Day 119: 112.09 miles, 8:23 hours, Beaver Creek, YUKON
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Today was the worst. Colder than buggery again. I broke my first spoke today but luckily not on the drive side. After replacing it, I found that I didn't really need to tighten any more spokes for the rest of the day. Some more hills today, but nothing so bad, at least I could warm up on the uphills. Whizzing down a hill is no longer a joyful experience, it just means more of the stinging cold.

Late in the afternoon I bought a Gatorade on the Alaskan side of the Canadian border. It gave me such a head-spin that I thought I would pass out at one point. At immigration I got questioned for about ten minutes. They were concerned that the bank statement I showed them for proof of funds was from June. I tried to explain that I was sleeping in a tent every night, eating tinned beans and instant rice, I don't spend that much money.

Didn't get a very good impression of Canadians after the rudeness of several staff members at the hotel I was camping outside of. Someone once told me that border towns all over the world, doesn't matter where you are, are always full of nasty, miserable people. Maybe they were right.

When I had my tent set up, Mike, a retired guy from Detroit came over to talk. He was heading up to Anchorage with his wife who was giving a lecture there. Real nice bloke and he was a bit worried about how cold it was going to be during the night. Moments later he came back with two of their heaviest blankets and insisted I use them for the night. What a champ. It's gonna be lovely not waking up cold.

Day 120 (Monday, 13 September 2004): 107.05 miles, 7:41 hours, Burwash Landing
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Today was the worst. Colder than buggery again. I broke another spoke. Like yesterday, I broke the spoke as I was riding past a crash barrier at the side of a road curve. I didn't realise this until later. Whenever I stop to eat, there's never, never a place to lean my bike. But if I need to repair a broken spoke? There'll be a crash barrier right there. And there's barely any of these crash barriers out here, they're about as common as an open food store, of which I saw none today. Hopefully I don't see any more crash barriers in the next few days as I don't have any more spokes, except an emergency Kevlar spoke I had the foresight of buying. I had too much time to think today and I spent the time deciding I would give up riding and start hitchhiking south if I break another spoke.

Though it's cold, and the sun isn't out much, I'm still getting quite sunburnt on the only exposed part of my body, my face. It almost rained on me, just sprinkled a little but there were a lot of threatening clouds out which contrasted with the beautiful golden Autumn colours.

I'm exhausting myself. I'm sore. I'm sick of peanut butter, I'm sick of Snickers and chocolate. I haven't had fresh fruit since Fairbanks and I'm missing it badly. I found a free camping spot at the back of the Burwash Landing restaurant where there's a tour group of Germans also camped. I indulged in the $4 shower, the only pleasure I've had in the last few days and spoiled myself with a huge steak dinner.