Sunday, October 11, 2009

7 September 2009, Dawson Creek, , Canada








I checked the weather forecast for Fort Nelson to Dawson Creek. All it said was to expect a steady rain all day. I got up and looked outside and it was still raining like last night. I groaned and closed the door. Another day in the rain. I got dressed, packed my bags and my motorcycle cover. I put on my rain suit, started my bike and then loaded it. I came back into my room and put on all my riding gear. The last thing I did was wipe my hands dry, put on my riding gloves and then put on my rain gloves. I drove over to the gas station, filled up with gas and bought some food for breakfast. I also needed to purchase some Canadian money as I was about out. This gas station had an ATM but it didn’t like my debit card. I asked the girl behind the counter if another ATM was near. She said across the road there was another in a credit union. I drove over and this ATM liked my card. I purchased the money I needed and walked outside. Another motorcyclist walked up to me asking about the weather for today. I told him more rain. He was from Fairbanks, Alaska and was stuck in Fort Nelson because his older BMW 1976ish Boxer didn’t like the rain and wouldn’t run. He wanted to leave but couldn’t because of the rain. I left town and on the way out my motorcycle stalled. I quickly unscrewed the gas cap allowing the gas to start flowing again. The vent inside the gas cap was stuck again. It was then I realized that the rubber seal or vent in the gas cap did not like gasohol or gasoline with alcohol in it. I continued to tighten and loosen the cap until I came upon a deserted gas station where I could stop, remove my gloves out of the rain and break the rubber vent loose in the gas cap so the gas tank could breathe. Yes it’s still raining. I found a rag I could wipe the gas cap dry with and then reverse-sucked on it until the rubber diaphragm broke loose. I put the gas cap on and didn’t have a problem with it again that day. I continued on to Dawson Creek and once when I stopped for gas the gas station attendant allowed me to dry my glove on his heaters. They weren’t wet but they were damp and it was 40 degrees outside. In the process my hands warmed up. My hands at times were so cold I almost had to pry them off the throttle grip. On the outskirts of Dawson Creek I took some pictures of the "Welcome to Dawson Creek" sign and then continued into the city looking for a hotel to stay for the night. I drove downtown and took pictures of the “Zero Mile Marker” which is the start of the Alaska Highway. It was bloody windy and I thought for sure my bike would blow over by this marker. If you look at the flags in the pictures you will see they are horizontal to the ground. I then drove back out of town until I found a hotel where my motorcycle would be out of the wind. I was very afraid my motorcycle would be blown over. I found a hotel with a ground level room out of the wind where I could work on my motorcycle. I also asked the hotel staff if they could provide me a heater to warm my room because it was cold and damp. I also needed it to dry my clothes because I was soaking wet again just like the day before. They did and I turned it on to its maximum setting to warm the room. I then adjusted my chain on my motorcycle and oiled it. It was the first time in three days I oiled it because of the constant rain. It was dry and shiny from the lack of lubrication. I went inside after I finished with the motorcycle and hung up my wet motorcycle clothes. The rain tapered off when I entered the city and then started up again after I finished with my motorcycle. When I had all my clothes positioned for drying I left the room for a pizza place and ordered a pizza for supper. I came back to the room in the rain and went to bed for the night. I was going to work on my blog but was too tired.

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