Outer Banks Free Press Special Motorcycle Story

As is common with most Adventure Motorcyclist, one trip leads to another. It is only par for the course that my August 2007 summer trip to ride Highway 1 would lead me to start plotting my next course. While camping in Montana, I met several bikers from Canada who had traveled on the Alcan. Their personal stories revealed that they had encountered many bikers taking the same voyage and had found the highway to be relatively safe, not as scary and treacherous as one might have imagined.

As soon as I returned home I excitedly began researching the Alaskan highway to see if this adventure could become a possibility. I had to determine what route I would take, the time involved, lodging, seasonal weather conditions and other issues that could possibly arrive all with the fingers crossed hope that my request for leave from work would be approved.One month is a long time to the Federal Government.

My first act of preparation was to purchase the book Alaska by Motorcycle by Dr. Gregory W. Frazier, a well known motorcyclist adventurer who has motorcycled around the world 5 times. He provided some excellent details on the road conditions from Canada and Alaska and recommendations on what to bring, road hazards, wildlife, and roads to travel. I am the proud owner of a 2002 Honda Shadow 750 which unfortunately was not on the list of recommended bikes . Who would have guessed? The list of candidates consisted mostly of dual sports including the Kawasaki KLR 650 and the BMW GS. Well, I didn’t really want to drop quarter of a mortgage on a new motorcycle (maybe next time BMW). The KLR 650 looked like the right bike. It had a reputation to be very tough and dependable, however, I was concerned about how such an off road bike would ride on the interstate. So, I decided to stick it out with my trusty 750(fingers crossed once again).

I made this decision for several reasons. First, it was completely paid for Second, I have had my 750 for quite a while and have lost the new bike neurosis of worrying over every scratch. Finally, third, I was very use to the feel of my bike.
There is always a downside. My Honda Shadow 750 is certainly not a dual sport. When the time for an Alaska trip arrived, my 750 would have over 70,000 miles on its tachometer. Also, it’s a chain drive and after my 2007 trip of 7,500 miles, the chain and the sprocket had to be replaced. While no big deal, it was still one less thing I wanted to worry about.

Lucky for me, Dr. Greg Frazier’s book also stated that he saw plenty of bikers on non-dual sport bikes such as Goldwings and Harley Roadkings riding the Alcan. Maybe there was hope for my 750 to make the haul. I felt that if I could get the best chain, best sprocket, and the best tires; buy a headlight protector, and just drive carefully, I just might be able to make it through Alaska and back with out flying home.

My Honda has taken me several times across the continental United States. I had no doubts about its endurance on the highways or interstates. This part of the journey did not phase me. From my research, traveling through Canada didn’t appear to be any different than riding the country roads I have frequently traveled in North Carolina. Entering Alaska and riding through cities like Tok, Delta Junction, and Fairbanks seemed a piece of cake. The one part that was weighing heavily on my mind was the stretch from Livengood to Deadhorse. Maybe Livengood got its name because the smart people stopped there. Their means of travel undeceased. The Dalton Highway is about 414 miles of not very good road. It is a lot of dirt and gravel. I wasn’t as concerned with my driving skills (because I would be driving very slow) as I was about what I would do if the bike were to brake down or get a flat tire. I have a trusty towing service through AMA. It’s a free tow for 35 miles. The Dalton is 414 miles with really no mechanic to work on my bike if something major happened (or minor, I’m not too mechanically savvy).

Now for the really tough sell; convincing the Federal Government that their dutiful cubical paper crunching employee deserved a little over a month vacation from work. I estimated that the trip would take around four weeks, riding on the week days and staying with friends on the weekends in Denver, Colorado; Palmer, Alaska; and Seattle, Washington. I planned to get back by Thursday the 28th of August right before Labor Day weekend. I always try to time my return to avoid holiday traffic. All together I needed off work from July 30th to September 3. Of those, about 22 days were work days. This required me to ask special permission for leave. Once my employer verified that I wasn’t flying to Alaska to hang out for 30 days, they approved me.
In preparation for departure, I purchased The Milepost 2008 version which is a travel planner for BC, the Yukon Territory, and Alaska. It’s a great book that provides details about every town and city in these areas as well as the services provided. It also provides an accurate and current description of the roads, including road construction, animal warnings, rest stop locations, scenic views, etc. This book was beneficial in planning my route and locating all of the town and cities where I could refuel. I calculated the total miles of my trip to be 12,408.

I posted the map of Northwest Canada and Alaska from The Milepost in my work cube in the Spring of this year with my highlighted planned route. By the time my trip was a week away, everybody in the building knew what I was about to do. There was no turning back. About two weeks before my trip. I took my bike to the shop and had them put the best tires on, replace the chain and sprockets, replace the brakes, change oil and plugs, replace air filter, replace the radiator fluid, clean the carbs, and basically get the bike into the best condition they could. I also purchased a plastic headlight protector and mailed a box of gear (consisting of my full motorcycle cold weather suit and a 5 gallon gas can, as well as some other items) to my destination in Palmer. Time to head out on the road.
The following are the dates I traveled and what I encountered as recorded in my journal. My bike had 72,807 miles on it when I left.

I departed from Winston Salem at 4:30 AM. I wonder if the first day of the trip is the most difficult. As much as I had planned, organized, and prepacked, I still find myself checking my lists, bags, and bike multiple times wondering if I have forgotten something. I didn’t get much sleep due to excitement and nerves, and I was already sweating from the North Carolina humidity this time of year.
The ride into the morning takes me up I77 into West Virginia. This stretch of Interstate is very enjoyable, but a little dangerous due to fog and the threat of deer crossings. Until this trip, I had really never seen many deer on the road. However, as I approached Beckly, WV a big doe jumped right across the median and was in the left lane by the time I saw it. Luckily I was in the right lane and passed by unharmed. My trip could have ended right there. The median blocked me from seeing the deer before it was too late. I wouldn’t say it was in arm’s reach, but it was close enough that I could hear its hoofs on the pavement. Well, it definitely woke me up for the rest of my trip.

For the rest of the day weather became my greatest challenge. The clouds started coming in and I sensed rain was fast approaching as I entered Lexington. I had about 10 miles to go before stopping to get gas. I try to stop every 100 to 120 miles to relax and refuel. However, I found myself looking for an early exit to take. I avoid underpasses because they can be dangerous. I spotted a church with an awning, and I was able to take the exit and pull under just before it started raining harder. Never one to let the rain slow me down, I quickly changed into my rain gear and got back on the road.

I went about another 30 miles before taking an exit to refuel. There I met bikers heading to Sturgis. One of them relayed that the weather was pretty clear from here on out, so he had heard. It actually did get sunny through the rest of Kentucky, into Indiana and Illinois. At Mt. Vernon, Illinois, I could see the clouds coming again. I knew I had about 130 miles to go to the other side of St Louis where I wanted to stay for the night. As soon as I approached the Eastern border of St Louis, the sky opened up. By the time I was crossing over the Mississippi River and staring at the arch, I came to a complete stop. The traffic cleared a little as I came off from I64 and then got on interstate 70. However, it quickly slowed to a crawl for the next 10 miles. Riding a bike in the rain when you are in standstill traffic is not exciting. The water will eventually get through. Sure enough, I could start to feel it coming down the back of my neck and front as well as on my feet. The weather didn’t appear to be letting up so I opted to get a cheap motel in lue of camping. I saw the sign for the “Super 7" in Wright City, MO for $35 and took the exit. It was 7pm and I had ridden for about 800 miles. Despite the cheap price, the room was actually nice and the motel clerk let me park my bike under an awning. My first day of traveling finished, I had been through more rain than my entire trip last year, almost hit a deer, and I wasn’t anywhere near Alaska yet.

The rain stopped during the night. By morning, I had a good nights sleep and all of my gear had dried. The day was overcast but luckily no rain and the weather seemed to get clearer as I headed west. By the time I made it through Topeka, the sun was out and it slowly became hot. Between Topeka and Denver there isn’t much to see but about 400 miles of fields. You slowly gain altitude but it is a gradual incline that you don’t notice. You also have to be wary of the cross wind that hits you as it sweeps unobstructed by the flat fields. It’s beautiful country to see but, it can get a little mundane. The big problem for me was that being on the 750 it can be difficult to maintain the speed limit when riding against the wind. This also causes the bike to gas up quicker. On occasions, I’ve had to put it on reserve after only 100 miles. It’s one reason I carry 2 gallons of extra gas with me. The GPS also became helpful since I could locate where the next gas stations were when I had gone around 80 miles.
The sun was beaming down hot as I approached Salina. I decided it was time to try out the new neck cooler that I purchased for my trip. It is a neck scarf that you soak in water so that the crystals gel to keep you cool for a few hours. After all of the heat I dealt with last year, I wish I had one then. It worked dencent and kept me feeling relatively cool until I got into Colorado that evening.

Once in Colorado, there is still over 100 miles of nothing until you get near Denver. I made it there at about 7 pm Mountain Time totaling 12 hours for the day. I have a very good friend living in Denver and I always stay with for the weekend to relax and rest before I continue on to my destination. Looking back, it amazing how four years ago I though driving here for the first time on my 750 was a major accomplishment. This time, I was going another 5,000 miles.

After a very relaxing weekend in Denver, I headed north to Canada. The plan was to travel to Billings, MT from I25 into Wyoming, and then take I90 West to Billings. It was another beautiful day although windy, and I found myself struggling in some areas to keep the bike at the posted speed limit. Being the first week of Sturgis, I saw many riders heading in the same direction. I talked to a couple of them on their way. One was a little amazed when he saw my license plate from NC, and stated that I came a long way to go to Sturgis (he was from Los Angeles). He about flipped when I told him that I was on my way to Alaska.

As I mentioned, I always bring an extra two gallons of gas, and I ended up using it about 60 miles north of Casper, WY. Signs along interstate 25 were well marked showing when the next services were and with my GPS I didn’t feel I had any trouble. After Casper there were no signs for any services but, I assumed that there would be one close by. I had ridden only 80 miles when I punched the GPS for the next service station. It said another 80 miles. I knew with the wind, altitude, and maintaining my speed at 75, I would be lucky if I went another 40 miles. I actually thought my GPS was wrong this time, but unfortunately it was correct. In reality, if I didn’t have the extra gas I probably would have just turned back to get some. So I ended up taking an exit, the type where there are no services and there are flood rails at the bottom of the exit, and refilled my tank there. It was so quiet it was eerie.

The rest of the day's trip was trouble free. The weather stayed nice and I made it to Billings in the evening. I seldom eat on my trips until I get to my destination. As soon as I got to the KOA, I immediately purchased a couple of sodas and one of their buffalo burgers. I had a nice camp site, and the evening was very pleasant. I have stayed at many KOAs across the nation. The Billings KOA is a great one.
Tomorrow I was going to be crossing the border into Canada. I was excited and nervous.

Before taking this trip, I purchased my first cell phone. Today, I was awoken at 6am by two phone calls from some friends whe weren't aware of the time differences. Oh well, I needed to get up anyway. I had a long way to ride. That night was the first night I had camped on my trip, but I slept fine. It always takes me longer to get ready to leave the first time camping simply because I haven’t taken a tent down in a year, not to mention trying to get it rolled correctly so that it fits in its bag. After showering and getting everything packed, I didn’t leave until 8:00.
I knew the day would be long because I had over 700 miles to travel, plus whatever time it might take to cross the Canadian border. The plan was to head north to Great Falls; get on interstate 15 and cross the border at Sweet Grass. Then head north of Calgary into one of the smaller towns between there and Edmonton.

Montana is becoming one of my favorite states to travel through. Although I went through there last year this was on Interstate 90 and 94. This day, I was able to take some of the non interstate highways to Great Falls. The day was sunny and the state is just beautiful. It’s amazing how small you feel going through the highways with nothing in between you but farmland.
I was really enjoying my trip early in the day. I stopped to get gas in one of the small towns and talked to a man from Calgary heading to Sturgis. He appeared to be in his 70s and just wanted to go to Sturgis for the first time. He was very friendly and I was hoping that the people of Canada were all like this. As I neared Great Falls a bee got itself caught in between my helmet strap and my head and proceeded to give the inside of my ear a nice sting. It smarted pretty good for a couple of hours. Glad I'm not allergic to them.

By the time I got on interstate 15, I only had another 40 miles or so before I would be entering Canada. I was nervous. I had never really traveled into another country before and although everybody speaks English for the most part, it is still a bit of a scary feeling because I was going out of my comfort zone. I lived in Italy for two years while stationed in the Navy. If I could live there, I felt I could make it through here. My biggest concern was following the speed limit correctly (it’s in kilometers) and paying for gas with my one credit card hoping that it wouldn’t be denied.

I approached Customs, gave the officer my passport, and he asked me the general questions about what my plans where, was I carrying any weapons, etc.... The man was like a robot. After about 30 seconds he gave me some yellow sheet with his writing on it and told me to park and go inside to the front counter.I was kicking myself. I should have never told him I was bringing about 20 cigars with me ( you can take up to a case). I went in to see the custom officers manning the counter. After waiting for about 10 minutes, I approached the front and said, “Officer Smiley out there wanted me to see you.” Their was no laughter at my attempt at humor and they asked for my ID. I gave it to them and then sat and waited for another 20 minutes. After the wait, the customs officer called me back up and asked me the same questions the previous one had with a little more detail. Then he said I could go. I thought they were going to want me to take everything off of the bike but luckily, they didn’t. I asked him if they normally do this with everybody that comes through here (not being a smart guy, just curious). He replied that they would like to but they have to randomly select people so that’s why they chose me. I know I work for the federal government myself, but I guess I don't look like it when I am out of my cube and in bike gear.

After this fiasco, I wanted to find a bank to exchange some money. I found one about 10 miles up the highway and got $200.00 in Canadian. I then got gas for the first time in Canada and I noticed that they let me pump and then pay. You hardly see that anymore in the US. With my breath held I swiped my credit card and... it worked.
I headed north and stayed with the flow of traffic. The highway was similar to any other interstate in the US just in kilometers. I switched my GPS to kilometers, but that was a little complicated to follow for my taste so I kept it in miles. I refueled several more times and the last time in Red Deer. I made it to Lacombe and was able to find a Subway for dinner and a cheap campsite for 15 Canadian dollars. Just pay up front and find a spot. There were no showers, however there was a bathroom. By the time I set up my tent it was almost 9:30. It was a very long day. The weather stayed nice and some of things I was worried about didn’t happen and I felt tired but happy. I was looking forward to getting on the Alcan Highway tomorrow.

I left around 8:30 and found myself a little faster packing my tent and sleeping bag. It was another beautiful morning as I headed north with the destination of Fort St John, BC.
The trip was interesting to say the least because after Edmonton, I started heading into even more country and less cities. I also didn’t notice that I hit a good bump and my gas can had fallen and was hanging by a bungee cord for 20 miles or so before a passerby honked his horn to let me know. How it didn’t fall is a miracle. You can never have enough bungee so I ended up quadrupling it with bungee so that it wouldn’t move at all.
My GPS was giving me different directions than my printed directions and I found myself taking the country back roads in what seemed to be in the middle of nowhere. In a way, it turned out good, but I was also a little confused about my location. Finally I reached Dawson Creek, the start of the Alaskan Highway.

I met one biker on a very nice Goldwing. He was on his way back from Alaska with his wife. He said the road between Whitehorse and Tok, Alaska was pretty rough and to be prepared. He said there were a couple of places where he thought he was going to wreck and it really shook him up. I took the opportunity to ask him if he had gone to Deadhorse. He said he had originally planed on taking that road accompanied by about 11 other bikers he met up with. However, he said in Fairbanks, he and the wife decided to not go after they saw that it was raining. He also said the other 11 went up and only 4 came back on there bikes. I’m assuming they either got flats, broke down, or had some other mishap. None of it seemed very positive, and I began to feel a little hesitant about taking my bike on the Dalton Highway.

I proceeded on and made it to Fort St John in decent time. I was looking for a campground. Searching for camping on my GPS, it took me to an RV dealership. I went inside to an ATV store and they said there was a place about 10 kilometers outside of town. I located the spot and camped for 20 Canadian dollars. They also had showers for 1 loon (about a buck deposit for 5 minutes). All set, I pitched my tent before buying a couple of sandwiches at a local store. I also met with an older gentleman driving an RV from Wisconsin. He was heading also to Palmer, AK as part of his “Bucket List.” I had my little TV with me but the only station I could get was the CBC network which should have been called PBS Canada. The weather was still warm and my face got roasted from the sun since I forgot to put any sun screen on. I went to bed about 11 o’clock listening to the one radio station I could pick up.

I got up about 8:00 and was packed and on the road in 45 minutes. The weather was warm and sunny.
The first scare of my trip came as I approached Pink Mountain. There is a big downhill slope. Which I was okay with, however, the construction crews had laid rocks on the slope a few days before. It was here that I learned to use my front brakes more than my rear to prevent from locking up. I made it through rather slowly which was especially hard to do when you have a tractor trailer on your back tire.

As I got to the bottom of the mountain, I refueled in Sakinni River. It was here that I met a man heading east on a Harley Tourer and Trailer. He was a guy that looked like he had been traveling for a very long time. Not just to Alaska but all over the US and Canada. He was from Arkansas and he told me to watch out for the areas between Haines Junction and Tok. He said the road was the roughest there and he had hit one bump so bad that it bent his trailer. He also told me that there was no way in hell that he was going to go to Deadhorse because he didn’t want to ruin his bike. He also told me to think “long and hard” about taking this trip. It wasn’t very encouraging.

The rest of the trip went relatively event free and the weather stayed nice for the most part. I hit some clouds and a little rain as I approached Toad River. However, this part of my trip was also the most beautiful. There was nothing but woods, mountains, and the river was turquoise. I’d never seen anything like it, not to mention seeing a couple of stone sheep and buffalo hanging out on the edge of the highway.
I made it to Watson Lake and found a campsite for 8 bucks around 7 pm. I set up my tent and built a small fire and got to sleep about 11 o’clock.

I awoke to another beautiful morning. I wanted to get up about 6:00 but slept till around 7. I showered for two lunies and packed my stuff.
I am always paranoid about my wallet, passport, and GPS being stolen. So, I usually sleep with it all by my head in my tent. When I shower in the morning, I put all of this in my tank bag and carry that with me. When you camp, everything is out in the open so I take the things that are expensive yet small to carry and what I can’t do without.
Although I had been checking the air and the oil every day, today was the first time I was low on both. I refilled my oil with a quart that I had packed and found an air compressor at the camp sight. I knew today I would be heading through Whitehorse into Haines Junction and was hoping to make it to Beaver Creek, YT. I also knew that the roads where going to get rougher.

The sun stayed with me all the way to about Whitehorse and the weather got to around 50 degrees. I put on my chaps with my leather jacket I already had on, as well as my full gloves. That kept me comfortable for the most part. The wind was picking up, and by the time I got to Haines Junction it was blowing pretty hard. Luckily, I had to turn further west after Haines Junction so the wind was behind me.
After about 10 miles I hit my first big construction sight. It was about a 15 minute wait. I then had to follow a truck for 3 miles through a dirt and gravel road. I was only going about 20 miles and it was my first test of many of going through large areas of construction and gravel.

By the time I refueled in Burwash Landing the weather had gotten cloudy and was sprinkling some. It temperature had gotten colder to the point that I had to turn on my heated hand grips. I only had about 120 miles to go to my destination, but the road was filled with patches and gravel. I was determined to make it there. I was riding at about 60mph while weaving around any rough road I saw. There are warning signs for gravel, so I knew to slow down and just use my front brake when hitting it. What I had to be cautious with were the up heaves in the road that would come out of nowhere. There were a couple I hit dead on to the point that my mirrors actually moved. I don’t think the bike ever hit bottom, but it when you hit one, it felt like your handlebar was going to come off in your hands. Another one I hit hard enough to make my gas can actually move again. And this is after I had it quadruple bungied.

I finally made it to Beaver Creek and was greatly relieved. I had made it through some rough roads, I was hungry, I was cold, and I was excited because I knew Alaska was 20 miles away.
It was then I felt it was time to actually look for a motel. I found one for 85 bucks and after unpacking and warming up. I went across the street to a convenience store that had internet access so, I was able to go there and check up on a few things. The locals were some of the nicest people I had met and were asking me about my trip and where I was going. I got back to my motel, turned on the TV, smoked a cigar and went to bed at midnight. Tomorrow, I would be in Alaska.

Even though I was able to stay in a motel I didn’t sleep well. It took me until 12 to sleep and I was tossing and turning the whole night. I actually was sleeping better in my tent. I awoke around 7:30. I think I was excited about getting into Alaska and arriving at my planned destination in Palmer. Which was less than 400 miles away. So it was considerably shorter compared to my recent mileage the last few days.
The weather was again cold and overcast. I left about 8:30 and within about 20 miles I saw the big “Welcome to Alaska” sign. I excitedly got off my bike and was able to get a tourist from Pittsburgh to take my photo. Several people were asking me about how far I had driven. One guy said, “Boy, I bet your butt is tired.” I wanted to tell him that my butt got up and left in the middle of the night a few days ago.

In a couple of miles, I reached the checkpoint and was asked several questions about my destination. Nothing like I went through entering Canada so that was a great relief. I then entered construction site after construction site for the next 50 miles. There were about 4 different areass that I had to wait to get around. It was about 10 minutes each. After this, the road got a lot smoother and I entered Tok. I proceeded to call people I wasn’t able to in Canada just letting them know I was in Alaska and was heading to Palmer.
The rest of the trip was some of the most beautiful drives I had ever taken. From Tok, I headed South on Highway 1 to Glennallen. The weather had warmed up in some areas but also got cold again because the altitude would change. The warmest it got was about 65 degrees. After refueling in Glennallen, I headed southwest to Palmer. The weather suddenly turned bad and it rained steadily for the last 50 miles. By the time I made it to Palmer, my hands and feet were cold and wet, but I made it. The couple I was staying with were not at home. They left the garage door and the house open for me to dry off and warm up (nobody really locks there homes up there). All together, I had gone 5,113 miles from Winston Salem, NC to Palmer, AK.

I had spent the entire weekend getting the bike ready to go to Deadhorse (yes, I decided to go because If I didn’t I would regret it). I first went to Wal-Mart (one of the biggest in the nation) and purchased some long underwear and some warmer socks. The weather was in the 50s and the only non bike clothes I had were shorts, t shirts, one flannel shirt, and a pair of flip flops. The summer weather was also the worse in the almost 50 years that Alaska has been a state. It was in the 50s and rainy. As I mentioned earlier, I had sent a box with some supplies to Palmer. In there was a pair of warm gloves, some hand warmers, a couple of tools for changing the oil and filter, a face mask, and a winter suit that I rarely wore but would need for this trip. I decided to not change the oil and filter since I knew I would be going through some rough terrain and wanted to wait until after I returned. I also had purchased some mesh wire and covered my radiator with it to prevent any rocks or pebbles from puncturing it.

My big purchase was 5 gallon green plastic jug for the extra gas I needed. I was able to put it on my back seat. I then took my sleeping bag and tent and tied that in front. Then, I removed the red gas can and put my travel bag on the back of this. I had to get a big gas jug because there was 240 miles from Coldfoot to Deadhorse of no services, and with the chance that my bike may need gas after only 120 miles (if it was super windy and mountainous), I wanted to play it safe.
I checked the air pressure and I tested my portable air pump that I purchased. I probably should have tested it before I left North Carolina, but it did work to my astonishment. Of course, I had no idea how to fix a flat, let alone change it, but maybe if I had a slow leak, I could just use this to get me to where I was going.
After talking to my family on the phone and meeting some of the locals (all of whom said I may want to think hard about going) I was ready to depart.

The plan was to take three days to make it to Deadhorse. I was going to take Highway 3 through Wasilla, head north through Denali to Fairbanks. Then I planned to get on Highway 2 and stay in Livengood. From there I would get on the Dalton and stay in Coldfoot. Finally I would take the rest of the Dalton to Deadhorse. I would stay the night there in order to see the Arctic Ocean and start heading back. Sounds simple enough.
I had yet to get up really early on any of the day trips so far, and I didn’t this morning either. I ended up leaving at 9:00. The weather was cooperative and stayed sunny all the way until the last part of the Denali forest where I hit some rain. It didn’t last long, and before I knew it, I was in Fairbanks around 5:00. After, I refueled at the last gas station until Yukon Crossing, I was realizing that I was actually ahead of schedule. I also realized that there was no camping facility in Livengood. So, I kept on heading north.

The road was still good but I wasn’t on the Dalton yet. Right before I reached it, there were two bikers that were parked on the side of the road looking at their map. They were both riding BMW GS’s. They told me that they were heading back. They had a group with them of 8 riders including someone driving a truck towing a trailer. They said that they had gotten as far as Coldfoot the evening before and were heading to Deadhorse today but the rain had kept them from going any further than about 25 miles. They had to turn around. They explained to me that I could probably make it to Coldfoot from there today. It’s about 190 miles and most of the road is paved albeit not that well.

As soon as I got to the exit for the Dalton the road was packed dirt. I pulled over and deflated my tires to about 30 psi. I continued on and was thinking there was no way I would make it to Coldfoot tonight. The next exit for gas was Yukon River Camp about 100 miles. The dirt eventually gave way to a nice highway that was recently repaved. It turned to dirt again as I entered Yukon River Camp. I was able to get a good photo of my bike with the Alaskan Pipeline and I refueled. I was thinking about camping here. It was around 6pm and I still had about 90 miles or so to Coldfoot. It appeared that my remaining miles of road would be mostly dirt. Deciding to continue on I was assisted by the long days Alaska has in the summer. This time of year it doesn’t get dark until very late. The road became paved again after about 20 miles, however, there were potholes and construction the rest of the way. I found myself pushing the bike’s limits about 60 mph and slaloming between lanes to avoid the dips and pavement breaks. I passed the Arctic Circle after about 50 miles (I regret not getting my photo there). Unfortunately, I didn’t avoid all the breaks, and there were several times that I found myself wondering if I might have hit one dip too hard. I found myself hoping and praying that I would get to Coldfoot.

I finally located the area and found the Coldfoot Camp Trucker’s Café. The buffet was closed but the bar was open and they were still serving burgers. It was 9 o’clock. The burger was one of the best ones I had ever had. It could have something to do with the fact that I hadn’t eaten since the morning. The trip took me 12 hours. After eating my burger along with some deer sausage and a couple of beers, I found a camping sight for 8 bucks. I was getting a little paranoid because there was a sign warning of a bear sighted nearby. I pitched my tent and went to bed around midnight. It was still light outside. The weather was misty and rainy when I went to sleep and I was curious to see what tomorrow would bring. I also slept with my hatchet, in case any bears came around.

I awoke around 8:00 again to rain drops hitting my tent. I was determined not to let the rain put me in a sour mood. I had gotten this close to my destination and I intended to make it the rest of the way.
When I was at the bar the night before, I was asking some of the locals who had been on the road, what it was like. They told me that the road wasn’t too bad, and that if you drive safely it will take you about 6 hours to reach Deadhorse. It took me longer to pack this time, mostly because I was doing a lot of praying to make it safely and to not get a flat tire. I also new that I had 240 miles of dirt, gravel, and everything in between that I would be riding on.
After checking over everything on the bike, I hopped on and took off. The road was mostly packed dirt when I started, but it was also slippery due to the rain. There were several parts of the road that were deep and rutted and some that were well packed. I was maintaining a speed of about 30 miles. During the entire trip, I was on the look out for tractor trailers either passing me or coming from the opposite way. When they did, I would just hide behind my windshield to avoid getting hit with anything. I checked my rear view mirrors frequently.

The Alaskan Pipeline runs parallel to the road the entire stretch. The road is surrounded by forest until the Atigun Pass. I got my first big scare heading up the Atigun Pass. The road was slick and the bike began to wobble side to side as I approached the curve. I was able to recover but mostly due to the fact that I was going 10 miles an hour. That’s how slow I was required to go to stay in control through this section of road. There was road work along the pass, and it was especially rocky in some places. You also notice the damage to the railings along the way because of so many trucks that have hit them. I made it through with a big sigh of relief and continued on. The road soon became more rocky and less dirt which I didn’t like because I was afraid of puncturing a tire. On the good side, the weather had turned sunny and it was in the low 50s.

I saw many hunters parked along the road hunting Cariboo. You’re allowed to hunt with a bow and arrow within so many miles of the pipeline. It helped relieve me some since I knew at least there were people around in case something were to happen.
I was about halfway there when I saw too guys riding GS Adventures parked on the side heading South. They were on their way back and one of them had punctured a tire. That made me even more paranoid so I decided to go extra slow for the next 10 miles since it was around this area where he got his puncture. The weather definitely cooperated and that helped the road, but it was still very rough. I found myself constantly listening for any leaking air sound.

After 150 miles, I pulled into one of the turns (there are plenty places to pull into) and used my big gas can to refuel. I wasn’t very happy with how it worked. A good amount was still spilling from the top as I poured. I filled the bike up, repacked everything, looked around at the quietness and vastness that surrounded me and continued on. It’s one of those moments that you tell yourself “I can’t believe I’m here doing this.”
The last 50 miles were the toughest, you actually hit some pavement for about 10 miles before this and the road is decent. However, to my chagrin, it doesn’t last. You are soon back to a rocky, packed dirt, highway. The markers are listed letting you know how many miles you have left. The weather became windier and about 10 degrees colder. I found myself going about 30 miles or less for those last 50 miles. It really took forever, and I never thought I would make it. That sign for Deadhorse was God send.

I arrived about 4 o’clock. It took 6 hours for me to make it to Deadhorse. I drove around the area and arrived at the Arctic Caribou Inn. This is where the tour of the Arctic Ocean was available. The tour is the only way to see the ocean, since it is closed to the public. I wanted to sign up for a tour in the afternoon. However, the next one available wasn’t until 10 in the morning and the cost was 38 dollars. I was a little hesitant to sign up, but if I didn’t see the Arctic Ocean, there was no need to have taken the trip. A room at the hotel was $165.00.
The weather was in the 40s and very windy. I had no urge to camp. I drove around to find a better price and arrived at the Prudoe Bay Hotel. They had a room available with no TV and a restroom down the hall for $110.00 with a buffett dinner and breakfast included. It seemed like a better deal so I took it. I was tired but I wasn’t in too bad of shape compared to the longer rides I had been on. I unpacked and went to the buffet where I inhaled a huge plate of Lasagna.

One thing you must understand about the Prudoe Bay/Dead Horse area is that the people that live there are flown from other parts of the Alaska to work 4 straight weeks, 12 hour days, 7 days a week and then take 2 weeks off. The hotel is more of dormitory or military barracks.
After eating, I relaxed in the lobby and watched TV with some of the workers and talked to them about work and their daily routine in Prudoe Bay. They were very friendly and asked me questions about my trip and how far I had gone. It was a very pleasant evening and I felt honored to have been there.

This was also the halfway point of my trip. Alcohol is not served there because it would interfere with work and they take it very seriously. You get one warning if caught and that’s it. Wish I could have celebrated. I talked to one other biker that came in around 9:00 who actually drove from Fairbanks which is a good 10 hours on his BMW 650. He looked pretty whipped and he said he was waking up and turning around and heading back. They did have shirts there saying I drove the Dalton Highway but I knew I had to go down it so I didn’t want to buy one, being a bit superstitious. Continued