
Home July 2 July 3 July 4 July 5 July 6 July 7 July 8 July 9 July 10 July 11 July 12 July 13 July 14 July 15 July 16 July 17 July 18 July 19 July 20 July 21 July 22 July 23 July 24 July 25 July 26 July 27 July 28 July 29 July 30 July 31 August 1 August 2 August 3 August 4 August 5 August 6 August 7 August 8 August 9 August 10 August 11 August 12 August 13		Talkeetna, 9:00 a.m. Before hitting the road, I wandered around the village taking pictures, and grabbed an espresso from the Coffee Cabin (one of four espresso joints in a town with a population of 772), where I overheard the following conversation between the girl behind the counter and a young guy who had just walked in: "So, what are you up to today?" "I'm working on a barrel for a filtration system. I'm cutting holes in it with a .45/70." "Wouldn't a drill work?" "The wood is a half inch thick." "Wouldn't a drill work?" "Yesterday Stu loaded the thing with hi test ammunition — 600 or 700 grains. The bullet went through both sides of the barrel, and the recoil knocked me over." Although the TV servies Northern Exposure was actually filmed in BC, Talkeetna looks like a set, and on a cloudless day, Denali is supposed to be visible. It wasn't a cloudless day. Denali Highway Two hours up the road, I stopped at Cantwell for lunch. Another fork in the road. I could continue northward through Denali National Park and into Fairbanks, then south to Delta Junction, or I could take the Denali Highway to Paxson, then north on the Richardson Highway to Delta Junction. The weather was not promising for the former choice, while the clouds to the east appeared to be thinning, so I chose the Denali Highway, even though I knew that only about 20 miles of its 145 mile length were paved. Time for a little "adventure touring." Except for one bad stretch of gravel that lasted about 10 miles, the Denali wasn't too bad, helped in the first half by yesterday's rains, which kept down the dust, but were not heavy enough to make the road muddy. Most gas station parking lots in the Yukon and Alaska, with their gravel and potholes, present greater riding challenges. By the time I hit Paxson, at the eastern end of the Denali Highway, clouds were threatening rain from the south, so after filling the gas tank, I headed for Delta Junction as fast as I dared ride, staying a few minutes ahead of the rain. Gas mileage suffered, falling into the upper 30's, but my goal was to arrive while there was still a chance to find a room for the night. When I arrived at 7:00, the motel I chose was nearly sold out. The room was spartan and overpriced, but with rain coming in, I was grateful to have a roof over my head. Destination: Delta Junction Distance: 353 miles July 26
		Copyright © 2006 Selden Deemer

Talkeetna, 9:00 a.m.
Before hitting the road, I wandered around the village taking pictures, and grabbed an espresso from the Coffee Cabin (one of four espresso joints in a town with a population of 772), where I overheard the following conversation between the girl behind the counter and a young guy who had just walked in:

"So, what are you up to today?"
"I'm working on a barrel for a filtration system. I'm cutting holes in it with a .45/70."
"Wouldn't a drill work?"
"The wood is a half inch thick."
"Wouldn't a drill work?"
"Yesterday Stu loaded the thing with hi test ammunition — 600 or 700 grains. The bullet went through both sides of the barrel, and the recoil knocked me over."

Although the TV servies Northern Exposure was actually filmed in BC, Talkeetna looks like a set, and on a cloudless day, Denali is supposed to be visible. It wasn't a cloudless day.

Denali Highway
Two hours up the road, I stopped at Cantwell for lunch. Another fork in the road. I could continue northward through Denali National Park and into Fairbanks, then south to Delta Junction, or I could take the Denali Highway to Paxson, then north on the Richardson Highway to Delta Junction. The weather was not promising for the former choice, while the clouds to the east appeared to be thinning, so I chose the Denali Highway, even though I knew that only about 20 miles of its 145 mile length were paved. Time for a little "adventure touring." Except for one bad stretch of gravel that lasted about 10 miles, the Denali wasn't too bad, helped in the first half by yesterday's rains, which kept down the dust, but were not heavy enough to make the road muddy. Most gas station parking lots in the Yukon and Alaska, with their gravel and potholes, present greater riding challenges.

By the time I hit Paxson, at the eastern end of the Denali Highway, clouds were threatening rain from the south, so after filling the gas tank, I headed for Delta Junction as fast as I dared ride, staying a few minutes ahead of the rain. Gas mileage suffered, falling into the upper 30's, but my goal was to arrive while there was still a chance to find a room for the night. When I arrived at 7:00, the motel I chose was nearly sold out. The room was spartan and overpriced, but with rain coming in, I was grateful to have a roof over my head.

Destination: Delta Junction
Distance: 353 miles

July 26