Jeff's Alaskan Bike Trip 2010

OK we are ready to start our first long ride from Fairbanks to Destruction Bay. Well over 400 miles. John announced that I brought too much stuff. REALLY!! Now is not really the time for that since I have no choice but to haul it all back. John helped me with formation number 3 on the packing. Ready too go, I go back to check in our cabin for any left behind stuff. That's when I realize that I don't have my key. AGGHHH!!!! Desperate, I go to the bike to fish out key #2 when I realize I have left my key in my bike all night. I guess nobody wants a honda. LOL We go to McDonalds to grab breakfast and I left my key on my seat. Damn, this is not going well for me.

Riding along the bays and across the flatlands, we were rolling along. The water was brownish, but the smell of the seas brought out the best to that ride. When we got to Delta Junction, we stopped and took pictures. We also got pins to commemorate the end of the highway, but the beginning for us. Just outside of Delta Junction, the beginning of our ride on the Alaskan highway, we rode on construction roads again, It was a great start to the Alaskan Highway. Dirt, rocks, dust, we had it all.

We have learned that most every city on the Alaskan Highway is about 100 miles apart. It fits to plan to get gas at every city. Fairbanks to Tok was an easy ride. Tok to the border was a little different. At 22 miles from the border, the road is being totally redone. It was a mix of loose gravel, compacted dirt and other assorted bad things. Following the control car for 14 miles, we got to go the last 8 on our own. We stopped to take our picture at the Yukon and Alaska signs. We got our bikes down to the Yukon sign and a bus full of octogenarians showed up. They were not happy with John when he rode his bike up to get his picture in front of the Alaska sign. The old ladies hated me worse cause I fit my bike back in the memorial site.

We made our way down to Burwash Landing. That's just short of Destruction Bay. The road was horrible. Frost heave is a bad thing. We saw a RV doing a hop out of one. We knew we were in trouble. John saw and earlier camp site and asked if we wanted to stop. I was full from dinner and had strength. The move resulted in us going five miles and putting on our rain suits. Frost heaves and rain for an hour. The rain filled the holes so they stood out. We had to ride the other side of the road for awhile to avoid some really bad parts of the road. Every 30 yards we start an orange flag signaling another.

We rolled into Burwash Landing very late. They let us camp for free. The bar was open. We got to party with the First Nation people who live there. They were celebrating their purchase of the camp ground. Our tents were next to a gentling rolling stream. I slept like a baby.



I have to tell you my gel pad, highway bars and cramp buster(thanks Jay for telling me about this when I first met you) are helping stay on the bike for long periods of time. These rides are taking a toll on me physically.