Derek Jennings
North to Alaska via the Circle Line

Experience an account of 40 days
on a bicycle from Vancouver across
the Arctic Circle to Anchorage

Mighty Moes Place

At 7am Jack gave me coffee, toast and jam; he also asked me to get in touch with a host of his relatives in Britain. I was now set for a good days riding, 80 miles on a paved road. The sun came through later and with a following wind I made good time and used it to film the interesting alpine plants.

Not a sign of food all day, not even at the Alaskan Highway junction; had there been I was going to stop, instead I turned West off the Stewart/Cassiar Highway and on to the Alaskan. Rode about 10 miles over undulating steep hills and was tired, having covered 110 miles all day. So with difficulty found a roadside camp pitch and called it a day! I hope I can reach a cafe in the morning.

10 Miles West of Cassiar – Alaska
Highways Junction

Away by 8am after a good nights sleep. Not much idea where I shall eat, so headed West uphill and downhill on a forest route with a fresh breeze, that made it slow going. Must have covered 40 miles by 12 noon and came to “Rancheria” visitor stop. At last! – “FOOD” – Stayed a couple of hours for a meal, wash, rest, and map checks. Made a record of my progress, checked food and water and made off. Thought it unlikely to find anything for another 88 miles. Surprisingly, came across two more places and stopped at both, “The Message Post” at 7 miles and the “Great Divide” after another 6 miles: I must have been ‘WHACKED’!

Got going again at around 4.15 and the hills seemed to mellow slightly, which made the pace increase, except there were bad stretches of broken pave and gravel. It resulted in being hit twice by flying rocks from passing trucks, one on top of the head and the other just below the left eye which drew blood. Continued riding non-stop until 8pm and made camp where I bathed my wound with Savlon (couldn\’t see how bad the damage was without a mirror). A nice cheese sandwich for supper, with a spoonful of currants for a sweet and off to bed – 10 o’clock.

About Mile 760 on the Alaskan Highway

Woke to falling rain on the tent, which made the spirit drop! “Do I lie and wait for it to stop? No! you’d better face it”. I was surprised to find it was only light rain, so I packed and made off. With the mossies still pestering, it took me until 8.15 to get going. Made Morley River Lodge for a hot-cake breakfast; it was raining heavier now. Called at the next truck stop for coffee and cherry pie and spoke to a trucker, who drove the Dempster Highway, which was my destination. He reckoned I had already ridden roads as bad as the DEMPSTER and said I shouldn\’t have much trouble getting a lift back down it; which was my intention. Made Teslin later hoping to find a Post Office to post Helen’s letter, but it was shut today (Saturday). Pushed on and it rained heavy again, so sheltered in a cafe. It didn\’t ease so it was on once more, and the road got tough: road construction and rain made the whole affair slow and agonising.

One bright spot was meeting two American “Round The World”: bike riders on a record breaking trip. Took a photograph of them and signed their log book to verify the occasion. They said I would pass Johnsons Crossings cafe and that the Cinnamon buns there were not to be missed, (“the best in the whole wide world”) and they were right! At Johnsons I was told it is Dominion Day on Monday so there is not much hope of finding a post office open yet.

Left at 6pm for an evenings riding, the road was paved from here which got me to Jakes Corner. The Caterpillar driver who gave me coffee just before Teslin, passed me in a truck going to Whitehorse, (on a Saturday night woman hunt) he stopped and offered me another coffee. Jakes Corner didn’t produce a campsite, but the road was as smooth as silk from there, so I made Marsh Lake campground by 10.15 it was 42 miles from Johnsons. In the tent at 11.35pm it is light enough to write this diary. “I bet I sleep tonight”. I’ve ridden 130 miles today and heard that the Dempster Highway is described by some as the most aggressive piece of engineering they have ever seen. “A scar scratched across a vast land”.

Marsh Lake

Woke early and decided to try and ring home as it is my daughters birthday. It seemed tough going on a paved road which crossed the Yukon River.

Reached Whitehorse by about 11am; had a look over a sternwheeler boat, and watched the Canada Day celebrations – the piece of celebration cake they were handing out went down well! Spoke to lots of people about my trip and made my H.Q. outside the Visitor Centre. Cleaned up the bike from yesterdays rain and road construction mess and mended my first flat tyre. Had a meal at Mr Mikes B.B.Q. Sirloin, jacket potato, garlic bread, salad bar and coffee for $5.25c which gave me a chance to cash a travellers cheque. Back at the Visitor Centre I managed to call Helen; it was a real delight to talk to her.

Although the “Yanks” told me of a garage owner in Whitehorse who would let me sleep in one of his old trucks, I decided to press on; I called at the Riverside grocery; changed into jersey and shorts as it was quite warm and left. The wind was helpful as I turned up the Klondike Highway. Fox Lake campground came up at 8pm. 37 miles from Whitehorse, so that was good enough. Pitched the tent beside the lake – no “mossies” to speak of.

Fox Lake between
Whitehorse & Carmacks

Dull and overcast, turning to rain. Must have slept well, woke at 7.30 and the usual routine got me under way by 8.45. I was surprised to come across a truck stop at 10.40, ‘Braeburn Lodge’. I was pretty wet by now, having started out in shorts but gradually put on more clothes as the rain increased. It was paved road and opened out into “Glencoe” type country. Stopped for a cooked breakfast, then charged on in the rain afterwards, with a terrific tailwind and as time wore on I gradually discarded the rainwear and was down to shorts again. Rode the 47 miles to Carmacks in 31 ⁄2 hours!

Strayed off the highway there (looking for food). When taking a picture of some unusual timber construction (storage sheds), I discovered and spoke to two gold miners waiting for the weather conditions to improve before they could get to their mine; 50 miles out in the bush.

Back in Carmacks I met 3 Japanese journalists going to the ‘Circle’ to paddle the Porcupine River. Tony Carson, the Yukon Tourism agent was accompanying them. The photographer took my picture and later took action pictures of me riding out of Carmacks across the Yukon River. (I\\\’m not too sure they believed I was going to cross the ‘Arctic Circle’ on a bike!!). They also wanted a picture of me replacing a spoke in my rear wheel, I busted it about twenty miles back. Tony said he would speak to me on his way back, so I hope to get a chance to ask him to send me copies.

The ride to McCabe Gas Station was 41 miles, with a couple of tough climbs, otherwise it was a flattish but gravel road; some very loose. Arrived at 9pm and found out Paul Claxton called here 2 weeks ago. I was allowed to camp here, so it will be handy for breakfast in the morning! They open at 6am and close at midnight! “The mossies are back in full force!” and just where I was about to pitch the tent there was a van that I eventually slept in. Not having to put the tent up, I escaped the mossie attacks! The noise of the station generator added to a restless night.

McCabe Gas Station – Klondike Highway

Got a good start. For the first time in many days I had a wash and cleaned my teeth. I got talking to a motor/biker from Detroit heading for Inuvik and I made off in the same direction at 8.30am. Noticed that the sky looked a bit threatening and it did eventually turn to rain. Half the ride to Pelly Crossing (25 miles) was on a flat and very muddy road. I was now in quite a state; spent some time cleaning the bike and myself. Set off at 1pm climbing away from the Klondike River through road construction. Stripped off at the top of the climb and back to jersey and shorts again, it was warm and sunny.

Stewart Crossing was 40 miles ahead on packed dirt, but “what do you know” I ran straight in to rain again on top of the hills. Sheltered in a survey team van until it stopped and made Stewart by 5.15pm in a muddy, filthy, state; both me and the bike, plus I had broken another rear spoke, so it was a maintenance session outside a cafe. Tony Carson stopped by on his return from the Porcupine River and reported that road construction on the Dempster made it impassable for about 30-40 miles and suggested I trucked over it. He took more pictures, and said he would let me have them, I went to pay my cafe bill only to find he had already left and paid it!

Decided to do a couple of hours evening riding, it was very warm but as I headed out there were menacing clouds ahead. A long climb out of Stewart and shortly, it was rain again! I stood up under bushes and found it was infested with mosquitoes! “Can’t win,” but I refused to get the bike ‘muddy’ 3 times in one day so I stayed and fought them off. It eased thankfully and I continued a steady ride to Moose Creek Lodge for a cinnamon bun and coffee 9.45pm. Must have done about 75-80 miles today. The campground was right beside the Lodge so it was up tent and bed in the daylight at 11.30pm.

Moose Creek Lodge

Didn’t wake until 7.30, the Lodge opened at 8am so after cereal in the tent I went for coffee and toast, got going just after 9am for the Dempster Highway Junction, a distance of 75 miles. It seemed a long, long ride on a dirt road, under a brilliantly clear sunny sky that later turned to threatening black clouds and I thanked the Lord that they stayed far off. Lunched at the roadside on cheese and sandwiches, peanut butter slice, and currants. Didn’t hang around too long, I could here the thunder rumbling in the distance. Rain did come about 11 ⁄2 hours later and I decided to find shelter. Turned off the road and found a derelict log cabin, but the ‘mossies’ won! I could suffer the discomforts of rain rather than them, so I rode on.

Just when I thought I ought to be at the Dempster Junction I came to road construction. The loose gravel was bad, I could hardly move or keep upright; got through that, but the flag person told me the junction was still 12 miles away.

The road opened out alongside the Klondike River and on to the junction at Klondike River Lodge, where the Dempster Highway, (the only road that crosses the Arctic Circle) leads to INUVIK – 450 miles away. Took pictures, met two guys from Oregon driving their $250 car to INUVIK; they knew the hotel in Mitchell, OREGON (the one I had used back in 1976 when crossing America). Fish & chip meal in the Lodge, a wash in the rest room and then an attempt to obtain supplies for the trek North. But there was no grocery store-PANIC! – and the cafe wouldn’t even let me have a loaf of bread. The only way out was to go to the grocery in Dawson City – 25 miles the wrong way – and I didn’t want to do that. So now a decision had to be made. “Well”, I’ve decided to go ahead with what food I’ve got, which is almost 1lb of Granola, 1lb of raisins, 2 ‘Snickers’, half a jar of peanut butter and a small tin of rice pudding.

Eagle Plains, 250 miles away is the only commercial development along this wilderness road, but there are two Provincial campgrounds on the way. I might be able to buy, beg borrow, or steal some food from other campers, “if I’m lucky”. So! yet another fine mess I’ve got myself into. It’s at least another two days to Eagle Plains, but it could quite easily be three or four, “now I’m in real trouble”.

Rode 50km up the Dempster in the evening from 7.15pm to 10.15 when I came across a deserted log cabin and decided to give it my best and made my camp. It was beside Woolfe Creek.

Woolfe Creek – Dempster Highway

Sunny, cool, with slight high cloud. Had a good sleep on an old mattress I found laying around outside. Got away by about 7.40am: now concerned about the food situation. Decided I would eat some cereal at the campground a short way ahead (it might bring up the subject of food if there’s any one there), but before I reached it Klondike maintenance camp appeared after 12km. EUREKA!! This might be my saviour, “It sure was!!”. Stewart the cook took me in and gave me coffee and a bacon & egg breakfast, he also gave me food for the journey; loaf of bread, packet of salami slices, 2 tins of baked beans, 3 bananas, and a tin of Pacific milk, – “how lucky can you get!” He wouldn’t take any payment so I thanked him, took his photograph and set off.

About 10.30am I came across the road construction Tony Carson spoke of, which was unbelievable! Thirty or forty miles of deep rutted tracks strewn with rocks and boulders, “arrogant engineering” is a just description – but I rode it! Rested by a river at 2pm coming to a long hard climb at 5.30 on black shale. More food at the top and then a fast evenings ride to Engineer Creek campground, which worked out to 144km today (90 miles).

Just after I’d put the tent up, it rained, so that was a bit of luck! The meal consisted of a tin of beans, a tin of rice pudding and a ‘Snicker’.