Morning serenade in Tok

I awoke in Tok to clear skies and 32 degrees - light frost on the bike.

Then I heard the choir music......  A pack of coyotes in the distance having a wilderness version of "Alaska's got Talent".

While I was packing up, the choir wandered off and a soloist started up from a different direction.

(A wolf was howling)

I grabbed the cell phone and tried to capture the sound. If you turn up your volume, you may be able to hear it.

I needed that.

After listening to him for a while, I started thinking about the trap of falling into the mindset of endurance riding and the tunnel vision it can lead to. Before long, you find yourself wanting to see how many miles you can cover, but missing the beauty that surrounds you in a place like this.

I had to remind myself where I was, what I was doing, and how blessed I am to be able to experience this little adventure.

I'm "Living the dream" - Up to my ears in a magnificent wilderness I've read about since I was able to read.

Bring it on!!

So I still haven't made it to Fairbanks. I stopped in North Pole, AK to post the video clip - I knew some folks would love to hear it.

Lots of rain today on the way here, but it's supposed to be cloudy this afternoon.

Riding today, I couldn't help thinking about my upcoming promotion back home....

In July, I'm being promoted from "Father" to "Grandfather".  :-)

BTW, the folks up here are "different" when it comes to cold..

While I was sitting in a fast-food joint in BC, huddled in my long underwear, riding jacket & insulated liners, a woman walks in wearing flip-flops!

I was riding through a town, wearing all the gear I could find when I passed a guy on a bike with "ape hanger" handlebars, hands up above his shoulders, wearing no shirt at all.

I hope I can be tough when I grow up.