To Skagway on 2 wheels with a friend
“Everyone needs a friend who will call and say ‘Get dressed, we’re going on an adventure.'” is one of my favourite travel quotes, and having friends like that is really important to me now.
A long-time friend messaged me recently and asked if I’d like to join him on a ride to Skagway on our motorcycles. Hell yes I would! Initially it looked like finding a day that fit into our schedules and was forecast to have decent weather was going to be a challenge but it actually came together very quickly. It was an excellent day but I took very few photos, so this will be my shortest post in a long time.
To get the proper energy flowing, I put on my best border-crossing socks first! Then a whole lot of other stuff including riding armour 🙂
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We met a few miles down the highway just after 10:00. I took the lead, as I wanted to stop for a few photos, and the first of those stops was at Emerald Lake. I always carry my tripod, but asked a woman who was taking photos of her group if she’d take a photo of us, and it turned out great. It’s always a gamble asking other people to take photos – I’ve had a few shot by people with no idea what makes a good photo 🙂
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We made another stop at the Bove Island viewpoint but then the light went flat and we hit some rain so there were no more stops. My friend had mentioned the possibility of rain but neither of us cared if it happened.
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The number of people on the streets in Skagway was quite shocking. There were 4 large cruise ships in – the Grand Princess, Radiance of the Seas, Norwegian Encore, and Noordam – so including crew there were about 15,000 extra people in town for a few hours.
We had a boat available to stash our extra gear while we walked around Skagway, which was much appreciated. The Small Boat Harbor is a very photogenic place, too.
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I think the Harding Glacier is melting away quite rapidly in recent years. I’l have to pull out some old photos and check that out.
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We went to the Skagway Brewing Company for lunch, but that may be my last time there. They’re gotten greedy – the pieces of halibut are smaller and prices higher. On a per-ounce basis, they’re pretty much double the price of Whitehorse.
When we walked back to the harbour where we had parked, the crowds were noticeably thinner. The Radiance of the Seas left as we were walking back, and perhaps a few drops of rain sent others back to their ships.
Despite there being very few vehicles in front of us, the crossing back into Canada was incredibly slow – over half an hour, I’m quite sure. Both of us were cleared quickly by a very friendly Customs officer, so I don’t know what the problem was.
The ride back home was done with only a brief stop at Bove Island where I had planned to phone Cathy to let her know that I’d be home shortly. I couldn’t get my phone to work, though (the screen was just black), and I quickly gave up.
I was in bed very soon after getting home. Yes, it was an excellent day 🙂
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Love to read about your adventures.
Thanks, Neal – it’s always nice to see that you’re still joining me 🙂
Fewer better things than a relaxing putt on 2 wheels with a good friend riding along with you. And you have shared so many great photos in other posts taking that journey over the border. Love to explore those harbors when I have been in Alaska, the varieties of boats and interesting people always impresses. And those mountain views too! Great to see you out and about on another bike adventure.
Nothing better than a relaxing putt to a favorite town with great scenery along the way. Good pic of your respective rides, riding gear and a bit of riding dust. Small boat harbors in Alaska are always one of my favorite side trips. Keeping the shiny side up… great way to spend a day!
Yup, sounds like a wonderful day!!