North: The KTM Summer of Adventure – 19: Port Hardy to Nanaimo, BC
Is that a bloodstain on the carpet? Last night when the Ferry docked in Port Hardy, at the northern end of Vancouver Island, I found myself casting around for a hotel room, the Thunderbird Inn seemed to fit the bill. The lady at the front desk, congenial, plump and bespectacled, seemed only too willing to [...]
North: The KTM Summer of Adventure – 18: Prince Rupert to Port Hardy, BC
“Wake up” and 4:45 AM are not connected concepts in my mind, unless you’re talking about staggering to the washroom as a matter of necessity. According to BC Ferries, I need to be checked in two hours before the ferry to Port Hardy departs. That means packing the bike, and being at the boat by [...]
North: The KTM Summer of Adventure – 17: Stewart to Prince Rupert, BC
Last night I snuggled into the coziness of the Bayview Hotel, which is part of the Ripley Creek Inn complex. A restored period piece sitting above the Bitter Creek Café, the Bayview Hotel is refreshingly authentic, comfortably homey and decidedly inexpensive, and the café below puts the weak offerings of Bell II’s cuisine to shame. [...]
North: The KTM Summer of Adventure – 16: Telegraph Creek to Bell II, BC
The River Song Café doesn’t open until noon on Sundays and that’s not helping my morning any. I’m a breakfast person and right now my blood sugar level is off, riding feels like the toughest thing in the world. I’m not a morning person, and this morning has had a unique start. A French-Canadian woman [...]
North: The KTM Summer of Adventure – 15: Watson Lake, YT to Telegraph Creek, BC
So KTM, would now be a good time to mention that my off-road history could be measured in quantities prefixed with “mili”? Likely not, because the ride from Dease Lake to Telegraph has me debating subtleties of throttle control like never before. By the way KTM, the fuel injection is a tad jerky at low speed isn’t it? Give there’s a billion-foot drop to the left I’m all about control.
North: The KTM Summer of Adventure – 13: Whitehorse to Watson Lake, YT
The 990 Adventure and I skulked from the Dempster like a rebuffed dog. The weather drove us forward, but eventually the Yukon took over pulling us along. Backtracking in the sunshine, the road to Whitehorse was represented and replenished by a more moderate pace and sunny breaks. Untethered from a single destination, the ride began [...]
North: The KTM Summer of Adventure – 14: Air Force Lodge, Watson Lake, YT
The Air Force Lodge is a restored 1942 pilot’s quarters so there’s an austere military sense to the place, right down to shared washrooms and showers assigned to each gender – don’t let this deter you. The Air Force is clean, hypo-allergenic, efficient, social with a large common area table around which guest congregate and [...]
North: The KTM Summer of Adventure – 12: The Dempster
You only need to know about the Dempster Highway – it hates you. It’s a cold hearted, fickle, and tempermental highway that never wanted to exist, and would like nothing more than to take it out on you given half a chance.
North: The KTM Summer of Adventure – 11: Dawson, Yukon
I’ve spent the past five days alternately enjoying the Dawson Music Festival and waiting for a break in the weather. Here in “the Land of the Midnight Overcast” I’ve been taking in the sights, the music, the hospitality and a few drinks in the beer swamp. Beer garden is too pristine and dry a term. [...]
North: The KTM Summer of Adventure – 10: Whitehorse to Dawson, YT
Hideous downbursts of rain should have ruined the ride, but the 990 Adventure and I have the groove on. That’s largely owing to a new rear tire, a complete lack of enforcement from Whitehorse to Dawson in the Yukon Territories, and the good graces of Jim from Tourism Yukon who’s offered to carry the luggage in a support vehicle. So much for going “solo”, but damn the bike feels so good I couldn’t give a toss.
North: The KTM Summer of Adventure – 9: Whitehorse and Kluane National Park
Is it incongruous that the friendliest, most helpful, warm, and kind dealership experience has required me to travel well over 2500km to Whitehorse, YT? Whitehorse Honda is the local KTM dealer, and frankly I’ve never had a dealership this genuine and helpful. Period. Full stop.
North: The KTM Summer of Adventure – 8: Watson Lake to Whitehorse, YT
I should have just camped. The Belvedere Hotel has one of the few licensed lounges in Watson Lake, making it the hot spot. Having a room overlooking the parking lot was good for the bike’s security, but bad for sleep as staggers of drunks exited and then loudly discussed what or who to do next [...]
North: The KTM Summer of Adventure – 7: Meziadin Lake, BC to Watson Lake, YT
Camping wasn’t horrible. The salvation from H.O.T. (Hell’s Own Tent) was an MEC sleeping bag and ground mat. Despite developing a bad list overnight, the H.O.T. did keep the mosquitoes out. No mean feat, at one point at night I woke up from a dream wondering why there was group of sportbikes running the highway at night. Only to realize the sound was masses of mosquitoes bumping against the mesh.
North: The KTM Summer of Adventure – 6: Vanderhoof to Meziadin Lake, BC
At Kismet, the junction of highways 16 and 37, I have a moment of doubt and nearly turn back. There’s no strong game plan here, just an urge to press northwards. The sign here in Kismet reads “North to Alaska” conveying the enormity of North’s possible meaning. Originally the title was tied to riding Northern [...]
North: The KTM Summer of Adventure – 5: Wells to Vanderhoof
It’s a moment ripped from Northern Exposure, walking into the Wells Hotel for breakfast everyone already seems to know who the guy on the “big orange bike” is and where he’s come from. More mysteriously they have a fair idea where I’m heading.
North: The KTM Summer of Adventure – 4: Egg Lake to Barkerville
Here’s an early birthday gift, somewhere behind me is a Honda Accord with all the KTM’s overstuffed luggage and then some. Admittedly having a well-used front-wheel drive as a sag wagon diminishes the adventure a of riding from Wildwood to Barkerville, BC the “back way”, but it’s giving me a taste of what this bike can really do. Oh, dear gawd, it’s bloody dirt-road ambrosia with a chaser of complete hoonery thrown in.
North: The KTM Summer of Adventure – 2: Tyax Lodge to Egg Lake
Tyax Lodge, outside of Gold Bridge, B.C., feels deserted. A fabulous location, picturesque to the point of overload, Tyax should be bustling at the seams with tourists. Instead it’s quiet to the point of being our private lodge. There’s no menu for breakfast, the Chef simply prepares what you ask for free form. The ride [...]
North: The KTM Summer of Adventure – 1: Vancouver to Tyax Lodge
In the history of slow starts this has been epic. Hannibal had an easier time wrestling up some elephants and infantry, than my getting out on the road the past few days. Yet, sitting here at Tyax lodge I’m hard pressed to be more satisfied with the first day of “North: The KTM Summer of Adventure”.
