Day 08

This morning was the first time I’ve had the chance to sleep in.

Waking up around 5am again, I promptly went back to sleep to get a couple more hours.

Having the long daylight hours, my internal clock is way off. By midnight, I’m not even a bit tired, and it doesn’t seem until the sun goes down enough behind the mountains that I can start to get tired remotely enough to actually fall asleep.

Not long after I awoke, Geoff did as well, and I went out to get a couple items from my bikes.

Outside, I noticed 2 more bikes had come in during the night at some time. The two gentlemen, Stewart and Carl, were both up, and we started to chat about the Dust 2 Dawson get together.

After a bit of chit chat, we decided on all going to the Chinese restaurant for some breakfast. As weird as it sounds, they provide a decent breakfast for $5.99.

After we all ate our breakfast, we all decided to make our way down to the Dawson Hotel to see if anything was going on.

We spent some time chatting with some folks, then Geoff and I decided to go get some coffee at the local “Internet Cafe”, where we both got online and did some updating to our various sites.

Geoff’s blog can be found at http://offroad.com.au and is about this travels to North America for his 54 week holiday.

While on the internet I checked the forecast for Inuvik and the Dempster Highway. The outlook looked grim, as rain was in the forecast for the next several days. Way to many days to wait out in hopes of it turning around.

With that decision, I decided to change my plans and head towards Prudhoe Bay along with Geoff.

So with that, we came back to the Hostel, grabbed my “Mile Post” book, and made our plans and reservations at various points.

Having the ability to split the costs for rooms, this sounded well enough for me.

Our plan is as stands.
We will stay 1 more day in Dawson, mainly to ride around the surrounding area for some photo’s, where we will then leave on Sunday Morning for Fairbanks via the Top of the World Highway.

Once in Fairbanks, we have 2 nights planned. We will use the other down day to get tires changed on our bikes.

I need a new rear, which I have with me, and he needs a new front and rear.

Leaving Fairbanks, we will travel up the Dalton Highway towards Prudhoe Bay. Staying around Coldfoot or just outside it, we will then push on into Prudhoe Bay come Wednesday.

We will spend 2 nights in Prudhoe as well, as on Thursday, we will be taking the guided tour to the Arctic Ocean (The only way to access it).

Not only will I now be in the Arctic Circle, I will be taking it all the way to the northern most ocean.

This works well, as it was in my backup plan had Inuvik not worked out, so I am limited on disappointment.

Secondly, I will be traveling with someone who has become a friend, and is a great individual, and hearing his stories over in Oz is very fun, and enlightening.

Once leaving Prudhoe, we will most likely make another stop in our around Coldfoot, depending on how we feel.

We may also push on to Fairbanks.

At Fairbanks, we will part ways, and I will begin my journey home to Washington State via the Cassiar Highway in British Columbia.

Currently, this puts me back home sometime around Wednesday the Following week. A few days longer than I was expecting, but unavoidable.

After we had the route planned, we headed back into town across the ferry on our bikes for the big D2D Dinner Banquet.

The turn out was amazing, in fact they had sold out of dinner tickets, and over 40 riders were not able to attend, due to the seating arrangements.

The dinner was great. A large steak, a baked potato and rolls, and a wonderful desert, and other various items.

During the banquet, I won a door prize of a 17 inch rear inner tube. Although I already have a spare, no problem in having extra’s!

After the banquet was over, the main street was closed off and the bike games begun. Various people entered into competitions such as “Slowest to the end”, 2 up competitions with water balloons and hotdogs, Blindfold Competition and other various challenges.

The turnout was great. Tourists, locals, and adventure riders from all over the world attended to watch the carnage that was taking place. After watching, I kinda wish I entered, and when I return one day, I will. It sure looks like fun.

With the competition over, midnight approached, and the lining of the bikes began.

All 200+ bikes were brought into the street, lined up, and the midnight photo took place. Still completely light out, everyone then parked their bikes back in place, and the official D2D Stickers were handed out.

At the end of all of these events, it was again time to catch the ferry back across the Yukon, while admiring the beautiful sunset at 12:15 in the morning.

I finish writing this at 1 am in the morning under the bright twilight around me before I take my bed for the remainder of twilight night.