Jeff's Alaskan Bike Trip 2010

We stopped on our way back down from the Dalton Highway by a stream near the road. John commented that he had seen little wildlife. An eagle and a rabbit was his two sightings. I had seen nothing. John went down the hillside to check the stream. I stayed on bear watch. LOL John saw no fish in the stream. The water temperature was reported at a chilly 40 degrees. Some people stopped and advised us if you go up and down this road enough you will see a moose. Whatever.

Remember that John lead back to Fairbanks. Well that was until we stopped. He asked if I wanted to lead. Why not. We took off down the road only to be surprised shortly thereafter.

On a flat chip and tar part of the road I saw a female moose and her baby pop up on the right side. Not knowing what it might do and praying it would just stay right there, I proceeded at speed (going about 50 mph). Nope, not my luck. Up jumps mom to cross the road. The baby was right behind. I veered left and applied the brakes hoping I would stop in time. I heard the rear brake eventually lock up as mama moose galloped in front of me. She ran in a diagonal path across the road thankfully. She was kicking up rocks from the road as she went. I finally came to a halt upright just as her back legs passed in front of me. I could literally have reached out and touched her. The baby must have returned to the right side of the road.

John rode up to me with the biggest grin you have ever seen. There must have been 2 million flies around me from the moose. He said my skid mark on the ground was about as long as the skid mark in my pants. He was proud I had kept it upright. He was also proud he got to see a moose finally.

We moved up the road a little and pulled to the side so I could check my bike and my wits. People started stopping everywhere. They must recognize the scared biker moose face. We could see the mama moose up the hillside calling for the baby. You just have to look for something brown in my picture to know that was my moose.