I got up and there was a totally blue sky – I could almost not believe it. After the rainy days it seemed, that at last, that a sunny period would start – or at least so I hoped. Although the sun was out it was pretty cold – the condense water on my tent was frozen – and I had to dress myself warmly to have breakfast. To dry my wet laundry, I hanged them into the sun and after a while steam was rising from the wet clothes – waht was pretty need to see.

It was midday as I left the Carlo Creek Campground and the clouds were back – now sunny period after all?!? After about one hour cycling on the Parks Hwy I reached Cantwell where got some more fuel for my body – coffee and Muffins. Then I left the main Highway and the Denali Hwy started. The first few miles were still paved and then the gravel road began and would continue till almost Paxson, some 135 miles to the east.

I really like to cycle on the unpaved road by now. It is more fun to drive on gravel roads because you have to look for potholes and to find the perfect line around them. Therefore, cycling on gravel roads is not as ‘boring’ as it sometimes can be on paved roads.

After two hours on the Denali Hwy I saw this camp spot on the river. First I passed by because I was not really ready to stop for the day but then I thought “Why not camping there – I have all the time I need”. So I went back and pitched my tent and ended so one of probably my shortest cycling days.
Because it was still early, I had time to appreciate the beautiful surrounding and I even thought about making a short hike into the valley across the river. Unfortunately the water in the river was much too high for a save crossing and since I have no inflatable boot with me – I do have a lot of stuff but not that – there was no way to cross the river. (Now, as I’m writing this, I just got the idea that I could have taken my Thermal-Rest to lie on and floating that way over to the other side of the river – well I might try that the next time) I ended up to stay around the area, making some pictures and talking to fishermen who tried there luck in the river.

The next morning, as I sticked my head out of the tent, I could see something new – it was foggy. I hoped that fog would burn of once the sun is out and so I stayed in the tent and continued to read a book. At about 10:00 AM the fog really disappeared and the blue sky was visible – it seemed that I might get lucky with the weather – finally. To have nice weather makes such a big difference. You cycle along the road and it feels great, especially along such a scenic road like the Denali Hwy.

I took it easy along the Denali Hwy, once for because it was such wonderful weather and for the other because I preferable had to reach Glennallen not on the weekend, so that I would be able to pick-up a letter sent there from home. First I thought about doing some half-day hikes from along the road. Talking to a guy at the Maclaren River Lodge about the different trail in the area, it turned out that they were all either really muddy or just sort of closed because of some dangerous river crossings – so I let it be.

Instead I decided to go to the Landmark Lake. In order to get to the lake I had to leave the Denali Hwy and to go on a 4 miles bad – partly really bad – road. She was described in a leaflet as “One marshy spot will be encountered but this trail is still suitable for mountain bikes”. Well it was ‘suitable’ but with a loaded bike like mine, it just took me some time to get to the lake.

I stayed an extra night at the lake and made a day-walk along the lakeshore. I was luck and could see some beaver swimming around there house. It was really interesting to observe them chewing branches of the bushes and holding them in there mouth while diving away. I stayed for quite a while before I returned to the tent.

I left Landmark Lake and went on my last day on the Denali Hwy. Because I was a bit short with breakfast I went on the road with an empty belly but I know that there would be a Lodge just a bit down the main road, there I would have my breakfast. They had now Muffins – my main source of body-fuel along the road – so I had pancakes with a lot-lot of syrup and I mean a lot-lot. (It is great that they always bring a big bottle full of syrup so you can take as much as you like. In the beginning I felt a bit bad that the syrup bottle was always almost empty after I finished my pancakes – but hey I need energy – but by know I don’t have a problem with that anymore.)

After my belly was filed with the syrup-soaked-pancakes, I was ready to get on my way to Paxson. The gravel ended and the pavement began and it made my feel a bit sad because it meant that my trip at the Denali Hwy was as good as over. I really enjoy it in the meantime more to be on gravel roads then on a paved one. Gravel roads mean often less traffic and it is just more fun to find the best way around the potholes where as paved roads are often more traveled by the RV’s and there are quite many of them up here.

Fist I thought I could restock my food supply in Paxson but as I got there I realized that Paxson is nothing more then an old Roadhouse/Hotel with a gas pump – it felt weird there. Also the people that worked there made a weird impression on me. First I thought I just had that feeling because I had not been around many persons for the last few days but as I talked to other persons later in my journey they all also thought that Paxson with his few inhabitants is a bit a weird place. My break in Paxson was therefore much shorter then first intended and so I went on towards Glennallen.