From Anchorage to Ushuaia by Bike

Going backwards was finally a good idea: we could have some rest and change our mind with something else than biking.

Didier is from France and came to live in Canada 8 years ago, and in Yukon Territory 6 years ago. He is a finish carpenter, as well as a musher, one of the reasons he came to the Yukon Territory. He built himself his cabin and owns 40 sled dogs. His life goes around his dogs even if he has a handler at home, whose name is Marine for the season 2008-2009. The dogs rest during summer, because of high temperatures, while Didier works. The training begins in September to prepare the races of the winter, especially the Yukon Quest, one of the most famous in the world: a race of more than 1.000 miles (1.600 km) without any assistance (except for the 36 hours of compulsory rest in Dawson City where the handler can take care of the dogs) in the wilderness of Alaska and Yukon Territory.

When discussing with Didier, we learnt a lot about the “Yukon way of life”, sled dogs, etc. When we show on our bikes that we can live with just a few things every day, Didier proves that it is possible to live and be happy, above the 60th parallel, without running water and electricity, in a cabin, in the middle of the forest, during the 21st century!

We had a really nice time with Didier and Marine. We did not get the chance to meet Martine, Didier’s wife, who is the cook for the summer in a camp of the North West Territories, far from civilization.

With Marine, we canoed on Fox Lake (without forgetting the shower in the lake!) and went horse riding to the neighbor farm. Those 2 days really changed our mind, it was good!

Ps: Thank you Didier for these 2 days and your hospitality! Good luck for the Yukon Quest!