Alaska-Canada Adventure Ride
Day 4 -Helen Lake campground, British Columbia to Sunset Lake (near Topley), British Columbia
(368
miles)
Being fortunate with no rain the previous night, we were able to leave Helen Lake and get back to the asphalt without any difficulties due to mud. But an hour later the rain started coming down fairly hard, requiring a stop to get more watertight. We brought Hippo Hands that act as insulated covers that surround your bar guards, allowing your hands to jacket sleeves to stay relatively warm and dry (Get the larger Al-Can model that provides a maximum amount of coverage). I had ordered some about 10 days before the trip, but they didn't arrive in time, and ended up borrowing an older spare pair that Jon and Vicki had. The Hippo Hands ended up getting well used on the trip despite their cumbersome and somewhat dorky look. You get used to them quickly after some riding in freezing rain :^)
Another item I would consider a must for trip through Canada and Alaska is a pinlock system for your helmet visor. After having a lot challenges with my helmet visibility on the Pacific Divide Ride in the rain of Washington and Oregon the previous year, I found that this upgrade really helps prevent your visor from fogging up under wet conditions.
Before the trip I also wired up my bike to support an electric jacket liner. Everyone else of our group was similarly prepared. This ended up making a big difference to keep you warm when riding in the cold or wet environment. Without these extra items to help with your riding comfort, a trip to Alaska could be a miserable experience if you a have a long enough streak of bad weather.
Reaching Prince George by mid-afternoon and getting a few supplies at Canadian Tire (they are more of big box auto and outdoor supply store), we continued west on Highway 16. This road is more rural and scenic, with many pastoral ranches. We eventually found a campsite at the relatively obscure and out-of-the way Sunset Lake 4 miles off the pavement from Topley. Campsites such as this one are fairly primitive and required either to filter water out of the lake, or picking up a liter water bottle during a prior gas stop.
Images (click to select the larger view at bottom)
All content and images are property of Stephen Fischer Photography, copyright 2019 - 2020. Last updated: 1/10/2020