Bear Bait or Roadkill

Mike Carson, this is for you! Meet the GLH - Good Looking Hillbilly, Steve Rinker.

So, at the first gas stop this morning, Steve got a cup of coffee and pack of Oreo cookies. He wanted me to put what we didn't eat in my dry sack. I looked at Joe and asked if me carrying these made me bear bait. He said either that or raven snatchable. Oh dear!

We headed on down the road enjoying the scenery and brisk morning air reminding the guys of the cold showers they all had to take. Apparently, I was the only one who heated a sink full of water using the coffee pot. So, there was a mutiny happening as they told me that tonight's room had to have a hot shower. Little did they know, we'd all be using the same one. But that's another story.

Going down the road there was grouse sitting right in the middle. Steve had to swerve to miss it as it didn't move until he went by. I was next. He moved a little, right in front of me, I barely swerved and caught its tail with my front wheel and then beheaded it with my right running board. Roadkill! Joe and Elmer watched the feathers fly. I felt bad until we went down the road and watched a coyote snatch up another grouse along the road and into the woods. So my roadkill, made a meal for something in the Yukon.

Today was quite the adventure as we had to make sure and stop every 65-75 miles to refill Steve. We wave Elmer on as it's painful for him to have to start his bike again, and to us as well to watch him start it. (Personally, I think if he would learn what she likes when she's cold or what she needs when she's hot, it would be easier. But I'm a girl, what do I know) Anyway, there was one stretch that was 86 miles and we had sent Elmer ahead to the next gas stop. We get there and there's no Elmer and the gas station is closed. The sign on the door says, "Open Tuesday 9:30-10:30, Wednesday 9:30-10:30, Thursday 10:30-2:30. ABSOLUTELY NO EXCEPTIONS". Today is Friday, go figure. Steve, Joe and I are sitting there doing the math figuring out if the one gallon we have in extra fuel will get the two of them the next 62 miles to the next gas. Elmer rides up and says that he talked to the guy at the lumber yard who said there was no gas for 62 miles. His bike is still running and Steve tells him to keep going. Just as we were getting ready to pull out, as they figured they would just have enough, we notice a guy walking across the road. Steve jumps off his bike and asks him if he has any extra gas. Luckily, he was the owner of the gas station and opened up and the three of us got gas. We go on down the road expecting to find Elmer out of gas between mile 120-130. Nope! We were about a mile from the gas stop when we meet Elmer coming. He had filled his gas bags and was bringing gas. However, we made it in to the gas stop and fueled up. When Elmer made it back to us, Steve told him he was impressed that he had made it over 150 miles and didn't run out fuel. Elmer said that was because he had given the guy running the skid steer at the lumber yard $50 for two gallon of gas. He had left out that information earlier. And to think we were worried about him running out of gas.

Bear bait??

Joe worked on his carb and loosened his chain today. Elmer is working on his chain tonight. Steve will work on his tomorrow night.

We made it in to Teslin, Yukon and we are staying at the only rooms left at the Nisutlin Outfitters. Matter of fact, Doug, the owner, gave up his own room for Elmer and slept out back in a tent.