Twas a grey day heading out from Tok. I ran into Ed, Marta, and Frank at the Grocer on the way out of town. It wasn't the most picturesque day with all the gray, but I ran into another couple of Pan America Highway bikepackers on the way out of town. And, when I stopped at Moon Lake, I met Marten and Eva from Austria doing a meandering bike tour through Alaska and Western Canada, ending in Vancouver. We shared some tea and cookies and swapped some stories and advice, and a few laughs. I made it into Dot Lake for another free campsite and some good eats about 6. Mmm, cheddar filled sausage and sauerkraut.
Day 35 started out rough, the rain I had been expecting all day yesterday showed up during the night and stuck around. I hid in the tent reading more of the Commonwealth series, eventually rousing myself out of the tent at 11, when the rain had settled to a light drizzle. The gray was even more pervasive though. So, I brought back the tunes to keep me motivated for the 62 miles into Delta Junction and the end of the Alaska Highway! I made it!
Decided to pamper myself for the accomplishment and stayed at the Hillcrest B&B. Twas a nice house halfway to Clearwater. Got myself setup and unpacked the bike. Then, headed out to check out Clearwater State Park. It was a nice little ride through farm land and the park was a sweet section of the Clearwater River. I got some pretty good sunset shots before heading back.
Along the route back, there were a crew of people hanging out on a porch.
"Hey! How's it going?"
"Pretty good", I said
"Want a beer?"
"Sure."
So, I turned around and headed over.
It was a mix of locals and people who had moved from New England. So, I wound up hanging out with this random group and enjoyed some locally caught fish, vegetable kebabs, beer, and, of course some good anecdotes.
"Hey! How's it going?"
"Pretty good", I said
"Want a beer?"
"Sure."
So, I turned around and headed over.
It was a mix of locals and people who had moved from New England. So, I wound up hanging out with this random group and enjoyed some locally caught fish, vegetable kebabs, beer, and, of course some good anecdotes.
Grace:
"Before I started hanging out with you guys, I had never really hung out with non Deltans. You can tell the people that grew up here and those that didn't. Like the people who grew up here, when they meet others, are like, 'what are the lower 48 like?' We have this vision of the lower 48, and it's . . . Scratch off lottery tickets, culdesacs, and everything is so cheap . . .
"Before I started hanging out with you guys, I had never really hung out with non Deltans. You can tell the people that grew up here and those that didn't. Like the people who grew up here, when they meet others, are like, 'what are the lower 48 like?' We have this vision of the lower 48, and it's . . . Scratch off lottery tickets, culdesacs, and everything is so cheap . . .
Anyway, it was a good night of bonfires and laughter.
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