Drive to Upper Liard, YT; ride to Swift River, YT

Late last night, Natasha couldn’t sleep because she was feeling really sick. After discussing our options, we decided that several people would take her back to Dease Lake for medical treatment.

The rest of the team woke up and had a quick Powerbar breakfast. We packed in the van and drove to the blockade. I slept pretty much the whole way until Upper Liard. At some point, I remember waking up shortly to a very smoky road with tons of cars and low visibility. Sadly, a couple miles outside of the town, we drove past the Welcome to Yukon border sign.

Upper Liard was still very hazy, and the air was still thick with the smell of smoke. We drove about 20 miles west on the Alaska Highway. After the sky cleared up, we unpacked the trailer, did our ride dedication and hakka, and rode the rest of the 60 miles. Even from the beginning, the wind was blowing hard from the west. It was good because we wouldn’t be riding in smoke anymore, but we knew it was going to be a hard ride. After endless rolling hills, we rode the last ~20 miles in rain. It was mostly a constant, slow rain, but it turned cold and dark. We rode into the Continental Divide Lodge campsite and got ready for dinner.

Our hosts here are amazing. They’ve been supporting us since the first year of Texas 4000. Throughout the year, they set up a couple jars for donations for us from all the travelers to pass through. Last year, they raised about $1,200. I guess the recession hit this year, but they were still able to raise $700. After dinner, lots of riders went to the lodge, played music, and hung out with several of the hosts.