Two-Wheeled Cruiser

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2009-07-21T11:43:00.000-07:00

OK, home now. Starting tonight, I'm going to finally get the picture thing worked out so I can post them. Probably will pin them to the GPS tracks or to Google Earth rather than in the individual posts. Not sure the best way. Open to suggestions.

First thing though is to edit the sizes so they fit on a web page. Right now they are high resolution files and need to be edited.

2009-07-20T05:18:00.001-07:00

Ran into proverbial wall last night. Slept at Mohawk Plaza on NY Thruway. Leaving 8:15 AM. 218 miles to go.

2009-07-19T16:23:00.001-07:00

At port byron ny service plaza. 356 miles to go. May be late, but home tonight

Saturday July 18

2009-07-18T08:36:00.000-07:00

Just a quick post to apologize fro the lack of recent posts. Everything is OK. I'm in Iowa this AM and will be home tomorrow late in the evening. I fell out of touch when I was in the Canadian provinces and need to catch up. When I get home, the first order of business wil be getting pictures edited and posted. I promised people bears. You'll get bears! Beautiful landscapes? Yup. Interesting people? Plenty of them too.

Be back soon

Beartooth and Chief Joseph Hy - Pics

2009-07-16T23:59:00.000-07:00

Stewart, BC to Big Timber, MT - Pics

2009-07-14T23:59:00.000-07:00

Stewart, BC and Hyder, AK Pics

2009-07-12T23:59:00.000-07:00

Tok to Hyder via Cassiar - Pics

2009-07-11T23:59:00.000-07:00

Saturday July 11

2009-07-11T21:20:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I had planned to end up at a campsite just south of Watson Lake. However, late in the day, I was admiring a beautiful, long lake to my right. When I saw a campground sign for the Teslin Lake Provincial Campground, I decided to check it out. The lake is about 70 miles long by two to five miles wide. Lakeside sites were available for $12, so I decided to spend the night there instead of pushing myself to Watson Lake. I would still have time to make it to Hyder the next day.

After a refreshing swim in the cold glacier-fed lake, I slept very well. No rain this time and I was able to stay dry. I was apprehensive about taking the Cassiar-Stewart highway, because I had read that it was mostly gravel, and there were very few services on the road. If I tell you a secret, do you promise not to tell? OK, the Cassiar Highway is one of the best kept secrets in the world. Hardly the forgotten backwoods gravel pit of doom, it was one of the most beautiful roads I have ever ridden. I had originally planned to make some time today, leaving the camera in my saddlebag, but after only a few miles out came the camera and it remained hung around my neck for the whole day. Many shots were taken that I only hope come close to recording the natural beauty I saw with my eyes all day long.,

The Cassiar-Stewart Highway (also known as rte 37) runs north-south in the valley between the Coastal Mountains to the east and the Cassiar Mountains to the west. I used to think that nothing in North America was equal to the power and beauty of the Rockies. Believe me, the Coast mountains on my right, and the Cassiars to my left competed for my attention all day long. Around each bend in the road was a new surprise. It was almost like two jealous siblings competing for attention "Hey look at what I can do". "That's nothing, watch this!" and on and on it went.

It is a bit unfair to compare the Yukon and British Columbia"s offerings to those of Alaska, considering the amount of smoke afloat in the air all week in Alaska. Alaska had the combined beauty of the steep sloping mountains plunging steeply into the bays and inlets in places like Homer, Valdez, Seward, and many others that I didn't get a chance to see. One thing that I did notice that is worth a mention is that the trees in Alaska weren't nearly as big as the same species found in BC. This is probably due to the very short growing season in Alaska, but for whatever the reason, the black spruce in BC are towering giants, that seem especially large when they are seen close to the road. Some of the black spruce in BC grew hundreds of feet with trunks as big as r . Even the Aspens were huge. If we are keeping score, I'd give Alaska the edge in the placement of the mountains close to the coastal waters, but BC wins hands down in how well the mountains are framed by huge trees, greener pastures, and enormous inland lakes and rivers. If I had one road that I want to revisit soon, it is the Cassiar Highway in British Columbia. Sorry Alaska, I love you too, but...

Oh I was so caught up in the trees, lakes, and mountains, that I almost forgot the biggest surprise that I almost ran into (literally) coming around one corner today. I was in the middle of a high-speed sweeper to the right, when I noticed a brown object in the middle of the road. It was moving slowly from left to right and was at about the center line of the road. Fortunately I had my camera around my neck and another one mounted and ready behind my windshield. Now, I'm no expert on judging the weight of animals, but I;d guess it was about a 600-700 pound Grizzle just out for a stroll. I stopped the bike at the side of the road and took about 8 pictures. By now, other people had also stopped, so emboldened by the strength of numbers behind me, I followed on foot to the edge of the road and parallel to ti as he turned left and walked along the side of the road, looking over his shoulder as if to say "hey, you looking at me?" He took a right and disappeared into the underbrush . Finally, I had my first grizzly! Somehow I don't think the excitement of the meeting was mutual.

A nice older couple I was chatting with at a rest stop suggested I might want to try the Meziadin Lake Provincial Campground about 40 miles before Stewart and Hyder. They have a small convenience store, internet, services, and it is on a lake, all for only $12. I ccan still be in Hyder early tomorrow and on the road out of there soon after. That wa sit then. Another 150 miles or so and I'll be done for the day. The last 150 miles of the Cassiar was even better that I had seen up top that point. Most of the way, the road felt like my private road. I saw nobody else going my way and only a half dozen or so coming in the other direction. With the setting sun flickering through the huge aspen trees and glinting off the white caps of the Bell Irving River to my right that seemed to be racing me to Meziadin Lake Campground, I checked in and set up camp. As a bonus, I still had time to make use of the free internet connection to make this post.

Today has been a great day!

Friday July 10

2009-07-10T14:40:00.000-07:00

This will be a quick one. I'm at a laundromat in Whitehorse, Yukon. I expect to end today at a campsite near Watson Lake. Internet will be almost nil after I leave Whitehorse.

Last night I stayed at a provincial campground at a place called Lake Creek a short distance into Canada after border crossing. I hadn't had a shower for a couple of days and needed water. Well the name is Lake Creek for a reason. It sits on a large creek fed by runoff from the high mountains. This means that the water was very cold, but refreshing. Nobody else was around, the camp ground was nearly empty and it was midnight, so what the heck. BRRRRRR.

After towelling off and putting on my fleece sweatpants and fleece shirt which are my pajamas, I decided to build myself a nice fire, heat some soup, and a cup of tea. I told myself a few fireside stories and decided to sleep on the ground beside the fire, no tent. Sounded like a great idea until it started raining. By the time I got the tent pitched, everything including the sleeping bag was soaked. I was tired enough to sleep anyway.

Now you know the real reason I'm at the laundromat. I plan on sleeping in a dry bag tonight. I should be getting to french Creek Campground where rte 37 turns south from rte 1/97 ( the Alaska Hy) and becomes the Cassiar Stewart Highway. This route is shorter than the rte 97 that I took coming up, plus it goes to Hyder, AK which is known for great bear viewing at Bear Glacier. If the salmon are running by the time I get there, there will be plenty of hungry bears to photograph.

Not only are there very few internet services up here, but I will be on international roaming. What this means is that my NetBook will cost me about 20 bucks per megabit for uploads. I love you all, but at what cost? Unless I'm at a campground with free internet, I'll be out of touch for about three days. Also, I'll be trying to stretch my gas and my tires (excuse me, that's tyres in Canada), so I'll be travelling at grampa speeds and resting frequently until I'm home.

Later

Valdez side trip - Pictures

2009-07-09T23:59:00.000-07:00

Uli and Sabine leaving Slana, AK during an around the world trip starting in Austria

If I was pedalling that hard, I wouldn't be smiling!

Homeward Bound - July 9

2009-07-09T14:52:00.000-07:00

I'm sitting at the visitor Center at Tok Alaska pondering whether to stop here for the night and catch up on my posts, pictures, and general motorcycle maintenance before re-entering the huge internet dead zone known as western Canada.

I left Anchorage on Tuesday night at around 8PM. It wasn't because I was particular fond of night travel, but because I was procrastinating in the comfort and ease of camping for free in the midst of big-city conveniences. If I didn't put about a tank's worth of miles behind me soon, I would have never left Anchorage (some of you would welcome that, Others might not).

I called it a night on Tuesday night on the Glenn Highway at around mile marker 120 at the Matanuska Glacier State Park campsite. It was just around midnight, and still light when I pitched camp for the night and whipped up a batch of yummy freeze dried garlic and herb mashed potatoes. My neighbors for the night were three motorcyclists of about my age group. Two were from LA and one from N Dakota. I didn't get names, and there wasn't too much small talk. Everyone was about as tired as was I. Next morning, I took a few shots of the glacier, although the smoke mixed with the morning haze and facing into the rising sun made not much of a picture. Off to Valdez.

One thing about touring Alaska is that the operative word is "backtracking". Every significant destination is at the end of a very long road with only one way out. Valdez is no exception, over 100 miles down to Valdez and the same distance back. I got some shots of the fishing boats in the village, did the usual tourist stuff, and headed back north. Scenic shots going down and back were still occluded by the smoke and haze that ruined the view all of this week so far. I tried anyway, and will take my chances with PhotoShop.

Travelling north from Valdez to Glenellen on rte 4 and on the Tok Cutoff toward Tok, I decided to call it a night at a place in Slana, AK called Midway Services. Tent camping is free there, and they have a grocery store, however, the store was closed for the night and I was chatting with two brothers Ryan and Alex from Boulder, CO who were bicycling from Anchorage to Panama. They were four days into the trip and were pretty tired, hoping to stay there for the night. While we were taking, the woman who owned the place and lived above the store came down and opened up for us. We were home. After setting up camp, two other bicyclists pulled in, Uli and Sabine, a couple from Austria (he) and Germany (she). They had already ridden 17000 miles across Europe through Asia and had flown from Thailand to Anchorage to continue around the world. Suddenly my little motorcycle trip didn't seem so big. I'll never be able to complain about riding in the rain or cold again! It was a great night of story telling. Alex was driving most of the conversation with his questions and funny wise-cracks, keeping us all engaged. It struck me that I wasn't talking to two young brothers from Colorado, and a couple from Gemany and Austria, but just five people sharing a common experience. I wondered out loud about what it was that drew us to such a grueling experience, and we all agreed that it wasn't about destinations or accomplishments, or even bragging rights. It was about the trip itself - the road and the people on that that attracted us. If more people would put down the TV remotes and get of their sofas and just travel, the world wouldn't be about Americans, Europeans, young, old, Christian, Muslim, liberal, or conservative. We would become just so many people enjoying the shared experience as people.

OK, off the soap box and back to the saddle. Time to figure out where to stay tonight. In any case, the reports over the next few days will be sparse. Once I leave Tok and head east into the dead zone, communication will be sparse. I'll do my best.

Side Trip to Homer - Pictures

2009-07-07T23:59:00.000-07:00

Cook Inlet shrouded in smoky haze

Surf fishing at Homer:
Note the haze and smoke from inland forest fires spoiling the view of the mountains

Cook Inlet still smoky in late afternoon:

Peter from Tazmania ready to head out:
Peter shipped his BMW from Australia to southern tip of Chile and rode to Arctic Circle.

Monday July 6

2009-07-07T01:34:00.000-07:00

Yesterday (Sunday) was another rest day. I needed every bit of it after the punishment handed to me by the Dalton Highway. I was also a tiny bit depressed about falling short of my plans of reaching Prudhoe Bay, so I needed to do the one thing that cures the blues for me. I needed to ride some more.

Today, I took my time getting ready to leave the campground at Anchorage. I left my camping gear behind and travelled light, carrying only my camera and emergency essentials such as tool kit, phone, laptop, and only half of my wits. Today was going to be a leisurely ride to Homer at the tip of the Kenai Peninsula.

The ride starts south from Anchorage on the Seward Highway. After leaving Anchorage, the road runs for many miles along the east bank of the Cooke Inlet. The Kenai peninsula could be seen across the inlet, and the view of the white capped mountains of the peninsula is absolutely spectacular. You'll have to trust me on this or look at a postcard or something, because there was so much smoke and fog over the inlet that any pictures would be rather sucky. I took a few anyway, but they are washed out and disappointing. It didn't matter. The view I had of the mountains and the way the road twisted to follow the shoreline was exactly enough to pick me back up. I guess I'll have to make a return trip when the weather gets better. The source of the visibility problems stem from the fact that there are several forest fires burning in the interior of the state and the winds have been from the north pushing the smoke south. The forecast is for more of the same for several more days.

Since Homer is known for its fishing industry, I stopped for the obligatory plate of fish and chips before heading back to Anchorage where my tent and sleeping bag awaited me. I got back at about 11:00 and will be asleep withing minutes of logging off this computer.

Tomorrow, I'll be shipping home a few more unessential items, and will start on the road home. I'll continue to file daily reports.

Thurs thru Sat - Fairbanks and beyond

2009-07-04T14:18:00.000-07:00

OK, so it seems I've been missing in action. I haven't. The truth is that there are no services for Internet or cell north of Fairbanbks, even though I expected some at Coldfoot. So let's catch up on things.

Thursday later morning I decided that I was spending too much time pussyfooting around and getting spoiled by the creature comforts in Anchorage. I set out to travel north to Fairbanks as planned. The fact is that as we go even further north, the daylight gets longer. Even when the sun sets, it never gets darker than a cloudy day at noon. It's tough on the circadian rhythms.

On the way north out of Anchorage, I started getting the "nods" at about 11:00 AM. I didn't sleep well last night. My body and my rhythms have been shuffled up by all the changes, and we know it isn't nice to fool Mother Nature, so I pulled over to take a nap on the ground on the shady side of the bike. The trick here is that it is enough shade to fall asleep, but when the sun shifts, it's wake-up time. About an hour and a half and I was good to go.

Stopping for gas in Fairbanks, I noticed something missing. Hmmm... where'd my tent go? I guess I didn't secure it enough at the last stop. I found a great place called Sportsmen's Warehouse. OMG, a toy store for hunters, hikers, etc. Picked up a nice little one man hiker's tent and a few extra supplies I might need on the North Slope. Double-checked my load this time and headed out, planning to spend the night at the Yukon River crossing just north of Fairbanks. It was so light out, I was feeling great. There were no cell or web services at the Yukon River anyway, so I decided to press on. I could catch up with the details at Coldfoot.

Not too far further north of Fairbanks, I had been travelling on great asphalt road surfaces all the way. I saw the sign marking the start of the Dalton Highway (a.k.a. the Haul Road). I thought" could this really be it? Am I finally on the road that has haunted my dreams, taunted my fears, and challenged my senses of responsibility for years? Before I could waste even a small portion of my consciousness waxing philosophical, I was shaken by by the stark reality of the situation before me. Almost instantly after passing the zero mile marker, at about 65 mph (that's all I'll admit to anyway), the road became deep gravel. I'm not talking about chip-seal, hard-packed gravel, or anything closely resembling civilized road surface. I'm talking about deep, loose, uneven gravel that seemed to have been freshly dropped there waiting for the 18-wheeled "haulers" to finish the job of compacting the stuff. I only have two wheels and they don't have much of a contact patch compared to even a small car.

My front wheel started oscillating when it first hit the new stuff at highway speed. I thought I was going down. Damn my inattention! All this planning, dreaming, and hoping was going to be wasted because my euphoria and adrenalin was pushing me? I needed to react and quickly. First of all, I got my weight transferred to my floorboards for better weight control; got a better grip on the bars to offset the front-end wallowing, and let the bike slow down on its own. Absolutely no brakes were employed. Good; still vertical, down to third gear at 35 mph, still with a handful of handlebars and weight on feet. Maybe this is just a freshly repaired section. Surely this can't last for the 200 or so miles to Coldfoot!

Now it's about 10:30 PM and no sign of change in the surface. No problem staying awake here, but I needed to turn my attention up a notch or two. I used one of my old tricks. I talked to myself out loud to involve more of my senses in the process. The conversation went something like this:

OK Dave, hill coming up... need a few more miles per hour so you won't need too
much throttle on the climb... don't want to spin your tires here... Come on! get
off your ass, weight on feet, concentrate. Give me about 40 MPH at bottom of
hill... C'mon not 35, I need more... That's it, now control the bike to the top, minimal throttle inputs... make the crest at 30 MPH... great job! Keep it up. Crap, now we have a steep decent, and twisties! Third gear, let engine do some of the
braking, but not all of it. Drag front brake ever-so-gently. Maintain 30 mph
through this. You can do it! What's this, pavement? Great, we made it! Wait,
what's up with the road ahead? Different color, not pavement, not sure, better
slow it up. Wham, back in the deep gravel! OK that was a trap. Five miles or so
of nice road just to set me off guard. The setting sun in my eyes isn't helping.
Almost got fooled.

Fascinating how the deep-purple wildflowers in the fields beside the road at a flat angle made the fields look almost painted. The low angled side lighting of the setting sun gave the petals a luminescent glow. Got to take some pictures of this on the way back tomorrow.

Slap! Wake up Dave! Worry about the artsy fartsy stuff later. We have a job to do here! Get back up on the balls of your feet... concentrate...

And so the conversation went on under my helmet between myself and I for about three hours, and more than 100 miles. My quads were burning from bearing my weight, my eyes were burning from staring into the setting midnight sun for hours until I stopped at Arctic Circle for a photo and to camp for the rest of the night.

While pitching camp at the Arctic Circle camp site, I became aware that my wallet was missing from its usual pocket. Maybe I filed it somewhere else on my bike because I was wearing my outer rain pants. Sometimes the pocket of my jeans is difficult to get to with the rain pants on, so I've been known to put the wallet in one of the pockets of the motorcycle luggage. I checked everywhere to no avail. This is serious stuff now. The wallet had all my credit cards and a small amount of cash in it. I'm at the Arctic Circle, about 230 miles from the nearest gas stop to the south. I only had about 1/2 tank of fuel and the spare fuel jugs I was carrying had already been transferred into the bike's fuel tank. Turning south was no option. I needed to get to Coldfoot, 71 miles north of my location. Checking my side pockets yielded $20.00 in loose bills, enough to fill the tank and almost fill the two spare jugs at Coldfoot. While there, I could contact credit card companies, etc.

At Coldfoot, I was able to fill the containers and the tank. Based on the condition of the roads and the information passed to me by other riders (including a phone call earlier in the day from my friend Canyon Evans who had reached Prudhoe on his dual-sport bike), the chance of reaching Prudhoe on my heavyweight cruiser was a long shot at best. The only prudent thing to do was to cut my losses, be glad to have reached the Arctic Circle, and return to Fairbanks, so I could call to have cash wired to me. With mixed emotions - relief that the torture will soon be over, and disappointment that I had to cut back on my goal - I pointed my front wheel south and headed to Fairbanks.

When I got to Fairbanks, I called Rosie to let her know the situation, and within an hour, the clerk at the Western Union outlet was counting out cold, hard cash into my hand. I bought a new wallet, promising to keep better track of this one and continued south back to Anchorage. Rosie, I owe you big time! What can I do to make it up to you when I get back? Need a new addition on the house? A new kitchen? Whatever it is, just add it to my honey-do list.

I'm now camped out at the free motorcycles-only campground provided as a courtesy be Anchorage House of Harley, pondering my plans for tomorrow. When I know, you'll know. Right now, it is 1AM Alaska time, and sleep sounds like a great idea.

North to the Arctic - Pictures

2009-07-03T23:59:00.000-07:00

Mt McKinley as seen from Parks Highway:

About 1:00 AM near Arctic Circle

Arctic Circle marker at 3:00 AM

Heading south from Coldfoot:

Wed Jul 1 Report

2009-07-01T23:41:00.000-07:00

No riding today except for local errands, shopping, etc. Still at Anchorage campsite behind Anchorage House of Harley. Tomorrow, I will start moving north through Fairbanks and in position to attack the Dalton Highway (Haul Road) to the Arctic Circle, the Brooks Range, and hopefully Prudhoe Bay.

Quick Points:

There seems to be a conspiracy of gremlins on this trip. The com system still won't let me hear the PS or MP3. I've figured out that it is a problem with the headset. I have traced power all the way to the StarCom unit and I have 12v entering the box. The pilot light on unit wont light. The unit is not on unless it senses that helmet set 1 is plugged in. It is and it still won't power up. The heated vest is still dead, but I've replaced it with a Gerbing jacket liner and related heated gloves.
The Metzeler rear tire was scrubbed clear down to the metal cord, while the front tire is mint. I guess I should slow down on the sharp gravelly roads. The rubber doesn't handle heavy throttle on such an abrasive surface. Fact is I was riding through the night last night on steel chord. Luckily I didn't blow the tire.
Speaking of throttle, I was stopped by an officer Monday night in Palmer on the way to Anchorage. Turns out he grew up in Unity, NH. No ticket.
From here out, there is no agenda, and most places won't have Internet or cell service, so periods of time without a message isn't going to be cause for concern.

Going to get some more sleep and out of here early tomorrow.

Entering Alaska - Pics

2009-06-30T23:59:00.000-07:00

Just before sunset at midnight:
Riding the Glenn Highway from Glennallen to Anchorage.

High above the glaciers on the Glenn Hy.

Deserted truck at midnight sunset

Midnight moon at sunset

Sunday - Tuesday June 28 - 30 Ride Report

2009-06-30T00:57:00.001-07:00

Originally, I had hoped to ride past Whitehorse through the night to pick up some of the time lost earlier in the ride. However, it was raining lightly east of Whitehorse becoming heavy as I entered the Wolf Creek Campground. Since I still haven't been able to fix my faulty electric vest, I was getting the shivers and was getting a bit wet under my rain gear. Cold and wet are not my two favorite feelings, and the original plan was to use Wolf Creek anyway, so Wolf Creek was where i stayed.

I had been riding the latter part of the day with Canyon Evans whose route has been cris-crossing with mine since we met at Calgary earlier in the week. We both left Ft. Nelson in he morning and headed off in the same general direction. It's funny how that seems to happen when you have so many people going in the same general direction for many days. A sort of informal community develops. Canyon was plagued by similar electrical gremlins and he was every bit as cold as was I. Canyon is a 6'8" tall red-bearded young man who had a great knack of chatting up new people and extracting lots of information from them. He had some sort of sheet of graph paper or something like that, which was chock full of information about towns and camping options along the way. How about that! I've been planning this trip, doing on-line research, buying books, and burning up computer gigabytes plotting my routes on Garmin and in this blog. Then along comes this kid without a plan, and in a few days of asking questions, has more data on his little sheet of paper than I could imagine! Ladies, there actually is a guy out there who actually stops to ask directions! Canyon Evans is his name. One of the folks he spoke with told him that Dawson City Yukon is quite the location, with old western shows complete with show girls and all their trappings (or whatever is is that showgirls have going on) So Dave, the old guy with a plan, is going to freeze half to death riding through the night to Anchorage, while Canyon, the young man without a plan is going north to be warmed by the Dawson City experience. Maybe sometimes old ain't so wise after all.

Overall, the ride from Ft Nelson to Whitehorse was mostly interesting for its wildlife. Northern BC and Southern Yukon Territory is a beautiful countryside with more wildlife per mile than anywhere else on our continent. I spotted several black bears, including a mother and two cubs just of the road to my left. Mama bear was trying her best to keep track of the two little ones while trying to eat her meal of grass and weeds in peace. I pulled over for a picture or two, but didn't have the telephoto mounted at the time and If I took the time to dig out the telephoto lens, I might have lost the moment.

A bit later on, I saw a rather dark object beside the road which turned out to be a big old male black bear. I pulled over to the side, keeping the motor idling and the bike between me and the bear. Again, I had the wrong lens and the bear was kind of big so I took what I had and will crop and expand the picture before posting.

When I crested another hill There were four horses just standing in the breakdown lane. One of them had a slight limp. Maybe they were waiting for a tow truck.

I was kind of excited to cross back into the states when I entered Alaska mid afternoon. I would have made better time had I not needed to stop frequently to thaw out in the occasional diner along the way, but I was determined to make it to Anchorage on Monday, even if it would be late at night.
The interesting thing is that as I move north, the days get longer. Stopping about 120 miles east of Anchorage on the Glenn Highway, I was treated to a colorful sunset at about 11PM, and a half-moon suspended over the tops of the mountain ranges to the south. Taking pictures in this sort of lighting condition is difficult to figure. I hope they turn out OK. If not, I'll still be in Anchorage for and extra day and will try it again. Basically Tuesday is a rest day, shopping day, getting new tires on the bike day, with not much else to report. I'm staying at a free campground behind the Anchorage Harley Davidson Dealership, which is open to riders of all brands. I'll take my time leaving tomorrow.

Speaking of which, I'd better get to work in the pics so I can post them.

Ft Nelson to Whitehorse Pics

2009-06-28T23:59:00.000-07:00

Wood Bison:
Plentiful in western Canada. Slightly different from plains cousins

Brown Bear cubs:
Two cubs jousting

Note all "black" bears aren't black. Mom is close by. This is close enough for me.

Wild horses are everywhere.

This big guy wasn't too far from the road.

Sunday Ride Report

2009-06-28T15:53:00.000-07:00

I'll file this partial report now on the fly. I'm sitting at the Coal River Lodge having breakfast in the afternoon. I may not be able to access internet later, but no problem. I plan to keep moving past Whitehorse tonight since it is light until after 11PM. That is, if it doesn't get too cold etc.

So far, since leaving Ft Nelson, I've seen three herds of buffalo. Got some close up pics. I've seen 4 black bears, Dall sheep (I think), caribou, and other wildlife critters. I was going to keep the camera in the saddlebags, but couldn't resist. All these photo ops are slowing me down, but today I'm slowing it down to smell the roses.

If I get a chance later, I'll add to this post, but for now, I'm hitting thre road again.

Saturday June 27 Ride Report

2009-06-28T06:54:00.000-07:00

I'm sorry for not reporting in sooner, but Wifi and cell service are scarce up here.

Yesterday (Saturday) was one of those days that test a person's resolve. It seems that my days have been alternating between incredible beauty, and days from Hell. Yesterday was one of the latter.

Starting out in Hinton, Alberta I wanted to try to fix a couple of problems with the bike, so I got off to an 11:00 AM start. None of the problems were fixed. The day was going to be colder than any of the days so far, making it essential that I get my heated vest working. It hasn't worked since the heavy rains of a week ago when I also lost function of my Bluetooth GPS. Unable to fix either issue, I bundled up and hit the road at 11:00 AM. The objective was Ft. Nelson BC. The expected ETA was something after 9PM. I wasn't in the mood to miss any more objectives. Press on and if necessary ride through the night, but I resolved to make Ft. Nelson regardless of what it would take.

The ride itself was disappointing. Alberta is a beautiful province, but for the whole day, I saw nothing but trees, trees, and more trees. Apparently forestry is a big industry up here, as evidenced by the numerous logging trucks on the road. It was just a long day of slogging through a vast sea of green, with no particular geographical features worth mentioning. Staying awake and alert was more of a challenge here.

Hinton to Grand Prairie was along rte 40. When I entered Grand Prairie, a sign listed the population at 50,000. This is a town big enough to have motorcycle shops. Perhaps I could find one that sold Tourmaster clothing and I could replace the non-functioning controller to my heat vest. No luck after trying three shops. Another hour and a half wasted, I returned to the route which is now rte 16.

I picked up the beginning of the official Alaska-Canadian (ALKAN) highway at Dawson Creek mid afternoon. It felt good that I was finally on tha Alaska Highway, making me feel somehow closer to my destination, and because of the historical significance of the road itself. A short distance out of Dawson Creek, I saw a fash of red passing me on the left. It was my friend Canyon Evans, a young rider that I met at the Calgary campground. I took his picture with my windshield cam and motioned him to the side of the road. I asked him where he was planning to pitch his tent for the night. he had no specific plan, so I sugggested he check in to the campground in Ft. Nelson. He agreed and we proceeded to Ft Nelson.

Canyon Evans: Sharing the Alcan.

Only 5:00 in the afternoon and I was now starting to get the shivers. Not good. GPS said I'd arrive at Ft. Nelson at 10:30 pm. Time to suck it up and just get there somehow. Boring that the roads were, they are also fast. Physically exhausted and cold to the bone, I rolled in to Ft Nelson at 9:45. I pitched my tent and crawled in. No wifi service here except in the laundry room next to the office. I'm sorry, but I thought sleep was more important at this point. I'll have to file this report in the morning. Canyon pitched his tent and mingled with a large group of dual-sport riders from the Czech Republic that were also at the campground. I joined the conversation for a brief while, but soon went back to my tent. Plenty of time to catch up on the news later. It was strangely light out even though it was about 11:00PM, but I was tired enough to pass out quickly.

It is now Sunday, and my objective is to make Whitehorse by nightfall. Canyon decided to ride along with me for another day. Since nightfall this far north is around 11:00 PM, I might push beyond Whitehorse and ride through the night with maybe a power nap in the saddle (known as the iron butt motel to long-distance riders). If I can do this, I will be able to arrive in Anchorage late Monday. Anchorage will be a rest day for me, so I can't wait to get there.

One final thing for now. While in Canada, I'm on international roaming, and I'm a cheap old bastard. Therefore, I'll be keeping my cell phone stashed in my saddle bag until I get to Alaska. If anyone calls and I don't answer or reply to voice mail, it doesn't mean I don't love you.

Later,

Dave

Calgary, AB to Hinton, AB Pictures

2009-06-26T23:59:00.000-07:00

Banff NP near Lake Lousie, AB

Bow Lake in Banff Alberta:
A few pictures

Jasper, Alberta NP:

Ride Report June 26, 2009 Calgary, AB to Hinton, AB

2009-06-26T19:18:00.000-07:00

Today is the first full day in Canada. The objective was to reach Hinton early enough to settle in early enough to file this report before everyone back home goes to bed. It is now 8:30 mountain time and I'm sitting in my tent in bright sunlight. as I travel further north, the days get longer. Last night, the sun set at 10:30 PM. Tonight it will set a bit later.

After taking care of some internet business tracking down some items I'll need later, I left at 11:00 AM westbound on Rte 1. The high winds of yesterday were gone, and the sky was a clear blue from horizon to horizon. Already today is better than yesterday. After missing Chief Joseph Highway and Beartooth Pass on Tuesday (actually I will get those later) and Glacier NP on Thursday, I wanted badly to visit both Banff and Jasper National Parks, take lots of pictures and post some of them tonight. The night is still young. I'll post this now, and edit the pictures in after I get some food. It should still be light until 11:00 PM tonight.

Later

2009-06-25T22:47:00.000-07:00

Today was supposed to start out at West Glacier and end at Hinton, AB KOA campground. After the disappointments of yesterday's time wasted in Missoula, the extra heat of the afternoon and high winds, I was hoping for less of the same and more good fortune. However, when I rode to the West Glacier entrance to the park, the rangers informed me that Logan's Pass was closed for at least one day due to extreme winds (up to 80 mph). The option would have been to ride into the park for 32 miles. turn around and exit the same gate, then ride around the outside of the park to St Mary and entering and exiting the park from that end to see the Going to the Sun Road from both ends. This would have meant riding more than twice the mileage, but missing the high point of the ride. What? Thanks, but I'll catch your park on the way home.

Not only did this closure of Logan's deprive me of the best part of the day, it also blocked my short cut route up to Calgary, Banff NP, and Jasper, NP. I now had to go around the park on a route that was more than 100 miles out of the way. I rode Rte 2 and 89 through Blackfoot country east to I-15 north to Canada. The winds that closed Logan's Pass was part of a bigger system blowing through the area. For the whole day, I felt as though I was wrestling an 800 pound grizzly. My bike with a dry weight of 700 pounds, plus over 100 pounds of gear was blasted by side winds of 30 mph with frequent gusts higher than that. The result was literally a wrestling match that had me leaning forward to put more weight on my feet for control, and with a firm grip on the controls.

My agenda was now out the window. I would be getting to Banff and Jasper too late in the day to take any pictures, plus the danger of animal collision increases at dusk. Finally, I would have arrived at Hinton KOA in the wee hours of the morning. Frustrated as hell, tired, and hot, I made the decision to call Hinton to make a reservation for tomorrow night instead. I asked my imaginary girlfriend (the Garmin voice-prompt girl) to guide me to an alternate campsite in Calgary. We (me and Garmin Girl) will have a more leisurely ride of only 300 miles ahead of us tomorrow. Occasional showers and the same high winds are in the forecast, but I'll take whatever we get.

A few random thoughts ran through my head since I wasn't taking any pictures today.

As I was wrestling with my 800 pound grizzly westbound on Rte 2 through Blackfeet country, I happened to notice a historic site roadside marker. I slowed down enough to read the heading "Camp Disappointment" marking the site of Lewis and Clarke's most frustrating excursions through the Northwest. I chuckled at the irony.
Hey what's up with the women who do the flag details at roadside construction sites. All day long, with their two-sided sign on a stick, they communicate only two messages to the rest of the world -- STOP, and SLOW. STOP, and SLOW. Nothing else! This has to carry over into the rest of their lives! My advice is - don't date these women. They are way too negative.

Also, because of the frequent changes I had to make to the route today, there were six or seven separate tracks generated. I only uploaded the last on so you can see my latest location on the "Live Link". Maybe I'll ask GarminGirl to show me how to combine these segments. but not too soon. She thinks I'm working her too hard.

Tomorrow will be better. It has to. If the above two observations are all I could smile about all day long....

Dave

Report Jun 24

2009-06-25T00:43:00.000-07:00

Today, we left Big Timber, MT for Bozeman for new tires and periodic maintenance. I selected Team Bozeman for this job weeks ago after researching on line. When the tires, which had to be special ordered, arrived at their location, they called me to confirm the arrival of my parts. This morning, I called them from Big Timber to make sure that they knew I was coming. When I arrived at around 10:30AM, they had a service bay open for me and they took me right in. They had me out the door in about 2 hours and made sure everything was OK before I rolled again. The staff and physical layout of their showroom is the best I have ever experienced. If I need anything done during my return trip, I'll make a point of calling them first.

The next stop on the way to Glacier National Park was 204 miles away in Missoula to attempt to ship a package to myself in Alaska. For various reasons of company policy, neither UPS nor FedEx was able to take care of my needs. An hour and a half later, I continued on to Glacier.

Since I was running late, I checked in to the KOA in W Glacier, rather than the campground inside the park. I will need to backtrack 30 miles to Kalispell tomorrow morning to address my shipping problem before continuing through Glacier on the Going to the Sun Road to St Mary, MT and up into Canada through Banff and Jasper parks in Alberta.

Except for about 75 miles, the approximately 400 mile ride today was all super highways. Considering the stationary time in Bozeman and Missoula, today was productive mileage wise.

Everything is still on schedule. We'll see what tomorrow has in store. The weather is supposed to be partly cloudy and windy. There is a weather advisory out for high winds in the area tomorrow. High mountain passes in high winds? Fun!

Kalispell Lake: A beautiful sight at the end of a long arduous day

Ride Report - Dubois, WY to Big Timber, MT

2009-06-24T07:09:00.000-07:00

Yesterday's report wasn't filed last night because I was downloading Photoshop Elements on my NetBook computer at the Big Timber KOA with a slow connection. This report will be quick and I'll flesh it out later.

We left Dubois, WY on time but ran into extensive road repair delays in the Teton NP and in Yellowstone. Since we lost so much time in the hot sun, I decided to cut out the Beartooth hand the Chief Joseph Highway loop and cut across from Mammoth Hot Springs/ Gardner to Big Timber to arrive at the KOA there at 7:30 local time. Today (Wednesday) I have an appointment in Bozeman for new tires and periodic maintenance on the bike. While I'm waiting in Bozeman, I'll finish editing the picture files down to a size small enough for web consumption.

After leaving Bozeman, I'll be heading north to Glacier NP for the night. My capable wing man, Max will be pealing off for home and I'll be riding solo for the rest of the trip. I'll miss the banter and the brotherhood. Thanks again Max.

More later,

Dave

Dubois, WY to Big Timber, MT Pics.

2009-06-23T23:59:00.000-07:00

Chasing Max toward the Tetons:

Grand Tetons up close:

Yellowstone Lake:

Yellowstone Lake:
Note the sulphur springs steaming in the foreground.

Plains Bison:

The mountains of Yellowstone:

Longmont to Dubois Pictures

2009-06-22T23:59:00.000-07:00

Rocky Mountain National Park:

Looking back towards Estes Park near entrance to park.

Long Mountain:

Highest point in the park

Mad Max and his Radical Roadie:

My Ride:

looks like something Jed Clampett would be proud of.

Looking across the top of the alpine tundra

Racing across the high plains toward Dubois:

Re-approaching the Rockies from the east:

Interesting rock formations near Dubois:

Longmont to Dubois ride report

2009-06-22T21:44:00.000-07:00

What a glorious day! Left at 0700 for Dubois. The weather was perfect and the ride through Rocky Mountain NP was beautiful. Took lots of pics. Everything exceeded expectations. Arrived at Dubois at 8:30. Pitching tents in the dark was a challenge, but got it done.

From the start:

We rolled out of Longmont and stopped for breakfast in Loveland. Lee (Max) wasted no time hitting on the cute little waitress. All fueled up on eggs and bacon, bikes packed like Beverly Hillbillies on two wheels, we checked in to Rocky Mountain NP and began climbing through the twisties to 13,000 feet, stopping for numerous pictures. I got off the bike and walked a couple of trails to get the best angles. Walking or climbing at three miles high, is tough for seasoned hikers half my age. Although I was out of breath, I got some breathtaking shots of the Arctic Tundra.

Rte 125 Granby to Walden: This stretch of open prairie is flanked by Rocky mountains on the west and the east. It is a road to be enjoyed for it's riding as well as its viewing. It was impossible not to push the envelope on this road, scraping floorboards through the long sweeping high-speed turns, while also taking in the scenery. Funny thing is you put two guys on similar motorcycles, add a challenging road, mix in a little adrenalin, and ... well... you know the rest of the story. We ended up in Walden a little ahead of schedule.

Leaving Walden after lunch, rte 125 becomes a long straight road for a while. I was riding in the lead, and noticed that Max was no longer in my mirrors. Backtracking to find him, I crested a hill and there he was by the side of the road, with a cruiser parked behind him with the blue lights on. I'm no fool, so I continued without stopping, but noticed that the trooper was a young female. You're on your own with this one Max old buddy! I proceeded over the next hill and passed them again, pulling over well up the road to await the news. After a while Max rejoined me on the road and took the lead for a while. Neither of us wanted to stop to exchange stories just yet. I did notice that his throttle hand became considerably weaker for the rest of the ride north out of Colorado. No more fun and games for a while. I later found out that no ticket was issued.

Rte 125 ran into 130 and 230 to 26 toward the Tetons and the Dubois KOA . The tent site is without the necessary utilities to do the proper photo editing details on my computer, so I'll add them to this post when I get to a site better suited to the job.

Tomorrow we leave for the next leg which will take us through the Teton NP, Yellowstone NP. Chief Joseph Highway, Beartooth Pass, ending the day at Big Timber, MT. I'll try to get a cabin instead of a tent site so I will have use of a desk and decent lighting to organize the pictures and insert them into the posts. Tomorrow will be a very photogenic day, so many pictures will be posted, as well as the set I took today.

Dave

2009-06-21T02:50:00.001-07:00

I meant wifi with computer.

2009-06-21T02:48:00.001-07:00

Arrived lincoln, nebraska moments ago rough night, but 1500 miles in 24hrs. More to tell when I get to a wifi with my computer. Problems with my bluetooth gps.

GPSed Track "leg 1"

2009-06-20T02:47:00.001-07:00

Hi Everyone,

First and foremost thank you all for virtually riding along with me. It helped to know that some were checking in.

Secondly, I'm sorry for the failure of my Bluetooth GPS that was going to send the live tracks via my cell phone. Maybe it had something to do with all the rain, but whatever the reason, it simply died of natural causes.

I will meanwhile simply upload the tracks from my main Garmin GPS at the end of each day. It's not as much fun as live tracking, but I'll do the best to send something in the form of pictures, tracks, and observations every day. If the end of any day finds me in a remote area without cell or Internet coverage, I'll catch everything up when I am in an area with connections.

Finally, if something fails (like today), don't get worried. The greatest likelihood is that some technology item failed, or that I failed to use it correctly.

Finally, I deleted the links to the failed track and replaced them with three segments off my Garmin:

Labeled "1 Nashua, NH to Lincoln, NE" I separated this out for Smitty's sake. It shows as 1501.1 miles on the Garmin track, but translates to 1499.1 when translated to the GPSed format. It's funny to note that the time was 23:57 or something like that. It satisfied my curiosity about whether the 1500 can be done in 24 hours, Read on.
the second track is captioned "2 Lincoln, NE to York, NE". As mentioned above, I was feeling kind of good about doing 1500 in 24 hours, but I overextended my self to the point that I needed a nap or would simply fall off the bike. This problem was aggravated by the fact that I was fighting high winds, thunderstorms, road construction, old age and general grumpiness by then. That explains the 54 mile leg. I pulled in to a rest area, turned everything off, and napped for three hours on the pavement in a rest area beside the bike (the rain had ended).
After the morning power nap of 2 1/2 hours, the third segment was about 468 miles or so to Lee's house in Longmont. It was good to see my old friend even though I had to lecture him about becoming a mother hen when my tracks went poof in the night.

No pictures for this portion of the trip. The object here was to get to the Rockies as quickly as possible, and to start the trip cris-crossing the Continental Divide looking for the best of the best. Maybe fruited plains and fields of grain will be the theme of another ride.

To see the tracks of the newly uploaded segments, just click on the live location link at the top of the navigation pane (as we have been doing) and the three tracks will be on my GPSed page. In the future, the new posts will have the links directly attached to the post itself.

Tomorrow AM, we travel from Longmont, southwest through the Rocky Mountain National Park then turning northwesterly stopping at Dubois, WY for the night. The tracks still won't be live until I find a replacement tracking device. Everything will be posted in the evening, beginning tomorrow (Monday) night.

Thanks again for riding along.

Dave

Start Time

2009-06-19T21:14:00.000-07:00

Due to minor equipment difficulties with the bike that kept me up until 12:30 AM, the start time will possibly be later by an hour or so. I should try to get at least 5 hours sleep before leaving. Everything else is fine, and I look forward to sharing the experience in a few hours. Check "Click Here" link just above this post for actual start time.

First Leg - From Home to Colorado - Sched 6/20-6/21

2009-06-10T21:20:00.000-07:00

(Click to Enlarge)
Start 5:00AM June 20 2009 - Finish Approx. 5:00 PM June 21 - 2,027 miles in 36 hours

This will take us from Nashua, New Hampshire to Longmont, Colorado.

Main waypoints:

I-90 to Lee Mass Service Plaza
I-90 to Chittenango, NY Service Plaza
I-90 to Clarence, NY Service Plaza
I-90 to PA exit 3 for fuel
I-80 to Erie Islands, OH Service Plaza
I-80 to Ohio Exit 34 for fuel
I-80 to Wibur Shaw Service Plaza Indiana
I-80 to IL exit 56 for fuel
I-80 to Iowa exit 246 fuel stop
I-80 to Iowa exit 93 Conoco
I-80 to Nebraska exit 405 Phillips 66
I-80 to Nebraska exit 272 fuel stop
I-80 to Nebraska exit 126 fuel
I-80 to Wyoming Exit 115 Conoco
I-25 to Longmont, CO
Local roads to Lee Sutherburg's "Mad Max"(Maxair Engineering).

OK, I know, I promised to make this an event with no creature comforts, taking in an unfiltered perspective of the view and the elements. I also know that 2027 miles in a day and a half is a lot of miles in a very short time (kids, don't try this yourselves). However, the focal point of this ride is to get to the rugged West through the Rockies to Alaska, stopping to smell the roses and take a lot of pictures to share. Something about a promise of a hot shower, comfortable bed, a good cigar and a chance to ride with an old friend into the real part of the journey changed my perspective. There will be plenty of time later to rough it. First, let's get there. After all, I-90 and I-80 aren't exactly on any one's list of favorite scenic by-ways anyway.

Seriously though, I'll be welcoming the companionship as we leave the plains and begin our climb into the Rocky Mountain National Park. Watch for the live tracking on June 20, and the posted pictures each evening beginning on June 21.

Lee, you'd better rest up. We're going to ride!

Obviously, the story behind this particular segment of the trip is more about the physical challenge and its test of human endurance. This type of ride profile should not be taken lightly, and should only be taken if similar endurance rides have been accomplished in the past. Anyone else thinking of doing thousands of miles in one long stretch should first spend time researching the subject. Point your search engine at Iron Butt Association, Long distance riders, LDR, and spend time reading and following the advice and suggestions.

"Be sure you're right, then go ahead" - Davey Crockett

Second Leg - Longmont, CO to Dubois, WY - June 22

2009-06-10T21:18:00.000-07:00

(Click to Enlarge)

This leg begins the photogenic part of the journey. 471 miles in approx 10hours allowing stops to capture a few shots.

Leaving Lee's place with Lee in hot pursuit, we'll go north a few miles to pick up rte 34 west to Rocky Mountain NP. This portion of the ride was mentioned in the original "Planning" post as the first attempt to raise the bar from previous favorites. I'm not sure where Lee will be peeling off to head back home.

Waypoints and segments. Not all fuel stops listed here:

Hwy 34 from Estes Park, CO through Rocky Mt. NP to Granby, CO

In Granby, taking Hwy 40 Hwy 125 to Wyoming

At Wyoming, hwy 125 becomes hwy 230

Hwy 230 becomes Hwy 130 north to I-80

I-80 to Rawlins, WY exit for fuel

Rte 187 north to Dubois, WY KOA

Photos and comments will be posted to the blog after settling in. This will be a tent site, but KOA has wifi and cell service.

Third Leg - Dubois, WY to Big Timber, MT - June 23

2009-06-10T21:16:00.000-07:00

(Click to Enlarge)

This leg of the trip includes several of my previous favorite roads. Chief Joseph Highway, Beartooth Pass, Grand Tetons, Yellowstone. The big issue here will be to cover the ground, take interesting pictures, and still make it to Bozeman in time for my appointment for new tires and maintenance the following day. Total miles 471. Time about 10 hours. Maybe I should have someone zip-tie my wrists to the handlebars so I can keep going. So much to see, so little time!

Main Features and waypoints:

US 287 and US 26 from Dubois through Grand Teton NP
US 191 from Grand Tetons to South Entrance of Yellowstone.
Stop at Grants Village in Yellowstone for services
Loop around Yellowstone Lake and exit park at East Entrance.
US 14 to Cody, WY
Hwy 120 out of Cody to Hwy 296 Chief Joseph Hwy.
Hwy 296 to Beartooth Hwy 212
Through Beartooth Pass on 212 to Red Lodge, MT
Possible stop at Red Lodge KOA
Continue north to on Hwy 78 to I-90 west to Big Timber

Fourth Leg - Big Timber, MT to Glacier NP -June 24

2009-06-10T21:14:00.000-07:00

(Click to Enlarge)
Shorter leg due to bike maintenance scheduled in Bozeman.
Waypoints:

Leave Big Timber to Bozeman via I-90
Bike service at Team Bozeman
I-90 to Missoula exit Rte 93 north
Rte 93 north to Kalispell and Whitefish
US 2 to MacDonald Lake campground in Glacier NP

Fifth Leg - Glacier NP to Hinton Alberta - June 25

2009-06-10T21:12:00.000-07:00

(Click to Enlarge)
Today will cover Glacier NP (an old favorite) and move up into Canada to visit Banff and Jasper NP to see how those two parks compete with what we've seen before.
Waypoints:

Leave MacDonald Lake campground and take the Going to the Sun Road through the park to St Mary, MT
US 89 up to Canadian border crossing.
CN 2 to Calgary
CN 93 north through Banff and Jasper parks
Rte 40 east to Hinton KOA

There should be tons of pictures and thoughts to upload from campsite in Hinton, AB.

This will be a long day of about 500 miles and about 12 hours. The challenge will be to get it all done and adequately recorded in the time alotted. Fortunately, as we move nrthward, the daylight hours are getting longer.

Leg Six - Hinton to Ft Nelson - June 26

2009-06-10T21:10:00.000-07:00

(Click to Enlarge)

Hinton Alberta to Ft. Nelson BC

Rte 40 from Hinton, AB through Grande Cache to Grande Pairie, BC is one of the candidates vying for favorite status.

Waypoints:

Rte 40 to Grande Prairie BC

Rte 43 to Dawson Creek, BC

At Dawson Creek, pick up rte 97, beginning the actual Alaska Highway.

Alaska Highway (97) to Ft Nelson

At Ft Nelson West End Campground, uploads and updates will be logged.

Leg Seven - Ft Nelson, BC to Whitehorse, Yukon - June 27

2009-06-10T21:00:00.000-07:00

(Click to Enlarge)

Finally, after days of travelling further north, we're finally turning westward toward Alaska!

As we progress westward, we are also crosing the Continental Divide again. The terrain becomes more rugged, services more sparse, the weather colder.... Are we there yet?

Leg Eight - Whitehorse, YT to Glennallen, AK

2009-06-10T20:50:00.000-07:00

(Click to Enlarge)

This nice little Sunday ride will take us back into the US. After passing through Beaver Creek, Yukon on Canadian Rte 2, we will enter Alaska heading northwest on A2 to Tok.

After flogging this tired old body and my reliable Stratoliner for over a week, I expect the emotions will run the gamut from the relief and excitement of finally crossing into Alaska, and another emotion familiar to many long-distance riders - the extreme melancholia that sets in when the one of the ride's major objectives has been met. The challenge at that point will be to maintain the focus on the road ahead. I don't know, but maybe the prospect of Anchorage and a day of casual shopping for supplies, dining at an actual restaurant, calling home, and updating my log will push me through this.

One thing is certain. Whenever I get to Anchorage, I'm treating myself to a day without clocks, calendars, agendas, mile markers or many other artifacts of the long-distance rider.

Objective

2009-06-08T21:15:00.000-07:00

This blog will be the central holding area for all of the details of a major motorcycle trip to Alaska, with daily updates (as internet and cell coverage allow). Daily updates and real-time tracking will also be posted on twitter.

Everything has to start someplace. Let's start with a broad outline of the objectives of this trip.

To experience as many of the best scenic by-ways and back roads as possible within the budget, time constraints, and physical limitations of a recently-retired 62 year old. My trips usually include a few of my previous favorites, while trying to "raise the bar" with newly found treasures.
To share as much of the experience with as many people as is possible. I will be posting real-time tracking data, including photos and descriptions. The tracks and photos will speak for themselves. I'll try to convey my thoughts, feelings, and emotions also, although I doubt that the full range of emotion can fully be transmitted through this particular medium at the hands of this particular observer. I'll try my best!
This trip will be taken with absolutely bare-minimum creature comforts. If I have to see the sunrise or sunset through a motel window, I might as well do this entire trip in a four-wheeled vehicle, or worse... a friggin' RV! As closely as possible, The perspective will be that of a solitary traveller from the cowboy era. My saddle will be atop an iron horse, HTML CDMA will replace Morse code and US Mail, and I will have some electronic goodies attached to the bike, but the elements will be mostly unfiltered.

Please help me share this trip. I'll be looking foward to feedback, questions, and comments of any sort.

Thanks,

Dave

Planning

2009-06-06T12:57:00.000-07:00

Ah yes, a plan! Good idea!

The planning has been going on for a while. A rough map was drawn based on previous experiences and rides (see objective #1). The baseline for this ride will be my favorite roads of past excursions, strung together with several roads that looked like promising candidates.

Previous Favorites

Chief Joseph Highway. Also known as Rte. 296 starting at Rte 120 northwest of Cody Wyoming to its intersection with Rte 212 (Beartooth Highway). I have ridden this road once before and taken several pictures with my simple point-and-shoot camera. The beauty of the red iron-rich rock layers framed by lush green pasture is visually breathtaking. Add the historical fact that this traces the approximate route taken by Chief Joseph and 600 of his people in their heroic dash for freedom, pursued by thousands of US cavalry. The history and the scenic beauty is guaranteed to raise at least a few goosebumps. I need to go back for more.
Beartooth Pass. Rte 212 runs from Red Lodge Montana to the Northeast Gate of Yellowstone NP through this 11,000 ft plus pass. I've been there when is was snowing heavily in August. On one other trip, I was treated to perfectly clear blue skies and warm weather. A couple of other times, This road was included in my plans. This road is listed as a favorite of many riders and writers. So far, it is still my absolute favorite, and will be a challenge to top on this trip.
Going to the Sun Highway. This road is a bit of a challenge for its twisty and steep roads running through Glacier NP. The challenge isn't so much the ability of this rider (at least I won't admit it) as it is to stay focused on the road while enjoying the scenery. Fortunately, many scenic turnouts will allow safe enjoyment of the road and the scenery.

Raising the Bar. These roads and landmarks were chosen as candidates to surpass the previous favorites. They are included based on multiple reports in various registers. Let's see how well they pan out.

Rocky Mountain NP. US Rte 34 runs from Estes Park, CO to Granby, CO through the Rocky Mountain NP. This is listed in many scenic byway registers as must see roads. I reserved a tent site at Apenglen campground near the eastern entrance to this park.
Banff NP and Jasper NP. Let's see what Alberta Canada has to offer to this challenge. Rte 93 runs through both of these parks and is listed in several registers as must see roads.
Rte 40 from Hinton, AB to Grande Prairie, BC. I forget in which report I read it, but this road is highly recommended by many writers. It seems as good an option as any to get to Dawson Creek, BC and the beginning of the Alaska Highway (mostly Rte 97).
Alaska Highway. Although there are a few alternate versions, the historically correct corridor from the lower 48 to Alaska follows mostly Rte 97. History, nostalgia, and the availability of paved roads and services appeals to this old man riding a heavyweight cruiser with a 4.5 gallon (17 litre) tank.
Cassiar-Stewart Highway. This is an alternate to the Rte 97 "Alaska Highway". The scenery is reputably beautiful, but gravel roads, potholes and sparse services are the rule of the day here. I may play this card as an alternate return route. Odds are however, that I'll leave this road to much younger folks riding dual purpose or enduro machines. "A man's got to know his limitations" - Harry Callahan
Dalton Highway. This road, also known as the "haul road", was built for supply trucks during the construction of the Alaska Pipeline. It is pure gravel and calcium chloride layer over the permafrost. The road is as slippery as whale snot when it rains. It is dominated and ruled by large trucks (after all it was built for them) that throw a steady barrage of gravel chips, mud, salt spray, and occasional gestures. It runs from Fairbanks, past the Arctic Circle, through the Brooks Range, the tundra of the north slope, and to Prudhoe Bay 500 miles (805 km) later.

Since Objective #3 of this trip is to avoid motels and such, camping will be in bear country on ground under which permafrost is mere inches away. The roads are often slippery, frequently steep, populated by uncountable four legged critters, billions of insects, and only one service facility on the whole highway (Coldfoot). So... why are we doing this?... Oh... right, to "raise the bar". I hope it's worth it!

Now all we need to do is to string these old and potentially new favorites together into some sort of logical string of pearls. OK, time to fire up the mapping and GPS software. I'll post it for comments and questions when it is done.

Dave