Ariel's ride

Ariel called me today. Her voice never sounded so clear on her cell, and she sounded exhuberant. She was calling from Tok, Alaska, on the Alaskan Highway. It was her third day. She'd gone about 20 miles so far today and was stopping for some groceries and lunch in a park. She'd made great progress, riding over 80 miles the first day in the rain and over 100 miles the second day with a strong wind at her back. Lots of sun today, she reported. She may be in the Yukon by now. I gathered she had an overnight campsite as her goal. She reported the roads were great, lots of shoulder, light traffic, and long, flat stretches. She said she felt safer than riding in Fairbanks. Chris gave her some reflective gear to wear. David reminded me that there's plenty of daylight up there this time of year. She had seen a few other bicyclers along the way.

She'll continue on the Alaskan Highway (Alcan) through Yukon and British Columbia. Along the way there were plans to stop at Tetlin Junction, Snag Junction, Dalan Campground, before Destruction Bay, and Kluane Lake. At Haines Junction, she'd take the fork back into Alaska, pass by Kathleen Lake Campground and a State Rec Area 30 miles north of Haines. There's a camp to stay in Haines overnight before catching a ferry to Juneau in the morning.

I can imagine how pleased she will be to reach Haines and know she can be at rest in the town and then relax on the ferry for a short ride down the inland passage through the Alaskan archipelago. We took a similar ferry a few years ago between Juneau and Skagway when we hiked the Chilkoot Trail with David, Terra and Jennifer. David calls it "the poor man's cruise." I remember sitting in lounge chairs on the deck at the stern of the ship, watching the wake, the coastal mountains, breaching whales, and eagles drifting above. There's a place for food and drink and a lounge with big, comfortable chairs. When we returned on the ferry after our hike, we even got a small cabin, mainly so we could take showers and change into clean clothes we had saved for that final leg.

She'll be visiting David, Sandra, Jenni, Jacques and Eric in Juneau for a while, then she will return with Jenni and Jacques on their drive back to Wasilla. Either she'll get dropped off at Tok and ride up to Fairbanks or ride back to Fairbanks from Wasilla along the highway she rode last summer.

Eric will be there for a short visit during that time. David and Sandra are completing their renovations and re-settling into Juneau. I'm sure there will be sea kayaking involved, maybe some sailing or other boating, and something to do with king crabs, salmon and halibut.