08:30 to 09:30 Alaska
09:30 Stewart (BC)
18:00 Prince George (BC) | 700 km
Woke up at 08:30 without an alarm! I decide to make a quick jump over to Alaska.
It’s a peculiar feeling; it’s not every day you can say something like that! Naturally, as always, everything takes place in the rain. The village of Hyder (AK) is barely five minutes from Stewart. There is no customs office for entry into the United States, but the place seems to be in total decay. There’s nothing to see here, except for the Salmon Glacier which, technically, is located in British Columbia, but can only be accessed through Alaska. I decide to head there despite the 25 km of gravel… again!
Unfortunately, the fog spoils the view a bit, but I can still see the superb glacier looming in the distance. It is very impressive.
I then return to my own country. This time, I have to go through a border post where Canadian customs officers ask me all sorts of questions: “Do you have a weapon?”, “How long were you in the USA?”, “Are you bringing back any goods?”. I quickly reassure them: no AK-47s or grenades.
I stop for breakfast at the village bakery. The place surprises me with the quality of its products and the authenticity of the people. With a full stomach (an apple turnover AND a bun!), I tackle the day’s work: eight hours of driving through the center of the province. My goal is modest: get to Prince George, a mandatory stop given the road layout of this region.
The road is beautiful. I feel myself slowly returning to civilization. Villages (often indigenous reserves) are more frequent and traffic is increasing. I have to handle the machine a bit more aggressively to overtake, but on a motorcycle, it’s child’s play. Farms and houses now decorate the landscape, something I haven’t seen in ages.
Passing through Smithers, I come across a Harley-Davidson dealer. The temptation is too strong: I stop to ask if it’s possible to change my tires. I’m still riding on my off-road tires, which greatly affects the smoothness of the ride and traction on asphalt.
To save money, I decide to remove the wheels myself outside. Cost: $65. Then, off to the local post office to ship my book on Inuvik and my front tire to my mother in Quebec (the rear is too worn to keep).
In less than an hour, I am free! No more tires to lug around on the bike. The relief and happiness of finding such a smooth ride again are hard to describe. Immediate consequence: an increase in comfort and, above all, pace!
Around 18:00, I arrive in Prince George. Or should I say, the ghost town of Prince George. The downtown area is literally empty, with no pedestrians and very few cars. I take a room in a motel and head off to give the bike a much-needed wash. I end the day with dinner at The Keg (my new landmark!) since nothing else catches my eye in this deserted city.