Fairbanks (alaka)-top of the world hw- whitehorse (canada)

Hello everyone,

Finally i have the time and means to updat my log a little bit.
This report will handle the cycling between Fairbanks-top of the world HW-Dawson city- whitehorse.

I stayed for 3 days in fairbanks. My host Kawa and his friends took me to the fair where we had a good time, looking around and having some turkey. It is quiet a different thing from back home and i was happy to be able to do it. They also showed me around town. Kawa, Usman, Ray thank you very much for doing this.

I also met another member from couchsurfing Michael and he baked a salon for me. I never had a fresh salmon before and it tasted very good. Michael also offered me a ride to Tok. After a little hesitation i accepted it. I was sick and tired of the cold and the rain and i also had a cold. This would give me an extra day of rest and i am also worried about not getting out the north on time for winter.

On tuesday, august 5th, i visited the museum of the North which tells a lot about the way of living up here and also the sad story of the Aleuts. These people lived on the Aleutans, the islands that stretche out from Alaska to the south west into Asia.

2 off these islands were captured by the Japanese in WO2. The people were moved to the mainland and treated very badly. Left in abandend canneries with very little help diseases came and killed more than 10% of them. Even when the threath of the Japanese was gone it took over a year to get them home. There they found there homes destroyed and robbed from their religious object which contains gold. Never receiving a explanation or an apologie till the next generation started law suits in the 70s. It is still a very little known part of american history.

On wednesday morning we were suppose to leave but i wook up feeling very sick and like having a fever. Michael prosponed his departure but late in the afternoon and after having slept several hours i felt better. Michael drove me to Tok where i spend a night on a camping before i left to cycle. Michael, once again thank you very much for doing this for me. We also saw 2 mooses here.

On thursday, i left for a village called Chicken. It is called that way because there is a bird Ptarmigan that lives very much. The first Europeans could not pronounce this name and because the bird looked like a chicken they called the village chicken.
There are only 3 houses and all serve the tourists who come here in great numbers to visit the old goldmines and take the scenic top of the world HW. From here on the road is unpaved till the border. The next day it started to rain and with much effort i could reach a lodge where i was able bo dry and warm up at a woodstoof. In the afternoon i cleared up and i cycled to the border on very steep hill. From here on the fun starts because you are on a mountainridge for 80km with very beautifull sights. That fridayafternoon, august 8th, i had i had sun and everything was looking fantastick.
On saturday however it started to rain. I stayed in my tent till the afternoon when it became a bit better but also i had to leave because my food and water supplies were running out. I have a filter to clean creekwater but on a ridge there are no creeks so that was a problem. I also have emergence food with me but you need water to cook it so there was a problem aswell.
It was mostly so clouded that i didnot see much any more. Sometimes even less than 50m

On the ridge i met a Japanese cyclist i met earlier in Alaska. I am doing a half loop and he does it complete in the opposite direction so that together with the few roads you can take means we meet again.

Officially the road on the canadian side is paved but i only saw 5 km pavement off the 85km HW.
Canadian sense of humour?

I reached the yoothostal in Dawson city which is quiet different. I wants to show you how important energy is and so it has no elektricity. For heating and cooking you have to chop your own wood. I think it is a great idea but when you are coming from the top of the world HW and you are tired, wet and hungry and in the middle of the cooking you notice you have to chop more it kind of sucks.
Dawson city is very touristic with all the staff dressed up like 100 years ago. Sometimes it feels a bit fake but i gives a good impression how it was back then.

From sunday to thursday, august to, i cycled to Whitehorse on the Klondike HW. I get out of the permafrost and saw some other trees than black spruce. I spent a night in a native village which was interesting.

I also saw the consequences of a major forestfire. There were very good signs explaining things. It is a part of natures cycle and now they dont put out a fire unless it threatens a village.

This was it for now. I hope to send my next rapport over the stewart-cassidy HW tomorrow.

greetings,

nico