Off the Road in Fairbanks 6/16/10

Friend (Joe) - Hey Peace Rider long time no hear from you. What happened?

PR - Sorry about that. I forgot to let folks know that I'd be out of touch for awhile. Besides that my sag wagon went on a much deserved break. It was an oversight.

F - You still plan to do something like a summary of your trip?

PR - I do but that will take a bit of time. I wanted to just let everyone know what has passed since I left Washington, DC May 18th.

F - Did you visit your friend in New York as you mentioned earlier.

PR - I did. It was great seeing him.

He and I met on a Pastor's for Peace Caravan to Cuba, in '98, as I recall. In addition to taking aid for the Cuban people it was a protest against the US embargo.

One thing I learned you don't hear about is that after the Chernobyl nuclear reactor melt down the Cuban government took in thousands of children affected by radiation poisoning and resulting cancers and treated them. We visited the clinic in Havana and met some of the children there. One of the donated items was an ambulance for the clinic.

Cuba also provides free education and medical care for its citizens which we don't. Their system may be flawed but so is ours.

The embargo hurt the average "Joe" in Cuba more that it did the government. It should be ended.

F - Where did you go after NY?

PR - I hopped on another bus headed for Toronto. From there I took the Via Rail Canadienne train to Edson, Alberta.

F - How was that experience?

PR - It was nice having a bunk for the three nights it took to get to Edson. The food was excellent. The rub came after I got off the train.

F - How's that?

PR - Somewhere between getting off the bus in Toronto and Edson my front handle bar bag took a walk. It was in my BOB trailer with some of my other stuff secured with bungee cords.

F - It could have just fallen out, eh?

PR - Yeah, it's possible but I had wedged it in pretty good. I didn't notice it missing until after I was off the train. It was well out of sight by then. The problem was that my pedals were also in that bag. I'm standing on the platform with a bicycle and no pedals, no go power. Great!

F - What'd you do?

PR - I went into the station. A CN railway worker was inside. I told him my problem. He said there's a recycling center just down the street. Check to see if any bicycles were left there. I did that but found nothing. I did talk to a man there dropping off stuff. I asked him if there was a bike shop in town? He said yes but it was likely closed. It was Sunday. And he added it will be closed on Monday, the equivalent of our Memorial Day weekend.

When I told him my problem he said why don't you check the dump there's lots of bicycles there. He gave me directions. It was not too far away.

But first I had to walk back to the station where I'd left my bike and make sure it was going to be open when I got back.

F - So how did you make out at the dump?

PR - I was pretty amazed in the end. Not only did I find bike pedals, I found the same style pedals that were on my bike minus the reflectors. I had to borrow a wrench at the dump office to get them off. But that done I walked back to the station, put the pedals on and hit the road. I'm being taken care of and grateful for it.

F - I thought you were going to visit Don Laird in Edson?

PR - I was but he took a job and was out of town. I got off there anyway, since I didn't want to lose too much conditioning when I hit the road again from Haines, AK.

F - So smooth sailing from there on.

PR - Pretty much. I visited friends made on the way down in Hinton and Jasper. I biked from Hinton to Jasper then caught the train from there to Prince Rupert.

While I was in Hinton my friend Rocky Notnes reminded me to call the newspaper for a post ride interview. I did that and Virginia Carnagham interviewed me again for an article in the Edson Leader. It also appeared in the Hinton Parklander. That was way cool to touch bases again after the trip.

F - When was that?

PR - About the 28th or 29th of May.

F- How was the train ride from Jasper.?

PR - A lovely ride through the mountains, well worth taking. We saw plenty of black bears en route. It retraced part of my bike route west. It wasn't snowing at least but Mt. Robson, the highest point in the Canadian Rockies, was obscured in clouds.

The train to Prince Rupert overnights in Prince George. I arranged in advance to stay with Warm Showers hosts Richard and Mattie Thompson.

He's a retired writer of children's books and she a soon to retire school teacher. It was really nice of them to take me in for such a short stay. I got my bike off the train to get to there house but had to make an 8:00 AM departure the next morning.

They are an amazing couple. They have never owned an automobile.

F - When did you leave Prince Rupert?

PR - I caught the ferry to Haines on 1 June and got there early on 3 June. The ferry was packed. There was a native festival happening in Juneau and people from coastal communities were traveling north to join this every two year event.

F- How was your stateroom on the ferry?

PR - My "stateroom" was on deck seven outside under the solarium. It was the least crowded and quietest place on the ship. Slept on the available reclining deck chairs. Some pitched their tents on the deck but they got rained out.

F - From Haines you biked to Fairbanks, right?

PR - That's right. I had a wonderful first night's camp high up near Chilkat Pass with a grand view of distant glaciers and mountain peaks. It was one of those less common nearly cloudless days without rain.

I made good time and got to Fairbanks on 12 June, 10 days to go 650 miles. I was crus'in.

F - Any problems?

PR - In the end no but I was warned off the road and avoided an encounter that could have been ugly.

F - You want to say more about it?

PR - Maybe sometime. But for now all I want to say is listen to that intuitive voice expressed through one's feelings.

F- What are your plans now?

PR - I'm not hanging up my sandals just yet. Another ride across the country is being planned by some folks with 350.org. I'm considering joining that in August. It would end up in DC, then train and boat to Cancun for climate talks convening in Cancun Mexico in November.

F - Seems like a good fit for you?

PR - Yeah, it does, need to sit with it awhile before I commit.

F - Talk to you again soon. Let me know what you decide.

PR - Will do!

Viajero por la paz