Day 11

July 30. So far there have been rainy days, cold days, rainy and cold days, and foggy days, with a little wind every once in a while. This day started out cold, foggy, rainy, and windy. I thought you couldn't have fog and wind at the same time, but I'm telling you, you can. At least in Alaska. But the fog lifted pretty quick and the wind died down and I got to Denali, with only light rain. I didn't go for the bus to the mountain, because it would take the entire day and you wouldn't be able to see it anyway, because of the low clouds. So I rode the part of the park road that you are allowed without a permit (about 15 miles in and back). And it was fantastic. Denali is an amazing place. Mountains, tundra, rivers. Saw another moose, a bull this time.

So said goodbye to Denali and headed down toward Anchorage. And what to you know? The sun came out and it warmed up, into the high 60s. Not the 70s or 80s they're supposed to get up here this time of year, but I'll take it. Even had to put my sunglasses on, something that hasn't happened for several days.

Just above Anchorage, the Glenn Highway branches off the Park Highway and heads back to Canada. The lower Glenn Highway has got to be in the top ten motorcycle roads in the country. More mountains, a glacier, and just perfect winding roads.

I stopped at a little pull off to fix a tuna fish sandwich and take a break. Where I had to pull out, the exit was up hill, the road down hill and sharp to the right and then there was that sandy gravel, and well, down went the bike. Pretty embarrassing. A couple of guys stopped to help me get it back up and I was on my way. But now I can't make fun of friends who've dropped their bikes. Oh well....

So I'm chugging along figuring I'll make about 650 miles, what with all this sun, but then the sky blackened and there I was, right back in the rain. This road is circling back to the North, and it ran right back into the rain I'd just got out of. So I found a room, sort of. It's in a "lodge." Bathroom down the hall. No heat. (If you want heat, leave your door open, there's a register in the hallway.) No TV, but there is a common TV room. Sounds like it sucks, but it's actually kind of neat. As long as nobody else books in, that is.

But I did manage to get to about 100 miles south of Tok, Alaska (where I'm at doesn't have a name) and got in 529 miles.