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2009 Alaska to Mexico by Bicycle

May 2009 – Leaving UK

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Part 1 – Prudhoe Bay to Fairbanks, AK, USA (May-June 2009)

Deitrich Valley - TREES!
Deitrich Valley, more of
Deitrich Valley, more of, again :) WHO PUT THAT UPHILL BIT THERE?
Deitrich Valley, more more of
Coldfoot sled racing team #1 - He`s related to Tintin`s little dog "Snowy" apparently. Of all the places!
Coldfoot sled racing team #2 - And this one is the 2nd cousin (twice removed) of "Nanook" from the film the Lost Boys. Now there`s a thing.
Coldfoot after enormous day - 78 miles in saddle
Big bike stand
Gobblers Knob summit - followed by "Beaver Slide" and "Finger Mountain", nice
Arctic Circle - took 9 days to get here FROM THE NORTH!
ROLLERCOASTER! 10 Miles of "firetrack" Downhill - it was ok I suppose ;)
Bunny
Last night of camping on the Dalton - I`m tucked in behind the trees on the right (out of sight / bear-reach)
The start of an afternoon nap that became the trend in the last few days
The last mile of the Dalton Highway - I was actually really sad to see the end of it, really!
Colorado Creek Traihead - Last night of Camping before Fairbanks & it was a good `un - tent up on river bank in middle...
Fairbanks, at John`s, the end of this "part" - 73 mile day, 10 miles around Fairbanks" bike tracks! :)

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Side Trip – Southern Alaska, USA BY CAR! (Jun 2009)

Denali Nat Pk - ooooh, if only I had 3 weeks, 5,000 pounds in cash, 10 years worth of serious mountainering experience, astronomical levels of grit & nerves of steel, I could climb it y`know...
"North Pole" nr Fairbanks (I know, the real one is actually AT the North Pole) - "No officer, I`m not carrying my driving licence...I`m A DOG!"
"North Pole" nr Fairbanks - this is a real letter sent to "Santa Claus, North Pole, Alaska"..."One minute they`re in nappies and the next they`re on MyBook & Facetube"
"North Pole" nr Fairbanks - world`s biggest Santa (soon to appear in "Santa versus MechaGodzilla"

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Part 2 – Fairbanks, AK, US to Whitehorse, YT, Canada (June-July 2009)

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Part 3 – Whitehorse, YT to Dawson Creek, BC, Canada (July 2009)

Temporary stove repair (bottle top and wire...) thanks Adam & Ward
Delta Junction, AK, USA (back in June) - start of the Alaskan highway or the Alcan
Dawson Creek, BC, Canada - END of the Alaskan highway or the Alcan

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Part 4 – Dawson Creek, BC, Canada to Helena, MT, USA (August 2009)

Banff Nat Pk, Alberta, Canada - If Camelot had been in North America I think it would have been here
Banff Nat Pk, Alberta, Canada - Taken whilst standing over bike cross-bar using rotating screen display & stretching down to hold camera on the ground!
Lake Louise, Banff Nat Pk, Alberta, Canada - Now Jon, given the option of riding into the cul-de-sac that is Lake Louise would you like to (a) leave all your bags in town & cycle unburdened by weight up 1 of the steepest, twistiest roads of the trip so far or (b) ignore all logic, stay obsessively purist, keep all weight on the bike & ride...? Ummmm...
Kootenay Nat Pk, BC, Canada - Continental Divide Crossing no. 3
Kootenay Nat Pk, BC, Canada - Just in case you can`t read it, it says "Caution Wolf on Highway" & was followed by "Do not stop". For 10 miles! I rode fast! Didn`t see it. Apparently some numb-nut had fed it from a car window so it was coming back looking for easy food (Rangers were using plastic bullets to scare it away)
Kootenay Nat Pk, BC, Canada - These chaps & chapesses were right next to the campsite (Big Horn Sheep)
Kootenay Nat Pk, BC, Canada - Back row: "Dopey"; Middle Row from L to R: "I`ve got your number", "Do you eat sheep?!", "Bored"; Front Row: "Indifferent"
Eureka, Montana, USA - After nearly 50 days sleeping in a tent & after just crossing the border from Canada (having started at the beginning of July!) on a wet wet long day I (well, C!) treat myself to a motel for the night & Charles comeswith (the owner was fine with it before you wonder!). Heaven.
Eureka, Montana, USA - Happy man in bath
Neoprene Overshoes last used in Northern Alaska - these babies have had it! New ones purchsed soon after
Swan Lake, Montana, USA - Martyn & Andrew, riding the Continental Divide off-road for Cancer Research. Go guys!
Montana, USA - Big Skies ;)
Charles you`re famous!!!
Nr Seely Lake, Montana, USA - a lovely day riding off-road (dirt tracks) along Continental Divide Trail with Nancy & Matthew - thanks guys, see you soon hopefully :)
Ovando, Montana, USA - lazy, balmy Montana summer evening whilst camping on village green thanks to store owner (a few minutes later a guy rode a horse, bareback, through the square having just re-shoe`d it...this is back country Montana)
I cannot express how much I LOVE THIS SIGN!!! (no, not the trucks bit but the DOWNHILL!!!!) I get excited whenever I see it. I am a sad man.
Little Bo Beep is clearly not keeping an eye on her sheep since this one now thinks its bovine
Continental Divide crossing no. 4 & it was a tough 1, maybe 1500 feet of ascent with no let-up in blazing midday heat (had a little sleep at the top!)

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Part 5 – Helena, MT to Denver, CO, USA (September 2009)

Derek, who just "turned-up one day" decided to stay & is now my new Navigator (he`s a "Jackalope" part "Jack Rabbit" & "Pronghorn Antelope", Wyoming`s unofficial State-animal)
Derek, how did you get in here again? Charles?! Did you put this photo here? Are you in cahoots?
Wyoming Historic Penitentiary Museum - Well I don`t know about you but I`m here for the Brooms!!
Wyoming Historic Penitentiary Museum - None other than "Billy the Kid" who did "time" here (Bill, maybe you need to take a bit of Yakult or something, you"re not looking so "kid-like" in this shot)
Wyoming Historic Penitentiary Museum - BUTCH CASSIDY! Not exactly Paul Newman are we Butch? (joke!)
The "Wild Bunch" (I`m on the right in the backrow, with the `tache)...ok, this one was also in the Prison Museum...you wouldn`t have known that though if I hadn`t said though would you!
Wyoming Historic Penitentiary Museum - "By way of escape I plan to scale the Guard`s tower then climb on the sun and walk to Pluto. That`ll work I`d say."
Wyoming Historic Penitentiary Museum - WHAT?! Have you ever head of that analogy?
Laramie, WY, USA - Leafy Laramie
Laramie, WY, USA - "And I says to `im, I says, `It was THIS BIG!` Oh how we all squawked!!" (its a `Turkey Vulture` apparently & there were dozens of them up a tree in a residential street! Ok, ok birdists, they don`t actually squawk but `how we all hissed` wouldn`t sound the same would it?)
Laramie, WY, USA - Autumn / Fall is on the way say the tree leaves
Laramie, WY, USA - Ok, so winter is coming then! September 20th (1st snow on tent since early June)
Nr Laramie, WY, USA - Riding up higher to eventually lose height it starts snowing with near "white-out" at the top...the horses seemed blissfully unaware though
Nr Virginia Dale, CO, USA - WY to CO border crossing (downhill out of snow storm!)
Nr Fort Collins, CO, USA - After packing tent in the snow & riding through falling snow I book into a Cabin to dry-out

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Sidetrip – LA, CA & Denver, CO, USA (October 2009)

Nr Allenspark, Rocky Mtn Nat Pk, CO, USA - Taking a nap
Nr Bear Lake, Rocky Mtn Nat Pk, CO, USA - Wow!
Nr Allenspark, Rocky Mtn Nat Pk, CO, USA - Not frozen antlers
Nr Allenspark, Rocky Mtn Nat Pk, CO, USA - Cheeky chappy
Nr Allenspark, Rocky Mtn Nat Pk, CO, USA - Oh dear here comes the \'arty stuff\'
Nr Allenspark, Rocky Mtn Nat Pk, CO, USA - Leave nothing but...
Nr Allenspark, Rocky Mtn Nat Pk, CO, USA - Roadside view
Nr Bear Lake, Rocky Mtn Nat Pk, CO, USA - Strangely there was no one sitting on the bench next to the FROZEN LAKE!
Nr Bear Lake, Rocky Mtn Nat Pk, CO, USA - ... its not big and its not clever Jon, its just a tree not a work of art
Nr Bear Lake, Rocky Mtn Nat Pk, CO, USA - Yes, flash used to get both halves of pic lit!
Nr Bear Lake, Rocky Mtn Nat Pk, CO, USA - Tungsten effect on camera
Nr Bear Lake, Rocky Mtn Nat Pk, CO, USA - Nice

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Part 6 – Denver, CO, USA (via NM & TX) to Monterrey, NL, Mexico (Oct-Nov 2009)

Cuatrocienegas, COAH, Mexico - took a day off & went on 2 buses on 6 hour round trip to this lovely colonial town
Cuatrocienegas, COAH, Mexico - bike cops (really!)
Cuatrocienegas, COAH, Mexico - check out the electric cross on the roof!
Nr El Arco, NL, Mexico - barbed wire everywhere along the road, no open ground to camp at all
Nr El Arco, NL, Mexico - Charles having a snooze
Nr Mina, NL, Mexico - big mountains are back, but its still hot!
Nr Mina, NL, Mexico - does this "work"?
Nr Mina, NL, Mexico - Cactus "tree" with huge (maybe 5 miles long) table mountain in background
Nr Mina, NL, Mexico - The astonishing setting for the grand, swish "Butlins" at which I stayed as the only guest (it being off season, although temps were still in the high 20s c!)
Nr Mina, NL, Mexico - Palm trees & mountains
Nr Mina, NL, Mexico - More palm trees & moontins!
Nr Mina, NL, Mexico - Early morning clouds draped over huge great mountain
Nr Mina, NL, Mexico - A forboding-looking morning turns into a hot, clear, sunny day
Nr Hidalgo, NL, Mexico - Amazing moontins, huge canyons & lush forests
Monterrey, NL, Mexico - I reach Monterrey!

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Epilogue – Monterrey, NL, Mexico & Maldon, Essex, UK

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