Wednesday, June 18, 2014

To the Arctic!!! Git!!!

Well 2 nights ago, I had to say Adios to my 2 up riding buddy, my back scratching, shoulder rubbing, fart smell enduring, over slept but beautiful girlfriend Amanda.  We had a few great relaxing days in Fairbanks getting some misc. stuff done in town on my bike to get me ready for the long haul up to Dead Horse.  We hit the hot springs in Chena which were really relaxing.  Too bad the temp was like 70's already, otherwise the springs would have been more refreshing.  I took quite a few pictures at the hot springs, but i can't post any because Amandas 17 days worth of armpit hair growth is obscuring every picture so i just deleted them all!  I hope shes at home back in SF using her own shaving on that hairy pit. 

Yesterday was down and dirty.  This is what I had been waiting for, planning and planning over again for the past 6 months.  The trek from Fairbanks, AK to DeadHorse.  This is a small civlization of people on the boarder of the arctic ocean.  500 miles between them and any other real collection of people other than a few gas stations (and i really mean only 3).  I stayed at the University of Fairbanks dorm rooms last the night before for 39$.  What a steal.  Reminds me how awful dorm rooms were.  Those single beds are great if you're a little person, but 6'1"?  Not so much...

I packed the bags early in the AM, chatting with some other bone heads like myself, riding around on a motorcycle for weeks or months at a time and sleeping on the ground.  Here's a picture of a guy i met riding a new V Strom adventure.  He was headed to Denali.  Was pretty interested in my GoPro and asked how it worked.  I showed him, and snuck a picture of him.  Happy riding Andy!



Rick and I met up for some breafast at The Cookie Jar in Fairbanks.  Nice little B-fast place, and as i was sitting there, i looked out the window and HOT DAMN!  There was a moose running through the parking lot!  Welcome to AK baby!!  

We filled up our extra 2 gallon gas cans before we parted for Coldfoot (our first stop along this 2 day journey towards the arctic).  There are only a few gas stations along the way and we were going to have to take extra gas to make it on one occasion, possibly twice.  Too bad our bikes aren't fueled on fart gas...!

Real quick, we will be headed up the Dalton highway, it's the one you see on the TV Show Ice Road Truckers.  It's about 500 miles long, dirt, mud, loose gravel and spectacular views!  It aint like riding your bicycle to grandma's house for lunch and a soda, that's for fucking sure!  Let's begin with the pictures people!!!!

Rick and i hit some rain, some mud and we were spinning them tires for sure on the way!!


I'm pretty sure this was the face i was making as soon as i saw all the mud!  Clenched Ass Cheeks?? Yes Sir!!!!!!



Hell yeah it was raining!!!  







This road was just glazed mud.  Flinging mud everywhere! 



I told Rick I'd back off the throttle and let people think he was smoking me in the dirt.  Just to get some pictures. 
This was one of the lookout points on the way to the Arctic Circle. 


Damn, some of these pictures are cool!  I take sweet pictures!





Just after passing the Yukon River. First food/gas stop in Coldfoot.  Made it past the first part of the mud and still alive. There was a MotoQuest tour going through also which accounted for about half the 25 bikes there.  This was the first gas stop once on the highway.  







Harley with street tires today?  NO THANK YOU!!!  Dude was from Pittsburg though.  Those dumb Pennsylvania people!




After we hit the Arctic Circle, he realized his front fork just oozing fluid. No Bueno.  He made the decision to Abort Mission.  We parted ways and i pushed on!  I hooked up with 2 guys to ride with. Scott, a fire fighter in Seattle and Chuck, a dude from Boulder.   Chuck is riding a WR250!!  Props to him, that's a small engine to ride from Colorado. We have to stop every 80 miles for him to fill up his tank. Thank god we were carrying 6 extra gallons of gas. 




The Tundra was insane.  And the weather was great!  


I didn't have any pictures from the passes (Atigun and some other one).  These two dudes were hauling ass and we had to get to Prudhoe Bay that day!  Once Rick headed out, i was up for whatever. It's always nicer riding in the middle of nowhere with others than alone.  


Let's creep on the new guys and take their pictures!  I promise i'm not weird!








Atigun Pass








I had a little trouble picking up on the dirt today. It was so dusty, was getting used to my new TKC tires and Chuck and Scott were just really hauling it in the beginning.  I was nervous at first i'd have to tell them to go ahead because i couldn't keep up.  I hung on though anyway.  




The Ducati was killin it!  With all that HP, I found myself grabbing a handful of throttle often to keep from bogging down in the mud.  







We rolled into Deadhorse @ about 1120pm last night.  The last 20 miles were brutal.  I was going to take a picture but then i remembered i'd need my hand and didn't want it getting frostbite just yet.  The temp went from 76 deg down to 31.  I had some trouble finding my hotel.  Was 20 seconds away from sleeping on the floor at Chuck and Scott's place. 







I did make it alive, it was a mentally and physically challenging route that i really enjoyed pushing myself on!  Now, it's time to head back, the same route.  Let's hope for great weather, no wind, no dust, no mud, no trucks, no accidents and lots of wildlife.....I guess i can keep hoping...










1 comment:

  1. was up there a few days before you guys. Snowed 4 or 5 inches overnight so snow from Deadhorse to Atigun Pass. Otherwise same rain and mud below Coldfoot on the way up, so so to Atigun and good except for that construction zone on the way to Deadhorse. Very chunky rock with a couple inches of watery mud on top - nasty for 15 miles - much improved next day when we rode out. Dry from Atigun Pass so we rode all the way in to Fairbanks.

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