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Sometimes it isn’t easy to make a decision when you have too many options to consider.  I know… first world problem for sure… but trying to figure out what to do next on this trip has been really difficult.

Originally the plan was to head through Idaho and spend a good bit of time in Oregon.  But the wildfires had other plans for us.  On the one hand, we could just stick with the plan and make the best of it – but on the other hand there isn’t much point to going places where you can’t see anything more than about 500 yards away and the air quality is SO bad that physical activity just isn’t recommended.

We had contemplated flying back east and grabbing the big bikes and riding across the US (basically to get the bikes somewhere on this side of the country).  But we finally decided that it would be too costly and too logistically-challenging to make it work right now.

So what to do?

We knew we wanted to go back to Moab at some point on the trip, but we thought that would be late in the Spring of 2018.  But Darryl realized while looking at the map that Moab just isn’t that far away – and after a weather check we realized that the summer heat is starting to die down a bit.  So to Moab we will go!

The plan is to be in Moab for about a week for now – and hopefully by then the wildfires will have died down a bit and we can return to the original plan.  We’ll see!

So off we go to the land of Arches, Eddie McStiff’s beer (yum!), Dead Horse Point… and more!  And we can’t wait!

I’m from the east coast, so I’ve never really had to even think about wildfires. Sure – every once in a while there would be a small forest fire in the Shenandoah but I never really had to think about it that much.

2017 has been one of the worst years on record for wildfires – from Western Montana to the Pacific Coast, and all the way up to the tip of BC and Alberta. The west is on fire – smoke is literally covering the entire upper western quadrant of the country.

As we sit here in Columbia Falls, MT the smoke is thick in the sky. There are mountains around here – but you can’t see them. It’s like the worst fog you’ve experienced combined with being in the perpetual smoke stream of a large campfire.

It is uncomfortable – my eyes and throat are scratchy, and the authorities are advising against really being outside any more than necessary.

There is a mountain up there somewhere…

It’s kind of frightening actually – being the planner that I am, I’m just not sure how to deal with this.  We aren’t in immediate fire danger – there is one fire fairly close by but not close enough to worry about.  But with the smoke being so bad – it just isn’t much fun here right now.

Probably the main reason why we chose to re-enter the US in Montana was to see Glacier National Park. Columbia Falls is about 15 miles from the western park entrance. Right now, the entire western section of the park is closed with a mandatory evacuation in place because of the wildfires.  We had hoped to spend quite a bit of time this week hiking and checking out the park.

It’s disappointing – of course, it could be worse – we could be in Southern Texas or South Florida right now. But it does present us with a quandary – our plan was to head down into Idaho, then over to Oregon and gradually make our way to Northern California. But the entire area is covered in fire and smoke right now – I’m not even sure we’ll be allowed in to some of the areas we were hoping to visit, and even if we are, will we be able to see anything?

So we sit, and look at maps, and try to figure out a Plan B. Stay tuned!

For 10 days we have been traveling south back from Alaska towards the lower 48 – Tok, Destruction Bay, Watson Lake, Iskut, Kitwanga, Prince George… each stop along the way bringing us closer and closer to being back. Labor Day weekend has brought us to Banff, AB which is a picture-postcard perfect mountain town in southern Alberta – part Vail, part Aspen with just a touch of Gatlinburg… mountain chalets, stunning views of the nearby peaks, and the cutest little downtown!

We knew it was a popular town, and I guess we didn’t realize that Canadians celebrate Labour Day… but wow, it is PACKED here! But it isn’t just the crowds that have taken us by surprise…

We really haven’t been in a “city” with this number of people for many months now… and I feel a bit like I did after returning from a month in Africa back in the 90’s – overwhelmed with the people, the noise, the choices (who needs 15 different kinds of milk anyway?).

It’s just… weird… to have all of these people around and I feel a bit out of sorts to be honest – I didn’t realize how used to being off-grid we had become. There is a certain level of stress in being way “out there”… you have to be prepared with gas, food, and stay on top of the things you need for the journey ahead.

When you live in the city everything is a cell phone call away and survival comes easily. Don’t get me wrong – we haven’t exactly been fighting through the wilds – but it takes some time to get used to being aware of having enough fuel, and knowing where the next fuel stop is or making sure we have enough food to get us through the next few days of travel. I can’t imagine how hard it must have been for the original settlers of Canada and Alaska- what brave men and women they were!

But there is a relaxation that comes with being off the beaten path – no traffic, no noise, and plenty of time to think… breathing room.

Banff is beautiful – and I know we’ll have a great weekend here – and little by little we’ll get used to being “back”…

UPDATE:  Phase 1 adjustment complete… I think we are going to adjust just fine…

When the first dusting of snow appears high on the mountaintops in Alaska – what the locals call “termination dust” – it is the first sign that summer is winding down. And for us, the appearance of termination dust signals that it is time for us to stay ahead of the snow and head south.

Alaska truly became our home this summer, and to say that leaving is bittersweet would be an understatement. Our three months in Alaska this summer were incredible – despite the rainy, rainy, rainy (did I mention it rained… a LOT!) weather. Of course, the scenery is stunning, and the riding, fishing and hiking were everything you would expect and more.

But what we are going to miss the most are the people… the friendships strengthened and the new friendships made over the past three months are what made this summer so special. Collectively known as the “Fishhook Fatties” they are bound together by a love of adventure riding. And like most adventure riders, they are some of the most down-to-earth, “do anything for you” people we have ever met.

There is much, much more to recap from our awesome summer… but for now it is back to the lower 48 we go carrying a lifetime’s worth of great friendships and great memories along for the ride.