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Northern Exposure 2011 Trip Report with Pics.

bygdawg

bygdawg

Bicycle
Alabama to Alaska to Alabama on a 2010 Concours 1400:

Star date July 16th 2011 (The long ride home): (Names referenced below are those from ST-owners.com):

I left Livingston, MT around 7:30 in the morning. As Roger said, my plan was to stay as cool as possible for as long as possible. As I headed east, I ran into 100 degree temps. On the way, I decided to stop by Custer National Park where the battle of Little Bighorn occurred and got some great shots of the park and the Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument.

After that, I stopped by Spearfish, SD for a bite to eat and a picture op. After that, I stopped by Wall Drug in Wall, SD. I couldn't resist since they had a sign about every few hundred feet for miles leading up to it. It was okay, but it was a bit of a tourist trap. That being said, I didn't spend a lot of time there. After leaving Wall, I decided to stop at the Badlands National Park, as I had never actually ridden through the park. While there, I got some great pictures. After the Badlands, I stopped in Mitchell, SD to see the Corn Palace.

Terry and I had talked about it on several occasions. He had seen it, but I had not. I thought it only fitting to swing by and check it out and snap a few pictures. Since it had been so hot that day, I decided to pull a Terry and ride through the night to get home. He always said you could just ride like crazy to get home and then just crash. Little did I know what was about to be in store for me. I think Terry might have even been laughing a bit over what was to come.

I did in fact ride through the night and through the next day and arrived at home in Alabama at 4:20 in the evening, having been up almost 34 hours and on the road on the bike. End mileage when I pulled into my garage in Vina, AL was 18,121 for a total of 1,921 miles straight for the day. Isn't there some type of Iron Butt thing I can get for that? I have the gas and national park receipts to prove it.

As I made my way home, I ran into detours and construction everywhere, especially in Iowa. Which one of you wise guys forgot to mention that Iowa now has ocean front property? Sorry Iowa. The flooding in that area was severe to say the least. What was I thinking after I finally made it home you ask. WOW! Did I just really do this trip? That is the question that I found myself asking after getting home 34 hours and 1,921 miles later.
As I lay on the couch with my son Kent, I drifted in and out of consciousness as we sand along to "So Happy Together" by the Turtles as it played from my cell phone. While I had hoped to wait until 9:00 PM CST to go to sleep, I couldn't do it, and I decided to turn in. I awoke at 10:32 PM sharp and didn't realize where I was. This was the first time I woke up in my own bed and didn't know where I was. Okay...maybe it happened in college, but this was neither drink nor drug induced. Suddenly, I thought I was back in the Yukon Territory or Alaska somewhere. It all seemed very dreamlike, and I wondered if my long ride home might have all been a dream or nightmare if you consider all of the detours and construction I had to work around to make it back. Then, I realized Jennifer was beside me and that I truly was home. It was at this moment that the vastness and totality of the trip began to sink in. Still, it was as if I was peering back at it through a fogged over plate glass window as the pictures, places, and people we had encountered along the way kept popping into and out of view of my minds eye.

The views/thoughts seemed to be streaming in randomly. Usually being the first person to jump up and put pen to paper, this time I decided to just lay there and take it all in. Perhaps I would remember it in the morning; perhaps not. I wish sometimes that I had a record button in my brain for later retrieval, but that is why I keep a journal with me on these trips these days. At the moment it seemed more important to not disturb the process. As I lay there, I thought about the remoteness and vastness of the lands we had explored and the people we hand encountered along they way from the hotel/motel clerks, to the shop owners, to the Russians we met running a tavern and lodge in the middle of Alaska. I thought about how insignificant it all seemed in the vastness of all that wilderness but also how significant each person was to thee overall experience and area. I even thought about all the faces I had seen on missing posters across both Canada and Alaska. Had the wilderness just swallowed them up or more likely was it the work of some serial killer or multiple serial killers praying on the weak in those vast wildernesses.

I think it was in the Yukon territory where one girl told us of the road of tears or trail of tears because I noted to her that it might not be the best idea to place a missing persons poster in the check-in lobby. I jokingly inquired if by staying there I too might end up on the same poster. This is when she told me the story of all the girls that go missing from hitch-hiking along the road just in front of the hotel. Each of their lives had been important to not only themselves but also to those that loved them. What made me any different? Could I too be swallowed up so easily and end up on a poster so someone could contact the RCMP (Royal Canadian Mounted Police) if they knew anything about my whereabouts. In short, it's the little things that I missed along the way. I missed not being able to find diet coke. I missed not being able to find sweet or unsweet tea. Instead, they had something they called powdered tea and cans of Nestea I think it was. Yucki! My wife said what about me, and I simply replied that I didn't put her into the class of little things that I missed. She stepped right into that one, and I watched as a smile came across her face. Does any of that make sense? Who knows? Maybe I'm still a bit delirious from the long ride in.

Anyway, I'll probably share more later, and I'll certainly post my pictures up later. I'll probably go into the office and upload some stuff this week, as my dedicated T3 connection there zips over my Hughesnet internet service at home. And to think I thought I lived in the middle of nowhere. lol All I can say is that we saw some amazing things. Sure we encountered a few problems along the way, but I'm sure they paled in comparison to those who must have made that trip when the area was first being somewhat civilized. If you have no idea what I'm talking about, I invite you to make the trip yourself. I'm sure you'll walk away with your own thoughts and lessons from the entire experience. I know a few of you have already done it. Mac certainly pops to mind. Just to be clear though, I did not camp in bear country. However, I think I would have made George proud of some of my stealth camping or rather semi-camping. lol However, those are stories for the campfire somewhere down the road.

Ride Safe,
Jay H.

http://pics.midsouth-mr2.com/Default.aspx?aid=753

 
Great pictures and Stories! Look forward to hearing more. That is a lot of miles to ride straight! Best I have done is 1050. Leaving in a couple of days for Sturgis from L.A. We will be checking out Custer's Battlefield,Badlands National Park, Mt Rushmore,The Black Hills,Devils Tower and all the towns nearby. Thank you for giving us a sense of how fun it is to ride where you went!
 
You will have a great time. Just be sure to pack the cooling vest and stay hydrated. I have a MiraCool vest, and it has served me well when the temps hit triple digits. I use it in conjunction with my Joe Rocket Mesh Gear. I usually soak it in the hotel sink at night with cold water and ice. Yes...It will freeze you to death when you put it on in the morning but in an hour or two, you will be glad you did it. If you like, you can strap it to the bike and just put it on when it gets a bit warmer out.

Ride Safe,
bygdawg
 
I soak my vest at night and place it in a zipper bag in the morning.  I then dawn it after lunch and it usually gets me through the worst part of the day without a recharge.
 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gCUtw9LVIVM

Good idea. Plus, you can always recharge at a gas or food stop, if you need to do so.
 
Thought I would share some Alaska travel tips, after being asked for some information from a fellow member:

Hi, Bygdawg,

I am planning much the same trip for next year on my ST - '04. I was looking at your pictures from the trip. Is there a blog documenting what the trip was like, road conditions, route, etc.? Would be glad for any tips. Thanks!

I don't have a blog, but I did keep a journal. I'd be happy to answer any questions you might have. Here are a few points that may be of some use:

1. Pack a tent and gear, even if you don't plan on camping, especially if crossing the Yukon Territory. Otherwise, you may find yourself without a place to sleep or traveling much later or through the night.

2. An extra gallon of fuel is not a bad idea, and I would suggest you bring it.

3. Bring a REALLY GOOD tire repair kit with mini-compressor.

4. Bring a spare rear tire or plan to have one shipped to somewhere in Canada or Alaska, and start with fresh rubber.

5. Unless you plan on doing over 12,000 miles, you should be good to go with your front tire, unless something happens to it.

6. If you don't have a radiator guard, GET ONE. I had to have a rad repair done in Canada. That cost me a cool 500 bucks.

7. You may not have to do it, but it might be wise to have everything you need to change a tire with you, especially if you bring the rear tire. Finding a tire in the Yukon territory or Alaska is going to be like looking for a needle in a hay stack, unless you are in Anchorage or Fairbanks.

8. I don't like to make room reservations, but I would not hesitate to book something in Canmore, Alberta or Tok, AK, if you know that you will be arriving at either on a particular day.

9. Bring some bear spray. I'd prefer a gun, but you can't bring it into Canada.

10. Don't accidentally take the road to Golden after stopping to visit Lake Louise, unless you actually want to ride down to Golden, instead of staying on the Ice Roads Parkway. It is a great ride down, but it will cost you about 100 miles, if you didn't plan on doing it.

11. Be prepared for construction zones.

12. Plan your route back carefully being sure to note any flood, tornado, or other natural disaster areas you may be passing through, and avoid those areas if at all possible.

13. Many of the roads across Canada and AK are great. However, several are not great. By that, I mean that you will encounter everything from hard pack gravel/slag type conditions for miles. Sometimes, that rough surface will be dry and VERY DUSTY, especially if you are at the back of the pack. Canadians are pretty nice about you coming around to get to the front of the pack before the pilot car takes off, as long as you are courteous and explain the situation if approached. (I.E. State the obvious. I'm on a bike, and this dust is killing me. Would it be okay if I got in front so as to not have to breath in all the dust, as the other people are in cars/trucks.)

14. Sometimes, the same roads discussed in point #14 will be wet to help keep the dust down. This means they will range anywhere from slick to super slick to owl crap slick. Take it easy. Slow and steady is the key here. Don't get run over. If someone in a truck or car wants around, let them around by pulling as far over as possible and waving them around or stopping to let them around.

15. The roads mentioned above can also be VERY BUMPY, especially as you near the Alaskan border on the way to Tok. Make sure your shocks and fork seals are in good working order. Again, slow and steady is the rule of thumb here.

16. Pack only what you need. Don't overload the bike anymore than you have to. All of that extra weight isn't going to do you any favors when you have to dual purpose it a bit on the bike. It also won't make those fun twisty roads quite as fun. Also, remember that extra weight will add to decreased life of your tire tread.

17. Bring some Tide packets and plan to wash some clothes about 5 days or so into the trip. This will allow you to pack much lighter and won't cost you much time, especially if you do it at the end of the day at a laundromat or hotel facilities. Also, bring a mesh bag and some ROK straps, just in case the clothes don't dry in time and you need to strap them on the back of the bike the next day to dry. You can do this in the mesh bag and avoid mildew and bad odors you will get from packing them into a sealed bag or side bag.

18. Pack some 5 hour energy drinks, especially if you plan on pushing late and daylight provides.

19. While we are on the topic of daylight, during certain times of the year, it may be light as late as midnight or later. I don't suggest riding after it gets really dark, but you can do what you like there. However, part of the whole point is to see the sights, right? You can't do that after dark. Just be warned that there are a lot of very large animals, and they tend to move early in the morning and late at night. Some of these animals will EAT YOU if you injure them and are unable to get to a safe location from them.

20. Don't panic.

21. Don't worry.

22. Take a journal.

23. GPS is nice with your general route already planned out.

24. Take a digital camera and possibly a laptop or tablet to transfer pictures to. You will be taking a lot of pictures.

25. If you plan on taking ferries or the Alaska Marine Highway, make those plans in advance. Here is a link: http://www.dot.state.ak.us/amhs/

26. Be flexible. Try to get where you are going, but don't have a come apart if you don't make it as far as you wanted to on a particular day. After all, you are there to have fun, right?

27. Extra lights and bright colors are your friend. Be seen.

28. Take a mini-light or two, especially one that you can use on your hat or head band.

29. Plan to layer up or possibly carry some heated gear.

30. Pack a little emergency snack stuff and water. (Not a lot) You can buy stuff on the way.

31. Don't just go to Hyder and say you road to Alaska.

32. The ride into Bellingham south is AWESOME. Also, the route across the Cascade range is great.

33. Bring your cell phone. Check your ability to use it without crazy charges while in Canada. Be prepared for it not to have service a lot of the time.

34. A SPOT tracker is HIGHLY HIGHLY HIGHLY HIGHLY (am I emphasizing enough here) HIGHLY recommended.

35. Be prepared for temps from low 40's to 90ish and higher once you enter back into the states, if traveling in June and July. (Also, it may be colder at times if you go above the Arctic Circle.)

36. TAKE THE RAN list or a list of emergency numbers of other motorcycle folks from the forum or that you know in the areas that you will be passing though i.e. Canada, Alaska, etc.


37. If you don't have some tip-over protection, that is a good idea as well. I suggest mine at www.bygdawg.com However, if you don't go with my bars, I still suggest you purchase some from somewhere, just in case.

If you have any other questions or anything I can help with, I'll be happy to answer what I can.
 
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