Saturday, September 1, 2012

Day One

Grand Circle Loop Tour

We rolled out of town 5 of us in a tight formation, heading once again to the holy city.  4 weekends in a row now I ride to the holy city.   I think I qualify for the personal pilgrimage patch.  Our destination  for today is Chitina. We have rooms booked at the Chitina hotel.
Traffic is light. Most people it seems are already camping in the gravel pits, taking part in the annual motorized murder large animal fall campaign.  Riding by I spot some armed men sitting around the campfire commutating by using the world wide web.

Web On My Light
 
No Troopers try to pass us today, and we did not even encounter slow traffic until almost Hicks Creek. Three motor homes and a suv. The lead motor home not from laska spots traffic backed up behind them after a bit signals and pulls over. Now just two motor homes and a suv. Short passing lane coming up, not long enough to get everyone by, just long enough for me and 101. Time for biker maneuvers. Slowing to 35mph pointing out the turnouts to the laskan suv. They just don’t get it. PULL OVER LET US BY! Finally another short break in the double line. I swing out to let my pals know it’s safe to pass and around they come. Not much further up the road we catch the other two laskans slowly maneuvering through the turns, only this time long passing lanes ahead. Only 55mph in the three lane but the two laskans motor homes speed up 60, 70, 80, flip this drop a gear, and now doing just under the ton we are around, these campers from hell. Formation riding through the next couple of three lanes then no cars ahead. Settling back to 60 mph, Eureka lodge and breakfast alerts showing up in my Hemet, heads up display.  

After Eureka its rain mostly. After the holy city its rain mostly. Totally geared and goggled up, pondering. Riding in the rain is just like riding in the sun…Except its darker, you can’t see as good, and well it is welter.

Hotel Chitina does us all good. Walking to the Copper River after riding we get soaked. That’s what happens when you leave your riding gear behind.
 
Sunday from the End of the pavement Chitina to the Golden Heart city Fairbanks via Tok. With another stop for gas in the holy city.  
 
Sounds of gun fire from the streets of Chinita. Peppermint is heavy, but perhaps no match for the large calibre sounds from the street.

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