iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Uphill Into A Headwind (he/him) @intoaheadwind.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

Dear #WashingtonStateParks: if you are going to pull this shit you need to put the info on the website, which says the campground is year round and says NOTHING about it being closed. parks.wa.gov/find-parks/s... If I weren't resourceful, I'd be stranded.🤬 #BikeSky #BicycleTravel #HikerBiker

Photograph of a sign on the entrance kiosk at Fort Townsend Historical State Park saying the campground is closed from October 1st.

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Uphill Into A Headwind (he/him) @intoaheadwind.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

FOR REAL! Do these pilots have nothing better to do than fly in circles over and over just being loud and noisy? I'm sitting here waiting for the next ferry to Port Townsend, and I can barely hear the podcast I'm trying to listen to at full volume with earplugs in!😵

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Uphill Into A Headwind (he/him) @intoaheadwind.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

Speaking of noise problems and awareness, now I can barely hear anything at all over the constant flights of F-18s out of NAS Whidbey Island. Those things are freaking loud!

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Uphill Into A Headwind (he/him) @intoaheadwind.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

I just got momentary tinnitus from the noise of a loud-ass motocycle that just passed me. I don't want to hear a thing (haha pun sort of intended) about how my bone conduction headphones & listening to podcasts might impact my situational awareness while #cycling.🙄 #BikeSky

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Alex Samaras (he/him) @bioalex.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

Hey! Does anyone out there know if anyone is still giving away free #COVID test kits in the Whidbey Island or Port Townsend region of Washington state. I don't have insurance, so I'm looking for #MutualAid or #PublicHealth groups that might still offer free tests. 🙂👉🏼👈🏼

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Uphill Into A Headwind (he/him) @intoaheadwind.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

Still, it definitely added a layer of fatigue to my ride from Bellingham to Whidbey Island today. Of course, it didn't help that Mapy decided to send me up every 10% grade it could on Whidbey Island. 😵 #BikeSky #BicycleTravel

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Uphill Into A Headwind (he/him) @intoaheadwind.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

Ugghh. I think I caught something during the ferry ride from Alaska to Washington. I don't think it's COVID, but don't have any tests & am not sure if anywhere around has free test kits available. But I can still smell, so hopefully just a cold. Will mask around people to protect them.😷👍🏼

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Uphill Into A Headwind (he/him) @intoaheadwind.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

Dear chodes who try to roll coal on me: how much diesel are you burning w/ your pathetic little smoke clouds? How much extra is that costing you these days, dumbass?😂 I'm sorry not sorry you feel so threatened by me demonstrating more freedom in my #BicycleTravel than you will EVER experience.🙄🖕🏼

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Uphill Into A Headwind (he/him) @intoaheadwind.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

And that's so long to #Yukon.👋😎 (or so I thought at the time when I first entered Alaska 😅) For the most part, I really enjoyed cycling through Canada. I especially love the frequent roadside litter bins! That's something I will sorely miss! Next catch up 🧵 is all Alaska. #BikeSky #BicycleTravel

Photograph of the Alaska Highway leading into Yukon at the AlCan border crossing showing the road stretching towards distant hills with a sign saying Yukon, all under a blue sky with wispy white clouds

Selfie of me on my bicycle wearing a yellow green helmet, clear glasses, a green buff, a blue tank top, and a backpack in front of the Yukon sign at the AlCan border. I'm holding up a hand to wave goodbye to Yukon.

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Uphill Into A Headwind (he/him) @intoaheadwind.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Further along, the White River was similarly muddy. After this, it was a bit of a slog battling sections of unpaved road all the way to Beaver Creek & ultimately the AlCan border. Oddly, Canada's Customs post is in Beaver Creek, & then it is another 30km to the actual border & US customs.

Photograph of boreal forests and distant mountains with dramatic clouds hanging over them in the blue sky above.

Photograph of boreal forest leading to rough mountain ridges under a clouded sky with some patches of blue.

Photograph of the muddy waters of the White River flowing between boreal forest towards a mountain under a blue sky with white clouds.

Photograph of the muddy waters of the White River flowing between boreal forest covered mountains under a cloudy blue sky.

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Uphill Into A Headwind (he/him) @intoaheadwind.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Crossing the Donjek River was the first time I saw a really wide, pretty fast moving river that looks almost like flowing mud or clay. I'm glad my water was topped up so I didn't have to stress my water filter trying to pull water from this.😅 #BikeSky #BicycleTravel #Yukon

Photograph of a shrubby grassy plain to a lake and boreal forest in a valley between mountains under a blue sky with a few white clouds

Photograph of the wide muddy waters of the Donjek River in Yukon under a blue sky with mountains and clouds on the horizon

Photograph of the wide muddy water of the Donjek River flowing towards and between distant mountains under a clear blue sky with a few scattered clouds. The muddyness of the water makes it look like wrinkled silk.

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Uphill Into A Headwind (he/him) @intoaheadwind.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

After Kluane Lake, the Alaska Highway road conditions got pretty bad, with several long unpaved stretches between there & Beaver Creek. But the scenery was still nice. And seeing glaciers is still a novelty to me. Here's the Kluane Glacier in the distance. #BikeSky #BicycleTravel #Yukon

Photograph of boreal forest leading to distant mountain with snow covered peaks topped by heavy flat-bottomed clouds.

Zoomed photograph of distant forest leading to forest covered mountains backdropped by higher snow peaked mountains under grey clouds. In the middle left of the background, the tongue of a glacier is among the peaks.

Zoomed photograph of mountain peaks showing a bit of the Kluane Glacier among the ridges.

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Uphill Into A Headwind (he/him) @intoaheadwind.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

I didn't take any photos going up the western shore of the lake. I was trying to make good time to Destruction Bay for my last resupply before Beaver Creek. Just after turning north, there was a road sign saying "High Sheep Activity", but I didn't see a single wild sheep.🤷‍♂️😅 #BikeSky #BicycleTravel

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Uphill Into A Headwind (he/him) @intoaheadwind.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

The southern end of Kluane Lake was really beautiful, with gorgeous rock-layered mountains to the southwest. Winds were a bit tricky here, as they typically blow south to north, so a headwind to get to the southern end of the lake, a tricky crosswind, & then a tailwind up the western shore.

Photograph of Kluane Lake in Yukon looking northward from near the southern end, with scattered pine trees on the near shore and mountains along the distant shores under a blue sky with white clouds

Photograph of mountains showing layered rocks all the way up to the peaks rising over Kluane Lake in Yukon

Photograph of a grassy plain with scattered shrubs leading to distant rocky mountains with forest covered lower slopes under a blue sky with wispy white clouds

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Uphill Into A Headwind (he/him) @intoaheadwind.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

The descent to Kluane Lake was quite pretty. I love seeing the millions and millions of years shown by rock layers on huge mountains. ⛰️🗻⛰️🗻⛰️🚵‍♂️ #BikeSky #BicycleTravel #Yukon

Photograph of the Alaska Highway in Yukon descending through boreal forest towards the southern end of Kluane Lake with mountains rising over the far shore under a partly cloudy blue sky

Zoomed photograph of the Alaska Highway descending towards Kluane Lake with a large mountain dominating the background

Photograph from the "cockpit view" from my bicycle of the road stretching through boreal forests towards distant mountains under a blue sky with wispy white clouds and straight jet contrails stretching towards the horizon

Zoomed photograph of the Alaska Highway stretching towards mountains near the southern end of Kluane Lake. The mountains show many distinct rock layers all the way up to the peaks.

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Uphill Into A Headwind (he/him) @intoaheadwind.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Haines Junction was at the bottom of a valley, and it was a long gradual climb getting back out, but Yukon is very pretty. #BikeSky #BicycleTravel #Yukon

Photograph looking back from on my bicycle showing my solar panel on my sleeping bags over the rear rack and rear panniers, looking down the road which stretches into the distance through boreal forest covered mountains under a blue sky with wispy white clouds

Photograph of rugged snow peaked mountains rising over boreal forests in Yukon

Photograph of boreal forests and distant mountains under a blue sky framed by tree branches with green leaves

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Uphill Into A Headwind (he/him) @intoaheadwind.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Trying to Catch Up 🧵, Haines Junction to AlCan Border. My last big thread left off with nice smelling alfalfa fields outside of Haines Junction, Yukon. From there, I continued on the Alaska Highway, with some nice mountain views along the way. #BikeSky #BicycleTravel #Yukon

Photograph of mountains with snowy peaks beyond the pine trees of a boreal forest

Photograph of mountain peaks with snow against a pale sky

Photograph of boreal forest and snowy mountain peaks under a partly cloudy blue sky

Photograph of thick snow on rocky mountain peaks. The snow and ice form a sheer cliff that seems like it should fall as an avalanche

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Uphill Into A Headwind (he/him) @intoaheadwind.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

I'm on a boat. I'M ON A BOAT!😎👍🏼 🌊🌊🌊🚢🌊🏔️Haines, AK I'll be in Bellingham, WA in a few days. In the meantime, there's WiFi on the ship, so I'll post my catch up threads while underway. I PROMISE.😅 #BikeSky #BicycleTravel

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Uphill Into A Headwind (he/him) @intoaheadwind.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

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Uphill Into A Headwind (he/him) @intoaheadwind.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

Catch up threads still coming (maybe tomorrow while I hunker through some rain🤔) but leaves are really starting to change along the #Alaska Highway! Very pretty on a rare (lately) sunny day! Bonus: a moose I saw on the highway yesterday.🫎 #BikeSky #BicycleTravel

Photograph of a bright sun and a partly cloudy sky over forested mountains and a valley in Alaska with pine trees dark green among yellowing deciduous trees as the leaves change color

Photograph of the "cockpit view" of my bicycle looking down the shoulder of the Alaska Highway withe yellow and green forests along the road on the left and covering mountains and valleys on the right as the leaves have begun to change color

Photograph of the Alaska Highway stretching and curving into the distance with yellow leaved deciduous trees and dark green pine trees along the road, under a blue sky with wispy white clouds

Photograph of a moose scampering across a road with green and yellow trees in the background

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Uphill Into A Headwind (he/him) @intoaheadwind.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

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Uphill Into A Headwind (he/him) @intoaheadwind.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

P.S. I know I keep delaying, but rough weather & lack of #Warmshowers hosts has cramped my motivation to edit & upload photos. I promise, catch up threads are coming! I just don't know when. 😅 #BicycleTravel #BikeSky

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Uphill Into A Headwind (he/him) @intoaheadwind.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

... I know it's a bit crass to ask for birthday presents from random strangers on the internet, but if anyone IS feeling generous, my Ko-Fi is in my pinned comment.😅😉 Otherwise, if y'all could share my account w/ others who might be interested in following my #BicycleTravel , I'd be grateful. 🥹🙏🏼

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Uphill Into A Headwind (he/him) @intoaheadwind.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

So, I have completed another lap around the sun, and have now turned 25 for the 24th time. 😅 Starting to feel the years so maybe I'll age up soon.😉 Anyway, back on the AK Highway, eventually heading for Haines & the ferry to Bellingham, WA. About 1000km to go to there... #BikeSky #BicycleTravel

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Uphill Into A Headwind (he/him) @intoaheadwind.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

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Uphill Into A Headwind (he/him) @intoaheadwind.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

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Uphill Into A Headwind (he/him) @intoaheadwind.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

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Uphill Into A Headwind (he/him) @intoaheadwind.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

...saves me about 300km. Sadly, I'll miss Denali & points south, but I think I'm gonna return to Fairbanks, then AK Highway back to Haines Jct, then down to Haines to catch the ferry to Bellingham, WA. I'll return to #Alaska in the future when it's earlier in the season. #BikeSky #BicycleTravel

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Uphill Into A Headwind (he/him) @intoaheadwind.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

I think I'm going to give up on my route through #Alaska this time around. The rainy weather is demoralizing & my planned route has me into strong headwinds. Either way, I have to go back to Canada to get to Haines, but back-tracking gives me better wind, fewer climbs, &... #BikeSky #BicycleTravel

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Uphill Into A Headwind (he/him) @intoaheadwind.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

Extra disheartening: I opened up the Windy app to see what the wind was doing & it looked like most of #Alaska was pretty calm EXCEPT the specific section of the Parks Highway I was #cycling, which had me riding into 15-20kph headwinds.😫 It was uncanny.😓 2/2 #BikeSky #BicycleTravel

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Uphill Into A Headwind (he/him) @intoaheadwind.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

#Warmshowers being down combined w/ crap weather has really cramped my ability (& motivation😓) to get things up to date here. Had an incredibly disheartening day cycling south to Healy #Alaska. What should have been a reasonably easy ride was just...😭😖 due to headwind. 1/2 #BikeSky #BicycleTravel

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Alex Samaras (he/him) @bioalex.bsky.social · 24/08/2026

I guess several of my "visited"s should technically be "passed through"s but since I was passing through on a bicycle & it took days or weeks depending on the state, I think they can count as visits. 😎🚵🏼‍♂️👍🏼 Just Michigan, Wisconsin, Delaware, & Hawaii remain in the nevers (or rather, not yets).

Map of the United States showing that I have lived in, visited, or passed through every state except Michigan, Wisconsin, Delaware, and Hawaii. The map is from whereidlive.com

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Uphill Into A Headwind (he/him) @intoaheadwind.bsky.social · 20/08/2026

I expect I'll cycle down the California coast again someday. 😎👍🏼 Hard to say if it will be sooner or later, because I may stay up here in Alaska for a spell, if I can find work & a place to rent. If not, I'll try to take a ferry down to WA in mid-Sept & figure things out from there. 🤷🏻‍♂️

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Uphill Into A Headwind (he/him) @intoaheadwind.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

OK, #BikeSky & #AlaskaSky, I could use some help: #Warmshowers is down until the 25th. Anyone seeing this a Warmshowers host in #Fairbanks (or know one)? I'll be passing through Fairbanks Wed or Thurs & could use a rest stop. Hit me up with a DM, please. 🥺🙏🏼

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Uphill Into A Headwind (he/him) @intoaheadwind.bsky.social · 18/08/2026

Yikes! I'll keep an eye on that over the coming days/week-or-so as I make my way past Fairbanks & down towards Anchorage. 😳 Hopefully this rain up here in the region will help firefighters get a handle on it. 🙏🏼

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Uphill Into A Headwind (he/him) @intoaheadwind.bsky.social · 18/08/2026

I've actually been thinking about #2 quite a bit because it would mean I could maybe rebuild my savings a bit & plan out a trip to Tuktoyaktuk next summer, as well as see the aurora, explore AK more, etc. Just haven't had the chance to really look into opportunities due to connectivity issues.😅

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Uphill Into A Headwind (he/him) @intoaheadwind.bsky.social · 18/08/2026

Thanks for all the info. I really appreciate it. 😊🙏🏼 Looks like I have 2 options if I don't want to fly: 1.) finish a loop of Fairbanks-> Wasila-> Tok, go back to Canada to Haines Junction-> Haines (~1700km total) 2.) find a place to stop & work up here & experience winter in AK, if possible 🤔

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Uphill Into A Headwind (he/him) @intoaheadwind.bsky.social · 18/08/2026

Okay, I managed to get the fare, fee, and schedule info for Haines or Juneau to Bellingham, but I haven't yet managed to pin down such info for getting from near Anchorage to either Haines or Juneau. 😅 Am I going to have to cycle back to Canada to get to Haines?🤔

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Uphill Into A Headwind (he/him) @intoaheadwind.bsky.social · 18/08/2026

If I had the time to sit down & decipher the website, I could probably figure it out, but currently still cycling (towards Fairbanks), dealing with/ #Warmshowers being down, & trying to stay dry.😅 Any info would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance. 😊🙏🏼

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Uphill Into A Headwind (he/him) @intoaheadwind.bsky.social · 18/08/2026

Dear #AlaskaSky (cc: @mariancall.bsky.social ): I find the #Alaska Marine Highway System website difficult to navigate on my phone, so maybe y'all can help me out?🥺👉🏼👈🏼 Looking for info on taking my bicycle from near Anchorage (Homer, I guess?) to Juneau &/or Bellingham. Fares? Fees? Schedules?

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Uphill Into A Headwind (he/him) @intoaheadwind.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

Sorry for the lack of updates. Blame #MintMobile for not having data coverage through their partner networks in #Alaska, unbeknownst to me. 😒 Got a 2nd eSim to hold me over for now. Will hopefully get some real updates posted soon. 😎👍🏼 #BikeSky #BicycleTravel

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Uphill Into A Headwind (he/him) @intoaheadwind.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

UPDATE: I got an eSim that will let me connect to data, so that's all good. Can now check messages any time. 😎👍🏼

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Uphill Into A Headwind (he/him) @intoaheadwind.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

No worries. Worst case, I just pass through Fairbanks rather than stopping. 😅

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Uphill Into A Headwind (he/him) @intoaheadwind.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

DIFFICULTY: #MintMobile doesn't give me data in #Alaska, so I'll only be able to check my messages when I can jump onto WiFi, which might not happen until I get to Fairbanks (currently using Delta Jct library wifi). 😅 #BikeSky #BicycleTravel

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Uphill Into A Headwind (he/him) @intoaheadwind.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

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Uphill Into A Headwind (he/him) @intoaheadwind.bsky.social · 11/08/2026

But yeah, I crossed an invisible imaginary line, and suddenly the units of measurement no longer make sense! Back to having to try to mentally convert (or more likely ignore) senseless miles, feet, degrees Fahrenheit, etc. 😜🫠 #BikeSky #BicycleTravel

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Uphill Into A Headwind (he/him) @intoaheadwind.bsky.social · 11/08/2026

I'll need to catch up on the journey since Whitehorse, #Yukon when I have more solid signal, but for now... #ALASKA I AM IN YOU!!! Currently at 15,885km on this journey. Still thinking about my route once I get to Tok. Probably to Fairbanks, then down to Anchorage. #BikeSky #BicycleTravel

Selfie of me on my bicycle wearing a yellow green helmet, clear cycling glasses, and a blue tank top in front of a sign marking the Alaska border with Canada that says Welcome To Alaska and a yellow silhouette of the state against s blue background

Photograph of the Welcome to Alaska sign at the Alaska Canada border

Photograph of a pine forest covered valley with several lakes in the distance and mountains on the horizon under a blue sky with white clouds

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Uphill Into A Headwind (he/him) @intoaheadwind.bsky.social · 03/08/2026

Actually, are these wild? Or invasive? Or at least non-native? #iNaturalist suggests it is yellow alfalfa (Medicago falcata).🤔

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Uphill Into A Headwind (he/him) @intoaheadwind.bsky.social · 03/08/2026

More of an update coming later, but I cannot convey accurately enough how good it smelled cycling past this field of #wildflowers just past Haines Junction, #Yukon. 🥰 #BikeSky #BicycleTravel #BloomScrolling

Photograph of yellow wildflowers under a blue sky with wispy white clouds

Photograph of a field of yellow wildflowers under a blue sky with wispy white clouds

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Uphill Into A Headwind (he/him) @intoaheadwind.bsky.social · 31/07/2026

Woo! Finally saw a Grizzly! Or at least #iNaturalist seemed more confident that this is a Grizzly & not another brown colored Black Bear.😅 Hey there, Mr. Grizz. Sorry I've been missing so much work at Grizzco lately (including the last #BigRun). Crusty Sean can vouch for me.😉 #Wildlife #BikeSky

Photograph of a Grizzly bear feeding on plants near the Alaska Highway in Yukon

Photograph looking at the rear end of a Grizzly bear feeding on plants near the Alaska Highway in Yukon

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