Day 27: Dawson City to Dempster Highway Mile 0: Canada Day

July 1, 2010

Today was an easy day. I stayed around town to watch the Canada Day parade. After another meal at Sourdough Joe's I cycled on to the base of the Dempster Highway.

Bicycle touring here makes you a celebrity. I met a couple here who recalled me from Rancheria. They came over to speak to me and I jokingly said, "I'm happy to see you made it here safely". Unfortunately, it turned out that the people in the other RV they were traveling with had had an accident. As well, I met a couple who recognized me from the Top of the World Highway yesterday. They asked me how I had made out in the big storm. I was happy to be able to tell them that it had missed me for the most part.

After the Canada Day parade, I slowly made way to Dempster Mile 0. At the base, I met a motorcyclist who had just come off the Dempster. He was completely covered in mud. He said the southern part of the road was excellent. However, in the Northwest Territories the road was in terrible shape and that it was always raining there. He questioned the wisdom of my plan to cycle the Dempster. As part of his warning, he told me of a cyclist who was headed south on the highway who had spent 3 nights living in a shipping container. He said that I would meet him.

I stayed at Klondike River Lodge ($15.75) at a tent site again. This is at mile 0 of the Dempster Highway.

End point:

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=63.99266,-138.74943&ll=63.99266,-138.74943&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1