Tom O’Brien wearing a bicycle helmet and sunglassesTired Old BikerThe bicycle journals of Tom O’Brien

Alaska & Yukon journal · Chapter 8 of 10

People I (we) met along the way.

Original words and photographs preserved from Tom’s website.

Alaska & Yukon · 2004Chapter 8 of 1020 archived photos
Archival photograph from AK: People I (we) met along the way.
An original photograph from this entry
Preservation note Tom’s original wording and sequence are retained. Higher-quality family copies are used only where their relationship has been verified.

Some were riders and some were just great people.

Most, but not all, of the riders we met started in Anchorage and were headed in the opposite direction from us. They had destinations from a few weeks away to places that would take them over 6 months to reach (like South America.) We did hear about riders who were in front of us, but it’s not easy to catch up with riders who were heading in the same direction as we were traveling. Remember that the first 3 days were in Washington State, the next 3 days were aboard the ferry and the rest of the time we were in the Yukon and Alaska. (D = Day of our tour)

I am not going to mention the “Sourdough’s” we met They should be just forgotten.

  • D1 David - my riding partner - met me at the Amtrak Station - he flew to Seattle, I took Amtrak.
Tom and David, on the ferry, Seattle in the background.
  • D1 Met Scott and Ann - friends from the coast-to-coast tour - we spent the night at their house on Bainbridge Island, thanks.
Tom and Scott, Mt Rainier, 14,411 feet - in the background
  • D2 Met Clifford - out training for a ride to Bend, OR.
  • D2 Met a man and his wife on the dock in Port Townsend - he had ridden Route 66.
  • D3 Met two young men from Germany riding to Mexico.
  • D3 Met, at a snack stop,12 riders heading south to the wine country of Calif.
Two of the 12 heading for the wine country of California.
  • D3 Met Jeff & Rhonda riding to San Francisco, CA.
  • D4 On the ferry - met a lot of people who were on vacation or heading for a new job.
  • D5 On the ferry - met Larry and Vern, taking a high tech vacation (we will meet again)
  • D5 On the ferry - met Dave and his traveling partner - “Yellow Dog” (we will meet again)
  • D6 On the ferry - Angela, on vacation.
  • D7 James (a native Alaskan, who entertained us at the hostel)
James entertained us the hostel.
  • D8 Larry and Vern (met, D5, on the ferry) they stopped and gave us a cold drink - thanks
Our friends from the ferry, stopped to say hello and to give us a cold drink.
  • D9 Met the nice people at Icycle Sports, who gave me a quick-tie to fix my fender
  • D10 Met a riders, riding at night to avoid the heat, heading to Calgary, Canada.
He was riding at night to avoid the heat.
  • D11 Met Dutch man riding to South America.
Met Dutch man out for a long ride.
  • D12 Met German rider from Bavaria and knows the German Company I retired from.
  • D12 Met a 2nd German rider who had his gear stolen, but still on the road.
  • D12 Met a Dutch rider who was heading for San Francisco.
  • D13 Met two riders (1 French, 1 Danish) started in Montreal, heading to Vancouver and then down the Oregon Coast.
Two riders heading for the Oregon Coast.
  • Met a couple, French Canadians, heading for Montreal.
French Canadians heading to Montreal.
  • D14 Heard about 16 riders riding ahead of us, but never did see them.
  • D14 Met a rider from Denmark heading for San Francisco
  • D15 Met Jim & Jean (from Bend, OR) riding to Banff, Canada
  • D15 Two riders rode by us, going the other way, they did not stop.
  • D15 Met Margie, runs the hostel, strange but nice lady
  • D16 Stayed at Gary’s B&B;, he gets mentioned due to him making our stay so great, thanks.
  • D17 Talked to a group of tourist from Germany, also knew the company I retired from.
  • D18 Dave and his dog, “Yellow Dog,” stopped to talk to us (1st met on the ferry.)
Dave and his traveling partner, Yellow Dog (note the goggles on Yellow Dog)
  • D18 Met couple (Colorado) riding to Skagway, Alaska.
Colorado couple.
  • D19 Met Anja & Ralf from German. They are spending their honeymoon (May to Dec 2004) riding from Homer, Alaska to Tierra del Fuego, the southernmost city in South America. Web site: www.anja-ralf-cycling.de
Spending a year on their bikes, did I say they were on their honeymoon!
  • D19 Met a very unfriendly truck driver (18-wheeler) who nudge me off the road.
  • D20 Talked to several, day riders, who helped us get on the right bike path into Anchorage.
  • D21 Met a German who was headed for Panama (Yes, Panama like in Central America.)
  • D22 Met couple (from San Louis Obispo) touring the area.
Couple from San Louis Obispo.
  • D22 Met a young guy (Paul) who was coming from someplace and going to someplace.
  • D23 Met a older man from Japan, riding about 30 miles per day, carrying a heavy load.
Those are solar panels on the front of his bike. Carrying a heavy load.
  • D24 Met Kiyo, riding to Sacramento, Calif.
  • D24 Met a rider who was heading for Vancouver, Canada..
  • D26 Met Hika on Kodiak Island, a German lady riding (started in Vancouver, Canada) through the Aleutians. She works with the same company I retired from, but in Germany.
  • D27 Met the ladies of the “Salty Dawg Saloon.” It was 3 AM in the morning.
Bartender at the Salty Dawg. Yes, that is $$$$ on the wall.
  • D27 Met a German man riding through Alaska.
  • D27 Saw Paul again (D22). I think his family is driving and he is biking. His is from Hawaii.
  • D29 Met a couple from New Mexico, who were touring (3 weeks) in Alaska.
  • D31 Met Jerry (a bicycle rider) and Shirley from Kansas, RV’ing through Alaska (nice people).
  • D32 Jerry and Shirley stopped to give us a bag of goodies, the apple sure tasted good, thanks.
  • D33 Met Heidi, bike touring the USA on a Tadpole trike out for a year (see July 17th - Fairbanks, for story and link to her web site.)
Heidi, out for one year (photo by Heidi).
  • D33 Met a Swiss man riding through Alaska, the Yukon and on to Vancouver, Canada..
  • D33 Met a German lady riding through Alaska..
German lady touring solo.
  • D35 Met a German man riding through Alaska. I wonder if these two got together?
  • D35 Met Ryan (from Roseburg, Oregon) working in Alaska and trying to find himself.
  • D38 Met a lady from Alaska just riding around her state.
  • D38 Met a Swiss man (different from D33) riding to Vancouver, Canada.
  • D38 A highway worker stopped to tell me where I could fill my water bottles with the best water in the Alaska. I did and he was right. The water flowed right out of the hillside and was clear and ice cold.
  • D39 At breakfast met a family, who’s cousin is Kathy, of Pat’s bikes, Anchorage.
  • D39 Met Phillip, from Minnesota, touring Alaska (see July 23 - Valdez, for story.)
Phillip, changing tires.
  • D41 Met a man from Alaska who was in training to ride to Calif. in August.
  • D41 Met Wes, from Georgia, riding around Alaska.
  • D42 Breakfast at “Alaska Rendezvous Lodge and Tavern” (see July 25-26 - Valdez.)
  • D44 Thanks to the captain and crew of “Stan Stephens Cruises”, for a great day.
The captain and crew member looking for a whale for us to see.
  • D46 Stopped at Pat’s Bikes and has a nice talk with Pat, to bad Kathy was not in.
Pat of Pat’s Bikes in Anchorage.
Pat of “Pat’s Bikes,” Anchorage (he’s quite a rider himself.)
  • D48 Saw a rider across the Freeway from us, heading out of Anchorage.
  • D48 Wes, D41, was staying at the same Hostel in Anchorage as we were.
  • D49 Met East German man riding “Around the World.” Has a airline ticket good for a year. He just flies someplace and rides for 20 to 30 days in the area, then flies to another place. Sounds great to me.
  • D49 Met a man from Seattle riding Fairbanks to Anchorage.
  • D49 Visited (on several occasions) and talked to the great people at “The Bike Shop” in Anchorage.
  • D50 Thanks to the great REI employee who let me in before they opened (story - Aug 4 - link Home.)
  • Met Lois, my wife, who was waiting for me at the Hampton Inn, Portland, Oregon.

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