July 6, 2010

Today is July 6, Tuesday evening. We are camped at Whitehorse in Yukon. We rode 400 today. It was windy and cold but no rain, Praise the Lord. We saw a big grizzly bear rooting around about 10 ft off the road. We stopped to take some pictures of him. Left the bikes running in neutral in case he decided we looked better to eat than the bugs he was chasing. Another car came up behind us and pulled up right between us and the bear. The lady on the passenger side rolled down her window and said they were shielding us from the bear. We thanked her for her thoughtfulness and assured her we were fine but we really would like to take some pictures. I think they will be great pictures. We were very close. Saw several other black bears and lots of buffalo. We saw a big bull buffalo dead beside the road. I assume someone hit him. I bet that wasn't a pleasant experience. Again the mountains and the lakes and scenery were amazing. I have developed a squeak in my back wheel. I am not sure if it is a wheel bearing going out or my brakes. I hope it goes away or at least holds together until we get home. Getting in lots of reading and writing.
Several have asked me the difference between going on a trip by myself as I did last year when I went to all lower 48 states on my bike, and riding with someone else like I am this year. The benefits are the safety issue of having someone to help and be able to go and get help in case of an emergency breakdown especially on this trip where garages are so far apart and email is so rare. Also the friendship issue. It is nice to travel with someone and be able to visit at the camp, especially if like Glen, we have lots in common being close the the same age and both being pastors. Glen is about as deaf as I am so our conversations are loud. The negative side is the convenience thing. I can't just do what I want. I need to check and see what Glen would like and then we need to hash it over.
I also need to consider his opinion of me as a real biker dude, so some inconveniences result.
Mosquitoes like to bite my bald spot. Must look like a good target. While I am riding the top of my head will start itching like crazy. If I were by myself I would just pull over, take off my helmet and have a good scratch. But with Glen I have to shake my head back and forth as fast as I can so my helmet scoots around and scratches my head, a poor substitute for a real scratch. I couldn't stop. Glen would ask my why I had stopped and I would say because I need a scratch. He would know I wasn't a real biker dude right there.