Today could only be day 6.5 for one reason and one reason only…SNOW! We didn’t even make it to Day 7 before hitting the road because we happened to wake in the middle of our rest to a ton of snowfall! The snow was getting thick! We weren’t certain how long the snow had been falling for, but it surely was sticking to the ground quickly. We weren’t nearly as rested as we hoped for, but we didn’t think twice…It was time to pack up and hit the road before we got stuck!
This is one of those times where I was very thankful the sun never went down completely and the air was brisk enough to keep my body alert and ready to go. Snow, Snow, Snow. That’s all we saw for the first 10 miles. Luckily the roads weren’t as horrible as expected with the snow, and luckily the weather seems to change quickly on the Dalton Highway. Not that it was changing into sunshine and warm weather for us at any time, but of course the snow turned to rain and then would dry up and start up all over again.
We had decided not to just get through the weather, but we decided to go big…”lets make it to Fairbanks”. Over 100+ miles to go we were going to dig in! So peddle, peddle, peddle we did…welll with some Hike a Bike too! If there were any animals to be found while we were riding today, it probably wasn’t going to be now unless they walked right in front of us, because all we could focus on were the miles.
Break here, break there, but all very short breaks helped break up the miles. You’d be surprised how even though very short, the breaks were quite energizing. At this point anything I could do to muster a little more out of me I was doing. However, I have to say, maybe the breaks weren’t timed as well as I needed. I took my first fall today. haha. No injuries and didn’t even hurt. I had forgotten I put my shoe into the bike clip and tried to get off the bike! What a rookie mistake huh?! But hey, I was pounding out a lot of miles so who knows where my brain was at in that moment 🤷♀️. William’s brain clearly was where it should be since he was the one, more or less, breaking more for me than himself. What a guy.
We finally did reach the “end” (beginning) of the Dalton Highway after hours of peddling! It was an energy booster, and a great point to break for a few minutes. Also, it meant it was end of many of the gravel/dirt/muddy roads in this part of our riding. We of course stopped to take photos, and put one of our many team stickers on the “Dalton Highway” sign mixed in with all the other stickers showing they made it this far on their own journey.
So up the hills, down the hills, through the snow, through the rain, we finally got to some dry areas as we approached Fairbanks. The temperatures still hovered around 35 degrees Fahrenheit, but the sun was starting to peak through the clouds. Our endorphins started to kick in as we knew our destination was near. There was so much hard work put in today, that today is both day 6.5 and 7! Our legs feel swollen, my neck and shoulders are worn, and our feet can’t wait to get out of our shoes. Golden North Inn hotel here we come! And maybe a massage therapist! Oh and maybe a quick chiropractic adjustment!
So with so much to look forward too, we pushed even harder through the hills, mud, and into Fairbanks! Yessssss, we made it! We started to see other vehicles on the road besides trucks, we saw stores, more people, and of course what would a city in the U.S. be without a McDonalds?!?! 😂 The people welcomed us on the roads as we passed by by waiving and some saying ” we love your dog”. Go figure. Who doesn’t love Ms. Aurora?!
So that’s that! We survived our second leg of our journey. Now we will rest a few days before hitting the road towards Canada! Leg #3 see you soon!