The gravel route south to Fort Liard was in great shape. No worries there at all. It was mostly 4th gear cruising on solid gravel or dry hardpack dirt, and I counted exactly zero gravel-hole booby-traps.
My GPS got confused as I approached the Alaska Highway junction, momentarily crushing my soul with a false indication that I was 1h45m from destination rather than 15m. I rolled into Fort Nelson, checked into the Motel 6, and found next door the ultimate service station. Ingredient #1: Premium fuel, and in a dedicated pump. Ingredient #2: An air hose, and it didn't demand quarters, and didn't even require pushing a stupid little pushbutton every 15 seconds. Ingredient #3: The paper towel dispensers were (a) stocked, (b) with nice thick paper towels, (c) which were pre-folded into thirds and perfect for chain cleaning. Winning.
In the motel parking lot tonight, there are bikes with plates from places like Ohio, Vermont, and Alabama, which makes me feel like I'm practically still at home.
Day total: 518 km, 7h05m Trip total: 1,173 km | Start: Fort Simpson, NWT. End: Fort Nelson, BC. Soundtrack: Badger insisted on listening to Sia all day. |