Halfway!

I was surprised to see some grey clouds when I awoke on the banks of the Koyukuk River. At 2am I had a 'nature call' and was blessed with a starry sky laced with green Northern Lights. Now grey skies were building. I got rolling promptly, determined to reach Coldfoot Camp, the truck stop marking the halfway point of my journey. I couldn't resist one more photo of the massive marble Sukakak mountain before pedaling off. It looked like an Dolomite mountain transplanted from Italy.

The cycling went fast and easy, mostly flat. By 11:30 am I reached Coldfoot in increasingly wet conditions. I didn't care, I was halfway and ready for a big trucker-style lunch! I first paid for a shower ($14) and then threw my stinky clothes in the washer and dryer. For most of the afternoon I hung out, sipping coffee and trying to get wifi Internet access. No cell service here. The rain pounded the muddy parking lot outside.

Near dark, I accepted my fate and pitched my tent in the rain across the parking lot. Getting a room for the night would have cost me $160, so even my soggy tent looked inviting! I went back into the cafe for a last coffee and met a just arrived Chilean fellow who was trying to ride to Prudhoe Bay by motorcycle. He has been turned around by snow about 40 miles away and was now heading south. He mentioned that two vehicles with caribou hunters had also turned around. It seems that in spite of the snowy conditions I went over Atigun Pass, things had gotten much worse. I may have been the last person on two wheels (motorized or not) to get through for the season. I had been pretty lucky.