Prince George to Jasper 11/ 12/08/2010

After a morning of exploring Prince George (bugger all to see) while the bike is being fixed we were on our way (around 11.30am) for Jasper (approx 370kms) , with the bike all good now and the weather excellent for biking (what more could we ask for) . The road from Prince George was much to same as the road when we came into Prince George for the first 100kms , but then we were back in the Mountains and bugger all traffic (heaven ). About 50kms out of Jasper we see Mount Robson (but not quite the top) , it is the highest Mountain in Canada and I think in the Rockies 3,954m , quite spectacular . It was here that we discovered that we have lost another hour, so again we are going to be late into Jasper , and accommodation as we have been told is hard to find (school holidays), but after not to much trouble we have a room and not that expensive .

But before we get into Jasper we come across a toll gate (Park Fees) , we pull up and the man asks how long we are going to be in Jasper, and if we are going on to Banft . We say 4 days and he say that will be $78.44c, and Ruth says (with her eyes WHAT, HOW MUCH !!) and a think he had said $7.44c so I was happy. But could not understand why Ruth looked about to give the guy an ear full . She paid by C Card and we are away and she tells me the price , I just shake my head , what else could we do .

Anyway Jasper is very much like and the size of Wanaka NZ (small tourist town South Island NZ, very beautiful) with out the lake (instead it has a railway track ) . It is geared up for adventure sports and skiing in the winter and is very touristy . When we came in it was a bit of a shock, all the cars and people after being in such small untouristy towns .

We took the cable car up to the top of Mt Whistler (2,200m) again quite spectacular , it cost $60us but included breakfast so it will be Eggs and Baked Beans for Dinner tonight and for the next week after those bloody Park Fees $78.44c that's bloody highway robbery (pricks)

Tomorrow we are off to Banft (290kms) and one of the most Scenic Hiways in the world .

Photos

Mount Robson (well most of it ) , Jasper and around from top of Mt Whistler ,and Jasper town

Escape from Dease Lake /Stewart/Hyder/Smithers/Prince George10/08/10

Dease Lake to Stewart ( 390kms)

We ended up staying 3 nights in Dease Lake waiting for a tyre (a Harley at that ) and having it fitted . In the mean time we visited a Kiwi couple from Otorohanga, Jim and Sharon Reed they have been in D Lake for 18yrs flying Helos (and they knew some of my rellies from Otorohanga) , there was also a guy from NZ flying Helos in Watson Lake .

With a new tyre and a Service on the bike and the clutch seeming to be fixed (I gave it a good bleed), we were away and out of Dease Lake ( "happy as goats in a garden" , with all our troubles behind us ).

The ride to Stewart again was another spectacular ride with no traffic and at just a nice temperature , the last 50kms into Stewart on the Glacier Hiway was Mountainous even better with over 20 glacier formations overlooking the Hiway

Stewart and Hyder and the Bears

Having had a great ride to Stewart with no problems we were happy , we booked into a nice and cheap hotel (and the girl behind the counter was marring a Kiwi and living in Nelson) . So off to Hyder to see some bears and the Salmon Glacier ,( Hyder is about 3 kms from Stewart, and it is in Alaska so you have to cross the border into the USA). We were about 2 kms the other side of Hyder and it happened the clutch went and I had left the brake fluid and tools back in Stewart (so what now ) . I thought bugger me what now , so i say to Ruth you push me and we will jump start and I will go back and get the stuff . It worked well and off I went , but I had to stop at the border so up to the border and I chug to a halt . The border guard was a young girl, I show her my passport and then say well you will have to push me . She looks at me and says with a look of disbelief "what" and "why" and "no way" . But I explained that I was goin nowhere with out a push and I said it had to be a good fast push as well , so she says ok and away we go to no avail . Just then 2 cars pull up and she has to go a see to them . Anyway a guy pulled up took me back to our hotel and I was on my way back to pick up Ruth .

It was about 40kms up into the Mountains to see Salmon Glacier on a very steep and rough road and then down to see Bears at Fish Creek ,but there were none( but on the way back we spotted a black bear and 2 cubs on the road ). So we decided to come back in the morning early, and sure enough a big grizzly and a her cub turned up and did some fishing (it was fantastic to watch , and they had a great feed of salmon ) . This is not a Zoo this is real life , we watched for about an hour and then it is off to Smithers .

Stewart to Smithers (360kms) and on to Prince George ( 420kms)

With the Brake fluid now just about running out of the motor end somewhere I topped up the clutch and off we go . While we were in Dease Lake we run into a Lady (Jennifer Mulder ) from Smithers who's husband had just finished the run to Ushuaia in May . So she invited us to stay at there place in Smithers , we had a great meal and night at there place and lots of advice about South America ( thanks Jennifer)

The next day we checked with the Harley Shop in Smithers about the bike but they said Prince George is our best bet if we can make it , so on we go .

The ride to Prince George was a bit boring after such great rides over the last 5 weeks with a lot more traffic and now we are entering farm land apposed to forests .

On the way to Prince George I passed a guy on a BMW so he follow us the rest of the way, when we stopped he was a Kiwi Guy from Wanganui ( Bob Bourdon). We stayed at the same Motel and had a few beers and a good night out

The bike shop in Prince George has order the parts for the bike and we should get it fixed and be on our way tomorrow (11/08/10) to Jasper with (touch wood) a bike all fixed . Prince George has a population of 80,000 seems like a nice city and very sprawled out , today is warm at around 22c I would say and clear Sky's .

Photos

1. Black Bear and 2 Cubs

2 . Jenny from Smithers

3. Stewart

4. Hyder

5. Grizzles Bear and Cub Fishing

Then on the way into Stewart , on the Glacier Hiway