2010 Yukon Solo Motorcycle Trip

Day 2 — Radium Hot Springs, BC to Hinton, AB

A pretty little glacial creek just a few miles west of the Continental Divide in Banff N.P. This is right beside the road but not really visible from it. I discovered it only because I knew there was a creek there, though couldn't see it, and guessed it might be worth a look.

Know why the water is green? Glacial action creates a super fine flower-like powder of the rock it shapes, and the powdery rock gets suspended in the water, reflecting the blue/green part of the spectrum.

About Noon the sun came out for a short while and I stopped here to eat my sandwich and drink my Red Bull. I saw a gaggle of BMW R1200GSes, and stopped nearby. It was an Ayres Adventures tour group. I know Ron Ayres, he's an LDR guy and has written a couple very good books on long distance riding. I noticed the tour leader's ignition was on (his headlight gave it away) so I told him and we started talking about their tour. The guy driving the chase truck walked up and started checking out my bike.

I thought he looked familiar, like our favorite tour guide from our 2001 Alps Tour He did a double take on my license plate (HMARC) and said "I know you", and I said "And I know you!".

It was Axel Papst! We hugged each other and started laughing and shouting and the tour guide probably thought we were crazy. What syncronicity to run into Axel in that narrow window of time in that remote spot on the planet! This event turned what was otherwise a rainy day into a wonderful reunion with an old friend.

Jasper N.P. is full of waterfalls visible from the road. This is one of the best, and I always seem to take a photo of it. Notice the people in the shot for a sense of the scale of the falls. Monday's temps varied from 44F to 63F.

Part of Athabasca Falls, just a few hundred meters from the main highway. A pretty spectacular spot where the river has cut into the rock over thousands of years. Reminds me of a similar formation on the Rogue River, between Diamond Lake and Medford, Oregon. The one along the Rogue is cut into volcanic rock, and is very narrow, though not this deep.