Day 7: Meier's Lake Roadhouse to Delta Junction

July 18, 2015

Today is the longest day of the tour so I got up a bit earlier than usual at 6:30. I went to the restaurant at 7 AM when it opens. 4 Russian guys showed up at the same time. We waited 30 minutes before they took our orders. Breakfast finally came at 8. On the road at 8:45 AM. So much for getting an early start.

The first 20 miles of today's ride is gentle uphill. The Boreal forest transitions to willow bushes.

Boreal forest doesn't obstruct the view as much as rainforest.

15 miles down the road is the village of Paxson which has a Ranger Station and a couple houses. It's at the east end of the Denali highway that other cyclists have raved about. At the intersection is the Paxson Lodge which closed 2 years ago because of a dispute over who should pay for the generator. The Ranger Station now runs its own generator and the lodge is closed and deteriorating rapidly. Paxson has no services now.

Summit Lake suddenly appears 5 miles north of Paxson. The road stays close to the shore of the lake for 5 miles. One area has several vacant off-the-grid houses overlooking the lake. First place I've seen vacation homes in Alaska.

Richardson highway goes 5 miles along the shore of Summit Lake.

At the north end of the lake the Alaska Range suddenly comes into view. Or at least the small part of the Alaska Range that's visible beneath the low clouds.

Summit Lake with the Alaska Range coming into view.

North of Summit Lake the road gently climbs 100 feet (30m) to Isabel Pass. 3200 feet (970 m) elevation. Highest point of the tour but it's not a prominent summit. Just a small hill separating two valleys.

After Isabel Pass is a 50 mile long gradual descent that threads through the Alaska Range. The scenery is extraordinary. One of the most scenic afternoons of the tour.

Descending through the Alaska Range. The mountain looks arctic, with almost no trees.

The highway follows the glacial Delta river downstream for many miles. The open river valley allows great views of surrounding mountains.

Today was cooler than yesterday. 55-60F all day. Overcast, with occasional light drizzle. The gentle tailwind made it seem slightly warmer, though.

The most intense fireweed I saw on this tour.

In one swampy area I was swarmed by insects for a couple miles while pedaling on the road. It was the only time during the tour that insects were a nuisance while on the road in motion. I carried a 0.5 ounce spray bottle of Picaridin insect repellent but never used it.

I saw the pipeline more often today than yesterday.

Today I saw a moose on the side of the road on 4 different occasions. I never tried to take a picture. I just kept moving. In every case the moose stood near the road and didn't retreat as I went by.

Richardson highway threading out of the Alaska Range. I really like this picture. Quintessential Alaska!

I saw several groups of motorcycle tourists today. Most are riding machines suitable for off-pavement use. About half the motorcyclists appear to be German.

Looking back at the Alaska Range and Delta River.

Rather than stop on a gravel turnout I turned down an inviting side road to have a rest. The gate was so high that I pedaled underneath it. It turned out to be an arctic warfare training area in Fort Greely. The training area has a creek and waterfall. Nice place to take a rest. It even has porta-potties.

Army arctic training area at Fort Greely.

Waterfall at the training area. They probably climb it when frozen.

One last look back at the Alaska Range. Clear view of two big glaciers.

At one point near the end of the day the Richardson highway is only 200 feet from the pipeline. The area has no fences or gates, and has the same interpretive signs I saw 2 days ago.

About half of today's route has no paved shoulder, but newly paved sections have a paved shoulder. It's obvious that the state tries to add a shoulder whenever the road gets repaved. Roads need to be repaved every 5-10 years in Alaska, so 5 years from now the entire Richardson highway might have a paved shoulder.

The last 8 miles to Delta Junction is being reconstructed this year to add a paved shoulder. The road will be much better soon, but now it's 8 miles of gravel and potholed dirt. It's wet enough to be dust-free but I had to work harder to go more slowly. Not the ideal end to the longest day of the tour.

8 miles of construction gravel getting into Delta Junction. The new road will have a paved shoulder.

Pavement resumed on the edge of Delta Junction. 4 lanes of pavement for 2 miles through town. In the middle of town is the junction with the northern terminus of the Alaska Highway. Delta Junction is a real town, population 948. A regional center in this sparsely populated area. It has a motel, supermarket, 3 restaurants, police station, school, and hospital.

I arrived at Kelly's Alaska Country Inn at 8:15 PM, much later than anticipated. The motel is old but well maintained. The room is $109 per night and I will stay 2 nights.

I walked 1/2 mile away to have dinner at Pizza Bella. The 4 Russian guys were also there. They weren't busy but it took 45 minutes to get my seafood Primavera. It seems like every place in rural Alaska has slow service because they can't hire enough help.

I feel pretty good after the 99 mile ride, but I'm running on adrenaline. I will surely be extremely tired in the morning.

Distance: 99.2 mi. (159 km)
Climbing: 3109 ft. (942 m)
Average Speed: 11.2 mph (11.9 km/h)

Today's ride: 99 miles (159 km)
Total: 364 miles (586 km)

Rate this entry's writing	Heart	0
Comment on this entry	Comment	0