Day 1: Ride to Dawson City
The recaps below come from my Facebook page with some commentary around them as well.
This write-up will only cover the time up until I reach Dawson City. The next one will feature the ride from Dawson City to Tuk and back.
Both legs of the trip feature beauty and drama.
Day 1 of Ride to Dawson City is Done!
Approximately 1200 kms (745 miles) ridden from Airdrie to Smithers, BC!
The Ninja has been flawless, solid underneath a full load of my gear and myself, comfortable and attacked the road as if it owed it money.
We started the day off as the “frozen chosen” riding in 0 degrees Celsius (32 Fahrenheit) until we reached Jasper where things did warm up, thankfully.
Greg showed me a “secret” waterfall along the Icefield Parkway (Highway 93) that I took video of. It’s beautiful and frightening to look over the massive drop off all at once. My sense of self-preservation prevented me from standing on the ledge and looking down. Instead, I laid down on my stomach to capture it.
The Columbia Glacier deserved a photo with the H2 “SeXy” of course, and I’d like to come back with the family to see it on the tour after this ride to Tuk is over.
Mount Robson is the tallest peak in the Rockies. It really was an awesome sight to behold today. The photos I took can’t capture the true magnitude of it. It’s massive!
Three black bears and one grizzly bear sighted today. There was a tourist taking a selfie about 20 feet away from the huge grizzly! How do they not get attacked?
My new mission is to find and take a photo with a moose in the wild.
After passing through Prince George, British Columbia the drizzle started and the road stayed wet most of the way to Smithers, so the H2 SeXy isn’t so sexy now with road grime covering her. She’s still beautiful underneath though. The stock Bridgestone Battlax ST021 tires are sticking like glue to the drenched road. I’ve had zero traction issues giving me plenty of confidence in the new bike.
What an intoxicating mixture of long sweeping S curves mixed with the lovely aroma of pine, wet earth and clean air Northern British Columbia is. That and a ton of not-so-lovely road construction to slow us down. Smells are so much more pronounced on a motorcycle than in a car which is mostly a bonus.
I love the turquoise colored lakes and streams everywhere in the mountains. I don’t think there’s anywhere more beautiful on earth.
I hope the afterlife amounts to riding these highways forever with unlimited fuel.
No Camping Yet
Greg and I opted for a hotel room in Smithers, British Columbia to rest up and get out of the rain and cold in lieu of trying to find somewhere to camp. The forecast doesn’t look favorable either over the next few days where we’re heading.
Jim, agree 100% on the Sidi Adventure 2 boots. My own trip to Tuk was within a few days of yours, and our group of four encountered ALL conditions – dry, dusty, wet, muddy, rain, sleet, snow, cold. The Adventure 2 boots kept my feet absolutely dry, as well as comfortable.
You had a much tougher ride on the Dempster than I did Michael.
I’m in awe that you rode it in the snow.
Yay! great to read of your adventure and glad you completed your mission as I’m sure you are.
It was a really unforgettable adventure for me!
I think I’m hooked and am already plotting the next crazy ride.
Amazing write up. I found a quiet corner to sit and really enjoyed reading through your adventure. When does Part 2 get published?!
Hi Rob!
Thank you for the feedback and I’m so happy to hear someone read that novel I wrote.
Part 2 has been finished for about a week, but our editor is on holidays so things have ground to a bit of a halt around the publishing area.
Everyone needs some time off so we can’t get upset.
The second piece is actually longer than the first if you can believe it and twice as dramatic.
To call the ride to Tuk life changing is completely accurate. I’m not the same rider I was when I left home June 5th that I am now. What a place. What an experience. What a road the Dempster was and still is!
Have you ridden up that way yourself?
The boss tells me it should be on the site in the next few days. Trust me, no one wants it in print more than I do.
Nice writeup! I’m planning for this June and would love to read part 2. Probably tomorrow I’ll continue reading.
Do you have any tips for me? I’ll be on my own from Vancouver to Tuk and back, so, tips like place to stay, must see places on way etc… Thinking of covering a max of 800km a day but take a day or 2 break in place like Whitehorse or Prince Rupert.
BTW, why didn’t you continue with your Kawasaki? Is it because of gravel road from Dawson city to Tuk?
Hi Rubert!
Sorry I took so long to get back to you.
There are quite a few tips in part 2 that might be useful for you. It’s a good idea to make contact with my friend Lawrence Neyando who is up in Inuvik and runs a tour company called Arctic Motorcycle Adventures: https://www.arcticmoto.ca/ he can really get you prepared for the final leg up to Tuk from Inuvik should you need anything.
I should warn you presently I believe the borders into NWT require you to do a 14 day quarantine after you cross, even for residents returning from other provinces. Go ahead and plan you trip but be prepared to face that obstacle.
If you read part 2 you’ll understand why I left the Ninja in Dawson City. The Dempster is no place for sport bikes. It’s not your average gravel road. It’s a test of your motorcycle and will.
I’m considering a return to Tuk myself this year, so I’ll be watching the borders too.