Well here I sit in Skinny Dick's Halfway Inn (no joke—you can even get a t-shirt sporting copulating grizzlies and other vulgar stuff) at mile 328 of the Parks Highway, about 25 miles from our campsite in Nenana.
It's been a very strenuous first day. Lots of climbing and HEAT—85°F. Very up/down with one long hill about 5 miles out of Fairbanks and several others to rival it.
Jess and the bartender and the other two patrons are avidly watching "Law and Order" and enjoying a brewsky as I sit here downing a whole pitcher of ice water trying to get cool.
I was up at 6:30. Had no problems assembling BOB and my bike, nor did Jess. We sorted through our gear and left some duplicates and tools in our bike boxes, which we stored at the Super 8.
Left the motel at 9:30 (sans breakfast) and headed for a bike and sports shop near the University of Fairbanks. Jess wanted to buy some rain gear and we wanted to check out some bear mace. The latter cost $40 and comes with a holster and gun to shoot it from. We decided to keep a clean camp and not get it. Jess bought a pair of rain pants but could not find a jacket with the features she wanted in her size.
The roadside is lined with fireweed, yarrow, and a yellow flower I do not know. Also beautiful birch forests and tall, skinny evergreens called (the now 5 patrons agree) black spruce ("looks like it's been burned") and white spruce ("the one that doesn't look like it's been burned"). Of course also the wild strawberry and blackberry bushes.
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Field of fireweed on the way to Nenana |
Vast green vistas from the turnouts. We can see the Alaska Range that we'll be riding on our way up the Richardson on our return to Fairbanks.
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Salmon hanging from a primitive drying rack |
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An original log cabin in Nenana next to a modern log cabin with a green tin roof |
Nenana is famous for its Ice Classic. In Feb. a 26-foot tall 5-legged tripod is set on the ice on the Tanana river. Everyone bets $2 on the day, hour, and minute the ice will melt enough to move the tripod 10 feet—it's attached by cable to a clock. This year the winners (there were 7 of them) split $300,000.
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