{"id":592,"date":"2015-06-28T16:01:59","date_gmt":"2015-06-28T20:01:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/steelhorserover.com\/?p=592"},"modified":"2015-08-27T07:11:27","modified_gmt":"2015-08-27T11:11:27","slug":"day-28-june-28-toad-river","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/steelhorserover.com\/?p=592","title":{"rendered":"Day 28 (June 28): Toad River"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

My initial impression of The Alaska Highway is that it is quite smooth. Given the lore surrounding this 1,422-mile stretch of tarmac in the North of North America, I\u2019ve been expecting a semi-paved track with massive cracks and heaves and craters caused by 90-degree temperature swings and massive trucks with equally massive tires that continuously chew it up. That\u2019s not the case here, though, on the section that leads out of Dawson Creek.<\/p>\n

\"Last<\/a>

Last original bridge of the highway.<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
Then again, The Highway of today is a far cry from the original road. The present version has been straightened and strengthened and, yes, smoothened considerably. Somuchso, in fact, that few sections of the original road, which was completed in 1942, remain.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
All is not lost however: The helpful girls at the visitor centre in Dawson Creek told me where to find one of the remaining sections \u2014 The Kiskatinaw Bridge. So, after detouring down into The Kiskatinaw River Valley, I traverse this historic testament to engineering on the back of Gunther, my BMW R1150GS oil head.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
The bridge is 190 feet long, curved, and made entirely of wood making it the longest of its kind in North America. The Canadian engineers that built it had to curve it nine degrees as well as bank it so traffic wouldn\u2019t go flying off into the Kiskatinaw River 100 feet below. All this because of a hairpin turn that occurs in the river at this point. It\u2019s impressive when you consider it was built in the early 1940s.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
The Visitor Centre girls also gave me a heads-up on The Taylor Bridge. This one is a steel bridge with crisscross patterns that make up the driving surface. I\u2019ve been on bridges like this before: In a car, you feel a slight shimmy from side-to-side. But, on two wheels, that shimmy translates into a series of firm, side-to-side shoves at the wheels that threaten to throw you into a wobble that will give you a close-up of the hard, steel surface at any moment \u2014 and that\u2019s on smooth tires; how would Gunther\u2019s knobby tires react?<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
I have been dreading this crossing all morning; and, as I approach the bridge, I can hear the words of one of the girls echoing over and over: \u201cI wouldn\u2019t want to be riding a motorcycle on THAT bridge\u2026 wouldn\u2019t want to be riding a motorcycle on THAT bridge\u2026 on THAT bridge\u2026 THAT bridge.\u201d Worse yet, as I round the downhill corner just before the bridge, I notice there is a sem-I right behind me; and, in between the echoes, I wonder what sort of stopping distance it would need, should I go down.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n

The beginning of the bridge is fast approaching; and I try to stay calm.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cStand up,\u201d a voice inside is saying. \u201cThat\u2019s what you learned in the off-roading course.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cThat can\u2019t be reasonable,\u201d another contradicts. \u201cWho stands up on a motorcycle while riding? This isn\u2019t acrobatics, man; you\u2019re going over a steel bridge!\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cStand up! Stand up!\u201d the first voice is now shouting.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cRemain in your seat!\u201d counters the other one.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cStand!\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cSit!\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cUse the force Luke!\u201d Wait \u2014 what?<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Aaaaaaiiiieeee!!!!!<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Suddenly, I am on the bridge, standing up on my bike, feet planted firmly on the foot pegs; hands braced on the handlebars, fingers balancing throttle, clutch and brake. The wheels begin to jut back-and-forth. And\u2026 that\u2019s about it. I am in full control. The technique works just as well as it did at the training I took just a few days earlier in Calgary. In fact, I feel comfortable enough to use my temporary height gain to gaze out at the beauty of The Peace River below.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

To the trucker behind, I bet this all looks planned; as if I\u2019ve been doing it for years. \u2018Course he (or she) might wonder a bit at the \u201cYeeeeeee-hah-hah-ha-ha-ha-hhhhhaaaaaaaa!!!!!\u201d that explodes from my helmet as I reach the other side (my ears are ringing).<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

A little further up the road, I stop to top off the fuel; and take in some Gatorade, coffee and Reese\u2019s Peanut Butter Cups \u2014 the latter items being necessary because, in my haste to get started on The Highway this morning, I hadn\u2019t eaten much; and my glucose level is dropping. A bicycle is parked out front; and, as I am curious what sort of person decides to ride a bicycle to Alaska, I strike up a conversation with its owner, Julie The Cyclist.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Julie started pedaling in Connecticut earlier this year; and, like me, is heading to Fairbanks. Very down-to-earth, Julie is; and tolerant of my curiosity (who rides a bicycle from the North-Eastern US to Alaska?). Truth be told, pretty-much everyone I\u2019ve met on The Highway so far has been rather groovy; but Julie is moreso. We chat for a bit about the important stuff in life like what\u2019s real and what\u2019s not but tries to be and sometimes thinks it is. Then, we\u2019re off again–she on her ride and I on mine. So, why was she riding all this way? \u201cIt\u2019s just something I felt like doing,\u201d she told me. Huh. Interesting perspective. Who says we need to have a reason for doing what we do? Very Zen.<\/p>\n

Here<\/a>‘s a link to Julie’s Facebook page.<\/p>\n

\n
\"Ceiling<\/a>

Ceiling at Toad River Restaurant<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

My target destination for today had been the provincial park at The Liard River Hot Springs. A veteran rider I met at a coffee shop in Dawson Creek and who has ridden The Alaska Highway several times over suggested it would be just the thing to soak road-weary bones after a day of riding.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

However, it\u2019s already 7 p.m. by the time I stop for fuel at the Toad River RV Park \/ Campground \/ Restaurant \/ Gas Station, about an hour South of Liard River; and I realize I have a serious case of road head. I am in a daze from being in the saddle too long; and pushing on further would be a risk \u2014 not only to Gunther and myself; but to the entire trip should either of us be laid up for any significant amount of time should things go awry. I waffle back and forth mentally as to whether to stay or go while I wait in line at the pumps for three riders ahead of me to finish filling their tanks with that precious petroleum commodity found only sporadically on this mostly-desolate highway.<\/p>\n

\u200e<\/p>\n

A partial remedy for road head is to begin talking to someone \u2014 anyone \u2013 as it kind-of forces you \u201coutside\u201d yourself. So, with Gunther refuelled, I wander over to where the other riders are discussing their next route and cajoling about the miles that have been.<\/p>\n

\u200e<\/p>\n

Now, there\u2019s a kind of camaraderie amongst riders on The Highway. I mean, there is off The Highway, too; but it is compounded up here by the connection that exists amongst everyone travelling this road \u2014 rider \/ trucker \/ RV driver \/ cyclist \/ walker. People look out for each other. There\u2019s just so much that can go wrong in the sometimes hundreds of miles between any sign of civilization, that a sort-of solidarity kicks in; and you share with one another\u2014you share tools; you share spares; you share tips and stories from the road.<\/p>\n

\u200e<\/p>\n

And so it is as I join the others. Turns out they are heading South; and have just come down the road from Liard River. That stretch of The Highway is a beauty, they report–lots of twists through the mountains; but watch out for loose gravel on some of the switchbacks; and stone sheep wandering around in the middle of the road (yes; that\u2019s stone sheep; not stoned sheep).\u200e<\/p>\n

\u200e<\/p>\n

That settles it. Continuing on today would be a waste of a good ride because, in my current state, I would be dialled in on making it to my destination rather than enjoying the ride. And loose gravel? And sheep in the road? Nah \u2014 not worth it.<\/p>\n

\u200e<\/p>\n

Which is how I find myself pitching my tent at The Toad River Campground \u2013 an oasis in the mountains as it turns out.<\/p>\n

\u200e<\/p>\n

Interestingly, despite the name, this place has got nothing to do with toads. See, back in the day, traffic crossed the river by means of a ferry that was pulled across by a rope; that is, it was towed. The river became known as the river where you get towed across \u2014 or the towed river. Get it? Ribbit.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Next stop: The Liard River Hot Springs.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u200e<\/div>\n
\u200e<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

My initial impression of The Alaska Highway is that it is quite smooth. Given the lore surrounding this 1,422-mile stretch of tarmac in the North of North America, I\u2019ve been expecting a semi-paved track with massive cracks and heaves and craters caused by 90-degree temperature swings and massive trucks with equally massive tires that continuously […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/steelhorserover.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/592"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/steelhorserover.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/steelhorserover.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/steelhorserover.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/steelhorserover.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=592"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/steelhorserover.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/592\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":672,"href":"https:\/\/steelhorserover.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/592\/revisions\/672"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/steelhorserover.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=592"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/steelhorserover.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=592"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/steelhorserover.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=592"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}