The turn south

TODAY MARKS the start of week nine. After a lot of riding west and north and a few days pointed east, now comes the turn south. That’ll put me on the Stewart-Cassiar Highway through British Columbia. BC Highway 37.

I know the Alaska Highway south of here, have yet to see the Stewart-Cassiar but I’m eager to do so. It comes highly recommended by my friend Bob in Valemount BC.

Bob’s been riding in recent weeks down around Vancouver Island, and the Kootenays. He made it home late last night after long hours weathering a terrific thunderstorm at speed.

This part of the world is getting rain at last. Good news for firefighters, the wildlife, and everyone who has occasion to breathe in and breathe out.

Yesterday, on the Continental Divide, Alaska Highway. The end of fair skies. Minutes later the piglet was rocking and rolling in high winds and a soaking rain.

I put on my rain jacket but let my waist-down leathers and boots take the power washing. They’d been caked in dried Arctic mud for way too long.

I camped on Watson Lake last night, my third Yukon camp of the trek east out of Alaska. Made dinner standing in the rain and made breakfast standing in it, too.

The marker on the map is Watson Lake. When I push the button on this quick update I’m not long for the Yukon.

Tony DePaul, July 18, 2019, Watson Lake, the Yukon, Canada