Destination "ALASKA"

Monday July 12, 2010


I began the ride with heavy overcast low clouds, light rain, and temperatures hovering around 45 degrees, yeah a little raw. This portion of the Alaskan Hwy from Haines Junction to Tok Alaska is well known as challenging to say the least. After getting gas I began along the road with the three bikes riding behind me. It wasn’t long before my glasses fogged up and a short stop needed to make corrected gear changes.

None of the beautiful mountains were visible because of the low cloud layer. Fifty miles into the ride the road began to show signs of what people were talking about. The locals call it frost heaves, I believe the correct term should be ATV trails.

There were sections of the roadway with sink holes as you drove into them, offset different levels in the left and right tracks. Most of the problems areas were broken into sections that gave you an opportunity to recover and prepare for the next section.

There were gravel sections some packed and depending on the construction taking place some were muddy and slick.

As the day wore on the clouds broke up and the sun began to shine the temperature increased to 75 degrees. I took several conquering photos at the welcome to Alaska sign, along with the group from Utah.

The road conditions began to get better several miles after the border check point into Alaska. The fifty miles of road towards Tok Alaska was the best part of the day.

I was initially planning to continue on toward Fairbanks when I was convinced to by the group from Utah to hang with them for dinner. I found a camping cabin next to their hotel and the place was extraordinary. I ate a dinner at the hotel next to the cabins and took in a great Buffalo Burger.

The cabin was self contained with all modern upgrades that a fine hotel. The evening ended with a fire pit where all of the travelers sat around we enjoyed each other’s travel stories and activities.

I met and spoke with guy named Aiden from eastern Canada north of Nova Scotia who works with and knows the drivers from the “Ice Road Trucker” show. He works for the company that extracts natural gas from the Ice fields north of Yellow Knife.

The cabin owners brought me out a beer and took my photo to post on her face book page she has for the hotel.

I smoked a La Gloria #5 cigar for the “Brothers of the smoke” at the Old Virginia Tobacco Shop back in VA for my accomplishment of arriving in Alaska.

Great day of riding except for the first part, however that ride was a bit like life, nothing in life is gain without a little hard work, adventure and excitement. These sections of the Alaska hwy provide all of the memories that I will treasure for the rest of my life.

This has been a true adventure that was shared be people who seek the same type of excitement of viewing nature at it best and enjoying what the open road adventures.

Well in the morning it is on to Fairbanks Alaska. It is 11:00 pm and the sun is still up in the sky, man this is so weird.