A CHALLENGE FOR NO OTHER WOMAN

 

100 DAYS

20,598 MILES ACROSS NORTH AMERICA

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

June 13, 2005

Fairbanks, AK

Mile 7246

 

By some miracle, Ralph’s tire held up and we limped into Fairbanks.  The hostel we stayed in just happened to be walking distance to the only BMW dealership in Fairbanks.  Words cannot describe, one must visit this place and the proprietor to truly understand.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

June 13, 2005

BMW Dealership

Fairbanks, AK

 

Every one of the gazillion tires lining the “road” down to the shop was filled with water and hatching mosquitoes.  Not a fun place to be for me.  I took a few pictures and high tailed it back to the hostel.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ralph and two other bikers awaiting tire changes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

June 13, 2005

Fairbanks BMW dealership

 

 

George, the owner of the dealership.  He could change a tire out with only the use of tire irons faster than you could blink.  It only took 6 hours for Ralph to get a new rear tire and an oil change.  Of course that included a trip to the local café for several hours of coffee drinking and story telling.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

June 14, 2005

Fairbanks, AK

 

When we had returned to Fairbanks from our trip up the Haul Road, our room that we had reserved at the hostel, had been given away to some biologists attending a conference at the university.  Needless to say I was not the least bit happy.  I was exhausted, dirty, hungry and looking forward to a bed, shower, food and sleep. 

 

Ralph and I slept in the greenhouse back behind the house.  No bed, no shower, no toilet, no darkness, no privacy.  But at least the BMW dealership was two blocks from here!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

June 15, 2005

Denali National Park

Mile 7476

 

I thought I would lose my life on the bus ride into the park.  The heavens opened up along Polychrome Pass.  The mountain started washing into the narrow gravel road and lightening flashed and struck all around us.  The road was entirely too narrow for the large bus.  I came within a hair of getting off and walking the rest of the way.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Denali National Park

 

A very wet wolf followed the bus for a while, hoping to catch the rodents that scurried along the road.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Denali National Park

 

These sheep along with several moose, one wolf, caribou, and a big grizzly bear were just a few of the many types of wildlife we saw in the park.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Denali National Park

 

We were unable to see Denali due to heavy cloud cover and rain.  Though disappointed at not seeing the mountain, the park was still beautiful and the bus ride back into the park worth the trip.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Denali National Park

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Denali National Park

 

The tiny brown spot in the center of this photo is a big bad grizzly bear.