8/8/18. Got up at 7:30. Had a bacon and egg breakfast with Scott and some others. Packed and, to an over-done goodbye, left. Proceeded about 1/4 mile and got a flat. Fixed it and left again. Although it was calm at the Institute, as soon as I gained elevation, my friend the headwind met me. Worse than ever. Going down a long steep hill in climbing gears was bad enough, but occasional gusts from the side pushed me into the car lane. No cars luckily, but it seemed odd that I was tempted to walk my bike DOWN hill. I had a banana cream pie at Mackintosh Lodge with a bus load of tourists. One was about my age from Redbud, IL. I actually had a tailwind going into Haines Junction. I had almost forgotten what they were like. Made 6 miles in 1/2 hour, compared with 10 miles in 2-1/2 hours on the 7th. I saw the movie about Kluane National Park at the visitors' center (excellent photography and music), mailed my Teflon pan, spatula and first aid book to myself in College, bought enough food to last a few days (no more stores for over 100 miles) and finally left Haines Junction with the slightest hint of a tailwind. Made good time climbing. Then it happened. Headwind. A hard one. I was aiming for Dezadeash Lake Campground, but settled for Kathleen Lake Campground about 10 miles closer. My Achilles tendon hurt (left leg). Contemplated taking the next day off. Pulled into the turn-off and got another flat. In the process of fixing it, I met two Swiss young men and a nice couple from Winnipeg. "Fixed" it, but by the time it was back on, it was flat again. I put my new tire on and pitched the red tube protector (dirt and sand stuck to it). Neither of my tubes is any good. I hope they make it until I can get new ones. The whole ordeal took over an hour (at one point I unloaded my gear and started walking to the campsite until I discovered how far it was and how heavy my packs were). Got into camp exhausted, with a sore ankle. Made spaghetti (good). It's amazing that my attitude wasn't shitty, but it wasn't. I just hoped the wind would stop by morning.
8/9/83. Got up to a horrendous wind, went to the bathroom then back to bed. I tried to decide whether to proceed or not. My Achilles tendon felt fine and it was a boring campground, so I left hoping that a change in location might help. I'd go the 10 miles to Dezadeash Lake and decide whether to take the rest of the day off, proceed, or hitchhike to Haines. En route I stopped at a self-guided rock glacier trail -- loaded with all kinds of berries, including a big raspberry patch. Mmmm. Went to Dezadeash Lake Campground for a very windy and cold lunch. Decided to hitchhike. No cars. Rode to Dezadeash Lake Lodge. Some pilots there doubted if there'd be any change. Had a great milk shake and went out to hitchhike. The second care to pass gave me a 35 mile ride in the back of his small pickup, along with a father/son hitchhiker team from Portland OR, a dog, and much stuff. The driver's name was Dan. After the lift, I had to make a little choice. I was going to go ahead and ride either to a cabin Dan said I could stay in 20 miles down the road, or to the campground at Mosquito Lake. I didn't get very far (a little passed Stanley Creek) when I met a disgusted couple on a tandem. They were tired and sicker of the wind than I was. We camped right there, next to the road. It was raining.
8/10/83. I stayed in the tent until the rain stopped around 8. I wanted to get packed up before it started raining again. The fellow on the tandem (some German name) came out and explained that they were contemplating quitting. Seams they miss having a home. They sold theirs and worked for two years preparing for the trip. Santana (the maker of their bike) and Kirtland, among others, were sponsoring them. Neat couple. I wish I could ride with them, but they didn't seem too interested in riding with, or even meeting, others. Perhaps that is why they're disappointed. I made it known I wanted to ride with them but they seemed to just want to sit in their tent, so I left without them. Good ride, immediately below the clouds. No trees, just shrubs. Occasionally there'd be a break in the clouds and the side of a mountain would be exposed. Saw several ptarmigan. I'll have to look up what kind (since I'm carrying a bird book). All brown with white primaries. One group was two hens and about six young (which could fly, but were small). I wanted to get out of the mess. Felt good. Kept climbing until I reached Haines Highway Summit (about 4000 feet elevation). Up and down, up and down until I hit pavement and a GREAT downhill. Big trees with Spanish moss. Occasional view of snow-covered peaks deserved some pictures. I saw a small black bear along the road. I swerved to the other side and continued fast downhill. It went into the woods. Crossed the border. US customs just checked my ID. Had lunch at 33 Mile Roadhouse. Pretty good but expensive. Paid for a huge cookie to be given to Simone (the female tandem rider) with a note wishing her a happy birthday. Rode into Haines and to the ferry terminal. Arranged to go to Sitka, then Prince Rupert. Met the father and son hitchhiking team (earlier they and Dan passed and honked) on board, as well as the girl I met at Linda's party (Laurel's friend).
8/11/83. Rude awakening by the fog horns on the ferry (the Melaspina) around 3 am. Got off the ferry in Juneau at around 4. Met a couple that were catching a ferry to a location where they could kayak to some lottery land they've never seen. After that, I waited in the ferry terminal for "morning" along with a group from Northern California taking a class about Alaskan history and geography. Went to Baranof Coffee House with three of them. Jo (female), a funny, legally-blind teacher, her son David, and a pretty girl, Liz, from Louisiana. The worst service I've ever received. From there I went to a park-like shelter near the ferry terminal to get out of the rain until 8:30 when the visitor's center opened. Went to the Center for maps, to visit the museum where a Tlinket gave information about his heritage, and to use the Forest Service's public facility. Then to the Family Shoe Repair to have the "hippy" John sew the plastic slide on my pannier better. Then rode the 9 miles to Skis and Stuff to find out what the noise when I pedal was. Figured it was the bottom bracket. They took it apart to discover a badly pitted axle. They replaced it and the bearings. I bought a new tube and French light and left. The noise was still there. Must be either the rear derailleur or the free wheel. Set up camp at the Mendenhall Lake Campground, which is VERY near the glacier. Went back to Mendenhall Mall. Called Mom and tried to find the number of the people Karl and I stayed with on the band trip (Fred and Lind Myers). Couldn't. Stopped by what I though was their home. No answer. Went back to the campground for the night. I'd been tired for hours due to the early rise. Saw many salmon in the streams throughout the city.
8/12/83. Woke up to rain. Laid around as long as I could stand to. Got up, had breakfast, and washed my hair under a water outlet (cold). Finally got my gear together and headed for the Mendenhall Glacier Visitors' Center. Took a self guided nature hike which crossed a creek with many small (about 2 feet) red salmon making their way upstream. At around "3:00" I asked the Forest Service person what time it was. She said 5:58!! The ferry was supposed to leave at 7:15. So much for grocery shopping, showering and visiting the Myers. I hit the road and traveled the 8 miles in 25 minutes. Really pushed. Got on the ferry. Saw killer whiles and a rainbow. Talked with Liz for a while during which time the chief engineer explained what a knot (nautical mile/hour) and a nautical mile are. A nautical mile takes into account the fact that the path traveled between two points is not a straight line, but an arc since the world is round. The circumference of the Earth has 360 degrees. Each degree has 60 minutes. 21,600 minutes. 1 minute = 1 nautical mile. The circumference in miles (25000 miles) divided by the circumference in nautical miles (21600) = 1-1/5 regular miles per nautical mile. Later I talked with a "professional loafer" named Ron who has been loafing around Alaska. Traveled ALL the highways. Didn't talk about anything significant.
8/13/83, written 8/16. Arrived in Sitka in the early afternoon. Found Lee's campsite about 1/4 mile from the ferry terminal. The campsite has huge moss-covered trees, and blackberry and huckleberry shrubs as tall as me. Rode to town with Lee. Picked up groceries and did laundry (expensive and didn't get clean). Heavy rain. Went to the airport to pick up Lee's friend, Jerry. On the way back I got a flat. Met Lee and Jerry at the bridge by the campground. Beautiful. Could see bumper-to-bumper fish under the bridge and MANY jumping in the bay. It had cleared a little and was breathtakingly beautiful. Fishing boats, small islands, sunset. Grocery prices were reasonable. People were friendly. Dogs were good looking and well behaved. Started raining so I went to bed.
8/14/83, written 8/16. Got up to rain. Heavy rain all day. Jerry and I pedaled the 8 miles to town to tour. Nice town. Went to Sheldon Jackson Museum (excellent) and Sitka National Historical Park (with craft people at work and films of Sitka's history). Saw the college hatchery and generally just wandered. Came back to camp and spent the rest of the day and night in the tent. All 3 in my tent since it was much drier than Lee's; Lee went to his tent to sleep, however.
