Ten days biking from Calgary to Anchorage. One days rest. Nine days biking to Hope. This is no way to treat an old man.

We thrashed it down the Alcan Highway. We thrashed it down the Stewart – Cassiar Highway. We thrashed it along the Yellowhead Highway. Roads that we had already travelled. They weren’t easier the second time.

The bike performed well though it could do with a wash. I kind of look the same – splattered dead flies and mud. Susan is fine and clean – she hides behind me and laughs when she hears flies the size of small birds bounce off my helmet.

Susan suffers in another way. The gravel and sand roads are her nemesis. I think she’s getting better although I’ve now had to ask her to stop breathing. Yes I know it’s cruel but it sounds like a cross between a heavy breathing phonecall and an express train over my intercom helmet!

In the evening she’s exhausted – nervous exhaustion. I’m exhausted – symbiotic exhaustion. I go to sleep dreaming of a whooshing in my ears. It’s not easy being me!

When she’s not whooshing in my ears, I keep Susan’s spirits up with junk food. Just look at her happy wee face. Susan has some kind of chicken salad sandwich whilst I’ve got the only Subway sandwich a biker should have – meatball marinara!

Here she is again at a petrol stop. I think she disinfected her hand after touching my handlebar – she thinks my gloves smell of dead Moose! I don’t disagree. It’s just a pity my hands smell the same.

So we reached Hope, less than 100 miles from Vancouver.

Chainsaw aficionados recognised the wooden sculpture in the last post as Sheriff Will Teasley (actor Brian Dennehy) from the movie First Blood, starring Sylvestor Stallone as Rambo.

Here’s a wooden version of the main man himself. The real wooden version can be seen on your TV.

So First Blood was essentially about Rambo walking into a small town and coming into conflict with a small town sheriff. It’s a classic movie of our times. Oh really? Yup, a classic!

The movie was filmed in the quaint mountain town of Hope and Susan and I have been here before – 11 years and 1 month ago.

Since that time we have referred to the town as No Hope. Sometimes Susan calls it Tantrum Town. Yes, there’s a story and that’s why we have returned.

First, let’s have a couple of photos of me.

Just to clarify, that’s me incorporated into a wooden carving – it’s not all wooden! Well maybe just the heid! I will give you that!

Here’s me 11 years ago! Amazing isn’t it? The wings look older but I’m just the same. You never know I could possibly be Marty McFly.

11 years ago we were starting our tandem journey from Victoria Island to Newfoundland. We set off with all the confidence in the world for our marvellous adventure.

Coming out of Vancouver and into the mountains we struggled. I cannot emphasise enough how we struggled.

After a few days we made it to Hope and Susan needed a day of rest. We had our day of rest and wandered the town taking photos for our marvellous adventure.

The following morning we left Hope with hope. We were rested, we were ready for our marvellous adventure.

Ten minutes out of town we reached this corner.

The photo doesn’t show it but it’s a bit of a slope. Just a bit. The newer lighter concrete wall wasn’t there at the time and, right at that spot, we faltered, and stopped. We were knackered. We couldn’t go on. And it was bloody cold and raining!

One of us had a tantrum and boy did they shout and moan. They even blamed the rain on the other person. The other person remained calm despite being presented with reasoned logic why it was their fault it was raining.

We were never going to bloody cross Canada on our marvellous adventure if we couldn’t even make it out of No Hope!

Now this was THE pivotal moment on our journey to adventure land and all our subsequent travels. We genuinely thought we would have to give up and if that happened then the rest would never have followed. Everything was about to fall like a train of dominoes.

So what is the one thing that separated our success from failure? Attitude! Our attitude was wrong.

We had no shared experience of such an undertaking and no understanding of the commitment. Our confidence, built on a flimsy platform of hope and a marvellous adventure, had disappeared.

We didn’t know how to cope in No Hope.

We decided to gave it another try. We pushed on, soaked and freezing and made it to the end of the day. We didn’t get to our intended destination – nowhere near it. But we got up the following day and did the same. The next day ……. you get the picture.

That day was a lesson that’s taken us through all our adventures – ‘just keep moving!’. Don’t contemplate the enormity of the task or journey ahead or how bad it is or how bad it could get – just keep moving!

Of course, we’re now on a bike with an engine. The physicality is not the same as the tandem but, as any motorcyclist will tell you, it’s the most satisfying but exhausting way to travel.

Panama literally feels like it was years ago. It’s difficult to explain. We’ve crammed in hundreds of places and destinations, gone through countless experiences. Neither of us can comprehend that Panama was only 3 months ago. We’ve lived a hundred ‘holidays’ since Panama.

It’s not for everyone but please never take my motorcycle away.

Now, without getting too sentimental, I’m going to get sentimental. Because of this story I’ve unburdened onto you, Susan and I decided this was the official end of this particular adventure.

It all really started here. So let’s finish this journey here.

10,998 miles.

We have another three weeks left before we fly home so we’re heading for Whistler then the Oregon coast.

So for now I’m going to leave you with a beer photo of me. Yup you’re getting bang for your buck photos of me today. You damn lucky person!

And in true Rambo style I ordered a pint of ‘First Blood’ at the excellent mountain brewery.

Looking like Rambo. Well perhaps not. At least the beer was excellent – nicest pint of red beer I’ve had.

Of course, at the end of another grand adventure, I’ve got to acknowledge that I was part of a team.

I couldn’t have got through this without you.

Until the next time.

Skol.

• Adventure motorcycle
• Canada
• North America