Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Lucid Moments?

This is a big one that has actually been "brewing" for the last couple of years or more.
... but its tough to try to cover it in a single post,
... here goes anyway :)


I was thinking more about those Grey Gypsies, and then the motorbike riders from this last trip... and then about all of us living our lives...

It seemed to me that the bigger the RV, the less the people in it were "interacting" with the world... And of course, the smaller the RV, the more the people were interacting with the world...
And that looked like the same "pattern" that was happening for the different styles of motorbike riders I saw...
And that in fact looked like the same pattern for people living in different styles of house...
And different life styles...
And, well, the same pattern as everything!

And it seemed to me, in a general way, that the more interacting that was happening, the better!
... regardless of if it was RVs, motorbikes, houses, or anything...
I believe it applies to lives in general!

Back to the RV analogy...
What I mean is, that when you have brought all your "stuff" with you, then you spend all your time with your stuff and not with the world outside.
If you are not careful, you end up rather like a goldfish in your self-made bow!
...
You only talk to your traveling partner in your big RV...
You see the world passing you buy as if it were on a big-screen TV...
You are immune to the weather outside (heating and air-conditioning)...
You have all your own food and cooking facilities with you...
You have all your own hygiene and washing facilities with you...
There is enough space to not feel too cooped up, so...
Why would you ever need to experience the discomforts of being outside... all those bugs and the dust, and the other annoying people etc...

And to me that seemed to substantially reduce the value of traveling... Not to nil but closer to that end of the scale than the other!...
You literally could just about get the same value if you stay home and watch the Discovery and Nature channels on your big-screen!


So, why do I value the "experience" of traveling and interacting so much?

Well, it has a lot to do with the way I look at life...
And that is that I basically think that "life in this world" has a huge amount to offer us and that what it has to offer is largely experiential. Now I also think there are huge amounts to be learned through our "internal" experiences too (and things like meditation and book-learning fit in this category for me), but I see those as not "of this world", though stimulated by the experiences of this world (and stimulating in their own right for that matter too).

So, I see the world as providing stimulus through experiences. And the combination of the stimulus and our internal experiences that they provoke, as our means to growth and greater self knowledge...

And that, is the best version of "The meaning of life" that I have been able to come up with so far!

To sum it up, I believe that "our purpose" in life is to "grow"... to become more... to become a better self!

... And that is based on the idea that everything is transient... Its all temporary and will change and end... weather we want it to or not... Its just a matter of time. (Review previous posts -way back- for more on this idea)
And given that...
What is there that is worth doing in this life that is "more than just self"?
... Since the "selfishness" thing is found to be so "hollow" and unsatisfying! (well, by me anyway)

For me at least, there is a great need to "contribute" to the world... to others... to life... to the universe!... to give more than I take!...
Just to contribute in some form!
... and as yet, that need is "unfulfilled" and I feel I am badly "in debt" to life.

And Ive struggled with that question, one way and another, for many years!
And only now am I starting to arrive at an answer that truly "feels" RIGHT for me!
Its not a complete answer yet, and it will likely still change over time, but I suspect it will just get more "refined" rather than have any major changes. :)
...


And given all that; the best thing that I have found that I can contribute...

Is ME!

...and as a side note, I find that in fact its something that ONLY I can contribute!  :)


And given that, Gee!, Itd be a real shame to just contribute this crappy, stressed out, negative version of ME when I could contribute a happy, generous, loving, productive ME instead...


So, I want to be the best "ME" that I can be!



Its far more complex than just turning everything I do into a competition (even if only with myself)... since I truly believe that "there is no competition"... ever! And its far more complex than just buying in on a "generic, or publically accepted definition of what is a better me... Its very subtle and it is wholely up to me to define what it means, as I believe it is for everyone else too... It requires a huge amount of respect for others to make their own choices and understanding of how my choices affect others etc... as I said, very complex.
But, in essence, its about... "becoming more"...

And that leads back to the "experience" thing...
I believe that the best way for me to grow and "become more", is to first "be aware" that that is my goal.
Thats actually a huge step that I think gets lost for most people (myself included) at a very early age. So, while it is stated there "matter of factly", its actually a huge realization and took me a great deal of time and effort to "rediscover".
But, once I realized that, it helps clear up lots of other stuff... So, the question now becomes "How best to grow?".

And the answer to that seems to me to be "pay attention" and watch what happens; And expose myself to experiences. That means being "open to them" rather than blocking them and in no way requires the luxury of international travel or idyll wanderings :)
I think its the "being open to" aspect that gets seriously compromised by the "reduced interaction with the world" that I mentioned at the start of this post.

What I think is happening is that when we are born, we basically have absolutely no control over our world and the experiences that come at us. As we grow older, we slowly gain more and more control of our world, starting with our own bodys and extending outward as we learn to communicate and move and choose...
And that choosing is being selective about what "portion" of the world we interact with. What our choices and our "stuff" (the direct product of our material choices) represent are our preferences for what we like in the world... and we "buffer" our selves from what we dont like in the world by these choices... In fact, thats just about all that our choices do for us!
What we wear, eat and own. Where we live, work, and visit. Who we see, and associate with, What music, movies, magazines, and TV shows we see etc.
Its all buffering... just like the people traveling around in their huge RVs.

And, I believe that "that stuff in life" that we dont like; that we are buffering away; is some of the best stuff for us to "grow" through. If we are really paying attention, then experiences that challenge us and trigger our dislikes and fears can show us a great deal about our selves and we become better for that knowledge - though we still wont enjoy those experiences - so what Im suggesting is completely different to "masochisme" :)
But I also think that our "buffering" is depriving us of a huge number of really great and enjoyable experiences too... We buffer them out because they fit into the "I dont know about that" category... so, I may not like it... so I wont do it!... We eliminate the unknown, and avoid anything outside our "comfort zone"... and that is a real shame.

Thats exactly the experiences and opportunities that I very deliberately decided to "re-engage with" when I started riding my motorbike on long tours. And so far its been "Absolutely Fantastic"!
Sure there have been some unpleasant things that I would choose to avoid in the future, but "avoiding the unknown just because its unknown and something bad might happen", well, thats been shown to be "complete bunk"! from my perspective :)

And thats why I believe interacting with the world with as little buffering as possible gives us more opportunity to grow and really be "better people".

And, thats more or less it in a "nut-shell" :))


Now of course, this "theory" about "how to live ones life!" could easily be viewed as "completely selfish" and that its just the sort of thing someone as privileged as me would think up...

Perhaps thats so, but I dont think so.
I believe that being open to experiences, pleasant and unpleasant, as they come by, and paying attention, is achievable (though not necessarily easily) by anyone, living any life. And I believe that striving to be a better person, in what ever way that means to each of us, is a worthy way to live ones life and really does make the world a better place.


You however, can of course decide what you think as you will!


... and thats enough of my "fru fru" theories for today :)
so, I guess Ill try to define what "things" I think makes me more "ME" in another post...

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Alaska Trip Report

Just to close up for this last trip:

OK, I rode up from Vancouver BC to the North American, Western Arctic and back.
I rode both of the available "highways" that go beyond the Arctic Circle there.

I had a ball :)
I thoroughly recommend going to see the Arctic to everyone!
I particularly recommend it to Canadians... One of those "here-say" statistics in my head is that over 90% of Canadians live within 100 km of the southern boarder with the USA. Most Canadians are urban and have very little idea of how big or how beautiful their country really is and I truly believe they would be better for seeing it...if only once and for a few days.

For myself, I preferred the Dempster Hwy (the Canadian road through Yukon and NWT) over the Dalton Hwy in the USA, but either one is equally accessible and passable.
I saw lots and lots of "Overland touring" bikes on both roads, and many of the bikes were far better designed for off-roading than mine (KTM 950/990s), but the moment the weather turned a bit unpleasant, most of them gave up and turned back.
These highways seem to have a reputation as being dangerous and difficult. I had some trepidations myself when I set out because of those "reputations"... But, I have to say that its just like my experiences riding through central America. The reputations are not justified...
There is a saying that I like that captures it:

Bad news can be three times around the world before good news has got its boots on!

The reputations of these roads are derived mostly from hear-say and compounded by peoples "paranoia".
So, I'll say it here...
The roads are dirt and the distances are far, but the roads are good and safe and easy to negotiate. Yes, it was harder on a bike in the wet, but just go slow and its fine. Honestly, anyone could make it up these roads on a moped! (even if its raining!). There are no steep or 4wd sections at all.

I also saw the south of Alaska around the Kenai peninsula which was also very beautiful country... Recommended.
I also saw lots of the province of BC, and again I recommend this to anyone in the "lower mainland" (area around Vancouver) where most BC people live (again overwhelmingly urban population)... Go see your province and be awed :)

My trip was quite fast and I saw all that stuff in just over three weeks.
This was pretty much constant eight-hour days of riding.
I could easily have gone slower and spent some more time in some places. likewise, there were several "side roads" that I did not go down but would have liked to (Like to Valdez, and Prince Rupert etc). I had a limited time for my trip, so I did not "linger".

One detracting feature of the "north country" are that, winters are long, cold, and dark...but this compensated for by the long, warm, and bright summers.
The only other detracting feature is that there are a LOT of bugs up there! This is a significant issue for people on bikes (like me) and it did contribute to why I didnt "linger" more: I had to more or less keep riding, be sitting in my tiny little tent, or be inside a cafe/restaurant etc. But this is ot an issue for people with RVs or staying in hotels... or even camping if they have a more spacious tent :)

Anyway, I recommend the north to anyone, and Im very glad I went.

Now, its time to quickly get ready for my next trip...
Im off to Nevada in a couple of days for the annual "Burning Man" in the desert down there!
Ive never been to it before and I dont really know what it'll be like, but,

I shall report back! :)))

Close Call!

I just had a bunch of fix-up work done on my bike after the Alaska trip.
I mentioned that the bike shop worked on the front brakes but had not solved the problem yet.
So, Im riding around while we wait for the replacement part to come in.

Im driving around town as usual and the bike is, on the whole, working fine.
There is one of those "quickly developing" little traffic situations that we all deal with in every-day city traffic...
I need to do some fairly quick braking... I apply the brakes (front and back - right hand and right foot - at the same time as is automatic for bike riders)... but there is absolutely "nothing there" on the front brake - which is where about 90% of your stopping power is!... SHIT SHIT SHIT!

... "Emergency avoidance procedures" while still braking with the rear... on brand new, very slippery tires... with a heavy bike loaded with panniers... SHIT SHIT SHIT!!!!

JUST MISSED the back of the other car... JUST MISSED the front of the car in the adjacent lane where I had to swerve to... Not sure how the wheels didnt slide out from under me... PHEEEEEW!!

WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED??

Pulled out of traffic and parked and inspected the front wheel braking system...
Ahha!
...Missing bolt on left front calliper!
...Remaining bolt loose...
...Calliper has rotated away from the disc so that the pads are no longer on the disc...

So, this means that these two bolts were not tightened after they were removed and replaced to get the front wheel off - to change the front tyre... No other possibility.

Right, so it appears that the bike shop has tried to kill me!

I get back on the bike which I can ride fine in this condition if I know about it and give myself lots more space ahead of me and go slow) and go find a replacement bolt...
OK, its all working as it should now :)

Now for a visit to the bike shop!

To keep the story "polite" and just to mention the general gist of that meeting, it went like this:

I walk into the shop and up to the counter where, as luck would have it, the owner is standing (Normally he is not around and you just get to talk to staff).
Im asked pleasantly, how am I today?
To which I say "I just had a REALLY REALLY bad experience!", and sternly ask the owner to come with me to look at my bike.
He sees Im not happy and obliges me.
We walk out to my bike, and again as luck would have it, the young mechanic who was working on my bike the day before is out there too, getting another bike in for some work in the shop.
I ask him to "please come over here and have a look at this" which he does...

I proceed to point out the shiny new replacement bolt and explain to them why it is there, and with the application of a certain amount of "vitriol" I point out that I am displeased with their work!
I also point out that had the "incident" turned out any other way (which is by far the probable way it would have turned out) that they would both be in "a very deep pile of unpleasant brown stuff"!

They understand and do what they can, after the fact, to rectify the problem and pacify me.
I have a long relationship with this shop and the owner, and I also like the young mechanic... I am pacified.

So, here is a simple procedure for anyone who does mechanic work...

When working, ALL bolts are either "in and done up tight", or "out completely"!
NEVER put bolts partially in or finger tight!
Always give a final check to EVERY bolt you have touched on the machine before you "finish" the job.
No exceptions... EVER!



That was a close one...

Sunday, August 23, 2009

Alaska Trip Statistics

The following is a list of the expenses and distances etc for this little trip:

Destinations:

The trip went from Vancouver (via Alaska Hwy) to :
Dead Horse in Alaska (via Dalton Hwy),
Kenai Peninsula,
Inuvik in NWT (via Top of the Word Hwy and Dempster Hwy),
Vancouver (via Cassiar Hwy).

Duration:
The trip started on 27th July 2009 and went till 20th August 2009.. a total of 24 days.
There was only one day on which I did not ride... no real breaks.

Distance:
The total distance for the round trip was just over 13000km.
That means an average of 550km/day.

Fuel Usage:
There were 44 fuel stops on the trip.
The total volume of fuel used was 646 litres which cost a total of $725 which gives an average fuel efficiency of 20.5km/l and an average fuel cost of $1.12 CAD per litre.
This also equates to about $30 per day or 1.5 full tanks of gas per day.
The most efficient riding achieved about 22km/l and the least efficient was about 17km/l.
The bike also consumed about 3 litres of oil.

Bike Components:
The bikes components also took quite a hit and I had to replace the following components either during or immediately after the trip:
1 rear tyre (was brand new at start of trip)
1 chain (was 60% used before trip)
1 set rear brake pads (were brand new at start of trip)
2 sets front brake pads (were 80% used at start of trip)
1 Rear Sprocket (was 80% used at start of trip)
Several Oil seals on the bike also needed replacement.


Trip Costs:
The total trip costs (including the fuel costs mentioned above) was about $1650 CAD.
Note that I camped every night and only stayed at "pay for" camp sites on three nights. This meant that accommodation costs were "absent" and thus the remainder is mostly fuel and food.
This is a cost of about $70 per day which is pretty good going for Canada and USA.

So, food (including beers) was about $30 per day (eating in town...not camp cooking)
Fuel was about $30 per day
And assorted other minor items were about $10 per day. (oil, road tolls, etc)

Note: If I had stayed in hotels and motels then I believe this would have added about $60 per night which would nearly double the cost of the trip!


So, thats it for this little trip... Now for the next one :)))

Saturday, August 22, 2009

Brief Respite

I made it back to Vancouver OK - Lack of front brakes not withstanding :)
Ive been here a couple of days now and am visiting my friends as I get the chance and fixing the bike etc.

The bike has suffered quite a bit on this trip, and it still has a few issues from previous trips too. For example, I discovered while trying to replace the front brake pads (yes, they have them here in Van) that a "keeper pin" that holds the pads in place is "frozen" in place. I tried everything I could to free it, but its corroded in there good and proper! My tools are limited though, so I let the bike shop work on it...They failed as well...!
I think the problem is that it got salt water on it during the Darrian-Gap crossing over a year ago (like everything else!) and since it has not been moved since then (even though I washed it all thoroughly) it is now, well and truly corroded in place.
So, now it looks like a "drill it out and replace it" job, but it will have to wait a while since I need to use the bike again in a few days. I have the other side of the front brakes fixed, and the "jammed" side still has a bit of the pads left, so Im good for a week or two of riding :))

But I tell ya, the cost of all the fixes and upgrades and replacing of things is quite painful! About $1500 disappeared in a day, and thats just to get back to good running condition... There are more upgrades in the pipe before I head off again...
Its really painful when you have no income like me at the moment.
On the bright side though, the bike has done very well given then way its been treated and the distances it has traveled (this trip was over 12000Km in less than a month). Im absolutely sure that any car would have cost me a lot more.

But, the bike is not the only thing that is tired and wearing out!
Im feeling rather "pooped" myself. Ive been feeling really tired (sleeping lots), and my hands are constantly kind of "numb and tingly" ... and my feet are only a little better.
This has no doubt been caused by the long hours of riding with the knobbly tires causing lots of vibration. Its natures way of telling me to "take a break".

So, thats what Im gonna try to do for the next week or so.
I will however write up a bit of a trip summary and stats for the blog... should be there in a day or two.

Thursday, August 20, 2009

Grey Gypsies

Thats what Im calling the hordes of retirees that I see plying the Northern Highways.

Its not meant to be a derogatory phrase at all, and though I may choose to travel in a more "spartan" style, I am doing more or less the same as they are...Traveling around on the roads and seeing the country in a style that I am comfortable with.

I have to say though that I was a bit surprised at how many of them there are...LOTS.
And another trend that I have noted is that they often travel in groups (not unlike the motorbike travelers that I have also noted crowding the roads)... Mostly the groups have been in threes and fours, but I have seen a couple of large groups, and one with over twenty very large RVs (Buses and large "fifth wheels")... And in each one of these huge vehicles as it passed me in the opposite direction, there were two little old grey haired people staring out at me from behind the huge windows :))

I believe these large groups are often organized "adventure caravans" and I have no problem with them other than the fact that they can be a major congestion issue for traffic to pass them when the road gets steep and curvy.
They must also pose quite a challenge to RV parks and roadside cafes when the whole horde descends on a little place all at once... but too much business is probably better than not enough I guess.

As I said, in general, I have no problem with these tourists and I think its a good thing if more people get out and see their country and appreciate how big and beautiful it is. I have taken the time to chat to a few of them and it seems that many of them own their big RVs for quite a few years, and they seem to go traveling for many months of the year. They dont seem to sell their homes though, they seem to spend four to six months of the year at home each year... I wonder how many years it takes of traveling in this style before you run out of new places to go?


Anyway there are lots and lots of them out and about... and apparently there is likely to be lots and lots more of them as the "baby boomers" retire in their droves over the next decade or so.

For myself though, I dont have enough money to retire just yet, so it'll be a while before I get one of those big RVs ... Maybe Ill stick to my motorbike for a while yet :)

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Hunting and Fishing for Fun

What do I think about modern people killing wild animals as a form of recreation?

The question comes up because thats what most people up here in the North do for fun.
There is not a single hotel bar that I have been into up here that does not have at least a couple of large animal heads mounted on the walls, and every RV park, motel and roadside cafe is adorned with many a set of antlers from moose and caribou etc.
They are generally normal nice people, and they also do all sorts of other stuff for fun too, but there are not a lot of "urban" type activities for them to engage in out here. For example, team sports are sadly lacking when the community you live in is only a couple of dozen people.
Likewise, theaters and restaurants and swimming pools and even playgrounds are few and far between. So, people engage in "motorized recreation" and or go hunting and fishing for fun.

And Id have to say that these activities are deep seated in our psyches from millennia of our species efforts to live off the land. Its fundamental to our being. We love to track, and stalk, and chase, and hit a moving target... Its part of our being.
And so in a very deep sense, I feel I understand the urge, though I myself do not hunt and only occasionally fish.

And, Id have to say again, that if it was done in the traditional way, and the killed animal was put to good use, and the species is not endangered...then, Im basically OK with it.
... Really, if you want to go hunting for Grizzly bears with a few dogs and armed with nothing but a knife and a spear, then I say `Go for it`... good luck!

But, that of course is the problem... Nobody does it the traditional way.
As far as I can tell, most people take the utmost advantage of modern technology to maximize their chances of a kill and to minimize the discomforts, difficulties and risks to them selves.
... From the use of logging roads, ATVs, power boats, snow-mobiles,and even helicopters and fixed wing aircraft to get access to the "good hunting and fishing";
To the use of fish finders and depth sounders or high powered long range rifles with scopes, or even the real "back to basics" guys who use modern compound carbon-fiber hunting bows...
Its all very much in the "Humans favour".

Now, there are some people who go to any lengths to kill their chosen prey, but I believe for the most part the hunters would honestly feel that its by no means easy to get their target.
But I still feel that virtually all modern hunting is "obscenely" one sided, and therefore not really a suitable "sporting" activity in my opinion.
About the only real exception to this that I know of (which leaves some room to be sure) is fly-fishing.... I got no real problem with fly-fishing.
To a lesser extent, I am also mostly OK with regular lure and bait fishing too, though net-fishing is "not on" as far as sport or entertainment is concerned for me.
So, hunting, mostly seems like poor sportsmanship to me, and a sport that pretty much always costs the other "participant" its life, just for entertainment...
Well... again, I find it to be pretty sad really.

So, thats more or less my outlook...
Fishing for entertainment (catch and release) or food (catch and eat) seems mostly fine to me, but hunting done the modern way is not.

But like I said, you wanna go do it the old way with the old tools then, I say thats fine.

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

The Little Town of Stewart.

I chose to head South via a less used BC highway.
Its called the Cassiar highway (after one of the towns on it in the North) and it was only opened up in the last decade or so. There are still a few patches of dirt road on it but for the most part it is a nice little paved highway.
Its still a relatively minor road though because most of the bridges on it (and there are quite a few) are just a single lane wide. the traffic has to take turns in each direction...though there is rarely anyone else coming the other way when you get to a bridge. The road is also much nicer than the big Alaska highway that I rode up on because it has lots of curves... more fun on a motorbike that is :)

But, the really nice thing about the road is that its route passes through almost all "Old Growth" forest. This is amazing country! The forest is magnificent... classic "rain coast" mature forest! You can instantly see the difference to the regrowth forest in much of the rest of the province (well, the accessible parts anyway).
Instead of only one or two types of tree of pretty much all the same hight and diameter, this forest is full of a dozen different shades of green from the different species and varieties of tree. The trees are also of all sorts of different heights and diameters and though they are not that much taller than some regrowth forests, the diameters of the trunks are much greater.
All in all, it looks like a much older and healthier forest to me... beautiful.

And the highway winds south for about 500Km.
At that point, there is a short 50Km spur road that heads toward the West. It goes to the little town of Stewart where the bears from the previous post are. The road into this town is an amazing little drive down a valley that becomes very tight with a raging little, rapids filled river running right next to the road. And there are quite large mountains towering up on either side of you with the lush old growth forests clinging to their lower slopes where they can get hold. The upper slopes and avalanche gullies are alpine tundra, giving way to bare rock and scree at the tops.
And there are more hanging glaciers and braided waterfalls in this short stretch of road and surrounding the town than I think I have seen anywhere else at all!
The weather was very misty and drizzly when I rode in, so I have few and not very good quality pictures of it, but take my word for it...Its well worth the drive.

The town of Stewart its self is rather a dull little place, though it does try to do "the tourist" thing ... with limited success - I had a really nice, really cheap King Crab dinner at a little fish and chips spot :) . The town is "just" on the end of a fjord to the North Pacific ocean, but the road through town goes a bit further on and across the US boarder to Hyder (where most of the bears are) and then on up the side of a mountain to magnificent views (when its not cloudy) of a very large and impressive glacier (Salmon glacier).

Anyway, its a sleepy little town with not much going on, but Id consider living there just to spend time in that awesome old growth forest and alpine country...
and there was a significant sized helicopter base there supporting the mining activity in the mountains!!.... hmmm.








































More Bears... Lots More Bears!

More bears than I could keep track of!
Its at a place called Fish Creek which is just outside the tiny little village of Hyder in USA... but its only road accessible from the town of Stewart, two minutes away in British Columbia.

Anyway, its a Parks and Wildlife Service maintained site and there are lovely fenced boardwalks to watch the action from... and of course the requisite hordes of tourists all equipped with cameras with massive lenses. Im sure many of the camera lenses I saw were worth more than my motor bike :)
Actually, Im surprised this place is not better known and even more packed with tourists, since its got so many bears in such easily accessible and "safe"space that Id imagine it would be a major resort.
Seriously, I saw three black bears in the space of 1Km crossing the road, and the two brown bears at the viewing area and another crossing the road later on. There were also several other black bears on the roads within 100Km.
The bears are completely wild though, they are not being fed or lured into the area. They are feeding on spawning Chum and Pink salmon here (not as colourful as the Chinook I saw earlier).. Its absolutely forbidden for tourists to eat any food in the area of the bears... not even a chocolate bar!

So, lots a bear pictures here... Not very good though, I could only do so much with a tiny little point and shoot camera and the low light conditions :)))









































Forgotten Dreams



Long long ago, in a land far far away, I had a dream...

When I was a kid growing up in small town Western Australia I dreamed of being a pilot.
It was what I lived for ...to fly.
But, there was no way my parents could afford to get me flying lessons...just out of their financial reach. So, the dream adjusted and oriented its self around me joining the Australian Air Force when I was old enough.
In the mean time, I distracted my self with lots of research on the subject and building lots of RC model aircraft etc.. anything to do with flying and I was into it :)

So, when I could, I applied for the Air Force (at about 17 as I recall). There was a family trip to the big city and I went in and did the "aptitude" and physical tests, which of course must be done.
I did great on the aptitude and practical tests and was basically physically fine...Except... I was under weight...Too light for my height as far as they were concerned!
... Bummer!
But, not to be deterred, I decided to take a year off and gain some weight...and in the mean time I would also do some more Mathematics study. I was accepted into various University programs as it was, (Im plenty bright and my grades were fine) but they were of no interest to me at the time.

a year goes by...

Back to the city again and back to the application, but the simple fact is that despite my efforts (which could have been more I freely admit) I weigh pretty much exactly the same...Im just a skinny guy (and I continued at the same weight for about the next 10 years!)...
I guess I dont really blame the RAAF, they have many many applicants and only a few positions...They have to have some measurable means of selecting their "best" candidates... I just didnt make the cut.
So, That was it... no more options... and thats more or less when the dream was "put to bed".


So I went to University instead. I chose Engineering because all the different streams had a common first year, and that gave me another year to decide which stream I wanted (no strong preferences) . Then after that year, I chose the electrical stream cos there were several sub streams and I had another year to choose ... etc.

So, Im kind of an Engineer by default... Its never been a "calling" for me!
And the flying thing was sidelined... though I have continued to love "flight" and building models etc.

And Why do I bring all this stuff up?

Well, When I stopped working as an Engineer (a couple of years ago now) I was trying to figure out what I should do with my self (and I still am).
At that time I seriously considered "re-skilling" and becoming a helicopter pilot. I looked into the costs, and the time, and the work opportunities, and the probable life style ... and of course if I still really wanted to do it...Was the dream still alive.
And, after a bunch of thinking, I more or less decided that through a combination of the dream having faded and the probable realities of flying helicopters for a living, that it was not what I wanted....
And so, I let it go at that.

BUT
A week or so back, while I was in Kenai, Alaska, I was thinking of going on a little scenic flight over the glaciers. The flight was way too expensive so I didnt go, but while I was there at the airport, there was this lovely little R44 helicopter parked there...
And I had a good look and a poke around...
And I had a good long chat with the pilot about all sorts of stuff...,

And now is two years later from that earlier decision,
And Im a somewhat different person (I have a different outlook now than I did then).
And maybe the dream is still there if I go look for it...

And maybe I should consider it one more time!

Really not sure, but it was very strong when I was younger, and maybe Im just making excuses to avoid the risk of failure/disappointment.
I cant tell at the moment, but Ive decided that Im gonna give it another solid consideration when I get back to Vancouver.
And then Ill do a bunch of thinking while I go riding...


and we shall see!

Monday, August 17, 2009

The Fur Trade... alive and well!



Western Canada was basically populated by Europeans through the fur trade. The "vehicle" for the fur trade was mostly the Hudson Bay company which was created by a British "royal charter" in 1670.
The company is still around today (as a department store) and is I believe the oldest corporation in North America.

So, furs were the reason Europeans came to Canada but what was the fur used for?

Well, I believe it was mostly used for felt hats!
Yep, in Europe, in the 17th century, all sorts of shapely hats were the fashion sensation and they were so valuable that they were willing to mount years long expeditions across oceans to get more furs... Since the Russians had been exploiting the Siberian fur animals for a couple of centuries by then (I guess they were all "tapped" out).
Anyway, the fur trade in Canada started about 400 years ago.... And it is in fact still going!

Not for hats any more, but there are plenty of shops in northern Canada and Alaska that actively sell furs...
You can get pretty much any animal skin you want. Mostly they are between $100 and $200 with the most expensive I saw being Wolf skin at about $750 each!
Yep... I admit I was a but surprised by this...
I figured that since wearing furs is pretty much "taboo" now in the Western world (due to peoples environmental sensibilities) that it was probably even illegal to sell furs (like ivory selling is illegal).
But, no, It seems that the fur trade up here in the North is alive and well... and is apparently mostly for the local winter clothing market.

...And it got me thinking again about if I think it is a desirable or undesirable practice?

And what does my thinking say.
Well, my initial response was that I didnt really like it (those urban western sensibilities). But I quickly decided that, much as for the "meat argument", if the animal isnt endangered, and the fur (and the meat!) is put to "good" use, then I guess Im OK with it.
So, that seemed to work well for me for caribou and seal and elk and deer, and moose.
But, what about wolf, and wolverine, and lynx, and mink... The predator species... and even Beaver for that matter!

... and I have to say that Im not so happy about it...
In these cases, they are being hunted more or less solely for their skins. I have not heard of anyone eating the meat of these animals...At best they may feed the bodies of these animals to their dogs but Im dubious as to that meating my "good use" criteria.
And for most of these species, they are not hunted, they are trapped with either cages or leg hold traps or snares... and thats VERY different to hunting from my perspective...Not a good way to die at all!...Snares and leg hold traps in particular are in my opinion quite cruel and unnecessary.
Bearing in mind that there is absolutely no critical need for these furs since there are plenty of cheap, effective, quality synthetic garments to do much the same jobs... Its just cos people "want" them.
So, No, I dont see that hunting of these animals by anyone except First Nations (for cultural purposes) is a good thing!
The predator species have a hard enough time as it is with dwindling habitat and prey species populations in my opinion. I guess I really dislike trapping and snaring but am a bit more tolerant of actual hunting.

The Northern locals however, disagree with me quite strongly.
Up round Watson Lake here for example, they had a really big problem with wolves last year... Apparently, three or four town dogs were disappearing every night because the wolves were working in teams to "get them".
Apparently they (presumably the Canadian Fisheries and Wildlife people) had to"take out" about 40 wolves from the area to get it under control. And the Alaskan wildlife service has the same issue: They have been shooting wolves from aircraft to "manage" their population... They then collect the skins for sale to fund the management activity.
So, clearly I dont know enough about the dynamics of things up here, but I tell ya, there was one shop I went into that seemed to specialize in Lynx pelts (over a dozen of them for sale) and I asked, and they said they trapped them...
Ive yet to here of how these animals are a problem to people or to native prey populations in any way...

I think its completely unnecessary and sad to be trapping and snaring these animals just because we want to...
Ill give a little though, and say that Im OK if they are hunted rather than trapped and snared, as long as the species is not endangered.
... but I dont really get to do anything about it at all...(and thats probably a good thing since I certainly dont know enough about it all)
... I just get to state my opinion on this blog and thats about it.


So thats another blah. Hope its not boring you.
Its a rainy day up here and Im sitting the day out in a tiny little town killing time - rather than the wildlife :))

More Mechanical Challenges.

A couple of days further along the road and I have located a pressure washer and washed my bike :)
This removed several kilograms of baked on mud from the Dempster Highway...a good thing.
This also helped me look into the oil leak... which Im still not sure about....It may not be real.
It may have been a pooling of excess chain lube oil in the sprocket cover...caused by a mud dam...
Usually the chain lube just flies off and is gone, but the huge amount of mud had built a bit of a dam in behind the sprocket cover. When I stopped riding and parked the bike on its side stand the dam overflowed and thus the dripping oil....
Well, that may be it, or it may be that the leak just wasnt as bad over the last day.
We shall see with more time I guess :)

But, now I have a new and even more serious issue!
My front wheel bearings have really "given up the ghost" over the last couple of days.
The handling of the bike went really bad and more than the usual amount of noise was coming from the front brakes...
The bearings have really "let go" and the front wheel has about 1mm of wobble on the bearing (this is ENORMOUS!).

So, Im still 1500km from Vancouver and nothing but little service stations out here.
I'll just have to limp on very slowly and carefully till I get to Smithers (in a day or so) and try to fix the bearings there.
My big concern is that the bearings may seize at some point and then the front wheel would lock up and Id crash instantly... guess Ill go real slow :))
The other "bad" possibility is that the bearings could keep rolling but get so loose that they just fall apart...In which case the front wheel will totally loose its tracking and again I get a more or less instant crash...
OR, it could all work out OK and me and the bike will survive to Smithers where I get it fixed and carry on happily to Vancouver

Guess well find out what happens soon enough :)))

Saturday, August 15, 2009

The Meat of the Matter

Ive seen lots a hunters up here in the North, and its got me "thinkin":
What do I think about hunting as a means of obtaining food for modern people?

Well, to start with, lets address that concept of "NEED" to have meat!
Not only do nutrition scientists say we "developed world peoples" eat way more meat than we need; But its a plain and obvious fact that there are a large number (albeit a small minority) of people who live active, healthy, (and convenient too) lives as vegetarians and dont eat any meat at all... So, the idea of "needing" the meat clearly is inaccurate :)
So, with that point made, its clear that eating meat is a choice rather than a necessity, but I think the real issue here is weather its better to eat domesticated and farmed animals or to hunt and eat wild animals?

Hmmm, Well, I myself like a good steak, so perhaps I should think about this some more...
Do I think its bad to eat meat? ...
No I dont! (and isnt that just oh so "convenient"! )

I think that is what we humans have evolved to do and I think its OK to keep doing it. I also think its fine for those who choose not to eat meat...Obviously the human body can deal with it  very well (in most cases) and if thats what some people want to do, then great :)

Do I think eating domesticated animals is better than eating wild animals? ...
Thats a bit more complicated...

I think its pretty clear that domesticated animals are far easier to manage and can be raised at much higher densities than wild animals... Likewise "harvesting" the meat is far easier with domesticated animals than the effort of hunting etc. Another point is that domesticated animals have been bred with the desired attributes for the market rather than being bred purely for survival as with wild animals.

BUT, I think its also clear that in a great many cases, the life of a domesticated food animal is far from desirable and we humans are far from kind or gentle to them. Also, its extremely clear that our farming practices so far have been incredibly bad for the environment, and the more densely the animals are raised then the worse the results for the environment as well as for the quality and safety of the resulting "meat products".

Plenty of arguments on both sides here, and you may see things differently, but for my money, the life of a wild animal is better than that of its domestic meat producing relative - Even if that means eventually dying from disease or being hunted and killed by wolves etc... We all gotta go somehow :))

So, from the perspective of the animal its self, I think the "living wild and then being hunted" option is currently the preferable one (certainly for the animals raised for meat production).
But its also very obvious that it is completely impractical for the worlds people (well the ones who choose to eat meat) since there are simply far too many people and far too little habitat for wild animals to live in sufficient numbers for that to be a real option.
And I think I am OK too if the meat is used for feeding pets... This comes to mind for me because up here in the North, lots of people have lots of dogs for sledding and they eat lots of meat... Unlike humans, dogs do not thrive as vegetarians!

So, what to do?
Well, there are more and more people and less and less wild spaces (and that trend is only going to get stronger!).
Basically I think that hunting will eventually need to stop more or less altogether.
For the time being, the privileged places with lots of wild country and game, and few people can carry on allowing hunting as long as they can manage it... Managing the populations of the game species as best they may (though usually not well enough). These places are places like Canada, and Australia, and regions like Alaska etc.
But eventually, the population pressure and habitat destruction will put an end to hunting in more and more places.
And in the mean time we humans will need to reduce our overall meat consumption and for the more and more meat that we produce on the planet, we need to do it with less and less environmental impact and we need to be more humane with animals raised for meat.

Easily said, but what will I be doing about it?
I will continue to eat meat in small quantities ( I certainly dont need it every day).
I will try to promote better commercial animal husbandry by being selective about what meat products I purchase (eg, organic, free range etc).
And I will always think of meat in my diet as a luxury (and possibly in the future this view will retrospectively become "an immoral luxury") not a right or necessity
.... Im sure plenty of people would not approve of this outlook, but thats how I see it for the present :)

So, I guess Im OK with hunting if its for the meat, is done "humanely", the animal species is not endangered, and the meat is for consumption.

But its a choice not a necessity, and therefore a luxury!

... As an end note, I actually feel that I will eventually become more or less a non-meat eater (more accurate than "vegetarian" since Ill continue to eat eggs and dairy products) and one of the main influencing factors is learning/knowing more of the details of how our industrialized "meat" farming systems treat the animals (the conditions in which most farmed chickens live their short and very unpleasant lives is terrible!) as well as learning what sorst of drugs and hormones and genetic manipulations are being used in the process and that Im ingesting as a result!!

... I think most people (myself included) remain very much unaware of these things... and very "conveniently" at that!!  I think if we all knew more, then there'd probably be a lot less "meat eating" !

Field Repairs

Made it about 450Km down the highway to Whitehorse without using the brakes...Just the bike gears instead :)
Found the Suzuki dealer...He has a set of pads for the rear brakes but not for the front.
Thats better than nothing I guess and itll get me back to Vancouver... But the cost is rediculous!
They are $100 which is at least three times the cost down south!

Not much choice I guess.

One hour later I have fitted the new pads and am good to go.
But, I have also discovered that my bike is now starting to leak oil...
Not quite sure from where but its dripping and that means its bad enough to have to fix...soon.
Its either the seal where the gear shift lever goes into the engine case or the seal where the drive shaft comes out of the engine case to the front sprocket (for the chain drive).

The cause is likely the same as for the brakes...That incredibly harsh grit mud I rode in for a couple of days!

Ive never fixed either but I guess Im gonna learn when I get back to Vancouver in about a week :))

Friday, August 14, 2009

Symbols of Our Fear.



I keep finding the worst kind of graffiti and litter!

At pretty much every place I stop to camp here in Alaska I find plenty of shell casings from firearms. I usually just find a little dirt side road that goes nowhere for my camps. There are plenty of them since they are created by the road and telephone maintenance crews.
But of course, I am not the first or last person to find them and camping is not all they get used for.

The pictures above are pretty standard stuff. At this site, I found quantities of two types of shotgun casings and four types of solid bullet casings. Im very sure that one of the weapons was a 9mm pistol, another was a .040 caliber pistol, and Im pretty sure that a third one was a fully automatic of some sort (by the number and distribution of the casings).
There were also a scattering of two or three other calibers but old and in low numbers.

And the road signs all along the highways here are also almost all "vandalized" with "NRA graffiti" as I like to call it (For non-North Americans thats the "National Rifle Association"... A very big and very powerful pro-gun lobby group in the USA).

Id like to say this is just an American issue, but sadly, I think the truth is that its just more visible here in the USA than in Canada, and that is because of the availability of guns of all sorts.
The truth is that I think most countries have the "issues" that cause this sort of behavior and its all just under the surface.

Having guns and using them like this is all about FEAR.
The only reason to have a gun and use it in this way is because the owner needs to feel big and strong... which is because they are afraid of something.
Now in a very few cases the fear of wild animals and such is real... but you dont need pistols, or automatic weapons, or to shoot up road signs to deal with that!
In case of the types of guns involved here and the way they are being used, its all about " Fear of other people" (and the associated desire to make other people fear you)... and I think that in many ways, that sums up how a lot of Americans feel about other people (other Americans as well as other foreigners).

Its really sad.
People can become so closed and afraid of "other ways".
And likewise its very sad that people are so used to "trying to get whatever they can" out of life as far as money and material that they become so afraid that other people will try to take it away from them (Those other people are clearly using the same set of rules - if you can get it then take it).

Now, Im sure its not all like that, and as I said, Im also sure this is "just under the surface" in most of our "developed" world societies (not to mention, the less developed ones), not just the USA.
But thats what guns are about... FEAR... and its a measure of how uncivilized we can be and how far we have yet to go.

But by the same token, I have to note that in many ways our human societies have already come a long way from the simple feudal system of "might is right" as it was for many centuries :))

Thursday, August 13, 2009

Gi'me a Brake!































OK, So I made it up the dirt road to Inuvik. Its very different to whats at the end of the road to Prudehoe Bay in Alaska. Inuvik is a sizeable town of more or less normal format (not an oil drilling camp like DeadHorse.)
I would have to say though that it is rather grubby and unkempt. Most of the non-Government buildings strongly resemble prefab mobile homes (which I think they are) and there is loads of mud all over the place as well as quite a bit of litter. The locals seemed friendly though, with about half of them being First Nations.
There is only one other town further North here in NWT and that is Tuptoyuktuk... (the locals just call it "Tuk") Its a great little town name that, Its got meter and rhym...a little poem all by its self :))
But you have to hear it said with a northern First Nations accent to really appreciate it.
... The SW of Western Australia where I was born and raised has lots of town names taken from the local Aboriginal languages. One that has the same sort of inherent poetry is where my sister and her family now live - Gidgeganup :)
But, I cant get to 'Tuk at present because its only accesible by road in the witer when they build an ice road.
So after a look around and a night to rest and warm up, Its back on the bike and heading South. But I have a bit of a problem still. Well, the road is still very soft and muddy to be sure, but its getting better at a rapid rate  now that the weather has improved again, and I should be fine with that.
No, my new problem is that all of a sudden, I have absolutely no brake pads left on my bike!
I just put new rear pads on about 15000km back so needless to say Im a bit surprised.
Its the grit and mud from the road. Its extremely coarse and abrasive. This stuff is glacial sand which is mostly silica crystals just like beach sand. However, beach sand gets ground together constantly by wave action and has all the sharp corners taken off. This stuff is fresh from the glacier and is like sand paper.
And Ive been braking almost exclusively with the rear wheel for all the time Ive been riding on dirt roads (since you really dont want the front wheel to lock up). ... And, Im simply out of brake pads now and am grinding metal on the rear.
Oh well, what can ya do? Im 750Km up a dead end dirt road with no chance of spare parts. Ill just head South carefully and do what I can with the gears and the front brakes (which are also terribly low on pads!)
The mud road is manegable now, and most of the on-comming traffic is polite and slows down a lot. Its a good thing with the current road conditions.
... You know when you have another vehicle comming your way because you can see an Orange cloud of mist with two burning yellow eyes thrumming toward you at great speed (all cars have their lights on all the time - its the law here). It rather brings to mind the idea of a mythological "Fury" or something like that.
If the oncoming vehicle does not slow down then you get envelopped in the cloud of orange mist and pretty soon you are a "mud man".
I had to develop a technique to MAKE the traffic slow down if they didnt look like theyd do it them selves...
I simply move into their lane and drive straight at them (like a game of chicken). When we start to get close, they slow up (as do I) and then once we are both going slowly, I pull back into my lane for the pass (and thats a little tricky with the slimy mud but it works OK). Sure I get some anoyed looks but everyone is safe and I get to not have mud on my visor or face :))
So, now all I have to figure out is how to get back to Vancouver without any brakes! :)))
Speaking of town names, I have to say that many of the towns up here in Alaska/Yukon/NWT have very evocative names. Ive been through Whitehorse, Dead Horse, Eagle Plains, Cold Foot, Arctic Red River, Fort McPherson etc... Very "Atmospheric"