DAY 142
Continued...
August 3, 1999

Wooo  Hooo, I made it to Alaska all by myself from Key West!   That gave me a sense of accomplishment.   The guy at the border asked me the usual questions only this time he was confused by my voice.  I didn't sound like someone from North Carolina or someone that was born in South Carolina.  He was a bit skeptical and I just laughed and told him that I spent a greater part of my life in Indianapolis.  The guy was really trying to test me but was kind enough to bring out a big water cooler for me to fill my water bottles.

From here it was 4 miles all downhill to a place called Border, Alaska.  Riding down the rough dirt road with lots of dips and potholes, my speed picked up quickly.   38.5 mph and I see the road turns sharply to the right.  I brake and my rear wheel locks and begins to slide so I let up and keep trying to brake.  There is a huge drop off with no guardrail, just straight over the edge as I begin to slide into the curve with my right foot just barely skipping the ground to catch me just in case.   Whew, just barely made it through the corner and continued flying downhill.   The bumps were sending my BOB trailer bouncing around all over the place behind me.   Then my walkman and one pannier takes a flying lesson off my bike as I slam into a giant dip in the road.  Retrieving my walkman all scratched up and flung open with the cassette about 30 feet from it, I was surprised to discover that it still works!   I re-attached my pannier and continued to Boundary.

Boundary consists of one guy that owns a coffee shop and a lady in a gift shop out front.   That's it!  I got me an ice cold coke and a muffin, then went down the road near where some RV's were parked and took my bike back in the brush a bit to camp.   Tomorrow is my mom's birthday and I should be in Chicken, AK to call her.

 

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