The People...

One of the most interesting things about traveling by motorcycle, and especially by one as weird as the Spyder is that one gets to meet a lot of very interesting people.  What I hadn't anticipated is just how much the Spyder is a magnet for the curious, especially when sporting a Colorado license plate in Alaska!  There were many times that we had opportunities to meet with people we would never have met otherwise.

We had many conversations that went something like:
"How do you like that thing?"
Well, for our current travels it seems to do quite well, with two people and all of our gear it performs quite well.
"You rode all the way from Colorado?"
Yes.  We came up through Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, Washington, and now we are working our way through British Columbia on our way to Alaska.  The return trip will be by ferry.
"Well, I rode the Alaska Highway back in 1974.  It was a dirt road back then."
Since I was a teenager I have always wanted to do this.  Now I can, so I am.
"You ride safe!"
Thanks, you be careful too.

Traveling by motorcycle also provides convenient opportunities for conversation.  Being 'adventurous' types, motorcyclists don't mind approaching other motorcyclists to see what they might have to say.  This is a great way to learn about the road ahead.  On the first day I noticed what I assumed to be an 'experienced' motorcyclist in Laramie, Wyoming.  After a little conversation I told him that we were on our way to Alaska.  He mentioned that the University of Alaska in Fairbanks would host people in their dorms for $40 per night.  While we never made it to Fairbanks, we did discover that the University of Alaska in Anchorage had a similar arrangement, which we took advantage of.  Staying in the dorm rooms proved to be much cheaper than booking hotel rooms in Anchorage.  This is something we would have never known about if we hadn't talked with this guy.

A couple of  times we heard the phrase "Alaska changes a person".  They said that once you come here, you want to come back.  This is something that I now understand.  We met several people who have arranged their lives so that they can spend time in Alaska.  In fact, we have already decided that we will be back someday.  Traveling by motorcycle was a great introduction to Alaska.  However, next time we come we will be traveling in some kind of a 'van' so that we can bring along things like kayaks, coolers, bikes, fishing poles, ...


Richard
We met Richard in British Columbia.  He appeared to me to be in his mid '70s and was on his way back home to California on his Kawasaki 650.  He had been to Alaska by motorcycle several times before.  Richard told us about the new, inexpensive yet nice Hostel at Liard Hot Springs.  This guy really impressed me as someone who lives life to the fullest, working through whatever it takes to do what he wants to do.

Grandma
We met a woman (didn't get her name) who admitted she was "pushing 80" and was also traveling by Spyder from Oregon to Fairbanks and then on to Anchorage to see her children.  Her husband didn't want do do the trip, so she continued on with her grandson and daughter.  She figured that this may be her last trip to Alasks by motorcycle.  A truly lovely woman who again, lives life to the fullest. Her machine is the maroon one below, her daughter's is the yellow one:

This photo was taken at a campground at Teslin, Yukon Territories.



Geno and Andrew
We met Geno and Andrew at the municipal campground in Seward.  Geno keeps wooden beads in his beard and has a minivan that he has been living in while traveling through Alaska.  He told us how he spent some time in Hawaii working on a coffee plantation, then he was in Oregon helping some friends building bee hives.  He connected with Andrew while traveling through Alaska.
Geno provides transportation while Andrew provides Salmon and campground fees.  A truly symbiotic relationship.  Geno traveled above the Arctic circle to experience 24-hour sunlight (something that we will do on a future trip).  It would have been nice to spend some more time with these guys, but we had miles to go.

Niv
At the same campground in Seward, Niv set up camp right next to us.  He is a young man who was traveling solo from Israel, with just what he carried on his back.  When I asked what brought him to Alaska, he mentioned how he had seen shows on television about Alaska and told his friends that he was going to go to Alaska.
After a couple of years his friends said "So, when are you going to Alaska?".  At this point he figured that he had to make good on this proclamation, so he got plane tickets to Alaska and train tickets to interesting locations therein (after Seward he planned to travel to Denali by train). From now on, Niv will be able to say that yes, he has been to Alaska.  That should shut his friends up!

Guenther and spouse
While camped at a free campground at the Tetlin National Wildlife Refuge we met Guenther, who was traveling from Fairbanks on a big BMW motorcycle.  His wife was on a smaller Japanese bike.  We shared some very pleasant conversation and Guenther shared some salmon which he smoked himself, packed in oil.  Easily the best smoked salmon that I have ever put in my 'trout hole'.  Be careful with the leavings he admonished, as they make great bear bait!

Just a nice photo that I took at Tetlin National Wildlife Refuge with the sun shining through birch bark

The Guy from Brazil
On the way home traveling through Wyoming, we passed a guy on a really interesting motorcycle.  At first I couldn't figure out what it was.  A VW-powered Guzzi perhaps?  I have seen them before, as well as  Subaru powered Moto Guzzis.
Later, he stopped at the rest stop where we were cooling off, pouring water on our shirts in the 100 degree heat.  It turned out that he was riding his Amazonas from Brazil to Sturgis.  How cool is that?!

Regrets...
One of my biggest regrets is that I didn't take pictures of the people that we met.  While I have a few photos of the people we met on the ferry, I failed to take pictures of people we met on the road.  This is something I will have to rectify on future adventures.