further round to the North. It is 9.30pm now and we may lose it tonight as I think it will drop below the line of hills to the West of us – also I don’t want to be up too late in case the wind drops and the mossies come out to play (yep! Definitely obsessed). The squeaking of the weather station’s wind generator will let us know what it’s doing. At the moment it sounds like a flock of argumentative ducks.

Airing Murray's Sock

Trusty Transport

4th June

Good early start-up at 7am; tea with fresh milk was lovely; the chilli flavoured pork scratchings were not a success! Drove on 20 miles and Murray took longer than usual to arrive. When he did, it turned out that he had had a puncture. His plastic tyre levers were a little feeble, and he’d had the devil’s own job getting the tyre back on. While he ate and drank, I repaired the flat tube, so he still has one in reserve; providing the patch is good – he’d ridden over a 2" nail.

He continued and I drove on to Nenana where I bought some cold root beers for the icebox, had coffee and a bun and posted the t-shirt to Molly. Waited for M about 7 miles further down the road – a layby at Fish Creek. While M was eating, a movement in the river caught my eye and we watched an otter for about 5 minutes as it swam around 15yds away keeping an eye on us.

Drove ahead to a picnic spot where my luck with ammunition still held out – this time ½ dozen .22 cases, I hope the otter makes it as an otter, not as someone’s hat! Final stop was 10 miles further still, making 78 miles for the day. Found a disused sand & gravel quarry and parked there. Huge collection of spent ammo cases and mashed bullets – people must use it for a shooting gallery. Also ½ a dead fox – fairly well mummified so no fear of a bear coming back for a second course. Someone has dumped an old kitchen unit and worktop here, so we will be cooking in style tonight (bratwurst, potato salad and baked beans). Tried the triscuits again – still don’t like them.

Very few mosquitoes here, probably because it is so dry. The insect collection on the front of the car is coming on well. The road ascends through the Alaska Range tomorrow so lots of hills. However, the views along this stretch of road have been wonderful ever since Nenana. Snow capped peaks in the distance etc. Bottle of "Smoking Loon" Cabernet with the food went down well.

Nenana Church

Wild Kitchen