Epilogue

It's now a couple of days that we are home again and friends and family have asked questions such as "would you do that again?" or "why did you do that?", and the answer is not a quick one.  Why did we, or better I ever got the idea to travel with the motrcycle to Alaska?  Was it perhaps that I watched to much of the Discovery Channel's series "Alaska, The Last Frontier", was it perhaps Ewan McGregor's and Charley Boorman's "Long Way Round", I don't know.   What I do know, is that sometime last year after our return from Nova Scotia the idea was on the table, and since no resistance from my wife came up it manifested itself in a steady planning and preparation process.  Not sure about the endeavor itself with my new bike, which was considerably heavier than my old one, and still I didn't feel one with it, I asked the question sometimes myself.  But I was determined, and knew that I will "beat the beast" and that we will be friends at the end of the day.  Now there have been many opinions and views on why one travels, and I would be lying in not admitting that some sort of adventure was also part of it, but it was foremost the opportunity to travel across the United States of America and Canada and to see a huge part of those two countries.  Even so we had been traveling the US a lot already, the western part still has a great attraction to us and so it was clear that we would spend a lot of time in the West and "rush" through the East and Central portion of the country.  The motorcycle by all means of transportation is still the best suited vehicle to travel.  Not only that this vehicle will immediately spark interest from strangers when you park it and opens conversations with local people as to where you come from, where you're going, why and how long, and much more, it also lets you be much more connected with the environment you traveling through.  And I don't mean that you are not sitting in a protected cabin when it rains, but the elevated seat position allows for a much better view of the surroundings, one smells the air unfiltered, one feels the wind, one is "in touch" with the land.  It provides a unique and direct experience, one perhaps only a cyclist can share too ( by the way, those people are my heros who do journeys like that by sole muscle power).  The motorcycle also let's you bond with other riders much easier, people who come from where you're going, or have a nearby or the same destination as oneself, we share information about the road, the weather, gas stations and places to rest, conversations never ever happen when traveling by car.  We ride together some distance, split, and perhaps meet again somewhere at a later time, a loose bond of people sharing the same passion of traveling by motorcycle and enjoying the wast country wer're riding in.  We also decided on tenting as much as possible, and only using a motel in extreme need or when unavoidable, not only to keep our budget in check, but of the opportunity to interact with people and to share our experience.  And it has been the right decision and a great experience, meeting people not only giving you advise and tips on what to see and where to travel too, but meeting people in the midst of pouring rain offering you their hospitality to have a hot shower and to dry out, to join them for dinner, and without any thoughts of personnel advantages, just plain helpful and friendly, a virtue not very often found anymore in our hectic business world.  Those people, total strangers when first met, we became instantly friends of a special kind, a special bond only this kind of travel provides.  Of course we have seen a lot of those two big countries, different landscapes with glaciers millions of years old, forests with trees several hundred or close to thousand years old, wildlife of different kind on the ground, in the water, and in the air.  We have seen great country, we have seen great emptiness, we have seen great cities, we have seen small settlements, poverty and wealth, and so may other images which will be in our memories forever.  We have experienced dimensions we had no idea of how big is Big, how far is Far, how wide is Wide.  We also have met people living in this country, First Nation People, Farmers, Vacationers, ordinary people making their living one way or the other, Adventurers, Gold Miners, and many others.  And it was interesting listening to their stories, where they came from, what they were doing and how they see their country, a place we only visited for a short time, of which we only could get a climpse, a snapshot in time.  Even so the museums in many of those towns provided a good view into past and development of the place, the stories told gave a different aspect and personal touch to it, and made it much more connected.
Now as we have returned one asks has all this changed the traveler.  And the answer is "of course it has", otherwise we have traveled with closed eyes.  It has opened our eyes to be more sensitive to our surroundings, to respect nature, to be more in harmony with your environment. It showed us that less can be more, that riches are not measured in collaterals, that happiness is in the simplest things.  We also achieved some things we are pretty proud of ourselves, personal achievements of special significance, and that combined with the impressions of the total journey, the answers are definitely Yes, we would do it again, and It was a great idea to do it.

“... we’ve come this far, & people’s faces have changed & people’s houses have changed, & people’s beliefs may have changed, but ultimately we’re not any different from one another, you know? we all love our kids, we all need somewhere to sleep, we all need some food… we’re not all that different.”  - Ewan McGregor, Long Way Round

Ralph & Elke Mayer, Granby, CT 2014

PS: Stats and other Info still to follow

Mile 12422

When we woke up yesterday morning in Rigaud, QC it was difficult to get motivated to explore the surroundings of Montreal being just a couple of hundred miles away from home.  So finally we surrendered to the feeling of "now it's time to go home" which has been growing since a couple of days as we moved along the US border, and went onto the Highway towards the border.  Hwy 40, then Hwy 30 onto 15, crossing into the US and we were in Vermont.  A quick cross over lake Champlain, then Interstate 89 onto 91 and we were rolling home.  And of course one thing could not be left out, we got drenched entering Massaschutes.  So a perfect day.
The bike is now parked in the garage awaiting a good cleaning and a top to bottom service, our gear will be cleaned and stashed away, and we will take the next days easy and reflect on the trip we just finished.  This will take awhile and will be certainly another and final entry to this blog.

“It is good to have an end to journey toward; but it is the journey that matters, in the end.”  -  Ernest Hemingway

mile 12045

We got up this morning with some drizzle on our heads as we packed the tent and a plan to run South to Toronto in order to follow the shorelines of the Great Lakes.  But at breakfast some people were telling us that a storm/rain front with torrential rain is coming down in the South and West.  So we changed our plans and remained at the current level and moved East, hoping to avoid the rain.  We left Parry Sound, ON and rode toward the beautiful Algonquin Provincial Park and Ottawa.  But as we started the rain had moved East enough from the Southwest and we ran for the first hour or so in rain.  But as we moved further to the East we outran the rain and once again the beauty of the hundreds of little or bigger lakes in the this part of Ontario showed up.  This is definitely a paradise for outdoor enthusiasts, specially if you enjoy kayaking or canoeing.  But there is little time to enjoy the scenery as we need to hurry.  The sky behind us is getting darker, and it did hit us again close to Ottawa.  So we circled Ottawa and found a place to dry up again in Rigaud, QC.
Unfortunately no pictures of today, only memories of a certainly beautiful countryside here in Ontario, at least of that we could see through the rain.

"If you don't ride in the rain, you don't ride."  - Author Unknown

mile 11663

We continued our way along the shores of Lake Superior to Sault Ste. Marie with the intend to stay there for some days and explore the surroundings, as we liked very much the country riding towards it. Along the way we visited nice beach places like Pancake Beach or Agawa Rock, and the shoreline and adjacent lakes really called for a longer stay.  So we settled down on a nice camp site in Sault Ste. Marie, went for a swim,  and made it an easy afternoon and leisure evening.  Today we explored the town and after about an hour we were through town and didn't find anything worth to explore in more detail (not to say Sault Ste. Marie has no attractions, but none which attracted us) so we drove a little headless around until we decided to venture on East.  Camp was broken down quickly (also because some dark clouds had moved in and rain was in the forecast) and shortly after lunch the bike was packed and we were rolling again.  A wise decision as it turned out, as we left the rain behind us and drove into sunshine.  We continued Hwy 17 East, then turned South on to Hwy 69 toward Toronto.  Once again this brought us through beautiful countryside with nice forests and idyllic lakes, and we both were happy that we left.  Camp was found in Parry Sound and after all, the day turned out all in all as a good one.

The ultimate bike trailer, Motor Inn parking lot, Wawa, ON

Agawa Rock, rock paintings and formations

Agawa Crafts, the ultimate TT (tourist trap)

Guess who??  After nearly 12,000 miles carrying the hammock, it finally came to use

mile 11168

We continue our way East and have finally left the Canadian Badlands and the Prairie, heading Southeast to the Great Lakes.  And what a change in scenery it was, as we left Manitoba and entered Ontario, turning South and following Hwy 71 and Hwy 11/17 and the hundreds of little lakes to Thunder Bay.  This is paradise for everyone who loves to hunt and fish, but for us it is just plain beautiful nature, reminding us of very much of Arcadia NP in Maine with its forests and lakes.  And even so we didn't see any Moose, we saw plenty of smaller game and many of birds.  We continued to make our way along the shoreline of Lake Superior and through many of First Nation Territory, before we found a nice place to rest in Wawa (ever heard of it?).  The plan is to continue the shorelines of the Great Lakes (weather permitting) as we work our way East.  So far the forecast is for sun or cloudy skies, but riding has been good with nicely undulated roads, and long, smooth curves, and traffic really very moderate.  None of all the bad things all told us about riding the Trans Canada Highway(s).

Murals in Kenora, ON

You know from where the wind is blowing, near Emo, ON

Along Hwy 17 to Marathon, ON

Aguasabon Falls, ON

Near Wawa, ON

“Another glorious day, the air as delicious to the lungs as nectar to the tongue.”  ―  John Muir, My First Summer in the Sierra

mile 10379

What can we report of today?  Now, we got up this morning and continued heading East, and even so the landscape got a bit greener around Winnipeg, MB, the scenery was pretty much the same as yesterday.  Saskatchewan didn't offer any change, and moving into Manitoba the view in every direction didn't offer anything spectacular neither, at least until Winnipeg.  So it was a bit hard to keep the concentration up, specially when the sun is shining down on you all day and cooking you in your leather jacket.  So once again we only made mileage, and hope as we near the Great Lakes that we will encounter more variation in scenery.

As for today we have no pictures to offer, but our fun factor is still high.

mile 9924

Yesterday morning we left Waterton Lakes as the sun was heating up the air, indicating that it would be another hot one.  We had quickly packed our stuff and were on the road relatively early, heading East on Hwy 5 to Lethbridge to catch Hwy 3 for the junction to the Trans Canada Hwy 1 in Medicine Hat.  Here in Medicine Hat we made a stop at the world’s largest Tepee , before continuing further East.  The amazing thing was, that since we left Waterton Lakes and turned the bike East on Hwy 5 the view never changed, as with the mountain range in our back we had open and wide prairie wherever the eye would turn.  There was only open grassland, some potato, some wheat fields, horses, deer, and cattle, and this didn’t change for the next 400 miles or the whole day.  As a guy told us this morning, “take Saskatchewan and fold it over Alberta, and you will not miss a thing”, and that is certainly true for this Southern portion of the provinces.  Anyway, we survived the monotony and reached Moose jaw early evening to call it the day.

World's Largest Tepee, Medicine Hat, AB

mile 9481

Waterton Lakes, AB - Glacier National Park, MT
Getting up Monday morning to a cloudy sky which suggested anything and everything but a gorgeous and sunny day, we left Waterton Lakes late morning to cross into the US via the Chief Mountain Pass, heading South to St. Mary, MT.  Here we entered the Glacier NP and drove the road we couldn't do in June because of snow and land slides i.e. the "Going to the Sun Road" up to Logan Pass.  Even so there was a stretch of 9 miles of road construction (a piece of cake for us now), the road is worth every mile to drive, providing stunning views of Mt. Logan and distant Mt. Simson. We then followed the road down to Aggar and West Glacier for a short stop for a late lunch and exited the park.  We drove the less traveled southern loop of Hwy 2 to East Glacier, Hwy 49 to Kiowa (can recommend this one) and Hwy 89 to St. Mary and the Hyw. 17 north back to the border.  We returned back to Waterton Lakes and settled down at the Prince of Wales Hotel for a couple of drinks, overlooking the lake and watching the sun go down.  What better way to end a perfect day of great vistas and beautiful country

 Going to the Sun Road, Glacier NP, MT

Logan Pass, Glacier NP, MT

Descending to West Glacier, Glacier NP, MT

Classic Glacier NP transportation

 Prince of Wales Hotel, Waterton Lakes, AB

Sunset over Waterton Lake, AB

"We must protect the forests for our children, grandchildren and children yet to be born. We must protect the forests for those who can't speak for themselves such as the birds, animals, fish and trees."  - Chief Edward Moody

mile 9242

Hinton - Jasper - Columbia Parkway - Banff - Waterton National Parks

What can we say?  First it was worth while to sit out the rain in Hinton and do some necessary things such as laundry, some education like visiting a museum, writing postcards to those at home, and for the body taking a bath in the Miette Hot Springs.  So when finally the rain cleared and the blue sky opened up we continued our way South into Jasper and were surprised by the mountain range around us, hidden from us the past days by the low hanging rain clouds.  The deep turquoise coloured lakes, the wildlife around it in the meadows full of flowers against the strong contrast of the mountains is simply a picture one can't get enough of it.  But Jasper National Park served only as an appetizer as the way into the Columbia Icefield provided even more spectacular vistas and uncountable views to glaciers.  There are so many mountain peaks and glaciers, we need a map to locate them all by name, but why bother, the view is what counts, and that is definitely breathtaking.  We stopped at the Columbia Glacier and walked up to it, a little walk today, as the glacier is retreating very fast, and the forecast is that with the current rate the glacier will have vanished in about 100 years, and the place we stood will be perhaps a lake of the last run off water of the glacier.  Pretty sad to be so near it and knowing that we are loosing a vital source of our drinking water supply.  We follow the Continental Divide South, impressive to see how the two continental plates pushed each other up and down, a surreal picture thinking of the forces behind it.  Anyways, this divide guides us into Banff National Park, and the town of Banff.  It is like Petty's Market, or St, Moritz in Switzerland just on a smaller scale, but equally expansive and busy.  Of course being weekend doesn't make it any better, so we just stayed for the night and left the next morning back to the mountains and quieter surrounding.  A perfect day with crystal blue sky and crisp air created us, and we went South the Cowboy Trail, passed historic landmark "U-Ranch" and followed the Divide to Waterton Lakes National Park.  What a relief being back in the mountains and the tranquility they provide.

Jasper NP, Pyramid Mtn

Patricia and Pyramid Lake, Jasper NP

The Great Divide

Sunwapta Falls

Countless Glaciers, all have a name, don't ask me

Columbia Glacier

Banff, AB