Sunday February 23, 2014 continued

Now – where was I before I was so rudely interrupted?  Oh yea – Fort Payne and tornadoes.  Well, time marches on and in a couple days, it’s about time to hit the road again in our quest for spring training.  Maybe get the car washed?  Good idea!  There’s a little drive through car wash in town and you can throw in your own free vacuum when done.  It does a decent job for $10, and I pull around to use the vacuums.  Pull out the rubber floor mats, move the seats back and forth, wipe down the dash.  It all came together so well for our morning trip to New Orleans.  …or so I thought, until I was searching for my phone about an hour later.  Talk about frantic!  My first thought was 2 of the contacts that I needed for this trip were only available on the phone.  My second thought was somebody has my phone and is calling friends all over the world.  After backtracking my moves, I realized it could be in only one place – the car wash.  It had to have fallen out of my sweatshirt pocket as I was vacuuming.   A quick run down to the car wash produced no phone and nobody had turned one in.  Cutting to the chase – Rick and I went to the local AT&T store to check on options.  Rick had the idea to text to the phone a reward for turning it in.  I decided to do nothing till the next day, and later that evening – bingo!  The phone texted Rick!!  It was explained that the glass was broke, and while it would text, it wouldn’t call.  Hmmmmmm.  I played around with this, but after no messages for the evening and into the next morning, I reported it stolen and bought a new “go-phone”.  I wasn’t eligible for an upgrade yet, so I just got something cheap to get me through the next few months.  Fortunately, after logging in to my g-mail account, all the contacts were there.  Phew!  Yea – I lost some pictures, but the important stuff was recovered.  I hope I never have to go through THAT again.

 

Sunday February 23, 2014

Various observations on our 1st retirement trip.
We've been on the road for a month and haven't hurt each other yet!  ;-)  Quite an accomplishment, huh?
It's been a cold trip.  (Well, duh! - it's winter.)  Not cold like back home in Ohio.  No - it hasn't even reached single digits where we've been.  Back home it's been single (and double) MINUS digits.  Our third night on the road produced 25 degrees in Savannah, GA.  A full week in St Pete Beach, FL garnered us maybe 2 days of sun and temps conducive to walking the beach in shorts and t-shirt, but generally windy, gray, and chilly.  Amelia Island in FL wasn't much better.  ...and then there's the 2014 icestorm in Aiken, SC.  Probably the #1 choice for a retirement relocation, but come time to leave and the roads are closed and the city is pretty much shut down due to icy roads and fallen trees blocking anywhere you want to go.  A tree was even leaning on our car from the wieght of the ice on the limbs.  Fortunately, we were able to move the car before the city had to cut it down, and there was no damage.  We had to extend our "visit" in Aiken by and extra 3 days, and spent the last night without lights or heat.  Our "home" for the week, the Carriage House Inn, was kind enough to not charge us for that last nights stay.  The storm didn't stop in Aiken.  It then proceeded to dump enough snow to prohibit us from visiting our next destination - Asheville, NC.  We get the message - NC is not where we are suppose to relocate.
Let's go visit some relatives!  Fort Payne, AL.  The home of Rick and Kathy Kuhn.  Louises' sister and brother-in-law.  It's been quite some time since we've seen them and a visit is certainly in order.  This was supposed to be a week to recuperate from the past couple weeks travel and get ready for the really long trip out west, but the extra few days in S.C. were enough "off" time to re-charge the batteries.  That, however, didn't mean we couldn't laze around for a few days and make friends with the myriad of cows, dogs, mules, goats and whatever else was out there to greet us as we took our morning/afternoon walks while the two of them had to go off and earn a living.  It also was a time to save our reputation as the official delivery couple of bad weather.  While most of the week was pleasant, we were able to conjure up enough wind to bring a tornado to Ft Payne.  It was my first brush with a real tornado threat that I know I don't want to go through it again.  Sirens blaring, lightning, horizontal rain - all while we're dashing to the garage where the underground safehouse is located.  The sirens eventually ended, as did the wind and the rain, but sleep came slowly as the adrenaline level slowly subsided.

Saturday June 8, 2013 Tangle Creek, AK

I’m a slacker.  There – I’ve said it.  I’m a slacker.  We have a major problem on this adventure trip in that it’s really being disguised as a vacation for some of us (me).  On a vacation, you go about having a good time doing whatever it is the vacation is supposed to be designed to do, and at the end of the day you sit around drinking and eating and having fun with your friends talking about how Jimmy got stuck on the elevator or Sally tried eating the umbrella in her drink.  There are no elevators or umbrella drinks here, but there is eating and drinking and talking about the days adventures.  The problem is that I should have jotted down some notes about what happened during the day, rather than having a good time at the end of it.

The trip out of Chatanika was uneventful and even, dare I say it, warm.  (well – comparatively speaking)  We passed the outskirts of Fairbanks and stopped at one of everybody’s favorite places, The North Pole.  (yes, it really does exist)  Santa was off on his lunch break.  He does, after all, have to keep up his image.  We all browsed through the place, took some pictures and said hi to Rudolph.  I had to buy a Christmas tree ornament – I mean, come on – it’s the North Pole!  We continued south on the Richardson Highway till we reached Delta Junction to fuel ourselves and the bikes.  It was here I realized just how prevalent engine block heaters are in this part of the country.  Oh – I’ve seen the plugs hanging out of the front of most all the cars, and have even used them in my truck driving day’s decades ago, but even in this little backwoods, out in the middle of nowhere Alaska, they have outlets to plug in your vehicle while you have it parked for as long as you’re in there.

We continued heading toward the Paxson area along some of the most beautiful scenery of lakes, streams and mountains I’ve ever encountered, and had finally had enough of the “race”.  It seemed like everyone was in a hurry to keep up with the leader for fear of getting lost.  Why?  There are no other roads to turn off to, and we have a support vehicle running behind us.  Even though we’ve been encouraged verbally to stop and take pictures when we want to, it just didn’t seem like you were really supposed to do that.  Well – I had finally had enough.  It’s not like this is a cheap trip, and I want some pictures along the road.  It looked like I started something as everyone seemed to do the same thing.  Meanwhile, miles up the road, our leader realized there was nobody following so he decided to pull off to the side and wait.  It was about this time one of our riders had a flat tire, so a mandatory break was in order.  While everyone was milling around while changing the bike, I was off taking pictures, and it produced one of my favorites.

 

We left the Richardson and turned on to the Denali Highway on our way to the Tangle River Inn for the night.  Little did I know what would await me the next day.  Our rooms were spacious, and the food was so good and plentiful that we didn’t even ask, or care, what the exorbitant price would be for this out of the way place, because here in Alaska, everything is expensive.  The Tangle River Inn is a home base for mining operations miles away and a helicopter is stationed here to fly supplies into the field when needed.  They also have permanent tents set up behind the cabins for mineral testing and lodging.   The night was filled with potato launching and fireworks, the latter of which I just couldn’t stay up for.  (these young kids are killing me)

http://youtu.be/zFpAWrkXB8U

Friday June 7, 2013 Chatanika, AK

I know the sign says "Welcome", but we're actually leaving.

 

This is our last day on the Dalton Highway and I have to comment on the people that man the outposts along the way.  There are only 3 places to fuel the body and the vehicle along the way, the Yukon River Outpost, Coldfoot and Deadhorse.  In these places, the people were friendly and accommodating, and even anxious to see a band of motorcycle crazies try to conquer what has to amount to the toughest road in the US   The days have been hard and tiresome for us, but everyone that we came in contact with was always smiling and eager to help in any way they could.  Maybe it’s just because the long hard winter is over – but maybe it’s not.  Jim said we should consider ourselves lucky, because very few have had the chance to attempt this trip in such difficult conditions.  Even the workers at Deadhorse said they never see ice this late in the season.

The exit from Coldfoot was uneventful.  We returned to the Arctic Circle sign for one more photo and a last lunch at the Yukon.  From there, it was all magic.  Do you ever get in a “zone” when everything seems to be “just right”?   That’s where I was.  There was a group in front of, and behind me, but I saw neither.  There was pavement, or hard pack gravel, or loose stone.  It didn’t matter because it was like I became one with my surroundings.  There was a rhythm to the road, to the landscape – to the bike.  The engine was purring and the miles were just melting away without even realizing it.  All of a sudden – I’m gassing up in Fairbanks and thinking I missed some of the best parts of the trip, when in reality; it may have been one of the best parts of the trip.

Chatanika Lodge was our home for the evening, and the owner was in the process of getting out the tables and chairs and firing up the charcoal grill for our steaks for the evening.  This seems to be a regular stop on this MotoQuest tour, and I think the owner of the lodge looks forward to it as much as the travelers.  Chatanika used to be an old gold mining town, and across the street from the lodge sits an abandoned old dredge that spent over 30 years pulling out more than 70 million dollars of gold. 

While I’m not a big fan of shared bathroom facilities, this lodge seemed to fit the atmosphere of an old camp, while remaining clean and comfortable.   Ron, the owner, is almost worth the price of admission by himself as he shows off his old Harley, classic cars and videos of the area, and a personality to match his bravado.

 

Thursday June 6, 2013 Coldfoot AK

We began the day with a tour of the oil fields.  After all, the only reason for Deadhorse to be in existence is oil.  Everybody who is somebody in the oil business is here, along with some of the nobodies including  drillers, service providers, and oil firms.  The employees make good money, but work 12 hrs shifts for 2 weeks.  Then they get 2 weeks off and are flown to either Fairbanks or Anchorage – free!  …and they are returned – free!  While here, room is provided along with meals, entertainment and exercise facilities.  They work hard, but are well rewarded. 
The last part of the tour is when we have the chance to put our toes in the frozen Beaufort Sea.  One of our Canadian friends, Glenn, is apparently used to cold weather.   He came out in shorts and sandals and went straight to the water.  (those crazy Canadians)  Our last stop was the general store.  I asked if we might be able to purchase some insulated clothing before we left.  I was NOT prepared for this kind of cold.  Even the locals said that most all the ice is melted by now, and yet, all we saw was ice – EVERYWHERE!  It was a good stop and everyone was able to buy some “stuff” whether they needed it or not.

We gassed up and headed south toward (hopefully) warmer temps.  It started out at 28 degrees and eventually worked its way up to 31 for the 1 ½ hrs until we stopped for our packed lunches.  As we approached Atigun Pass, in all its snow covered and cloud enshrouded mystery, we topped off our tanks from the support truck, and began our next drama.  We had no idea what lies ahead, but there was no choice as to whether we proceed or not.  It turned out to be a non issue.  The valley before the pass was dry and 40 degrees and didn’t even get damp until near the top where the temp bottomed out at 32.  It was slippery coming down so speeds were lowered to a tolerable crawl until we reached the bottom.  YAY!  Here we go – 60 mph and a temp to match.  We’re on roll with dry, sometimes dusty, roads and having a good time.  Even the moose acknowledged our return as one startled adult tried running from us as we traveled the Dalton and the moose ran along the edge of a lake next to us eventually darting into the woods.  We found out later that another adult and calf did the same thing with our riders in the back of the pack. 

We made a few stops to stretch our legs and take some pictures, but all we really wanted to do was get back to Coldfoot and have a beer to celebrate our victory over the arctic.
  Jim said we should all feel lucky, as very few people get to experience this kind of tour.  Lucky?  I would say memorable.  This is one of those trips you will always remember regardless of the cold and the wind because – well, because it’s Alaska!  But this is a trip that is made even more memorable because of the weather, not in spite of it.  Very definitely memorable.  Lucky?  I think Jim needs to get back on his meds.

Wednesday June 5, 2013 Deadhorse, AK

We left Coldfoot and hung a right heading north to our ultimate destination along the Dalton.  It’s really surprising that some of the road looks like it was paved within the last couple years, although most of it looks like the original dirt road has just been maintained and “improved” since its construction in 1974.    The helmet camera I’m wearing is doing a pitiful job of showing what the conditions and the landscape are really like on a video, so I’ll switch over to camera mode and hope the results improve. 

This video was recorded by Greg Hassler using his GoPro and was altered for time constraints.  I was 2 riders behind him.

Everything was going along quite well for the first couple hours.  While the temps had fallen into the low 40’s, the hard packed gravel road made for some relatively easy riding – until we stopped.  Our fearless leader, Jim, said it might get kind of cold and windy, so we had better put on any extra layers of clothing we brought.  (gulp)  I’m wearing everything I brought, but since I had been rather comfortable during the ride, I figured I’d just honker down and endure.  That didn’t work out to well.  I was prepared (I thought) for freezing weather, but I didn’t take into consideration that I was prepared for it while riding a bike with a monster fairing and windshield like my bike back home.  This wasn’t a fun ride.  Enter Atigun Pass.  Those of you that have ever watched the History Channels “Ice Road Trucker” can appreciate what this 4700 ft mountain can be like to travel for a truck, let alone a motorcycle.  As we began our ascent, the temps immediately dropped to mid 20’s and the rain had changed to snow.  The equipment maintaining the road had changed it from a hard pack gravel, to loose, muddy, slippery, and rocky.  Temps dropped to the low 20’s and the snow came down harder as the wind picked up.  Snow soon covered my faceshield but as I attempted to wipe it away, it quickly became an “ice” shield and I was left with a small patch of viewable road as I evaded the road grader trying to keep the pass navigable.  As the temp dropped to 18 degrees, I’m trying to scrape off muddy ice from my shield while maintaining control of the bike.  This continued for the next 20 miles or so, and as we descended about 1500 ft, the snow lessened and the temp climbed up to 22 degrees for our planned picnic lunch stop.  Picnic lunch - Really - At 22 degrees?  Isn’t this fun!?   The next 100+ miles were relatively uneventful.  The road went back to a hard pack gravel that is very easy to travel, snow was minimal, speeds were maintained at about 60 mph, and the temperature stayed at 28 for virtually the entire rest of the trip to Deadhorse.  The scenery was everything I had imagined for this northern tundra.  We passed hundreds of nesting birds, and as we got close to Deadhorse, off in the distance we could see musk ox.

Tomorrow is a tour of the oil fields and a visit to the Bay.  If so inclined, we’re invited to take off our shoes and stroll through the waters.  I think I’ll pass.  Now all we have to do is reverse course, and head back to warmer climates.

Tuesday, June 4,2013 Coldfoot, AK

In a category that didn’t even exist until this trip, Coldfoot has won the title, for:  Best Shipping Container I’ve ever slept in!  You have to understand that this is the nearest town to Prudhoe Bay that isn’t dry.  The next closest is about 200 miles further south.  Whatever they put there to sleep in, will wind up being occupied.  It’s muddy and cold and the “motel” is not in great shape, but the food is pretty good, and the beer is cold.

We left Fairbanks in the morning and traveled about 80 miles to the Dalton Highway (The Haul Road) and stopped to have our obligatory group picture taken in front of the sign.  After about a 20 mile drive, we came across our first construction stop.  There is always construction going on at the Dalton, and sometimes it’s a 10 mile affair so you have to wait for a “pilot truck” to escort you through the construction zones.  This road repair was so drastic that as we went up the grade, a tractor/trailer was actually stuck in the middle of the road, and as we went by we saw a large front end loader on its way to pull him out.  Between wet roads, and construction zones, the Dalton can make for exasperating driving conditions.

At mile marker 115 was one of our destination photo ops – The Arctic Circle!  While we were there we met a fellow motorcyclist from Colorado, driving by himself, who is also attempting to drive to Deadhorse, but he’s on a Honda road bike, with road tires!  And he’ll also be 70 tomorrow.  I don’t know if he’ll make it because I’m not sure what to expect myself, but I wish him luck – he’ll need it!  Today was about 100 miles shorter than yesterday, but the time was about the same because of construction and road conditions.  I’m afraid that even as the miles per day get shorter, the time may even increase because of the road.  I hope I’m wrong.  We aren’t traveling long miles, but they’re hard miles, and we’re all pretty much wore out by the time the day is over.