The Arctic Highway

Over the next week or so I am to become well aquainted with the E6. Friday morning for two hours gave me a taste of what to expect. 8C and with a wind chill of 55 miles an hour, it's cold. I have more layers of cloathing on now. I dug my neckwarmer out of my luggage for today. I will need thermals soon. For the first time the heated grips are on. I could get by without, but there is no point. I am not a hero.

I thought it was snowing but it was dandilion seeds blown on the breeze. So many it really is like snow. Dandilion Snow. Lupins at the roadside gave way to Arctic cotton long ago.

There must have been twenty of them. Honda raiders returning from Nordkapp. The outriders reached me first. Blades, their pilots low in their cockpits. "Whom, whom whom". Then the Pans. Mostly single riders loaded with gear. Analogs to Elsa and I. Then bringing up the rear three Wings two up, women on the pillion. Finally a lone Blade dawdling, tired, having a rest. Hand jestures in our slip streams. Universal. Jedi heading for the warmth of the south. Mission accomplished. What nationality? It doesn't matter up here. We are all one tribe us bikers.

A cold lunch of sausage and apples eaten through my helmet. It's cold at last.