Alaska 2008 – Wrap up

A warm summer afternoon in 2007 and we’re all sitting at a small diner in a tiny Oregon town when BMW Steve (aka, Sir Crashalot) says “You guys should all buy KLR’s and do an epic ride through Alaska with me next summer”. Mike thought it sounded great. I thought the stupid KLR was so tall I’d need to find a way to bring along a ladder.

Within the next few months, Bill, John, and Peter all bought KLR’s, Steve already had his GS, but Mike and I weren’t sure what I’d do. Mike was positive we’d find a great deal on a F650GS, and I knew that wasn’t going to happen. Until it did. Yep, count on Mike’s ingenuity, tenacity, and plain good luck to make a deal on a bike with less than 300 miles. By November I had the bike, and later that month we had vacation time, the entire month of July.

In December we went to the Cycle World Show in Seattle, where Steve Trenhaile and Mike made a b-line for the Kawasaki booth. On the way to check out Mr. big-ugly-and-bullet-proof KLR, they stopped in front of something we’d never seen before. I thought it looked like a box of parts from various machines badly thrown together, the guys thought it was pretty cool. It was called the Versys, and was Kawasaki’s answer to a do-all lightweight street-worthy machine. While we wandered, we saw a Versys in the Happy Trails booth with knobbies and crash guards, then again in the Givi booth with bags. Hmmmmm. Suddenly the guys were seeing red instead of green. Less than two months later, both guys owned shiny new Versys.

Spring and early summer were spent purchasing and testing a multitude of gear, and finding out that our friends are flakes! Everyone who thought the trip sounded like a great idea six months ago was now either unable or unwilling to jump on the Falcioni tour bus and ride up north. Strangely enough, the one guy we were sure wouldn’t go ended up making the trip. Steve Trenhaile was on board and ready to do anything to make it happen.

Steve also invited his friend John Kusterer along. This was a worry, as John was the reason we’d had issues with Steve before. Those two get along so well, it creates a ‘them vs. us’ situation that never seems to work out amicably when we are involved.  Okay, admittedly, we’re not easy folks to get along with sometimes, since we’re both sort of opinionated – uh okay, we’re REALLY opinionated.  We also are major planners and so we tend to want to be in charge.  This makes it difficult to find people who are willing to mesh with our way of traveling.

For the sake of safety, we decided to give it a try. The worst that could happen was we’d go separate ways somewhere along the road. No, the worst that could happen would be Mike using the bear mace on John, and then not have any left when a bear showed up in camp. Fortunately that didn’t happen! Unfortunately, we did split up 13 days into the journey, and learned again that we’re really much happier traveling as a couple than a group.

What did we accomplish? Heading out on July 4th, we spent 26 days on the road. Only one day was spent off the bikes, and one other day with just a short jaunt. So, 24 all-day riding days, for a total of 9,000 miles. What goals did we miss? We didn’t make it to the Arctic Circle, or Prudhoe Bay. It would have been great to say we did it – and even though I’m disappointed that we missed out, it really was the only thing on the trip that would have been done pretty much just for bragging rights and not for enjoyment. Still, I want to hit that Arctic Circle target sometime, I guess down deep I do want that trophy on my virtual shelf.

Was it worth it? Well, it wasn’t ‘fun’, but it was an adventure. We flew through some of the most beautiful and lonely country I’ve ever seen. We’d touch down in a small town late in the evening, sometimes with a hotel reservation, sometimes not. We usually got lucky and had decent places to stay, but there were a few times that we were very happy to have camping gear, and a few times the motel was so ugly that we’d wish camping was an option! Just as quickly as we’d get in to a town, we’d leave again the next morning. It all turned into a blur of good and bad roads, breathtaking scenery, incredible wildlife and wonderful people.

Sadly, so much was packed into those 4 weeks that without photos and hotel receipts, I’d never remember what happened from one day to the next. Tiny points stand out clearly, little things I remember with ease and so completely, but these pinpoints of clarity are surrounded by a fog of other times and places that I should remember, but don’t. A month wasn’t nearly enough. I don’t know if three months would be adequate. I do know that by August 1st, we were very happy to be back home with our warm cats and comfy bed!

Would I do it again? Yes! When do we leave?

Alaska 2008 – Day 1, July 4

Day 1, July 4

Terrebonne to Vancouver BC

443 Miles

Our goal for the day was to just pound out miles and I-5 offered the quickest route. I wasn’t looking forward to hours of boring multi-lane riding, weaving through holiday-weekend traffic, but it ended up being fun and relaxing.

Near Olympia the Air Force was doing fly-overs; and we experienced a beautiful group of fighters flying low and in formation, a bomber rumbling overhead, and a wonderfully old and slow WW2 fighter plane next to a modern F14 that was struggling to slow down and keep pace with the old girl. Very cool.

We sleep tonight at the Hilton. Priceline is a good thing!

Alaska 2008 – Day 2, July 5

Day 2, July 5

Vancouver BC to Cache Creek BC

217 Miles

Mike and I loved Canada‘s Sea to Sky Highway last year, and were excited to show it to Steve. Unfortunately the clouds and mist kept him from seeing it at its best, but the waterfalls were excellent. This is a tight and technical road, with multitudes of potholes and gravel, but many interesting and beautiful places to stop.

Stopping in Cache Creek for the night, we were joined at dinner by an old fellow on a BMW who told us about his Alaska trip, from snow on the Top of the World highway, to how his friends had all let him down so he did the trip solo. The hotel was a shared two-bedroom ‘suite’ at the Bears Claw Lodge.

Alaska 2008 – Day 3, July 6

Day 3, July 6

Cache Creek BC to Burns Lake BC

415 miles

A fast ride through small towns have all blurred together in my mind, we left the high desert hills of Cache Creek and rode into open meadows and green fields. We thought we’d find a place in Prince George, but this midsize town had very few amenities for the traveler. A quick stop at the A&W (don’t ask Mike about the Tim Horners restaurants!) for late lunch, then on to Burns Lake.

Initially prospects here looked bleak, as the tree planting gangs had all the cheap rooms booked up. Even if spots were available, the homemade campers and old beater trucks in the parking lots kept us moving. We finally found a newer place, the Sunshine. We were happy when they told us the restaurant next door was open late, and frustrated when we found it had closed 10 minutes before our arrival! I guess our idea of ‘late’ is different!

A hike down to a small Chinese restaurant garnered a decent meal, and we went to bed after 10:30, still waiting for the sun to completely set.

Alaska 2008 – Day 4, July 7

Day 4, July 7

Burns Lake BC to Stewart BC

292 Miles

Flat monotone miles of spruce-beetle damaged trees, punctuated by the occasional burned-out gas station and even less frequent open gas stop with a small convenience store where I can stock up on my Canadian favorite, Cadbury Fruit and Nut chocolate bars. I’m sure there are mountains in the distance, I see them on the map, but the overcast is sitting low today, so no views for the weary!

Then, a left turn off the main road and two miles down 37A we are greeted by a towering wall of black, green, white, and water. Mountains surround us, shooting straight up from the valley floor and disappearing into the mist, hanging gardens of intense green add counterpoint to the soaring black granite peaks. Valleys are white with thick ice, misty waterfalls pouring from their impossibly clear-blue-tinged edges.

We’ve crossed into Hobbit territory! In my imagination unicorns and dryads hide around every corner, just out of view.

Stewart BC is what we came on this trip looking for. One thin strip of pavement down the middle of main street, a town of raggedy homes and beautiful old structures battered by intense weather and surrounded by intensely rugged scenery. A feeling of being totally cut of from the real world. Now that’s what I’m talking about!

Our hotel is a newer and subsequently boring structure near the middle of town. Dinner is good, if a bit too “yuppie comes to the North country” for our tastes.

The Alcan, the Yukon, Prudhoe bay, all on a Goldwing Trike with a trailer. See, there are people crazier than we are.

We meet up with multitudes of other riders on the same quest as we are. Unfortunately, it makes me feel less special because I’m now one of the crowd, instead of standing out in it. I know I should be happy for the stories and experience of fellow riders, but darn it, I wanted to feel like we were pioneers here!

Alaska 2008 – Day 5, July 8

Day 5, July 8

Stewart BC to Hyder Alaska, then on to Watson Lake YT

404 miles

Hyder Alaska is a cheat, a tiny little sliver of Alaskan soil surrounded by days of Canadian pavement in every direction. Some riders go to Hyder for the same reason people dip a toe in the Pacific to say they’ve swum the ocean.

After we learned the secret, we found out that when a rider says “I’ve been to Alaska” fire back, “Was it Hyder?” That’s where you peel away the veneer of real Alaskan adventurer and find the poser underneath.

Getting in to Alaska through Stewart BC means riding down the road 2 miles and rolling to a stop in front of the sign that reads ‘Hyder Alaska’ and right before this dead-end road turns to gravel and mud. Another short mile up the road and you’re riding down a wooden dock which ends in a beautiful view of the inlet and surrounding mountains.

After turning around and heading through customs (this poor lonely customs officer must have done something very wrong to be stationed here), we backtracked to the junction of 37 and 37a and continued towards Watson Lake, home of the infamous ‘Signpost Forest’ (Steve found a sign for Terrebonne — France!).

This day melds into the next as we ride through miles (er, kilometers) of land where the road is the only sign of human habitation as far as you can see. Little stinky wooden white and green outhouses are dotted at wide spots in the road every 50 miles or so. I think we stop at every one. The ‘old men’ have to pee. Again. And again.

Road conditions are interesting. They don’t go in much for major road signage out here. They have flags. Tiny flags. Other riders have warned us about the flags, they are your only indication of significant damage to the road ahead. Unfortunately after the road department fixes the problem they leave the flag. Half the time the flags were standing beside a crater the size of Utah, the rest of the time they marked a baby-butt smooth section of newly constructed tarmac. You think after spending millions of dollars resurfacing the road, they could have paid some underling a quarter to go pluck the flag out of the dirt!

Fortunately, we had the right bikes for the conditions, and sailed through it all without a problem, and only a few “Oh s!@#t!” moments. Motorhome drivers weren’t as lucky. We saw some incredible feats of gymnastics performed by 30’ Class A behemoths navigating frost heaves and potholes with the grace of a 3,000 pound block of jello. When we visit again, it won’t be in the motorhome, that’s guaranteed!

We arrived in Watson Lake and found no room at the Inn. Everything was booked by tour groups. This is when we were finally happy we’d packed the tent and all the camping gear. The campground was right in town, and we got set up and ready to grab a shower before bed. Unfortunately, it took Canadian dollar coins and we didn’t have any. Mike was getting ready to knock on some camper doors when I pointed out that although it was light out, it was nearly midnight! We trudged to a nearby weigh station, where the station master was kind enough to trade handfuls of loonies for our filthy US paper money.

Alaska 2008 – Day 6, July 9

Day 6, July 9

Watson Lake to Whitehorse YT

277 miles

While stopping on the Skeena river yesterday and checking out the native dip net fishing platforms we found ourselves surrounded by a flock of Suzuki V-Stroms. The entire gang was touring Alaska, with some of the group only going for a short haul, and others taking more time. We had a great time talking to Pedro, who was originally from South America. We waved goodby and were on our way.

Today I learned something new. Don’t ever stay at a motel that requires you to check in at the Bar. I think another good point to remember is to never stay at a motel in the north of Canada with a Mexican name. And I haven’t checked, but I’m pretty sure the Casa Loma Motel and Bar isn’t in the AAA book, since AAA doesn’t give out negative diamond ratings. Yes, it was bad, unfortunately it wasn’t the worst place we stayed!

To its benefit, the room was clean, the people were nice, and it was dry. Whereas our other option was to tent camp in a downpour. So given the options, it was the Taj Mahal.

We weren’t the only dumb motorcyclists stuck at the Casa Loma. Soon after we pulled in, here came Pedro and part of his gang, dripping wet and laughing about the four-star accommodations. We also ended up at the same place for dinner, and had fun swapping stories and plans.

Alaska 2008 – Day 7, July 10

Day 7, July 10

Whitehorse YT to Haines AK

117 miles on the bikes, 7 miles on the Ferry

When we were initially planning this trip, we looked at taking the Alaska Marine Highway partway. We would have ridden the bikes to Seattle, then taken the ferry to Haines. After checking out prices and finding we’d be spending more than $1000 per person sharing a tiny room with the four of us and four single bunk beds we decided to ride! Today we got a very tiny taste of what that option would have been like.

We rode to Skagway and had our first foray back into ‘civilization’. Skagway is a cruise ship town, with cutesy gift shops and perfect little restaurants. We rode through without a second glance. The entire port is occupied by a half dozen water-going monoliths with “Celebrity” and “Holland America” emblazoned across their massive smokestacks. The ferry we were taking carries hundreds of cars and more people, and it was dwarfed by the cruise ships.

After loading up and lashing down the bikes as well as we could, we headed topside and settled down for the 7 mile trip. This part of the ferry ride is supposed to be one of the prettiest sections in this area, and it was very nice. However, waterfalls on distant hillsides just couldn’t compare to what we’d seen up close a few days before. Making it less enjoyable were some of the other inhabitants of the ferry, folks taking the entire summer tooling north and south on this marine highway. They take in the scenery and talk the ears off of anyone silly enough to sit nearby. Just 45 minutes of this and I was ready to get back on the beemer with my headphones in place! Maybe when we’re old and grey, the Marine Highway will be an option for a summer of fun. Then we’ll be the ones boring our seatmates with tales of how it used to be “back in the day”.

Pulling in to the dock at Haines, I could see why Mike remembered this place so fondly. This beautiful little harbor town was everything Skagway tried to be. A working-man’s slice of paradise; small well-kept homes, real local businesses that sold groceries and fishing supplies, not fake Indian jewelry and scented candles. The old officers quarters had been converted to private homes, other military buildings were now a hotel, and space for native totem carvers. Unfortunately, the building Mike used to work in as a printer for the local paper was the only one no longer standing. It had burned down years ago. As we wandered the site, we found the boiler and other large machinery still in place, this was something we saw everywhere in Alaska. Once something became derelict, it stayed where it landed, since it was too expensive to move.

After two nights of less than stellar accommodations, we’d made sure to find a room here before we landed. Mike really came through, and the Captain’s Choice was relatively inexpensive and gave us rooms overlooking the harbor. Beautiful!

Alaska 2008 – Day 8, July 11

Day 8, July 11

Haines AK to Beaver Creek YT

333 miles

Leaving Haines behind, we head back in to Canada. I lost count of how many border crossings we made by the end of the trip. I got very used to answering questions about where we were from, where we were going, and what we were going to do when we got there. It was sort of like being a teenager again and having Mom grill us about our Friday night plans.

The road from Haines to Haines Junction goes through Chilkat Pass, rising from sea level to nearly 3,500′, this amazing road has some of the strangest scenery. Nearing the top of the pass there are hundreds of tiny lakes dotting the rocky landscape. Milky water is gathered in pools surrounded by rusty black rock and dark green scrub. Mist and fog surround us, lifting and dropping at a whim. Huge tour busses roar past us out of the mist. The road is tight and busy, and theres no time for sightseeing.

Harsh weather makes you want to hunker down on a bike and keep moving. It’s different in a car or motorhome. Stopping and getting out every once in awhile makes you more a part of the scenery, gives you some ownership of the beauty around you. On a bike, you’re already part of it, youre surrounded by it and the only way to get through it is to keep going, so you do. Later on you realize, “That place was awesome. I should have stopped.”

So, no pictures and only tiny flashes of memory, and the thought, “We should have stopped.”

After our Border crossing, the road opens up a bit and we did take time to rest and get some photos. Windswept but extremely quiet, this small section of the pass seemed more a part of the clouds than the earth. The cloud cover created a low ceiling that looked so dense I felt I could have reached out and pushed against it and it would have pushed back like clammy white cotton batting. I love my heated liner. There is something about being warm and dry in harsh conditions that just makes me happy.

Tonight’s lodgings are, um, interesting. Beaver Creek is a wide spot in the dusty road, and our ‘room’ is an old mobile home. You can’t step on the first stair going in, it’s rotted through. All this grandeur for $80 a night plus tax (gasp!). Inside is clean, and the bed is surprisingly new and nice, but quaint it ain’t, this place is a dive!

Alaska 2008 – Day 9, July 12

Day 9, July 12

Beaver Creek YT to Valdez AK

364 miles

On our way through Tok (which is pronounced Toke, we had to ask!), we stop at Fast Eddy’s for lunch and find the most awesome salad bar. Fresh varieties of lettuce, crisp veggies, huge selection, all in the middle of nowhere! Mike enjoys his first full meal in days.

We’re getting geared up and ready to head out when one of the native Canadians comes up and says to Mike “Thanks for getting my bike all warmed up and ready to go!”, we all laugh and he asks where we’re headed, we tell him Valdez and he says we’ll have an awesome ride, it’s so beautiful.

We are surprised at how nice and friendly these people are. Every native we’ve encountered is like this, it’s so cool to have folks happy to see visitors, instead of ready to kick us back the way we came.

Valdez. Oh my goodness, the ride into Valdez is one breathtaking view followed by another. The road is wide and smooth, giving us time to enjoy it all. The sky is BLUE!!! Blue, awesome, warm, sunny, clear blue SUMMER sky. Joy! Mountains soar black and jagged, and without the clouds we finally see peaks. Valleys are full of glaciers, dozens of them. Green, oh this is the most verdant true green. Everything around that’s not rock, ice or water is blooming, leafing and growing. Huge waterfalls spill and splash right along side the road.

Let’s go climb a glacier! Mike the mountain goat is scrambling everywhere, across rushing streams to stand in the middle of a waterfall, or above us on the slick wet ice.

The gravel till we stand on glows blue inner light with the weight of our footprints, look closely and you can see deep down into the clear ice below.

Valdez is inundated with Bicyclists competing in an event. They’re everywhere, totally packing the campgrounds, but we find a room at a hotel that’s worker housing in the winter. Twin beds are bolted to the opposite walls in the room, so Mike and I drag the mattresses off to meet on in the middle, taking up all of the tiny floor space and leaving room only to wedge the bathroom door open. Still, it’s loads better than the mobile home last night! And we have a continental breakfast tomorrow morning. Score!

Dinner is a good Italian restaurant next to Valdez Harbor. After dinner we wander the docks and watch the fishing boats head out. It’s midnight and barely dusk. Across the harbor, lights from the pipeline terminus complex glow in the mist.