Friday June 7, 2013 Chatanika, AK

I know the sign says "Welcome", but we're actually leaving.

 

This is our last day on the Dalton Highway and I have to comment on the people that man the outposts along the way.  There are only 3 places to fuel the body and the vehicle along the way, the Yukon River Outpost, Coldfoot and Deadhorse.  In these places, the people were friendly and accommodating, and even anxious to see a band of motorcycle crazies try to conquer what has to amount to the toughest road in the US   The days have been hard and tiresome for us, but everyone that we came in contact with was always smiling and eager to help in any way they could.  Maybe it’s just because the long hard winter is over – but maybe it’s not.  Jim said we should consider ourselves lucky, because very few have had the chance to attempt this trip in such difficult conditions.  Even the workers at Deadhorse said they never see ice this late in the season.

The exit from Coldfoot was uneventful.  We returned to the Arctic Circle sign for one more photo and a last lunch at the Yukon.  From there, it was all magic.  Do you ever get in a “zone” when everything seems to be “just right”?   That’s where I was.  There was a group in front of, and behind me, but I saw neither.  There was pavement, or hard pack gravel, or loose stone.  It didn’t matter because it was like I became one with my surroundings.  There was a rhythm to the road, to the landscape – to the bike.  The engine was purring and the miles were just melting away without even realizing it.  All of a sudden – I’m gassing up in Fairbanks and thinking I missed some of the best parts of the trip, when in reality; it may have been one of the best parts of the trip.

Chatanika Lodge was our home for the evening, and the owner was in the process of getting out the tables and chairs and firing up the charcoal grill for our steaks for the evening.  This seems to be a regular stop on this MotoQuest tour, and I think the owner of the lodge looks forward to it as much as the travelers.  Chatanika used to be an old gold mining town, and across the street from the lodge sits an abandoned old dredge that spent over 30 years pulling out more than 70 million dollars of gold. 

While I’m not a big fan of shared bathroom facilities, this lodge seemed to fit the atmosphere of an old camp, while remaining clean and comfortable.   Ron, the owner, is almost worth the price of admission by himself as he shows off his old Harley, classic cars and videos of the area, and a personality to match his bravado.