Alaska Day 28 to the End - Final Thoughts from Wayne

This morning in Haines was a relaxing one. We are to catch the ferry this evening so we have the whole day to check out Haines … well, a whole day isn’t necessary to check out Haines ! We wound up getting a $32 breakfast (yikes!) then just hanging out by the wharf … really nothing to do here. We met two guys from Idaho (brothers) who had just got off of the morning ferry from Bellingham. These guys were a piece of work. They offered us a pinch of Skol and then tried to talk us into buying their gasoline additive called “Syntech” … said we would make $90K a month. Glad we got away from those dudes !

We rolled onto the ferry and proceeded to tie down our bikes. Then went up to check out the cabin. Very nice bunks with our own bathroom and shower. The ferry has a dining room, café and bar !

The scenery we saw when cruising the inside passage was just spectacular … although, after leaving Haines, it rained the whole time ! On the ferry, those who don’t have or don’t want a cabin sleep either in lounge chairs or on deck in the Solarium. This is a semi-covered area up on top where people sleep in plastic chaise lounges or set up their tent and duct tape it to the deck. We met many people up in the Solarium who were on bikes.

We arrived in Ketchikan where we were to leave the ferry and catch a different one to Prince Rupert. We had 12 hours to kill in Ketchikan … and, naturally, it was raining. Drove downtown to get breakfast and see the sights. Ketchikan is very much a tourist town for cruise ships (there were 3 in port). After walking around, we decided to return to the ferry port and wait for our ferry … it raining the whole time we were there.

Upon catching our smaller ferry to Prince Rupert, we realized that our timing for this particular leg wasn’t the most desirable. We left at 9pm and would arrive in Prince Rupert at 3:30am !! Then, we were told that nothing in PR would be open at that hour … so, our only choice was to drive !!

This day was a long one in the saddle. A little over 450 miles … and we were tired. We made frequent stops and actually took a power nap at one rest stop.

We spent the night in Prince George, BC … not really that much interesting here. The next morning, back on the road.

From here we made it all the way to Bellingham, WA … back in the USA !! Since it was another long day of riding, we decided on a hotel for the evening. Upon stopping at the first hotel, we found out that there was some sort of kid’s soccer tournament in town … all rooms in Bellingham were booked … we would have to drive another 30 miles south to Mount Vernon to find a room. This turned into a 520 mile day … yikes !!

From Mount Vernon, we had camping stops in Corvallis, OR and Eureka, CA … at this point, we’re both just “jones-ing” to get home.

Our next stop took us to the Bay area … my brother-in-law and sister-in-law (Frank and Christina) live in Livermore so we stopped in for a visit. It was Hot … almost 100 F. Turns out that Frank and his son were gone to Boy Scout summer camp so Christina and here daughter, Kelly entertained us. A lasagna dinner and a wonderful evening with Christina, her girlfriends and Kelly … we sat out in the backyard and enjoyed the cool evening !

Next stop, Solvang … we stayed in a quaint little motel and walked around this touristy town. We noticed that there were many empty storefronts and stores closing early. The economy has really affected this area.

The next morning ? … the final push home … a simple 227 miles. It was Wednesday, June 30th at about 12:15 in the afternoon. We pulled into the very same Park-n-ride slot that we had left 5 weeks ago.

It was a surreal feeling. We had done it. 7715 miles. We congratulated each other, took a few photos and it was over.

It was an absolutely amazing and fantastic trip. I enjoyed every minute of it. As Tom and I stood there at the end, I was hit with the feeling (and I even told Tom), this trip really wasn’t that tough. I’m not sure how to describe it better … even with all the rain, bugs, sleeping on the ground, interesting shower facilities and sore butt … it all seemed to come to us so naturally and fairly easily … like it was meant to be. Well, of course, it was. - Wayne

Wednesday, June 30 - Finally Home

Hello everyone!

This is Tom and we have been without WIFI for the last few days so I need to play catch up of our days on the ferry and ride home.

We had a lazy day around Haines, AK as we waited for our ferry, the Columbia. Haines is a great town to explore and the views were wonderful. Wayne decided to check out the local brewery and I wanted to hang out at the boat harbor and walk the docks. The sun was out but clouds were heading into the area and rain was expected that evening.

The afternoon flew by and soon we were heading off for the Alaska Marine Highway ferry terminal to board our ship for Ketchikan, AK. The loading process was very easy and there was plenty of time to insure the bikes was secured to our standards. The last thing we wanted was to come down to prepare for unloading and see our bikes on their sides! All went well with the boat ride and loading crew was professional and helpful.

We had two options for sleeping arrangements on board the ship. There’s a solarium area that’s open but weather tight. They have lounge chairs that fold flat to allow someone to sleep or get some rest overnight. The solarium was packed with many travelers attempting to save a few dollars but the area was very noisy due to huge air intake fans running all the time. Wayne took pity on me and booked a cabin for two nights on this run. The cabin was great!! It had a set of bunk beds, sink, shower, toilet and a place to hang our jackets. Don’t get me wrong…the place was extremely SMALL but it gave us a chance to get away from the noise of the ship and get some good sleep.

We met some very nice people on board. First we met Butch and Tammy from Texas. They drove a Ford Expedition up the ALCAN Hwy and decided to take the marine hwy for something different. When Wayne and I found the BAR or LOUNGE,as its called, on the ship, Butch was just ordering a beer and we asked him to join us for a visit and hear of their adventures. Fun was had and we visited a number of times during our ferry ride to Ketchikan.

Next we met Jordan and Nikki from Texas also. They were riding a Suzuki, V-Strom 650 loaded to the max! During our talks it was fun to hear Wayne and Jordan talk about the different riding areas they have explored in the USA…small world. They were riding the ferry to Bellingham, WA and home the long way. We wish them the best of times and a safe ride home. You could sure see by the look in Jordan’s eyes he really enjoys the motorcycling thing. It was fun to tell stories and share our passion of motorcycles with them.

With the never ending daylight we were able to see plenty from on board the ferry. One morning I counted eleven eagles flying and perched in the tall trees along the coast line. Sorry my camera didn’t get any pictures of this as they were too far away for any quality pictures. I needed a telephoto lens for that.

Before we knew it we arrived in Ketchikan, AK for a twelve hour layover and another ferry ride to Prince Rupert. Only problem was it was raining “AGAIN”! We off loaded and rode to the center of town and located a restaurant for breakfast. We then did the tourist thing and looked around. It wasn’t any fun in the rain and we had to keep moving our bikes every two hours to avoid a parking ticket. Wayne decided to take in the Lumberjack show and I headed back to the terminal to repack my bike before being loaded on board the next ferry. It continued to rain and rain some more.

Our next ride from Ketchikan to Prince Rupert would be a short one of only 6 hours. Problem is we left Ketchikan at 9:10pm and would arrive in Prince Rupert at 3:30am (4:30am Canada time). By the time we boarded and decided where to place our sleeping bags it was nearly 10:00pm. Once again, with the noise and motion of the ship I couldn’t sleep so I decided to get up and pack up at 2:00am and wait to dock at Prince Rupert.
We took our time packing the bikes on board the ferry and were nearly the last one’s to off load.

Now it’s nearly 5:00am and we have to get to Prince George approximately 480 miles away. I was exhausted but we made it in good time. At our hotel a couple arrived on motorcycles and boy did they have a story for us. While somewhere along the ALCAN the Suzuki V-Strom DL1000 he was riding decided to have a clutch failure. It cost him over $600.00 for towing to Fort Nelson and then was the wait for parts to be delivered from Tennessee. It took two weeks for the parts to be delivered to the local motorcycle shop and the repairs were completed. They were out of time and had to turn around and head for home. He was very upset and not having a good time. All the planning for this epic adventure and a clutch failure stopped their goal of reaching Alaska.

Wayne and I decided to head south for the border and get back into the GREAT USA!!
Another day of over 500 miles and we arrived in Mt. Vernon, WA for the night.
We were really burning up the highway and the miles were flying by.

No time for sightseeing. We just pointed our bikes south and kept moving. We stopped only for gas, food and a place to sleep. A few places had WIFI but the speed was very bad and we decided to hold off updating up we arrived home.

On June 30th approximately 1:00pm we arrived home and it is wonderful to be home. The total mileage of our ride was 7720. Now that’s a lot of seat time!!!

I would like to say thank you to everyone that took the time to view this blog and shared this great adventure with Wayne and I. We had a wonderful time meeting everyone along the way and hope to hear from them again soon.

Special thanks go to my friends: Steve and Brenda, Coach and Marie, Gary and Pat for taking good care of us during our visit. It was my highlight of the trip to see and visit everyone along the way. I hope to hear from you soon and please stay in contact.

Best wishes to James and his wife to be, Lane and Rhonda, John and Ann, Jordan and Nikki. It was great to have met you and thanks for sharing your vacation with us.

Thanks to Ben Martin for the posting of our blog and maybe next time he can ride along with us.

Now to start planning our next adventure….I am open to all ideas. Let’s talk about it!!

After leaving Wasilla, we headed to Fairbanks. Naturally, it rained most of the way. We stopped in Talkeetna to check out the town and the lodge … very cool. See the photos. Once we arrived in Denali (on the way to Fairbanks), it finally stopped raining. We had a nice snack at the Princess Denali Lodge and then visited the visitor center. At this point, it looked like it was going to start raining again, so we “beat feet” to Fairbanks.

In Fairbanks, we stayed with Tom’s army buddy, Gary and his wife, Pat … great folks !! They treated us like family. Gary is an Alaska State Trooper and Pat is a first grade teacher. During our visit, Gary had a million stories and anecdotes … he said proudly, that we could pick any topic and he would have a story that would relate ! One interesting one was that he had a call quite a distance from Fairbanks. Upon arrival, he found out that it was a Korean family that had hit a large moose. Their windshield was completely wasted and had fallen out. In the rain and below zero temperatures, the family wanted to continue driving the car home. Gary told them it was unsafe due to the missing windshield … they insisted on driving using swimming goggles for the front seat passengers !!! Sounds like a Saturday night live skit.
(see photos of Gary and Pat with their dogs).

One day, Gary took Tom and I to Chena Hot Springs. It’s a natural hot spring that you pay a fee to visit … it was HOT. Beautiful setting in a forested area.

It was wonderful seeing my high school basketball coach again. I know he doesn’t like to hear this but he really means a lot to me. He was a HUGE impression on me during high school. He was the coolest teacher and an all round GREAT guy!! As we loaded up to leave I actually found it very difficult to say good bye. As you all can tell, coach means the world to me and I wish he and his family only the best.

Again rain was the call of the day but it was short lived. As we arrived in Talkeetna the temps were very cool but NO rain. We walked the town and took in the sights….not much to see….just some old buildings and many people walking the streets. The train had just unloaded to allow passengers look around. We did find a small bakery and I bought an oatmeal cookie just for kicks.

I was really hoping to see Mt. McKinley but with all the clouds it was hiding as usual. It only shows itself approx. 20% of the time. We couldn’t even see the foot of the mountain due to the very low cloud cover. We rode over to the visitor center and walked around. Overall it was a nice visit of the park.

On to Gary and Pat’s home in Fairbanks and the ride into town was very nice. Gary and I were U.S. Army buddies and served together at Fort Wainwright, AK from 1974 and 1975. I have a habit of losing contact with good friends but with the internet and my skiptracing abilities I have been very lucky in finding the important ones. Renewing our friendship in 2006 has proved to be very important to me. Gary is a GREAT friend and seeing him again was way cool. Yes, the visit was too short but I promise to stay in touch and Carol and I are talking about another Alaska vacation soon. It’s true that Gary has a story for everything and they are all very interesting and we had plenty of laughs to share.

Now for the most embarrassing thing to happy to me this trip….I had to tell it before Wayne tells it… I broke the toilet seat one morning and this has never happened to me before. At least to any others that I will admit to…. It was a day and half of teasing and laughs about the incident. I am very grateful that I didn’t pinch my BUTT or have to call 911 for assistance. Yikes….They just don’t make toilet seats like they used to. When I purchased the new seat I asked for an extended warranty but they didn’t have one to offer…he actually said.”No one has very asked for one on a toilet seat before.” Maybe this is the hint I’ve been looking for…time for a HUGE weight loss program! By the way, I am very happy to tell you Pat had the best laugh of all.

Time really flew by and before we knew it we had to leave Fairbanks for Haines, AK for the ferry ride south. Again it was a very difficult goodbye for me. Before I knew it we were heading down the driveway and me not wanting to leave. I really hate this part of the trip. Saying good bye to wonderful friends is always very difficult.

We made our way to Delta Crossing, AK for breakfast and shortly thereafter I get a call on the Chatterbox that Wayne’s Yamaha had the check engine light shining very brightly so we stopped and pulled the manual out to determine what the problem was… no luck there; The manual said to “take bike to shop.” Here we are…miles from NOWHERE!! And we are very concerned about this problem. We decided to ride on and to our surprise the light went out all by itself. So now Wayne is telling me that his Yamaha is self healing!!

The night in Beaver Creek perfect. We were both exhausted from the late night at Gary and Pat’s the night before and we decided to crash early. Some time during the night a semi truck parked and continued to idle away all night. Needless to say our well deserved sleep wasn’t the order of the night. Sometime around 4:00am the truck left the area and it was very peaceful for the next two hours. Again as we packed, RAIN started and we rushed to get going.

We rode to Burwash Landing for a late breakfast and just as we arrived we saw the father and son riders we met in Watson Lake. They have completed their ride all over Alaska and are heading home. Once again, I am sooooo jealous that they get to share the motorcycling thing together. They shared some stories with us and I now have their contact information. We wish them all the best and a great ride home.

We arrived in Haines, AK and it is truly a beautiful town. We are staying at the Halsingland Hotel. This hotel is the old army officer’s quarters of Fort Seward. These buildings are approx. 108 years old and very cool and interesting. Tomorrow we load the ferry for our inland passage adventure and boy are we excited about this ride.

Once again, we are very sorry for the delay in keeping our blog current. We are having a blast and time is really flying by for us. The next three days will be aboard a ferry and no WIFI is available for any updates of the blog. Sorry….we will catch up as soon as possible.

Total mileage as of today: 5230 counting……

Tom and Wayne left Fairbanks today on their way to Haines, Alaska. This should be a 2 day trip. In Haines, they plan to board a ferry and enjoy a 3 day trip aboard and down the Inside Passage, thereby missing a repeat 5 day trip back down the AlCan Hwy. I believe they will dock at Prince Rupert and then head inland through British Columbia on their way home. So far they report all is well and they are having a GREAT time. - Carol

Hello everyone! I can’t believe how fast the last four days have flown by. We had a wonderful stay with Steve and Brenda Carlson in Anchorage, AK. The ride from Tok, AK to Anchorage, AK was a nice ride of only 340 miles and the weather was ok for most of the ride. It was cold in the morning so we took out our space heater (from Mammoth) to warm up (see photo). Of course we had a small amount of rain but overall we had a good time making our way south to Anchorage. We stopped in Palmer, AK for a short break and visited with the donut shop owner about the area and the changes over the years. In the late 1960’s there wasn’t much in this area. It’s my understanding that Palmer started with the State of Alaska selling off land to farmers in the early 1900’s as the land was great for farming produce in the summer. The town has grown so much since I last visited it was fun to look around. We fueled up and headed for our stop in Anchorage.

As we all do, we picked up the pace…just a little…as we approached Anchorage and as we went over a hill the Alaska State Troopers were shooting radar in our direction. I noticed that the Trooper was pointing his radar gun at ME!!! Yikes…I looked down and see I am traveling at a modest speed of only 78 miles per hour….Yikes…this is going to get expensive!!! Let’s see, 78 in a 65!! How much is this going to cost Carol? To my surprise he pulled over the car behind me…What a lucky day!!! Wayne was laughing at me as I knew it was ticket time. It must have been the Kug sticker on my bike that saved me again. Thanks Kug for that save. OK, here’s the real story (Wayne) … we were doing more like 73 and we were just fine … moving with traffic. I didn’t think for a second that he was going to pull us over. Although, I do think it was the Kug sticker that gaves us the aura of protection !!

We arrived at Steve and Brenda’s home and Steve arrived home shortly thereafter. Off to La Mex for dinner and drinks. Steve and I went to high school together and renewed our friendship at our high school reunion in 1999. We have a great time talking about hockey, motorcycles and fishing. Steve as a flat tracker in the late 1960’s and did very well in the Alaska championship series. Steve and his brother still ride motorcycles in the mountains around Anchorage. He currently rides a 2008 KTM 200 and his brother rides a 2010 KTM 200. We won’t talk about who got the better deal on the bikes! Let’s just say that Steve needs to take some lessons on shopping from his brother……It was odd that during our talks it was light outside…here it was 11:30pm and the sun was up…. my body clock is really messed up right now but I am loving it here.

Thursday was bike clean and maintenance day. We washed the bikes, changed oil and I did a chain cleaning and lube. This took hours for us because of all the caked on mud we had from our travels though Canada. (see photos of our dirty bikes in Tok)

On Friday I took Wayne to see downtown Anchorage and breakfast. It was a good day and the weather was very nice….at least no rain today.

Saturday we decided to make the drive to Seward for a Wildlife cruise of 5 hours around the bay. All was good until we hit the swells near the mouth of the bay. A large hump back whale was sunning and we pulled up along side for a good look of approximately 20 minutes. Well, about 5 minutes into the viewing was getting SEA SICK. I sat outside for some fresh air and survived the outing without any hurling. We were able to view eagles, sheep, whales, otters, beautiful rock formations and it was very interesting to hear how the military had secured the port during the WWll. It turned out to be wonderful day weather wise and it added to the fun factor.

Sunday was a relaxing day of sleeping in and doing laundry as we prepped for hitting the road to Wasilla and Fairbanks. Wayne here … on Sunday evening, I went to meet my second cousin (whom I hadn’t met before) who lives in Anchorage. He and his wife are retired school teachers. We had a nice dinner and talked for hours about family and life in Alaska. David (my 2nd cousin) now works for a tour company that takes people to Lake O’Neil for bear sighting tours via bush planes.

Monday we pushed forwarded a total of 40 miles to Wasilla and attempted to locate Sara Palin’s home. No luck but riding around Wasilla was fun. A true highlight was our visit with my high school basketball coach, Earle Walker. I have many fond memories of my high school years but being coached and playing basketball for Coach Walker was the best of times. He is truly an amazing man and I own him so much for his guidance in high school. Today I have a great relationship with he and his wife, Marie. I am very blessed to know them and have them in my life. Thanks coach for opening your house to Wayne and I. We had a wonderful dinner and fun evening of catching up and talking politics. I wish them only the best and can’t wait until our paths cross for another visit.

Tuesday we hope to get an early start as we head towards Fairbanks, AK. Weather is turning to rain…per the forecast…wish us luck.

6/8 Sunday, Day 15 from Tok, Alaska

Yes, we’re reporting from Alaska tonight !!! This was supposed to be our most challenging leg of the journey so far (according to road reports). Everyone was telling us how bad this section of road was. We started the morning ride with three other motorcycle riders. They were from Oklahoma. We all had breakfast together in
Haines Junction … from Whitehorse to Haines Junction was actually quite good. At one section, we saw a large black bear walking across the road. We stopped close by to see him … he stood up on his hind legs. Very impressive.

Now, on the road again starting in Destruction Bay it started getting bad. First frost heaves, horizontal and vertical ! Then, we came across road construction. Mud, gravel, dust and semi-trucks right on our tails !! Very intense.

This morning wasn’t any different for Wayne and I as the morning temp was around 37 degrees and sunny. We were up at 6:00am and immediately started packing to hit the road by 8:00am. The BMW riders were all complaining about each other as one was a drill sergeant in the Army, a retired Army buddy and a nephew (police officer). They were arguing big time about all the rules set in place by the drill sergeant. Wayne and I hit the road before them as they weren’t ready and we stopped for gas. As we headed out of town we could see them up ahead. The morning was very beautiful and the temp was getting warmer. I was riding in the sweep position and all of sudden everyone’s brake lights came on and a fast stop was in order. A large black bear was crossing the road and taking his time in doing so. He was very impressive and as he left the roadway he turned and gave us the eye. He actually stood on his hind legs and gave us a long look before turning and heading off to the woods. Very cool sighting…that’s for sure.

We stopped in Haines JCT for breakfast with the three BMW riders and it was very clear that they were all upset. Both Wayne and I tried a few jokes and they weren’t received very well. So we finished breakfast and wished them well. We haven’t seen them since.

The road from Destruction Bay to Beaver Creek was TERRIBLE!!! Wayne told me often that he could see sparks from the mighty Suzuki when I would hit a g-out and scrape my center stand on the pavement. After Beaver Creek we hit a construction zone and a water truck entered the roadway just before we hit the dirt. Now we had to deal with MUD…you know me….I like clean bikes. I have never ridden such a dirty street bike. See pictures.

Arriving in Tok was wonderful. I was exhausted and in need to food and beer! We stayed at the Sourdough RV Resort and the owners were GREAT. We had dinner at the resort and got invited to join in the pancake throwing contest. At the contest Wayne went first and didn’t sink either of his two attempts at throwing a pancake into a bucket approx. 12 feet away. I watched for a few more minutes and decided it was time to make a fool out of myself. I took aim and let her fly…..it was soooo funny….I made it look easy and won a free breakfast. It was fun. A total of 8 people won a free breakfast and we all had a lot of laughs.

The rain was trying its best to get us wet but it only dropped a few drops on us. We hit the sack early as rest was called for and another 340 mile day is required tomorrow. GREAT news is that tomorrow we will arrive in Anchorage, AK.

As of Tok, AK we have totaled 3845 miles to date.

We decided to take an extra day and hang out here in Whitehorse. Seems to be a fun town. Slept in late …

We wound up going over to the Yukon Brewery for a tour. Lots of fun … they start the tour with beer tastings. Then, after the tour, more beer tastings !! Very small operation. See the photos.

I forgot to tell you that the only camping spot was on gravel. Gravel is used everywhere to keep dust down and allow for water to run off without causing damage to the campground. It worked out ok but it is very hard on the equipment: tent and foot print.

It was good to sleep in today as we needed it. It was only 37 degrees in the morning (6:00am) so we were able to wait for the sun to rise and it warmed up quickly. The Campground has a very nice restroom and shower area. I’ve been able to use a calling card to call Carol and let her know we are safe and sound daily.

I noticed that a threesome on BMW’s rode into the campground and I introduced myself. They were from Oklahoma and on the same ride as us. We were planning on leaving around the same time tomorrow so we will hook up and have breakfast down the road.
Tomorrow we will have a long day in the saddle with a 380 mile day. We have been told that the road from Destruction Bay to Beaver Creek is very rough and full of pot holes and frost heaves that last for over 100 miles. There is also some road construction just before the border with lots of MUD!

I have to agree that the tour of the brewery was FUN! The operation was very cool and the employee giving the tour was very polished and always had something to tell or add.
The beer was very GOOD! Very small glasses…we both needed mugs.

This morning, we were to split up with James. He is heading toward Inuvik and we’re off to Whitehorse. Our first stop was breakfast at Bee Jay’s … looks really bad from the outside, but good food. Then we had to stop at the Watson Lake sign post forest to attach a NCY license plate frame for the Yamaha guys. See the pictures. This place is much larger than I expected. Very cool !

Pulled into Whitehorse late afternoon and set up camp … we stopped by the visitor center to get a feel for our options. The ladies there were very excited about the hockey game starting (Stanley Cup) and wanted to shoo us away so they could watch the game.

Wayne and I both agree that sleeping on the ground really isn’t our thing. First you have the set up: tent, air mat and sleeping bag. Then the Thermacell, the bug chaser (repellent).
Once the camp set up is finished it’s time for a shower and to start thinking about dinner.
In the morning it’s tear down time and load the bike as quickly as possible. Up at 6:00am and hit the road by 8:00am. It works but really adds to the day. My air mat is a good one and keeps me off the ground all night. NO leaks to date. I have also decided that my tent is too small for this type of camping. But it works ok.

Whitehorse is very different from the late 1960’s when I last visited the area. Back then the town was very old and run down. Today it is very modern and up to date. The visitor center gals stated that Whitehorse is one of the most modern towns of Canada. The streets were very clean and the people were friendly.

We had discussed about taking a ride to Skagway for the day but we decided to pass and take a day off instead. It’s only a 220 mile round trip ride but we both wanted to see what Whitehorse had to offer.

6/5 Saturday, Day 12 from Watson Lake, Canada

We left Fort Nelson early and in the sunshine !! The expected rain never came. We found out that this town (or Fort Nelly, as they called it) is the base of operations for many gas mines (natural gas). The guys in the room next to us were welders on a local mine. They were quite interesting … they told about getting into a fight the previous night at the local pizza joint. To quote: “Just another day on the patch, ehh ?

The ride through the mountains to Watson was spectacular. We had breakfast at Toad River. This place has thousands of hats tacked to the ceiling. And we hooked up with Lane and Rhonda again. Then told us about the “frost heaves” the day before and said that everything came out of the cupboards !

It was fun to meet the gas line workers as they are a different breed of HUMANS on this earth. Very tough and ready to fight at a drop of the hat and that’s what happened after the hockey game. The story was a good one. As we talk to people along our route they all indicate they avoid Fort Nelly like the plague. All everyone wants to do is drink and fight. The women to men ratio is over 1 to 10 and all the women use this ratio to have as many boyfriends as possible causing even more problems in town. Very funny to hear the stories told by the gas line workers.

A fact we learned today was that Watson Lake is the third largest town in the Yukon. Total population is only 32,700 people. Whitehorse is the capital with approx. 25,000. Dawson City is second and Watson Lake is third. Just think of it, this huge land mass with so few people. Mile after mile of nothing but green trees and beautiful lakes.

We had dinner at a diner called Kathy’s Diner and we met a father and son riding to Inuvik, to the top of the world!! This was WAY cool. I was so jealous of their relationship and the fun they were having together. The son had just graduated from college with an engineering degree and his father was giving him the gift of this ride for five weeks to celebrate him earning his degree. My father, Tom Gamble, Sr, and I never had the motorcycle thing in common. He even bought me my first motorcycle when we moved to Alaska but he hated them with a passion. For many years I could never talk about my desert racing as I would get nothing but grief from both mom and dad. I totally understand that they only concerned about my well being but I really had the motorcycling passion and a little support would have been nice. Oh well, it was nice to see and meet them.

It was very nice to see their interaction and the fun they were having. We wish them all the luck in the world and hope they have a safe ride. Chances are we will see them along the way as they will be in Fairbanks and Anchorage also.

James, the BMW rider tagging along with us to Watson Lake, decided to make the change to knobby tires and refused any assistance from Wayne or I. This was a good thing as everyone knows I can’t turn a wrench very well. Of course, the peanut gallery was full of verbal advice and teasing as he worked the dirt and made fast work of changing two tires and readied his bike for the ride to Inuvik. Wayne and I had a great time with James and plenty of laughs were had. Here’s to wishing him a GREAT ride and a safe one. We will be in contact him before heading home so we can ride together if possible. We also hope to hear of his adventures soon. Check out all pictures.

Interesting day and met some interesting folks. In the Dawson Creek campground, we met a couple from Louisiana, Lane and Rhonda. They have their own “retired” cards, see the photo. These guys were great and very interested in our trip. More on them later.

About half way to Fort Nelson, we approached Lane and Rhonda in their RV (who had left earlier than us), while we were passing them, they hit “frost heaves” in the road and (we found out later) that Lane didn’t slow down because he was worried about us … the rig actually came off the ground about 5 inches. It was quite the sight.

Fort Nelson is not the most pleasing of cities to visit. Since rain was predicted, we decided to spend the night in a hotel … so, in trying to get the best possible deal, we selected the Shannon Motel (supposedly the cheapest rates in town, hah !!). After some dickering, we got a reasonable price for three (James is still with us, so we split three ways). The place was a dump, though !

I agree with Wayne that meeting Lane and Rhonda Watkins was way cool. Way nice people and we had plenty of laughs about them hitting the bumps in the road. I’ve told Lane to just hold his line and keep a steady pace and we will go around when safe. During our discussions he indicated he was keeping a journal about his life and that he wrote about us and that it was a dream of his son to do such an adventure. What was way cool he listed our age in the journal as early 40’s! Boy was he shocked to hear we were all the same age. Of course he corrected his journal to reflect our age as “50 something”. Both Lane and Rhonda need to visit San Diego someday for another visit as I truly enjoyed our visits. Plenty of laughs were had!! One point to note was that when they hit the frost heaves Rhonda said she yelled out a few words she hasn’t said in many years.
Sure hope they keep in touch with us.

We also met Bob and Ann from Ohio. They are headed to Fairbanks to ride the haul road north with the Aerostitch.com group. He has a Suzuki V-Strom DL1000 like mine. He’s really excited to do the ride and we hope to catch up with them around the 15th of June upon our arrival in Fairbanks. Both Bob and Ann are ultra marathon and bicyclist and hold some records for riding tandem for both 12 and 24 hour rides. I was truly impressed with the stories of their riding adventures and their accomplishments on the bicycles. Both Bob and Ann are now retired and living the good life and meeting them really added to our trip. We wish them the best on their adventure and would really enjoy seeing them again on one of their travels to San Diego. Once again we both they stay in touch with us as they are great people.

Today’s ride was really one of just pounding the pavement adding the miles to Alaska. We are having a great time and both Wayne and I really enjoy meeting all the new friends along the way.

Today started out quite poorly … it was raining (hard) when we woke up. Packing in the rain is no fun … anyway, we hooked up with James and headed out. Soon the rain stopped and it warmed. Breakfast in Grand Cache (nothing around for miles and only one restaurant).

The sun came out and it was very nice … beautiful scenery. At one point, Tom and I saw a black bear along the side of the road, impressive ! Then, not too far from that, a couple of white tail deer jumped out in front us, well, in front of me … Tom was yelling on the radio “deer, deer, deer” … Of course, I had seen them and was just trying to get close.
Now for the truth…As I was yelling deer, deer, deer all I could hear was Wayne gassing it to get that closer look. I honestly thought that it was all over but the crying. The first deer wasn’t the problem….it was the second one that freaked out and took off running directly at Wayne’s motorcycle. It was close but due to Wayne’s excellent motorcycle handling skills he avoided T-boning a huge BUCK….says Wayne!

Very windy as we pulled into Dawson Creek. This is Mile “0” of the Alcan Highway … the adventure begins here (says the sign coming into town). We camped with James and shared a camp site. Very nice …

Tonight is our first night of camping! No more KOA’s this far north. Now the trip begins and the weather is looking better for us. We took some pictures at Milepost 0 in Dawson Creek today. Very cool and many memories were flashbacked when I was with my family in the late 1960’s and we drove past this same location. We met a guy and his wife heading to Fairbanks to ride a Suzuki V-strom 1000 to Prudhoe Bay/Deadhorse. This is where the oil pipeline starts. Great talking to him and sharing stories.

Total mileage: 2535

6/1 - Tuesday, Day 8 from Banff, Canada

Hello everyone!! What a day we had as it was a wet one. We woke to a major down pour and had second doubts about hitting the road. But as luck would have it the rain stopped as we were preparing to move on down the road. Our schedule was to leave at 8:00am sharp and we were ready and looking at the rain came down. As I was preparing to lock up the Potter’s home the rain stopped and we made a slow ride down the two mile dirt road to the highway. We made it without any problems and within a few minutes the rain started again. This was the most rain I have ever ridden in. No problems just cold and wet for the entire day.

As we entered Canada we found it an interesting process. Lots of questions and a discussion of our route to Alaska….then it happened. First I was directed to secondary and Wayne followed. The agents completed a quick background check and then escorted both to the exam room for a deep cavity search. Just kidding!! As we left the border the weather turned wet again and it was that way for the rest of the day.

Our biggest problem is the lack of fair weather. To date we have yet to have a nice day.
The temp hit a low of 43 degrees and both Wayne and I were chilled to the bone. Mostly our hands and feet were very cold.

We arrived in Banff and it was a beautiful town with plenty of things to see and do. We had dinner at Tony Romo’s and a very relaxing walk around town and then back to the motel for a good nights sleep.

Total mileage to date: 2000. The miles are clicking off and we are still having a blast. Yes, we are still hoping for better weather and looking forward to seeing Banff/Jasper Parks tomorrow. I hope the clouds lift for some great pictures.

We drove from Spokane to Troy to visit Tom’s friend’s Bob and Kathy Potter. Unfortunately, they were out of town so we couldn’t see them … but, they let us stay at their place for a couple of days. We had planned this “down” time as part of our trip, an extra day to relax and check out the bikes thoroughly.

Bob and Kathy’s place is just spectacular. A log home on Bull Lake … and I mean on the lake. See photos. Five car garage, shop, boat docks … just idyllic.

It has been raining the past couple of days and more tomorrow, ugh. See Tom using the backhoe to move our bikes to dry land ! Off to Canada tomorrow!

Wayne and I arrived in Spokane, WA late and didn’t want to surprise Gary John’s, a college buddy, so I decided to wait until our return trip to make contact with him. Gary and I attend Ventura JC together and both did the law enforcement thing. We were on the pistol team and had a blast traveling for the competitions. He was always a better shot than I for some reason. He said it was because I was too tall. Oh well!

We arrived at the Potter’s home on Bull Lake and the weather was getting worse as the rain clouds were really moving in fast. Today, Monday, was a wet day. Between rain showers and down pours we worked on the bikes. The Potter’s allowed us to take La Bamba, their old Buick, on a ride to Troy, MT for a shopping spree to purchase some cold weather socks. They are said to be good to -40 degrees. On this trip my hands and feet have always been cold and that makes for an uncomfortable day.

Carol asked me to do a drive by on two homes and that was completed today. On Angels Island there is a beautiful log home near the lake. Very cool and it’s listed at $259,000.00 for over a year now. Sounds like it’s time to make an offer? Is Carol ready to move north?

This day and a half rest period was needed. The Potter’s home is just the place to relax!! The pictures we will attach do not do justice to the beauty of this area and their home. I really love it here. We are truly lucky to have their friendship and I owe them BIG time!!
We have high hope to catch them upon our return trip home. I’ve decided to leave some gear I don’t wish to carry anymore at their home and pick it up on the way home. Now just wait and see if I need something I left behind…just my luck I will need it….oh well!

Tomorrow we enter Canada and head to Banff, AB for the night. On Wednesday we get to view the Canada National Parks of Banff and Jasper. Can’t wait!! I’ve seen pictures of this area and this is one of the most beautiful places on this earth. I promise to take plenty of pictures and tell you all about my experiences.

Life is really good but I do miss Carol bunches!! I know she would love to see what I have seen so far. We need to plan another trip with the trailer and dogs for a GOOD time!

Great day today … started a bit slowly. It was very cold in Culver, OR when we started out. Crossed the Columbia River around 10am and into Washington … which is good ! Didn’t care much for Oregon. The speed limit for the entire state, on all roads, is 55 mph and gasoline MUST be pumped by an attendant. It was a little strange to stop at a station and have someone run out to you and ask “Can I help you?”

After crossing into Washington, we actually saw our shadows for the first time on this trip !! That’s right, the sun came out ! Well, for a short period of time.

Staying in Spokane tonight. Off to Troy, Montana tomorrow !

I agree with Wayne that today was a wonderful day. Temp was only 43 degrees and rain was threatening all morning. As we approached the Columbia River I was overtaken by the size of this river. The wind was really blowing and the river was covered with white caps. The John Day Dam was a very interesting sight (see pic). Once on the Lewis and Clark Highway the weather started to warm up for us and it was about time. Temp hit a high of 69 degrees for a short period. We are still having problems with our Chatterbox communications as the batteries are old and not accepting a charge. As we see motorcycle shops along the route we stop in and look for any accessories by Chatterbox to fix our problem. A bought a 12v hardwire kit and will complete the install in Troy tomorrow.

We have met some really fun people on the way as they are all very interested in our adventure. One couple in Oregon said they will keep a lookout for us in Fairbanks as they are headed that way also. Most just give us a weird look and shake their heads in disbelief and can’t figure out why anyone would ride a motorcycle to Alaska.

Today we ended our mileage total at 1575 and counting.

Both Wayne and I hope you are enjoying the pictures and logs. If you have any questions for us fire away. Thanks for leaving the comments as we really enjoy reading them. Thanks for coming along on this adventure with us.

5/27 - Thursday
We pulled out of Shingletown and headed east on Hwy 299 to Hwy 3 towards Fort Jones to visit Tom's brother. What a beautiful area. The evergreen trees and lakes were amazing!! We highly recommend a sightseeing trip to this area when time permits.
Upon our arrival we visited for a short time with Jay and Donna, some long time friends of Tom. We stayed the night at Fil's ranch (Tom's brother's). We parked the bikes and unloaded our gear. We went to dinner in Etna, CA and had a very nice visit and share many stories. Fil put us in the bunkhouse for night and it was very nice but it has NO heat! It was down right COLD last night.

5/26 - Wednesday
The heater worked out great !! Definitely worth it. Well, today started out poorly. After packing to take off, Tom left to check out at the office, I jumped on the bike to move it off the center stand, came down sideways and bam ... over on its left side. I began yelling and whistling for Tom to come help me pick it up. Upon hearing me, Tom jumped on his bike and bam, on its right side !! Two bikes down in 2 minutes and massively bruised egos. Luckily there were two maintenance workers nearby to help us. What a pair we are !

We skirted the rain all day as we headed toward Susanville. The rain Gods were on our side ! In Susanville, it started getting pretty cold. Cloud cover was very low and rainy. We passed on seeing Mt. Lassen due to the rain and snow in the area. We made good time to Shingletown, CA and spent the night at a KOA cabin. We highly recommend KOA's and their kabin's. Note: always ask if they have a heater as you will need one and our heater works great!

5/25/10 - Tuesday

First of all, we'd like to thank Ben and Archie for giving us a nice send off this morning in Valley Center. Thanks guys, that was unexpected and fun.

It was an uneventful grind getting out of So Cal (photos are of us droning through the desert) ... we were welcomed in Mammoth Lakes with snow flurries !! Had to go out and buy a portable heater for the cabin. We'll need it in Alaska anyway. Dana was right, we need a Gold Wing with a trailer !!

Rain and snow predicted for tomorrow ... should be fun ! More photos tomorrow.