Decision Morning- Heading South

Decision needed…  The bad weather is projected to hang over Dawson, Chicken, Tok, the Dempster through next weekend.  A severe weather advisory for high winds in the highlands north of Chicken makes this path pretty risky.  I sat on the Yukon River bank overlooking the ferry landing for a reality check.  Not many trucks or cars are venturing out.

While I expect I could find periods where it isn’t raining and make my way across Top of the World- it wouldn’t be the ride I want. So, I rode South toward Whitehorse. I can switch the direction of my travel, hitting Anchorage/Denali before Fairbanks/Circle based on the weather outlook.

I am not giving up on Top of the World… I’ll pass by Tok/Tetlin a few more times. I can certainly take it the opposite direction on a day with better weather

Not far out of Dawson, I see a glimmer of blue skies ahead. I feel my mood turn much happier with just the thought of leaving the dark storm clouds behind.  In a filling station, I hear a guy shouting “Hey Atlanta, Atlanta..” It’s a bud from the bar in Dawson driving his RV south for home. He reminded me of one of the highlights of their trip, so my desired destination is now Lake Aishihik. 42K of unmaintained road make this a fun bike ride; washboard gravel, spots of loose sand/dirt, steep ascents and descents, rabbits, deer, and squirrels darting into the road…

Otter Falls is on the way.. it might look familiar to some… it is on the back of Canadian $5.00 bill.

I enjoyed the evening and will navigate further to minimize rain over the next few days. Rain will be hard to avoid. But the remoteness and tranquility here is hard to beat.