After a few days of minimal gains on the rest of the group and the resulting double accommodation costs it was felt that we should pull our fingers out and reunite with the others. This was also in part to the rapidly decreasing condition of my front tyre. A new one that I'd bought earlier was with our mechanic Werner which was no good to me several hundred miles away. So 09:30 came and with it our goodbyes to Ben as he headed south while we headed east. The first half of the day was just wonderful riding through the northern Rockies. Nice. However...during a refuel in Port Nelson some 282 miles from our target of Dawson Creek the old front tyre was down to canvas and looking more than unsafe! What then followed was maybe the worst ride on the trip yet. My speed plummeted in preparation for a front end blow out which would probably have resulted in a total loss of control of the bike into either a, oncoming traffic or b, a ditch. All in the dark, in freezing conditions. BJ and I finally limped in to Dawson Creek around 22:45 having somehow got over a massive bridge that had a metal base not dissimilar to a cheese grater! Quick change and out to the 'Alaska Hotel' that was the only bar open beyond 23:00. We were advised not to go there by the hotel staff though as it was described as not safe and rough...And rough it was! Half a dozen dealers outside and twenty or so people bang on crack cocaine inside. Booted out at 02:00 and bed.
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