July 17, 2007
To Chatanika River: Milepost 11 on Elliot Highway
Our first stop is just across the road at the Colorado Creek Trailhead. We talk with a couple from Anchorage headed to Prudhoe Bay. The road climbs and then down, much as it did all with long 3 mile climbs followed with a couple miles down.
When we reach one high point, in a parking lot a man outside his car is taking our picture and waves and calls us to stop. He is with his son and two grandsons headed to Prudhoe Bay. They had first been interested in cycling it, now driving up to see the road. He is a veterinarian in Lander Wyoming. When we say we are headed back home to Boise ID, he mentions he knows an anesthesiologist there, Dennis Hutton. Rachel says "I know Dennis", he's a CRNA she has worked with in Meridian. He gives us his card, Rachel would email him the notes we've taken on the Dalton Highway. We take pictures, he's going to mail ours to Dennis.
Then we are off again.
Another long climb, then down. Almost at the top of one climb we stop for lunch. Rachel makes egg salad (with mustard! and mayo) and strips of ham for sandwiches. We then get one long downhill almost 10miles. One section has construction, we have to wait then a flagger let us go before the cars. At the other end, the flagger say "Why do you do this? It must be torture?"
We finally make it to the river and make camp on the rocky flat shore. There is a guy in a car nearby, he comes to talk with us. Originally from Alabama, now in Anchorage and taking the Architectural exams...the exams Patrick has taken for licensure just prior to our.
The threat of rain is still here but only sprinkles and we see a rainbow. Patrick heats water and makes the freeze dried lasagna, corn, chocolate mousse and hot coffee. The mosquitoes are not bad, barely any. There are fishermen along the other side of the river, fishing for grayling.
Tomorrow a big climb then back to Fairbanks.
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Today's ride: 72 km (45 miles)
Total: 10,698 km (6,643 miles)
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