Day 6 Ride to Dawson City: The Final Leg
Yesterday after checking in to my Airbnb room it rained cats and dogs the rest of the day and overnight. I wasn’t impressed with the idea of riding to Dawson City in more rain but accepted my fate and loaded up bright and early this morning to head out.
The display on the Ninja read 0 degrees and a large yellow band with the word ICE in it told me it could be a rough morning. Then it started raining… again.
I headed out of town on highway 1 and then turned north on highway 2 pointed for my final destination of this leg: Dawson City!
After about an hour or riding in the rain and cold all of a sudden as if I passed through some invisible barrier, the rain and clouds just vanished and gave way to clear, blue sky! I couldn’t believe it, but there it was and the temperature climbed to 13 degrees.
I noticed that I had entered into a completely different landscape now, which was much drier. The grass on the side of the road was yellow and the earth was sandy and light colored. It looked a lot like southern BC in the Kootenays or northern Idaho. How interesting!
All along the side of the road appeared these bright purple flower bushes (Purple Vetch I’m told) looking very much like someone had planted them there to make my path brighter and cheerier. I felt as though the welcome mat had been rolled out to celebrate me being so close to Dawson City at long last.
Around the next corner, I did NOT get a warm reception by the massive, roughly 8 foot tall grizzly bear. This was a very large bear who lumbered across the road and started climbing the steep embankment on the opposite side as I rolled by.
I decided to slow down and attempt to take a photo, but as I got closer the bear suddenly turned its head around and gave me a death glare I would never have imagined to see and live to tell about.
The areas around the bear’s dark black eyes were in shadow, tinted grey and beige making it look like he was very angry with the idea of being photographed. I decided to let Yogi not be photographed at that time and instead whacked open the throttle and blew by. Wow.
Several people mentioned to me not to pass by the Braeburn Lodge on the way to Dawson City because they serve an excellent cinnamon bun. It’s also an official check-in point for dog sled racing in the winter as it turns out.
I needed gas anyway so I pulled in for a look around and some breakfast bun. As you can see from the photo, this isn’t your average sized cinnamon roll. I did my best to finish it, but could only manage a little over half before I’d hit my limit. Honestly, I hate to say it but it wasn’t the best tasting or freshest one I’ve ever eaten. It filled the hunger hole at least.
Three tour buses unloaded their passengers and I had fun showing some of them the Ninja. Some were from Florida and others from England. It was fun to greet people from so far away in this remote environment where we were all strangers looking for adventure.
Back on the road, I had a great ride, now in the warm sunshine, I flew along as it passed by many large lakes and streams. The landscape is dotted with thick packs of pine and poplar trees as far as the eye can see. I like the way the darker pines contrast with the lighter poplar. It reminds me of something Bob Ross would paint and fits the “happy little tree” description he always over-referenced while painting on PBS.
After a few more hours I spotted another porcupine on the road and flew up beside it for a closer look. This one had all its quills and was hustling down the steep shoulder towards cover before I could get a photo. Man, they are funny little guys to watch waddle around.
Finally, after many hours I spotted a sign indicating the Dempster Highway was only 21 km away! That immediately sent my pulse racing! The DEMPSTER! The road to Tuk!
I pulled onto the start of it with the Ninja and rode about 500 yards just past a bridge before turning back and taking a photo with the highway marker sign. There we go!
I’m sure this is the only Ninja H2SX to ever ride SOME part of the famous Dempster Highway.
That’s my claim to fame, folks. I can go home proud now.
I carried on to just outside Dawson City and noticed the huge mounds of stones everywhere that are leftovers from the old days when gold mining in the area produced all this waste rock. It was dumped here in long caterpillar-like rows that are visible on Google Maps if you call up Dawson City.
Arriving finally in Dawson City proper I was intrigued by the old style buildings painted with pastel colors, the wooden sidewalks, and the fact there are no chain stores here.
No big box stores or anything not branded with an original name or looking like a small business. How quaint it is, but where do you go buy something like toothpaste?
I toured around on the Ninja to take it all in. It’s a clean and historic town with dirt/gravel roads and real character even just on the surface. It seems a bit frozen in time, yet has all the conveniences camouflaged under an old-time veneer. Very touristy and almost every name has the word Gold, Bonanza, Klondike or Eureka in it around here.
It feels good to be at the halfway point of my trip aboard the Ninja, and I’ve enjoyed it so much thus far.
Wade Bauck, his wife Tammy and their friend Matt met me at the historically-rich Downtown Hotel where I’m staying the next couple of days before we load up and start the ride up the Dempster. I enjoyed visiting with them and hearing about how organized they are with getting me and the other riders safely up to Tuktoyaktuk.
Photo Lorne Baxter
I got to trade my Ninja for my new ride: a 2017 Honda Africa Twin. It’s fully outfitted with sticky, gravel road-ready dual sport, Mitas E09 and E10 tires, crash bars, a bash plate and other protectors for whatever we encounter out on the Dempster. I hear it snowed in Inuvik today, so this potentially could be a wicked ride coming up.
I’m playing tourist in Dawson City tomorrow and the big ride starts the day after.
I couldn’t be any more excited.