Alaska Trek

Epilogue - The people we’ve met

2006-07-07T11:27:00.000-04:00

Oh man how could I be so lame?, and incompetent?, and forgetful?, and well just plain sorry. I have completely fallen down on my responsibilities as a correspondent by focusing exclusively on the inert: riding and sites. I have blatantly failed to mention the some of the great folks we’ve met, recording our conversations and even more importantly capturing their photos. I could just kick myself.

Next best thing is to try to capture thoughts before they fade too much – Alan, I'll need a checksum here to make sure I’m getting this right

First let me say this – we met a ton of great people. In particular people that were helpful, friendly and went out of their way to assist out a couple of wore out road warriors when they needed it. Honorable mentions include:

The lady at the Whitecourt hotel that found us a hotel room 50 miles away, in an otherwise booked British Columbia oil patch.
Art, at the maintenance shop in Deadhorse, who let us pressure wash our bikes to unclog our mud-sealed radiators.

That said lets move from folks to characters and some of the standouts.

Dick from Denver
First and foremost, this guy captured our imagination. Physically ~ 6’4” and maybe 180 lb., shaggy reddish hair, glasses, grubby jeans and an even grubber brown knit sack hanging off his shoulders that was probably a sweater in another life. A big friendly smiling face – a little childish looking - think the kid next door. We first become aware of Dick when we see his bike in Coldfoot, on the way up to Prudhoe, a KLR like ours and the only other one we saw on that part of the trip.

Alan notes two things immediately when observing the bike, 1) not carrying much luggage and, 2) no visible modifications – this thing look totally stock…hmmmm. How could this be? Alan and Tom, the scooter geniuses, have heavily modified, upgraded and armor plated their KLRs – but only with required, must-have stuff. Hey, if you don’t do the doohickey modification you’re sunk. But this bike seems to have made it this far unadulterated, …better keep an eye on this cat.

We actually meet the KLR rider in Deadhorse breakfast chow line the next morning. Check this bio: His name is Dick and he is from Colorado where he sold his micro-brewery ~ a year ago. He decided he needed to hike the Appalachian Trail, started in GA and got a far as New Hampshire where he decided to buy a motorcycle (the KLR) and ride all the way south and then all the way north. What does all the way south mean? It means Terria del Fuego – check it out on a map – incredibly far into a fairly hostile environment. And all the way north? Well that would be Prudhoe Bay, AK, hence our meeting.

Dick wasn’t too clear about what was next once leaving Prudhoe. I think it was back to NH to finish the AT. At this point in the conversation my mind started wandering to other minor topics like: the 500 mile dirt road we had to ride that day, the rain storm that was brewing, and the 36 degree outdoor air temp. But Alan just couldn’t get enough of this guy. Poor Dick, he was in for the Harrelson inquisition: How long you were riding? Since October. Where is your gear? This is it. Where did you sleep last night? In the parking lot. What maintenance have you done on your KLR? Maintenance, huh? These things need maintenance? You get the idea.

And that was it. Alan and I needed to get going and we never ran into Dick again. During the remainder of our trek Alan kept coming up with questions that he whished he’d asked Dick. A complete cipher; how is it that this seemingly bright, yet mechanically clueless, guy manages to navigate his pea-shooter bike to the ends of the earth? Actually the mystique of Dick is enhanced by not getting our questions answered – but what a character.

Kate the Scooter Girl
Alan and I are gassing up at a one-pump shack on a deserted Montana plain; nothing in all directions. A car pulls up and out pops Kate. When I recollect how she talked I get the visual image of a fire hydrant turned wide open – I mean it was just a torrent of words. Oh boy, I thinks to meself – some dopey chick sent here to annoy me. Usually, I only meet these people when I’m stuck on a cross country flight. Oh no, Alan’s being nice to her. Doesn’t he understand that paying attention just encourages these people?

But wait, some of this girl’s chatter is starting to penetrate and guess what, she’s making sense. She’s more then making sense - she knows her stuff - in fact she’s a real motorcycle authority. She knows all about our KLRs, and is spot-on with every detail: characteristics, trouble spots, upgrade potential, suspension issues. She’s impressive – and kind of a dish now that I take time to notice.

It turns out that Kate was raised around motorcycles – currently rides a Vulcan – and has always wanted a KLR, but they are too tall. Or is it that she’s too short. Anyway, she’s form Texas – just out of college and working with America Corps doing conservation work in the Montana Mountains. As she pulled off we noticed something odd – no gas. She hadn’t just happened to bump into us – she had deliberately pulled over when she saw the bikes. A very inspired bike-chick and a very cool and singular character.

Three Harleys from BC
Two guys and a gal all on dressed-out Harley’s. We first saw them, early morning, coming out of Whitehorse – pulled over the side of the road. We stopped to see if they were OK, turns out that were just getting some warmer clothes on. We eventually did the same ~5miles up the road. For the next two days we continually crossed paths with these three: Alaska Hwy to Watson Lake, Cassair Hwy, Dease Lake hotel, to the Yellowhead Hwy.

They’d been on the road for about a month and had just picked up their bikes in Whitehorse when they been in storage for two weeks. The three had ridden to Whitehorse and then rented and RV which they took up the Dempster Hwy to Inuvik, Canada – boondocking all the way. The Dempster is considered the Canadian version of the Dalton Hwy: a long, crappy road to a place no one wants to be. However, unlike Deadhorse, which is making money by pumping oil, I can find no economic reason for the existence of the Dempster or Inuvik – just a place to go to. I’ve got to hand it to these folks as a very smart call in not taking their Harleys up the Dempster. No doubt it could be done – but why beat the bikes up like that? Very smart.

These three fall squarely into the “good folks from western Canada” category. All of them friendly, didn’t talk too much, always smiling, good riders and just totally glad to be there. Of the three the gal was most interesting because she was clearly leading the crew – riding point and giving the orders. If I’d met her in Atlanta, I would have made an instant judgment that she batted from the other side of the plate: short haircut, stout, strong, lots of black leather gear. But things are not so simple here in the wilderness. Being butch, large and in-charge might just come with the territory. Who knows? Bottom line: good folk and I’m glad we got to ride with them.

The Dude at the Dealership
He was about thirty years old and tough looking – not tough in the weight room/athletic sense but tough as in outdoors, sinewy and weathered; suspiciously wearing wrap around sunglasses. The Dude, a label I gave him after hearing him speak (somewhere between Jeff Spicoli’s Pidgin English and the MN twang of the Sherriff from Fargo) approached me at the Fairbanks Kawasaki dealership where we were picking up parts and prepping the bikes for Prudhoe the next day.

Oh man, sweet rides….pause….Where you headed?…reply…Wish I was goin’… pause… Just got back from a trip… pause. At this point you get the idea - our new friend was not a member of the high school debate team: a limited vocabulary and a random delivery. I won’t subject you to any more real-time conversation, but it turns out the Dude had just returned from a several month ride into South America on a BMW Dakar 650. His detailed travel strategy went like this: found out he was getting laid off in two weeks so he bought a bike and punched out early. That’s it. No planning, just hooked onto some other guys headed that way.

Again a situation and character Alan just couldn’t get over, “no, wait a minute – let me get this right – you find out your loosing your job so your response is to buy a motorcycle and leave the country for a few months? “Yeah, that’s about it.” Well, after that the Dude was in for a round of 20 Questions a la Harrelson.

One thing he said really stuck with me because it painted such a great visual in my mind’s eye; Alan was inquiring about the Dude’s luggage set-up: hard/soft, mounting system, etc. The Dude explained that he had used SU Racks and mounted Pelican cases (hard camera cases) on them. Well, how did they hold up? “Pretty good I guess, I slid through a couple of Bolivian intersections on them.” Classic. Can’t you just see this cat sliding through some rain soaked, third world town intersection on a laid-down BMW? His assessment, “Yo, the cases didn’t split – righteous.”

BTW – about those wrap-around shades he was wearing? It seems he was covering up a busted nose and double black eyes. He’d gone through the windshield of his truck the day before.

The Dude sauntered off, out of the parking lot, mumbling something about, “…gotta get another bike…”

Epilogue - Random Thoughts

2006-07-05T08:50:00.000-04:00

On Canada

For my money the Canadian Rockies offered the best scenery on the Trek – simply breathtaking. The Icefields Parkway, between Jasper and Lake Louise, Alberta is particularly stunning, but there are lots of other highlights: Lake Mundo, the road between Ft Nelson and Destruction Bay is great and has lots of wildlife that is easily seen: mtn sheep, moose, buffalo, bear.
Starbucks? Save your money. Canadians, on average, are served a much better cup of coffee then we are used to. Even the dumps have it figured out. Makes me wonder why Waffle House can’t seem to get close.
What is the favorite food in the great Northwest: Salmon? Elk steaks? Grizzly bear chops? No, it’s the Cinnamon Roll: big as a cat’s head, slathered with icing and the locals are devoted to them. And like all dependencies there is a huge support network - we found bakeries in unbelievably remote places.
Candidly, and with only one notable exception, I’ve never been much impressed with the Canadian disposition. The folks I’ve dealt with in teh past have been a little distant and aloof with a touch of euro-snobbiness. New discovery, these folks are “eastern Canadians”. However, western Canadians are great: clear eyed, direct, candid, easy to talk to and engaging without being pushy. Just really good people.
Smithers, Yukon. Of all the little burgs we passed through this one stoodout as the cool/great place. A medium sized town framed by the Rockies it embodied the essence of being clean and squared away: town square, kid’s on the ball fields and several steak houses that smelled heavenly. If I ever go into the witness protection program, look for me in Smithers.

On the Ride

One thing you can be sure of when doing anything with Alan, or me, is that there will be a post mortem critique and analysis. So I thought I’d capture a couple of those thoughts. However, in the name of fairness let’s maintain some perspective: the Trek rates a 99 on a scale of 100. It was great in virtually all respects. Therefore, consider these things to be the most minor of nits that I am picking.

The bikes: Kawasaki KLR 650 – the perfect minimum machine. These bikes did all that we asked and no-more. Both bikes required constant surveillance to replace and re-torque bolts and nuts that were shaking themselves loose. We kind of expected this and dealt with it in the parking lots of hardware stores all across the Northwest. I believe we were working on our third tube of Lock-Tight when finished.
When coaching sports I have a favorite saying that applies to these machines, “Leave it all on the field”, and they did. Both of our bikes, got us back home safely but just barely – there is some major surgery required to get these back in fighting trim, e.g. chains, filters, tires, brakes, plugs, etc…
It is important to understand that while we rode 11,000+ miles, is was only the 1000 miles on the Haul Road that dictated the type of machine we needed, and virtually everything else we did. The corollary is that we spent lots of time riding highways and interstates on bike more suited to the trail. I have made myself a pledge to ride many of these roads (Beartooth Pass, Big Horn Park) again on the “right” machine.
The road to Deadhorse was a great challenge and I’m glad we did it. I have no desire to do it again (I can’t say the same for Alan). However, if I was to do this thing again I would ride a highway appropriate motorcycle to Fairbanks and then rent a dual-sport for the run to Prudhoe and back. Apologies to Kawasaki, butt I’ve had enough of that bike.
Wildlife is a big concern when riding a motorcycle in remote areas. While it’s great fun to see and photo the critters it’s just no fun to run into them. Luckily I had “Hawkeye” Harrelson with me. I don’t know, maybe my eye surgery hasn’t settled out yet (the Doc says I’m seeing 20-15), but I totally missed a number of large quadrupeds, mostly deer, hard up against the road’s edge. But not Alan, he saw everything and would later fill me in on what I missed and how close I came to being road-kill, enmeshed with the business end of an elk, or moose or mountain goat, etc. In hindsight I’m not sure who is better off: Alan who sees all, and is in a constant state of alarm and alert, or me ensconced in my tunnel-vision, cruising down the road carefree and untroubled.

Schedule & Pace

Our plan was a little too tight. Initially I thought we’d have more down time. While we took a day off at both ends of the Deadhorse run, those were not relaxing but rather recovery; lots of maintenance and getting-ready and/or recovery.
Likewise, our pace was intense. 400 miles a day, on a motorcycle, is a lot of saddle time, especially on secondary roads where the going is slow. We took some photos and saw a couple of sights but not much and never for long. In fact, if there was one aspect of the ride that caught me by surprise it was the burden of making miles every day. In fact one evening Alan asked me if I knew what the next day’s weather was supposed to be and I replied, “Who cares, what ever is outside that door in the morning, we’ve got to ride in it”. Note the attitude issue, again. In the future, I would plan in a day to wake up late, sip beer by the pool, eat a big dinner and got to bed early. Then back in the saddle.

Addictions & Compulsions. For an entire month I had no Starbucks coffee, no gin martinis and not as much as a passing glance at a Wall Street Journal. Incredible and apparently without negative consequences; evidence of hope for all those in 12 step programs.

The Big Question, “Why?”
Everyone asks, “Why ride motorcycles to Prudhoe Bay?” I’ve worked on a number of explanations, most involving long-winded replies that are deeply nuanced and designed to make me appear deep, profound and wise. Of course that got nowhere. So, instead I’ve adopted the Alan approach. When asked, “Why?” the answer is simply, “Because that is where the road ends.” And now I know.

Day 25 & 26, We're Back...

2006-06-28T18:18:00.000-04:00

Valiant Knights and their Trusty Steeds

Alan and Tom, Wedensday afternoon in Atlanta, back from the Quest

Game Stats:

Day 26
Travel: Columbia, Missouri to Nashville, TN
Distance: 465 miles

Day 27
Travel: Nashville, TN to The ATL
Distance: 230 miles

More miles and more miles; at present, the story of our lives. Alan, being the considerate guy he is, and worried about my reintroduction to civilization, has kindly arranged for a big-time traffic jam in St. Louis. It is incredibly painful watching an entire interstate highway neck down to one lane as we cross the Mississippi. No fun when in a making-miles mindset. Give me the Yukon.

A troubling transformation is taking place; our motorcycles are disintegrating bit by bit: chains stretching into the plastic zone, bashplate bolts coming loose and worst of all, Alan’s bike won’t crank. I thought I had gotten out of the business of parking lot jump starts, but no - a man’s got to do…

So end of day Tuesday finds us in Nashville were we turn in the satellite phone and spent the night at the home of Mr. Denny Carr and his wife, Ginger, the ultra-mom, and Alan’s daughter. Not only do we get a great meal and a soft bed but the maintenance garage is open all night and is well stocked with tools. A very timely occurrence as both bikes require tending to. Hey, I know Nashville close to home but pushing a motorcycle 250 miles is still over my ability.

Repairs require a late departure Wednesday morning. Alan procures a new battery (root cause failure analysis: dry battery w/bad cell). Incredibly we found one at Wal-Mart for $35 – so cheap that I buy two. Back to Carr’s Service Station where we put the bikes back together. Hey, no extra bolts – that’s a good sign.

A quick 200 miles finds Alan and me shaking hands and heads. “Have we really been gone a month?” In odd way I feel like we just left; but when measured by events I feel we’ve been away a year. We are agreed: a great trip, a great time and a surprise bonus: we still like each other. A truly epic, profound and blessed odyssey.

What’s next?

For me it’s a quick turnaround for family vacation. I plan to finish my trip toughs via this log and organize the photos from the sunny sands of the Gulf
For Alan, its time to prep for his missionary trip to Germany
Together we plan to have our families get together ASAP for a celebration meal, a monster slide show and many of tall tales (which I am formulating even as we speak).
Stay tuned for epilogue installments – I’ve got lots of ideas from been stuck inside that helmet all day.

Sir Tom returns to the Round Table

Day 24 & 25, North to South & West to East

2006-06-27T00:10:00.000-04:00

Game Stats:

Day 24
Travel: Gillette, to Sioux Falls, SD
Distance: 486 miles

Day 25
Travel: Sioux Falls, South Dakota to Columbia, Missouri
Distance: 498 miles

Very little to report from this end. We have our game faces on and are intent on making miles. Our efforts appear to be bearing fruit; at present Alan’s 12-factor travel algorithm and calculation project’s us arriving home a day early. Good for us, bad for the family; an extra day of Dad at home.

A heads up Roswell: better get those kids and dogs outta' my bed – over.

Sunday was remarkable only for our stop in Sturgis, South Dakota. For you non-bikers, Sturgis is the site of an annual Harley Davidson rally and biker-bacchanal. It’s odd to me to see a town that appears to be a wholly owned subsidiary of a corporation, i.e. Harley Davidson, Inc. The town is small, and the rally is not until August, yet everything in town is geared toward support of this event. I can only guess at the economic impact to the town but it must be huge because most businesses appear to be shuttered during the year…just waiting for the 10 day party.

Sturgis makes Bike Week in Daytona look like a Sunday school picnic by comparison. In that same vein, and as a card carrying Harley guy, I have to confess to my continued wonderment at the behavior of the Harley community at large. The wild/crazy parties don’t faze me nor do the outlaw biker types – at least they’re genuine. But if I see anymore half-fat old white guys dressing up in biker gear to playing weekend tough guy, I think I’ll…spit.

Additionally, and as Alan never tires of pointing out, many of these pseudo-bikers don’t even ride to the rallies; they drive there pulling the bike in a trailer - new definition: trailer trash. That said we have seen plenty of Harley riders out here that are putting in the serious saddle time and seem genuine in every way. I guess that there is something in the Harley culture that brings out the flakes.

We know we are getting close, we saw our fist Waffle House today – we’re practically in the neighborhood. Tomorrow – Nashville, TN.

Day 23, …and One for the Bikers

2006-06-25T00:10:00.000-04:00

Stats:
Travel: Red Lodge, MT to Gillette, WY
Distance: 370 miles
Wildlife Watch: Marmots, Prong-horn Antelope

What a day: clear, cool, crisp, bright and brilliant. To paraphrase my #1 son, it was “most bodacious”. Perfect riding weather matched with perfect roads. I’ve been riding almost 30 years and this was hands down the best riding I’ve ever experienced: scenery, road design, road condition – all perfect 10s.

In reflection I note this trek is made up of many facets, i.e. sight-seeing, endurance, exotic places, etc. But in my mind the real purpose of this trip is to ride the motorcycle; it truly is like no other form of transportation. You “feel” the road, smell the spruce, detect the little changes in temperature as you change elevation; the sensory inputs are in overdrive. And of course there is the power and speed of zipping through curves and charging up hills – not to mention the thrill of near death encounters with loose gravel. And today was the day when this portion, the biker part, was at its best.

The main event was first on the menu: Beartooth Pass – An awesome climb through the pass, from Montana to Wyoming, a carving, white knuckle ride up the pass, and then long wide sweepers on the way down. Then we went east on the Chief Joseph Scenic Hwy leading into Cody, WY. These are all roads Alan has ridden before and are among his favorites. However, we next went into uncharted territory because we need to work our way onto an interstate for getting home. We headed south through Big Horn National Park leading to Buffalo, WY, and I-90. This was an unexpected surprise; initially the road runs through a valley of carved stone that towers over the valley – then we took on elevation and climbed to the top of the pass, froze, and then a 9% grade roller coaster back to the prairie floor and the town Buffalo. We were hoping to get to South Dakota but called it quits after 60 miles and are now holed up in Gillette, WY.
Tomorrow: we pin our ears back and hit the super-slab – making miles is the order of the day and we plan to put South Dakota behind us.

Days 21 & 22, Back in the USA

2006-06-23T21:16:00.000-04:00

Game Stats:

Day 21
Travel: Jasper, Alberta to Shelby, MT
Distance: 501 miles

Day 22
Travel: Shelby, MT to Great Falls, MT to Red Lodge, MT
Distance: 350 miles
Event: Pit stop at Sport City Cyclery in Great Falls for new rear tires

Day 21
Woke up early in the city of Jasper: a very cool/hip tourist town in a western Canadian, euro- foreign sort of way. Overpriced, but clean and squared away. While hunting for breakfast we got to talking to a guy that was part of a 10 rider group from New Zealand. They had had their bikes shipped to Miami, FL and were riding to Prudhoe Bay - hardcore. He had targeted me because he noticed the Dalton Hwy sticker on my bike. Two interesting things:

When Alan told him we had made the Fairbanks-Prudhoe-Fairbanks run in two day we got lots of, "oh wow's", and "awesome job mate". These guy and gals were totally into adventure riding and were totally impressed with our effort. Hey baby, street creed - we got it.
They all had The Dragon sticker's on their bikes . They had heard of Deal's Gap in New Zealand and had ridden it coming up from FL. We don't know how good we've got it right at home.

The morning's ride from Jasper to Lake Louise, Alberta via the Icefields Parkway: absolutely magnificent. The parkway runs between two mountain ranges and summits at the Columbia Glacier. Words are a mere distraction - check the photos.

Par for the course it started to rain half way through the Parkway - the raingear goes on and the great seanary goes away as visability fades; can't see out of a cloud. Emerging from the cryogenic rain we arrive in Lake Louise for a late lunch. A couple of calls made to motorcycle shops reveals a big problem with acquiring the rear tires we need. As a result we make the decision to be in Great Falls, MT the next day; they have tires and are will to accommodate us. So its 2 PM, we are 350 miles from where we need to be and we're in the wrong country. Time to lay on the throttles - and that's exactly what we did. Through Banff, Calgary, and Lethbridge and into the US at the Port of Sweetgrass. Thank you for letting me back in - I love the USA and being back on home turf.

Day 22
Out of Shelby, MT and for an 80 mile, 44 degree, blast in to Great Falls for tires. Good shop -- great guys - treated us right. Alan tried to work a deal for me to get onto a Honda ST 1300, a good idea but bad timing. The KLR has earned the trip back home.

Next stop: Big Timber, MT to visit with Tommy and Charlene Price, good friends of Alan's. Our visit was cut short due to Tommy's impending trip to the hospital emergency room after a close encounter with a nail gun. Again, check the photos closely.

Tomorrow we run the pass at Beartooth Gap and on into South Dakota.

Day 20, The Coldest Summer

2006-06-22T09:28:00.000-04:00

Stats:
Travel: Houston, BC to Jasper, Alberta
Distance: 420 miles

Today’s ride puts me in a mind to quote more Mark Twain, “The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco.” Substitute Canada for San Fran and you get the idea. The last hundred miles down Mt. Robson was in a black pouring rain. It was so cold for so long today that even Alan thought it was cold. His comment, “How do you spell rain in Canada…c-o-l-d”

Again, not a particularly interesting day if your not there to participate. We got a reasonably early start into the 40 degree morning. We spent all day on the same road, the Yellowhead Hwy, heading directly east eventually stopping in Jasper, Alberta. Jasper is a tourist town and is physical inside of a Canadian national park. Tomorrow we ride what is billed at an exceptionally scenic road: the Icefields Parkway; 140 miles through a number of glacial fields. Tomorrow we have to make some routing decisions based on how much we want to see, what our return date is and how long our rear tire holds out.

Today’s feature attraction was the wildlife, in particular the elk. We saw a pair of fair sized bucks and then a large buck eating at the road side; very cool and seemingly not concerned with us when we stopped for a photo.

bty
- We have a new camera on board (WalMart in Prince George, BC - yahoo), so the photos resume starting now
- Also, Alan is taking a bunch of pictures - I just can't download them with this laptop

Looking back at Mt. Robson post-cold-water- rinse

Elk #1

Elk #2

Elk #3: The big buck eats & with Alan in background

Day 18 & 19, Mileage…the Hard Way

2006-06-21T01:34:00.000-04:00

Game Stats:
Day 18
Travel: Whitehorse, Yukon to Dease Lake, BC
Distance: 415 miles
Wildlife Watch: Coyote, Moose, BEAR

Day 19
Travel: Dease Lake, BC to Houston, BC
Distance: 420 miles
Wildlife Watch: Moose, BEARs (3)

Day 18
Doesn’t it strike you as ridiculous when you see people repairing their cars in the parking lot of the NAPA store? I mean who are these people – don’t they have home’s to go to? why are they here working on their broken down heaps? Well, at present, those sorry people is us, and no we don’t have home’s to go to so we here we sit, working in the parking lot. And that is how our day started; mending the bikes in the parking lot of the Whitehorse hardware store. A man’s got to do what a man’s got to do.

On the positive side, I’ve got to say these bike’s get all kinds of great comments from everybody: Where’ve you been? Where are you from? Why’s that motorcycle so ugly, My brother’s got one just like it, etc. It’s cool in a funky sort of way.

Most of today’s ride was mundane and un-noteworthy, except for the COLD. I don’t know what’s going on here, thermal inversion?, global cooling? But it is as cold as can be. I’m wearing everything I've got and still freezing. I’ve told Alan to remind me of today next week when we are baking like potatoes as we ride through the Southeast USA.

Our ride starts by retracing 250 mi of the Alaska Hwy, from Whitehorse to Watson Lake. There we hang a right and head south on the Cassiar Hwy. And, much fun it is. Two lanes wide of black asphalt, no lane-lines, no center line, no guard rails, and very little signage. This road is our alternative to Alaska Hwy, taking us south by a different route.

The day’s excitement occurred when I witnessed a luggage strap untie itself from Alan’s top case, flap in the wind a bit and proceed to get caught in his rear wheel. Ever heard the term, wrapped around the axel? Well that’s exactly what we got. Luckily we were able to get to the side of the road quickly and unwind the strap before it snatched out a couple of spokes. No damage occurred.

Day 19
Today’s adjective: SNAKEBIT, because that is exactly how I feel – everything is going sideways. The litany of self pity includes, but is not limited to, the following: Camera broken, Pam not home when I call, lost my bible/devotional book, and it is cold - Again. And it has started to rain.

Additionally, all my gear and clothes are covered in that dad-gum calcium-chloride, super-mud. Forget controlling pharmaceutical drugs like dope – we need to make calcium-chloride a controlled substance and get it out of circulation and off the roads. Hey Tom, need a little cheese to go with that whine you’ve got there? I know, the attitude is starting to show.

At present I am hiding out, typing away, in the swank upstairs lounge area of a resort on the side of Cassiar Hwy. A very nice place, too: the Bell II Lodge. Apparently this is a helicopter lift center for folks that ski otherwise inaccessible mountains around here. Alan is asleep on the couch. “Why are we here?”, you ask. Well we stopped for a quick break ~ 11:15AM, just passing through, when the gal behind the counter informed us that the one-lane bridge, 60 miles up the road, is closed for repair from noon until 4PM. What the …!?! So here we sit with 3 hours of unexpected down time. Ouch. This thing is clearly not in the plan – Where’s the manager? Who’s in charge here? I want some answers, pronto. Guess what nobody cares – this is the Canadian wilderness and it refuses to be managed. There is a good lesson for me buried in all this – I have to ponder it out as we ride. Anyway, we’re making the best of it. I tracked down a laundry machine, got clothes going, ate lunch, Alan’s snoozing and I’m corresponding. A couple of GT guys will stay productive.

Random Thought:
There is a funny dynamic present in this trip that is worth commenting on. As anyone who knows me can attest (and Alan appears to be in the same mold), I take my vehicles pretty seriously and have spent the money over the years to prove it. Hey, we work hard and spending a few shekels on the motor toys seems reasonable. Nuff said.

Prior to this trip Alan and I had never done any dual-sport motorcycling or “adventure riding” as it is called. So in preparation for this trip we dutifully researched the “right” bikes and gear, ultimately selecting the Kawasaki KLR 650. The wisdom of the choice is manifest every day when we ride and our decision continues to look sound. The bikes have performed flawlessly.

However, as we move though this tour and meet other adventure riders we are clearly being viewed as under-gunned, half-men in a full grown world. The real adventure riders are all on the big BMW GSs. A very serious machine, with a very serious price tag, and a bonus feature: it is way too complex for you, a mere mortal (and non-German) to work on. Roadside breakdown, and it’s good night sweet prince.

Well it is kind of funny watching this pecking order in action at the places we stop and stay: who hob-nob’s with whom. Our KLRs earn us a seat at the kid’s table while the real men retire to the smoking room to discuss big game safari hunting and high finance – stuff we wouldn’t understand. I think this is kind of funny because I have no aspirations to be an adventure rider (kind of getting it out of my system right now), and doubt I’ll keep the KLR after we return.

But this situation clearly has Alan’s knickers in a twist. Good-gravy-man, Alan is a Goldwing rider: crème de la crème, top shelf, top dog, first among equals. Having the premium two-wheel ride along with the massive amount of mileage he has logged earns him a lifetime appointment to the top heap in most cycling circles. But, not here, and not now. Getting relegated to the sandbox by the adults does not suit his temperament at all.

It is fascinating watching him wrestle with this dilemma: he knows we have great bikes, they have performed exceptionally, and they cost 25% of the BMW. Yet, there are all those BMW riders – totally devoted to their machines and obviously putting in a ton of miles in this Adventure Rider Mecca. Are we missing something here? Do they know something we don’t? Anyway –I have no resolution or answer, but it is an interesting situation to observe.

Days 16 & 17, Pictures

2006-06-21T01:31:00.000-04:00

Alan - getting to know the locals

Glacier - east of Anchorage

Moose before Chicken

The man from a town called Chicken

Magnificant view from the road out of Chicken

At the Canadian border crossing

Dawson City, the original Capitalof the Yukon

Days 16 & 17, Of Moose and Men

2006-06-19T03:42:00.000-04:00

First – Happy Fathers Day

Dad I love you and think you’re the greatest. Hopefully, we’ll get to discuss this adventure in-person before too long.
To my little shavers, Claire Elizabeth and Joseph Thomas, I love you, am extremely proud of all you’ve accomplished in the past year (academics, cheerleading, lacrosse) and am missing you something fierce. We’ll celebrate on my return.

Game Stats:
Day 16
Route: Anchorage to Tok, AK
Total Distance: 335 miles

Day 17
Route: Tok, AK to Whitehorse, Yukon
Total Distance: 525 miles

Our last two day’s ride reminds me of a favorite Mark Twain saying, “A man with one foot on a hot griddle and the other on a block of ice is, on average, comfortable.” Alan and I are as well, on average, comfortable with our last two day's performance.

Day 16
Saturday, was an unmitigated disaster. Anyone who’s done any serious motorcycling has had a day like this. Late start, stuck in traffic, road constructio, crumby roads, more construction, rain, stuck behind RVs, more construction, more rain (cold rain), more construction, and more rain. You get the idea. We just couldn’t get going and when we did we couldn’t make way. Tt was a goat-rope of the first magnitude.

We ended up calling it an early day and stopping in Tok when we had originally targeted Dawson City. It was simply too late to make the mileage and there was some uncertainty about exactly when the Canadian border crossing closed. This turned out to be a good call. We terminated our favorite activity, riding scooters, for our second favorite activity, smoking cigars and drinking cold beer. All in all - a good trade.

Day 17
With motorcycle touring, just like golf, every day is a new beginning. Forget what happed yesterday; that we were sorry and worthless, today we are motorcycling gods and here to kick ass and take names. And that is exactly what we did.

Up early and on the road south out of Tok by 6:45 AM. Took the Stewart Junction east toward Chicken, AK. An absolutely awesome road. Imagine a road that goes through the mountains but stays relatively level, i.e. follows a topographic line. Big sweeping turns – foliage not too thick, so you can see what’s coming - totally in the zone. About 40 miles in Alan bike made a big bull moose jump – which I saw – stopped and got these photos. Check out his antlers – still in velvet but their going to be big.

Arrival into the greater Chicken metropolitan area; this might not be at the end of the world but you can see it from there. Teeny-tiny: three bldgs. Dirt road out of town, which we took. Within a mile Alan scared up another moose, but this time it was in front of him and stayed on the road for 100 yards while we trolled behind. Mooses is big.

This dirt road out of Chicken in called the Highway to the top of the World; 110 miles of gravel and hard-pack dirt road to Dawson City, Yukon (50 miles to the Canadian Border, and another 60 to Dawson). Again and awesome road – for you bikers think of the Cherohala Skyway, but dirt, and with no guard rails.

While we blasted along this virtually abandoned road like nobody’s business I had this recurring thought: If Pam could see this right now she'd say, “Tom what in the world is the matter with your brain function: Chicken, Alaska isn’t remote enough for you? You had to find a dirt road out of Chicken and take that into 100 miles of wilderness?” And you know what?, she’d be right. Anyway we did it and it was great. That's why she loves me- right?

Got into Dawson City – you take a ferry across the river and into what looks like the old west: main street store fronts, mining supplies, saloon, bunk house, etc. Had lunch. Then it was time to turn on the after-burners; its 2:30 PM and we still have 300 mile to go. Not much to say here other then we was flogging those dogs – we stayed on those little KLRs like they owed us money?. Heck, I don’t run my Harley at 80 mph, and it's three times bigger. Made it to Whitehorse, Capital of the Yukon.

Back into the bush tomorrow – will catch-up as available.

Sorry - photos not loading - I will appened as soon as I get a good connection

Days 14 & 15, Starting Back

2006-06-17T11:16:00.000-04:00

The Stats
Day 14
R&R in Fairbanks
Cleaning: bike, clothes, selves

Day 15
Fairbanks to Anchorage
Total Distance: 370 miles

Friday seemed a particularly tough one, even though we did not do a lot of mileage. The going was slow coming out of Fairbanks; at first due to road construction and RV traffic and then due to forest fire activity. We didn’t see any active fires but we saw and smelled that the fires had been there recently. There were lots of cleanup crews at work.

At mile 130 we stopped at the Denali Park Princess Lodge. Here we had lunch with Karen Anderson whose son, Mark, is married to Alan’s oldest daughter, Holly. I’m not sure what you call that relationship (outlaws once removed?) but she’s family and it’s always great to see family far from home.

We earned our Suck-it-Up Merit Badge on the run from Denali to Anchorage. It started to rain, it got cold and the road was straight and boring. Sometimes you’ve just got to hang onto the handle bars until you get to where you need to be. It was that kind of ride. Additionally, Alan caught, or had a reaction to, something that triggered his head cold resulting in some severe coughing. We took a break and then found the first place in Anchorage to stop. A short nap and a large slab of grilled halibut seem to have brought him around.

The return phase is now underway. Our goal is to work our way back home using a minimum of the roads we used on the way up. This unfortunately is tougher than it sounds – some of these places have only one road between them. Period.

The general plan at this time, subject to daily revision, is to travel south through Anchorage and then northeast to Delta Junction. Here we will continue norteast into Canada to Dawson, Yukon and then south via the Klondike Hwy. Whitehorse to Watson Lake (a road we will have to retrace) and then south on the Cassair Hwy to the Yellowhead Hwy going east. A big attraction is in Jasper, BC: Icefields Pkwy. We’ve been told this is a fantastic drive. Our real challenge is avoiding Edmonton and Calgary. Where we enter the US is still up in the air.

More Prudhoe Photos

2006-06-17T03:17:00.000-04:00

Alan and I agree - this photo says it all about the Dalton Hwy: Pipeline, gray dirt road, Brooks Range looming, and the road goes on for ever.

The Deadhorse Crew: Tom, Alan, Frank, Rick

Antigun Pass: Coming and Going

Coldfoot Truck Stop - the best thing for 500 miles

The nature shot - these wildflowers it looked like snow as we entered the valley

Journey's End
Haul Road, I knew ye' well

Days 12 & 13, Believe and Achieve

2006-06-16T01:29:00.000-04:00

Headline: Conquering Heroes Victorious. Returning to civilization after engaging in an odyssey so epic, so bold, so full of manly feats and daring-do it challenges this author’s ability to do its description justice.

Well, maybe not that dramatic but an amazing adventure none the less. The Stats:

Route: Fairbanks to Prudhoe Bay to Fairbanks
Depart Fairbanks: 4AM Tuesday
Return Fairbanks: Wednesday, 11PM
Total Saddle Time: 27 hours
Total Distance: 1004 miles
Current Status: Laid up in the Fairbanks Best Western licking our wounds, patching our bikes and getting ready for more fun.

The Launch
Monday evening, after spending the day prepping our scooters, we noticed two very “trail-ready” motorcycles in the hotel parking lot. Tracking down the owners we find Frank and Rick from Madisonville, KY, who were planning to go to Prudhoe Bay the next day – same as us. Now, readers of previous log entries may have noted we can be pretty rough in our assessment of the folks we meet, i.e. the Three Stooges from Louisiana. Well, just to be fair, in the same 10 seconds we were able to size those bone-heads up we were able to determine that Frank and Rick were good guys, knew their stuff and could be trusted to ride with. So, forces were joined. That evening we ate together, corroborated info, laid in a course and set expectations for Prudhoe: 4 AM liftoff, reservations at the Caribou Artic Inn and the Artic Sea Bus Tour departing the hotel 5:30PM.

The next morning things moved essentially to plan. Kickstands up ~4:10, a good omen. We ran 75 miles north of Fairbanks, on two-lane highway, to a place called Livengood; this is where the James B. Dalton Highway begins; a 411 mile dirt road to Deadhorse, AK.

Hell Bent for Leather
Candidly, I was shocked and intimidated when we fist started up the Dalton Highway, the Haul Road. It is loose dirt and gravel with no warm-up section; you go right to the bad stuff. Thankfully, we were with Frank and Rick. If it had been up to Alan and me we would have averaged 35 mph and we would still be out there. I had no idea you could do 65 mph on a dirt road, but Frank and Rick did, and they went right to it. Well heck, if they can do it, so can I – after all that’s what we bought these bikes for. Mach 2-with-your-Hair-on-Fire, now has new meaning for me; and this went on for hours.

60 miles up the road is the Yukon River crossing – the only place the Yukon River can be breached – very big, deep, and fast. We took a break.

At mile 195 is the Artic Circle; again a break. After days of highway riding, which can be kind of boring and tedious, this was totally different – I didn’t move a muscle for hours-on-end excepting my hand ad feet: throttle, brakes, shift and clutch. I was staring holes into that trail – it had my undivided attention. At 65 mph the front tire kind of floats over the rocks – very unsettling for a street bike guy like myself.

Gutting It Out
At mile 260 is Coldfoot - an abandoned mining community and the last gas until Deadhorse which makes it a very important stop.

It then started to rain, and continued to rain for 2 more hours.

Then we started to climb. The major obstacle on the Pipeline route is the Brooks Range – mountains running east west. The road traverses the Range at Antigun Pass – Check the pictures. A gravel road, steep-up, steep-down, slick and muddy going, dry and dusty coming and marked with Avalanche Warning signs just to keep your attention if you got bored. Again a break.

Aside: I would be remiss if I told of the tail of the Haul Road without a significant discussion of dust. I’ve never seen such and unfortunately I was riding sweeper which put me in the prime position for dust interaction. This dust is a fine gray talc – but with a grit to it. It got everywhere: I had a make-up line across the bottom of my face where the helmet was, I can still taste it and you don’t even want to know what was coming out of my nose. Today, we spent all day working to de-dust our bikes and our clothes. Absolutely nasty.

Next was 150 miles of flat tundra to Deadhorse. While this sounds straight forward it was anything but, due to road conditions. There are lots of different surfaces on the Haul Road and in fact the pavement parts are the worst. The pavement is so broken and patched with gravel you are constantly on the pegs coming on-to or off-of the pavement/dirt transition.

Additionally, this road has a very special kind of mud - not natural mud but chemically enhanced mud. Think of mud on steroids. They put calcium-chloride on the roads to keep the dust down. Not only does that not work but when wet it makes the road slicker than a baby’s bottom. Every one of us very nearly dumped our bikes at one time trying to negotiate this stuff. Oh yeah, another benefit – it’s highly corrosive.

The Triumphant Arrival
Finally, into Deadhorse – dazed, beat, dipped, dusted and baked. No time to clean up – off to the Artic Circle tour. It’s nice to have a seat to yourself – none of the tourist types wanted to be anywhere near us.

Anyway that is kind of it; there is not much to say about Deadhorse. It is an industrial town supporting the North Slope drilling operations. Nobody lives there and nobody wants to be there. It’s all about doing your shift and getting home with a paycheck. Not only is Deadhorse dry, (i.e. you cannot buy alcohol), but it is even illegal to have it (extra-dry?). But that’s OK by me because it would be an outrageous waste of a good drink to have it in place like Deadhorse.

Well, we ate good and slept like logs. We got out the next morning into a 36 degree rain. Let me tell you, that was one gloomy and depressed departure. But the sun came out an hour later and the weather held all the way home. We arrived in Fairbanks at 11PM – scraped the mung off of our bodies – and celebrated with a cigar and a beer and we split a bag of chips for dinner. A great adventure.

Important Note: Alan has observed, and I concur, we have definitely felt the power of your prayers during our trip. While the going was definitely rough and called for some determination on our part we got extra help at a number of critical junctures, and circumstances moved our. In particular I cannot get over the number of good people that have popped into the picture to help us out: Frank and Rick, the gas at the Yukon, the mechanic in Deadhorse that let us use his pressure washer to clean our clogged radiators – we are in awe and amazement of God’s continued blessings.

The Pictures: Prudhoe Bay & Back

2006-06-15T18:35:00.000-04:00

Our Hero's at the mandatory Artic Circle photo op. This is 200 miles out of Fairbanks.

Notice the confident smiles and cocky posturing. We have not yet been humbeled.

The Un-Easy Rider:
Attitude starting to show.

Thouroughly soaked - Coated in dust - and baked. (Hey, isn't that the recipe fried firded chicken.)

Wildlife alert:

Musk Ox...Musk Ox! I thougth those things were prehistoric. Nope. Just hanging out, 100 miles north of the Artic Circle, munching tundra grass
Caribou are everywhere

Congraulations offered at eh top of the world - good job

Alan dips a finger in the Artinc Ocean- Tagging Home Plate

Alan - Contemplating the Artic Ocean at Prudohe Bay, and sending this photo for Tim at 29 Dreams

Day 9, Pictures

2006-06-12T19:57:00.000-04:00

Look at this. It is not a post card. Proof certain that anybody can take a great picture given the right subject matter. Un-real, huh?

The living is luxurious at the Buckinghorse Lodge

Alan - on top of the world on the Alaska Highway

Mountain Goats and Big Horn Sheep in the road - You don't have to look for these critters - they find you

Alan, finds wild buffalo

That my friends is a bear - a black bear - a big black bear catching some rays on the side of the highway

Day 10 Pictures

2006-06-12T19:30:00.000-04:00

Alan checks out the Sign Post Forest in Watson Lake, Yukon

More great scenery

Claire: What's this remind you of"...I use antlers in all of my decorating..."?

Tom, climbing out of Haines Junction on the way to Destruction Bay

Day 11 Pictures

2006-06-12T19:13:00.000-04:00

I have no idea why this is working - but lets go with it - I will try to post pictures from past days
Alan - early morning cruising along Lake Kluane

Tom - Getting some breakfast with the locals

Alan and Tom make it to Alaska - YaHoo

The end of the Alaska (ALCAN)
Highway - Delta Junction, AK

Some signs need no explanation

Day 11, ALCAN in the Can

2006-06-12T19:02:00.000-04:00

Stats:
Destruction Bay, Yukon to Fairbanks, AK
Distance: 434 miles

Ah yes, back in the USA and it feels great. Now when we buy our overpriced gas the tax money will go to neglecting our own roads and not Canadian roads – a much better value.

We punched out of Destruction Bay into the early morning cold. Again, a significant amount of construction and roads; they were more chewed up than yesterday. Actually it is kind of fun to let these KLRs do their thing. These bikes are set up for dual sport riding and just float over the road patches and seams; buzzing along at 60 mph dodging potholes is good for maintaining one’s attention on the road. However, the loose gravel sections are no fun, espescially when it gets deep. The front tire tends to “groove” into the deep part and track you in the direction of the groove. Hopefully not off the road.

Anyway, we crossed the Canadian-US border into Alaska ~10am, and I have some great pictures which eventually I hope to be able to share. Unfortunately, we had to expedite our departure from the Alaska Welcome Ctr when yesterday’s friends from Louisiana showed up: Curley, Moe and Larry. Alan was entirely too nice to them and assisted in picture taking. I, on the other hand, have discovered a new and effective technique for dealing with unwanted conversation – I simply put my helmet on, and while looking at the person talking to me, flip the shaded visor down. Nobody likes talking to a cue-ball. This works so good I’m considering bringing my helmet on my next airplane flight.

The other significant milestone was our completion of the Alaska, or ALCAN, Highway. A total of 1422 miles ending in Delta Junction, AK. Again, I’ve got some good pics but due to my inability…

There has been a visceral change in the mood of the trek in the last day or two. The conversation has become much more somber and serious. While my goal for this journey was motorcycling to Alaska as a general destination, Alan is focused like a laser-beam on getting to Prudhoe Bay, aka Deadhorse (aren’t these names great?, if your going to travel to the end of the world it can’t have a name like Snellville). All along Alan keeps bringing up Prudhoe and I keep putting him off preferring to focus on the next day’s ride. Well two nights ago I stated reading up on getting to Prudhoe Bay and it is, in fact, a big deal: very remote, no services, crappy roads at best and oily mud-bogs when it rains, and lots of semi-trucks hauling-butt with supplies to the oil fields. Without getting too explicit lets just say there a lot of motorcycling war-stories coming off the Dalton Highway

So the more I read about this little thing the locals call the Haul Road the more it is getting my attention. Well, when you put a challenge in front of two type A’s like Alan and me, what you get is a first rate case of micro-managing and over-planning; and that is exactly what we are doing. Monday is our R&R day to prep, activities include: parts pickup from the dealership, oil change for me, grip repair, chain adjust, gas cans, and getting any and all local G2 on road conditions. We plan to skinny our loads down to the minimum, checking extra gear at the hotel – we want these bikes as light and maneuverable as possible. We will depart at ~ 4AM (I normally would say O-Dark-Thirty, but hey, its never dark here). Our goal is to make Prudhoe in one day: 500 mi at 40-50 mph. A long day but we have the daylight. Two nights in Prudhoe to recuperate and see the oil fields and back for Thursday in Fairbanks. I will not be carrying the laptop so updates will have to wait for our return.

On a serious note, while Alan and I subscribe to slightly different versions of Christianity, both of our faiths acknowledge and recognize the intercessionary power of prayer. We ask for yours now and over the next several days as we undertake this challenge.

Note: the weather looks great for the entire week, cool temps but absolutely no rain anywhere – our first omen of success.

Day 10, When the Going Gets Tough…

2006-06-10T23:36:00.000-04:00

Stats:
Watson Lake, Yukon to Destruction Bay, Yukon
Distance: 437 miles

Getting going in the morning is getting easier and easier – something about the sun coming up at 3AM puts the early morning departure in a better light. Anyway, Alan and I were not impressed with the Watson Lake locals (a story for another time) and decided to get gone early and catch breakfast on the road. The one interesting feature of Watson Lake is the Sign Post Forest. Remember the show MASH where they had a sign post showing the mileage to everyone’s home town? Well, Watson Lake is the original site – a sign post was erected in the 1940s by homesick GIs that were building the Highway. Take a look at what it as grown into. Alan found signs for Sandy Springs and Buckhead.

So we are on the road and it is cold - real cold. Chilly-bean, as we say at my house. After 75 mi of this torture we find an open place in Rancherio. Hot coffee and omelets - hands down the best meal we have had so far.

Today’s distinguishing feature was the increasing degree of riding difficulty:

1. Wind: On the other side of Whitehorse we started encountering some extremely windy conditions. The land has opened up again and the winds come off the Rockies with many miles to pick up speed. Its actually pretty scary when a gust moves the front tire a foot or two. To combat this us bikes use the “three-point” hold technique developed by rock climbers, with a slight modification: two hand-holds on the grips and puckered up cheek-grab on the saddle.
2. Road Conditions: We have hit our first significantly bad roads. The worst spots are loose gravel over dirt. We found three sections >5miles. Again, no fun watching the front tire float, but it is good warm up for the Haul Road to Prudhoe.

Random Items:

Alan observed that today we encountered our first traffic light in 1400 miles. Yahoo
Bicyclists: they are everywhere. And not folks out for an afternoon cruise. These people are loaded down with gear and look like they have been at it for weeks; and this place is more remote than you can imagine. Alan observed that the bear we saw yesterday evening was ~3 mi from a bicyclist's campsite. Bon Appetite
We met some other motorcyclists headed to the Artic Circle: three bothers form Louisiana. All Harley riders. I was wearing my Harley jacket so immediately these guys started treating me like an old friend. They were loud, and obnoxious and began to tell us all about Prudhoe – which they were not going to – and had no actual knowledge of. They were all on new BMWs (think more money than sense) they had bought for this ride. When Alan found out they had trailered the bikes to the Canadian border – he just spit, and we were out of there. Family can be so embarrassing
Note to my family: that Harley jacket you gave me is great – I have worn it every single mile of this trip and it is keeping me safe.
Tomorrow – back to the US and into Fairbanks for Prudhoe Prep

Day 9 - North by Northwest

2006-06-10T00:03:00.000-04:00

First - apologies

For the delayed posts - we have been in places where indoor plumbing is modern technology. Trying to negotiate for an internet hookup is a non-starter.
The photos - Alan and I are taking ton but for some reason I am having trouble getting them to upload onto the blog site. I will keep trying or you can come to my house in July and I can bore you with the "What I did on Summer Vacation slide show". If any readers have suggestion on how ot make this work (this is my first web-log pls forward).

Note to my sister Mary - got a msg from Dad. It doesn't sound like they are figuring out the blog thing - how about a help desk call to assist. Mucho Gracias.

Stats:
Buckinghorse River, British Columbia to Watson Lake, Yukon Territory
Distance: 440 miles

The Yukon Territory – just say it out loud – The Yukon. It’s like something from another era: Gold rush, Jack London, Call of the Wild, untamed men in an untamed land, and all that stuff. I note that it seems impossible to use the word “Yukon” and “Starbucks”, or “Blackberry”, in the same breath – there is just too must difference between those worlds. Any way we’ve made it into the Yukon and will continue in this province until we cross into Alaska – hopefully on Sunday (maybe tomorrow if were feeling froggy).

As miserable as yesterday was, today was brilliant, absolutely brilliant. No rain, no clouds and a room in an un-condemned bldg. Just brilliant. Today was our first full day riding the Alaska Highway and it felt like it. We spent the day slicing through the Canadian Rockies: over the mountain pass at Ft Nelson and then following the Testa and Toad Rivers. The road is in good condition with big rolling hills/mountains and awesome scenery in all directions.

However, today’s main attraction was not the ride or even the riders, but rather the wildlife The stars in order of appearance were: Moose (large), Owl, mule deer, Buffalo (domestic), Big Horn Sheep, Moose (small), Caribou, Buffalo (wild) and BEAR. Unbelievable – trust me on this, a buffalo looks a lot bigger when it’s on the side of the road and you’re on a motorcycle. Safety tip – keep the bike in gear.

Alan’s Commentary:
To answer some of the questions and concerns that several of you have expressed, let me address some follow-up items and talk a little about how we are coping. It was mentioned that my bike was using oil. Actually both bikes are but mine is using more then Tom’s. You may also recall that it said that we are running these little brutes within 1500 rpms of redline almost all day. Well, one quart in 3000 and 6000 miles, respectively, isn’t anything to be concerned about. It’s just something to include in the plan for when we leave Fairbanks headed for Prudhoe Bay. We are planning a full day of maintenance and prep work in Fairbanks on the 13th. Long story, short: The bikes are performing beyond expectations.

In addition to having a great time riding but also getting to know each other better; we find that we have a lot in common. We both worked for Southern at plant’s Hatch and Vogtle during the same time frame. There is no room for liberals on this trip. We obviously both enjoy riding. We also both enjoy a close walk with the Lord. We start each with a devotional by reading from the New testament and having a prayer before departing. We alternate this responsibility each morning. We are focused on the challenge that the ride to Prudhoe will bring and much of our experience each day is critiqued for weaknesses that must be addressed before departing Fairbanks. So far all the gear appears to be working properly or will be addressed in Fairbanks. Right now it looks like we should arrive in PB on the 14th.

Day 8, 1000 Truckers Can’t be Wrong (?)

2006-06-09T22:09:00.000-04:00

Stats:
Fox Creek, Alberta to Buckinghorse River, British Columbia.
Distance: 385 miles

Well yesterday’s mega-effort results in today’s late start – hey we earned it. We drag ourselves from our deluxe accommodations at the Grizzly Inn, noting that it is not named for the animal but rather the material condition of the building.

We make a quick meteorically assessment, i.e. look out the window and say: rain. Cold, gray and rainy – that’s motorcycles live for. Added to the mix is a new threat: moose. There are Beware of Moose signs everywhere. The today’s forecast; it’s Raining Moose, (wasn't that a disco song?). We become extra vigilant, keeping an eye on the tree line and the V–ditch in the median – wary and watchful for any movement. Any event involving a motorcycle and a moose cannot be good.

It rains most of the morning and we take a quick break at Grand Prairie. This is the center of the oil-patch boom – another crazy town full of Canadian rednecks. We get out, pronto. It occurs to me that this part of Canada is reminiscent to the US several decades ago: all industry is natural resources based: oil, lumber, mining, farming and all of the services that support those industries: trucking, engineering, supply, etc. This part of the world has, to me, very much of a blue-collar industrial feel. The places we see and the people we meet are very much involved with the hard work of making and building things. No software sales-weenies here. (Sorry Eric, those are Tom’s words, not mine. He wasn’t talking about anyone in particular. He’s just another insensitive engineer from Ga. Tech.)

Another change is occurring – Alan, myself ant the bikes are starting to take on the traveling look. Dirty, wet disheveled and grinning. The dirt here is a black color and the mud dries gray. Because half the vehicles on the road are semi-truck we are constantly sprayed with this grime-mist. It’s great – were starting to look like all those guys that write about riding a motorcycle to Alaska. Go figure.

Next and big destination: Dawson Creek, BC. Why you ask? Because this is the start of the Alaskan Highway, Mile Marker Zero in downtown. See the adventure is just starting. We learn our lesson from last night and, checking our target mileage for a destination, we call ahead for a room reservation - something called the Buckinghorse River Lodge. Sound good, no. This establishment tag line is, “1000 truckers can’t be wrong”. If that isn’t a good housekeeping seal of approval I don’t know what is.

Well, we ride through more rain – cold rain – turning to hail. And arrive. Being the diplomat that I am lets just the Lodge is rustic. However, the folks are nice and the food reasonable. Early bed is on tap – we make our first pass at the Rockies tomorrow.

Day 7 – Seats of Steel

2006-06-09T21:59:00.000-04:00

What a day. In the annals of motorcycling this one goes down as a major event: 590 miles in one sitting; a feat of true grit and iron butts. Only once before have I done more miles in a single day and that was on my Harley Soft-tail luxury liner: twice as big, three times the engine and all the modern conveniences. These little KLRs are amazing: a dual sport bike, running at highway conditions, within 1500 rpm of redline all day – and they just go. Amazing.

Stats:
Shelby, MT (40 mi south the border) to Fox Creek, Alberta
Total distance: 590 miles, :-0

Our day started with an issue leftover from yesterday: Alan’s highway pegs. Yesterday, coming out of Great Falls, MT, the weld connecting the highway pegs to the frame mounting bracket let go. Mechanically not a huge deal but for this kind of ride being able to adjust position is important and of course it is never good to have loose metal flapping around. Alan did some triage in the longstanding tradition of parking lot repairs, and it seems to be holding OK. Next, we got on the phone with one of our suppliers and are having an upgraded version shipped to the dealership in Fairbanks where we will pick it up Monday (cell phones, credit cards and FedEx can fix what ails you – I love technology).

Ride wise today was fairly uneventful. Crossing into Canada was anti-climatic – they don’t allow pictures to be taken of the border crossing - lots of rules for the legal immigrants. Anyway we rode through lots and lots and lots of flat, straight farmland. The road is in good condition but is not limited-access so there is lots of traffic in the towns: Lethbridge, Calgary, Red Deer, and Edmonton.

Because our plan is now to try and make 500 miles per day, Edmonton presented a problem. Edmonton happened at about 450 mi so we decided we’d go to the north side of town and look for a place to stay. Well we found our highway to Dawson Creek and civilization just vanished. Still a great road, 4 lanes of perfect pavement – but nobody using it. We decided to make for Whitecourt a speck on the map that appeared to be larger then the other specks. Whitecourt is100 km away, we suck it up and go. We arrive and, and yes, it is a fair sized town with several restaurants and motels. But wait, something is wrong – there are too many truck and semis in this town. We check a couple of hotels and there is not a room to be had, at all. Guess what, the real world is impinging on our fun. Haven’t you heard there is an oil boom on and this here is oil-patch country? Oh yeah, now I get it the Edmonton Oilers, that actually means something. And the place is wild. Full of young men, drinking, cussing, cars peeling out in the parking lot, and everyone smokes. It reminds me of the town that formed around the A&A during Plant Vogtle construction. Substitute Louisiana pipefitters for Canadian oil drillers and your there. The wild-west.

Well shoot – we are beat – it’s 7:30 – hungry and out of ideas. Alan chats up the lady at a hotel desk and she starts making calls – good folks are every place we need them. She finds us a room at the Grizzly Inn in Fox Creek which is 80 km away. Sold - we'll take it. Smoking room? Are you kidding me? They’re all smoking rooms at the Griz. Hey but we’re glad to be sleeping indoors.

Day 6, High Plains Drifters

2006-06-07T02:13:00.000-04:00

Stats:
Billings, MT to Shelby, MT
Distance: 304 miles

A bit of an odd day today; we got a lot done but it just didn’t involve riding. Prior to leaving the ATL I had made arrangements with the local Kawasaki dealershipto have new tires put on. Unexpectedly, this took up all of the morning and we didn’t get out to town until 1:00 PM. Yes, we were there when the doors opened at 9AM, and yes, it is a 90 min job to replace tires, but somehow that added up to 4 hours – must be that new-math. Truthfully, the wait was aggravating but the shop treated us well, and they were good guys to do business with – they just were not going to be hurried-up.

Escaping Billings put us on the path to Great Falls, MT by way of Route 3. One great thing about traveling in the west – there is absolutely no penalty for using two-lane vs. four-lane roads; you can do 80 mph on any of them. However, driving out west does have an odd effect on one’s vision: It is hard to adjust to anything up close after riding in these incredibly vast expanses. I think my eyes are now permanently focused just this side of infinity.

Last night Alan and I had a serious strategery session and came to the following conclusion: Getting our young selves to Prudhoe Bay is now the only objective. No more sightseeing. These last two days we have been enjoying the luxury of extra time, knowing we had a hard stop commitment for tires in Billings. This allowed us to check out some sites without detriment to the schedule. No more – all business now – strictly game-faces. The plan is to get to Prudhoe and back to Fairbanks, pronto. Then we can see how much time we have left and plan some fun from there. Tomorrow we cross into Alberta, Canada and start pushing for 500 miles per day.

Alan reminded me that I forgot to share a certain event in yesterdays log, and in the name of full disclosure, I acknowledge receipt of the first travel foul. Yes, I got pulled over by the local police in Moorcroft, Wyoming. With the help of some sincere begging and pleading and lots of “yes, sir, no sir” I got away with a warning. Alan thinks it was a setup because the cop spotted us coming into town and circled back to catch me speeding out of town. I think I was just a bone-head.

Pictures from Day 2 & 3

2006-06-06T22:47:00.000-04:00

Riding the the Kentucky rain: An electric orange insect

Crossing the Mississippi River into St. Louis - Archway to the West

Starting Day Three - Alan is Good-to-Go

Alan finds the motorcyle shop in Souix City, MO.

Dr. Tom ciphering the map at a South Dakota Rest area - check the stone teepee in the background

Day 5, The Wild-Life

2006-06-05T23:03:00.000-04:00

Stats: Custer, South Dakota to Billings, Montana
Total Mileage: 412 mi

Like the preverbal chicken, I seem to wake up in a new world every day. Everything changes: the scenery, the sights, the folks we meet and the riding conditions. We had another fantastic day on the bikes: great weather and abundance of wildlife and nature’s wonders.

The day started cold but sunny. After some creative cartography we decided to ditch the ‘original plan' of returning to the interstate and instead picked up a two lane skirting the back side of the Black Hills National Forest. The road turned twisty and steep and we rolled on the throttle and started to carving. I was determined to not let Alan leave me behind and locked it down for a white knuckle ride – after 30 minutes I was feel pretty good about keeping up. Then I noticed Alan hadc made the entire ride with his feet on the highway pegs: he wasn’t even trying. I gonna need to tighten up if I’m going to hang with the Road Warrior.

The road brought us north into Wyoming: in short order we saw: antelope, mule deer, hawk, buffalo (bison?) and prairie dogs.

We terminated at Devils Tower – I could try to describe it but I’d do a terrible job and make everyone mad; just check out the photos – an absolutely amazing piece of rock - that 800 ft tall.

Back to the interstate – time to make tracks to Billings. Lots of high-speed cruising through the Wyoming high-plains. The air is totally clear, zero moisture and you can see forever. The distances are so great the scenery seems to never change – you can see 5 mi up the road at any time.

Suddenly something’s different – like when the bass line kicks in during a good tune – the song is the same but suddenly has more depth...there it is, over the horizon, lurking in the distance and waiting for us – there they are: The Rocky Mountains. Oh man, we’ve got to cross that? We’re in for it now.

Finished the day at Reiters Kawasaki in Billings – fresh rubber for the scooters tomorrow morning and then on the Canada.

Day 4 - Tourista

2006-06-04T23:11:00.000-04:00

Start: Mitchell, SD - End: Custer, SD (near Mt Rushmore)
Distance traveled: Stratight line ~270 mi, including sightseeing 385 mi

Today, was clearly different than our others. We were not focused on making the miles but rather catching the sights. Sights, sights you say? And your writing from western South Dakota? Amazingly enough, yes. There is a ton of great stuff right here - who’d a thunk?

Anyway started the day in Mitchell, SD. While drinking coffee we find out that Mitchell is home of the Corn Palace. Hey this is too good to be true - we are on it. Check out the photos - this is truly a cool thing. The entire facade is made from corn and prairie grass. Very intricate and require mucho maintenance. No joke this building is impressive - check the detail.

Enough of that - back to the scooters. After many miles of farm land we cross the Missouri River and the terrain turns to high prairie. Rolling hills as far as the eye can see: green, lush, verdant. Amazingly awe inspiring. The air as changed as well - there is always a crispness present - but the sun is on our backs (and of course, being "bikers" we're wearing all black) so we are warm enough.

A quick stop in Wall, SD where we have lunch at the Wall Drug Store - which, in fact, comprises the entire town. Agreed the town is small and the store is huge but still - one store being a whole town. This seems very odd to me but hey, the lunch was good.

Shifting to a more serious note our next excursion ranks as one of my all time most intense experiences; we rode the loop through the Badlands National Park. I have never seen real estate like this in my life - it literally takes one's breath away. Alan thought I’d lost touch after I stopped the bike four times in 200 yards to take pictures. Trust me these pictures are nothing compared to being there. Interestingly enough, while the majority of the scenic stops where at high elevation points along the road I found the best views to be as we rode along the canyon basin. Alan and I are in agreement: we might have missed today’s Sunday service but we definitely made it to God’s cathedral. Absolutely magnificent.

Back to the interstate and on to Rapid City, SD. Here we headed south to see Mt Rushmore and then to the Crazy Horse memorial which is still under construction - but that hasen’t stopped them from building a museum and charging $10 to see it.

Tomorrow we need to be in Billings, MT for a tire change first thing Tuesday morning - then into Canada and on to Phase II.

Be there, Aloha.

Day's 2 & 3: Hammer Down

2006-06-03T20:13:00.000-04:00

Apologies for yesterday's failure to post; chalk it up to operator error. That said and update is in order. Bluntly put we be making miles; details as follows:

Friday Day 2
Cadiz, KY to Kansas City, MO (Platte City)
Distance: 515 mi (wow). Alan has a riding credo, start early - end early. Well, we got half the msg right and got out of Kentucky early - we just forgot to quit early.

The ride was exclusively an east to west affair. We didn't even make it past the Interstate on-ramp before we broke out the rain gear. Lots of rain all through KY and into Southern Illinois. Not much fun but it provided a much needed hydro test of our equipment. Alan found his saddlebag rain covers are not up to the task, plan B is under consideration. Sun came out in force just east of St Louis and it continued to be sunny and hot the rest of the day.

Pictures of the St Louis Arch, Gateway to the West, and the Mississippi River. Due to unfriendly and inaccessible scenic vantage points these photos were taken at speed from the motorcycle - not a recommended practice.

Got to KC late and very beat. Discovered a cool little town while hunting for a place to eat: Platte City, which looked just like a southern small-town, ie Ocilla, with a courthouse square; but no Johnny Reb statue out front. Found a happening little tavern full of friendly locals and an excellent KC Strip steak next door. After that it was lights out.

As a public service, and to add some educational value to this journal, I share the following for those who ride. As you are probably aware there is a severe condition that afficts long distance motorcycle riders after hours in the saddle. The condition results uncontrollably fidgety behavior, and is known by its medical name as: monkey-butt. Over the years savvy riders have discovered that baby powder, or talc, applied to one's southern end can help alleviate this condition. Safety warning: If implementing this remedy do not use medicated, or mentholated, powder. The author declines to reveal how this information was obtained.

Saturday, Day 3
Distance: 405 miles
Kansas City, MO to Mitchell, South Dakota
Again, up early, but hurting. Alan is suffering from a head cold. It appears to be getting better but it impacted his sleep last night. I just hurt all over from too much saddle and sun. Still were proud to be here and we we get after it with minimal complaining.

Just as yesterday was all east-to-west, today is all south-to-north. The scenery is really starting to change: things have gotten very flat and the distance between anything has increased dramatically. Most of today's ride parralled the Missouri River and the Lewis & Clark trail. Lush green farm land in all directions. Dakota makes rural Georgia look like Manhattan by comparison.

We passed through Vermillion, SD, the home of US Senator Tim Johnson. I don't know much about Sen. Johnson other then he rid us of ex-Sen Tom Daschel - so I gave a big cheer.

Alan had his first encounter of the animal kind: a young turkey or a large grouse - could have been a dog with wings - it was pretty darn big. The bird flushed from the right side road edge, Alan was looking left, and it came across the road at head height. I saw the whole thing from behind, and without any depth perception was certain that Alan would be hit. Alan estimates ~10 ft clearance. However, 10 ft at 70 mph is mighty tight.

Additionally, Alan's bike seems to be burning oil. We pulled off in Souix City, SD and just happened to find this very excellent and well stocked motorcycle shop. Alan, being the motorcycle connoisseur he is demands synthetic oil for his machines, so the normal road side stops weren't cutting it. This shop had just what we needed. However, in an interesting application of industry cluster theory we note that the motorcycle shop is co-located with the adult entertainment establishment next door. We guess this is convenient for the average client that frequents both - now at the same time.

Day One, 1 JUN 06

2006-06-01T21:03:00.000-04:00

Game on! No more planning sessions, no more what-ifs, no more contingency; in short no more sniveling. Now is the time for verbs and action. Houston we have lift-off.

First day game stats:

ATL to Cadiz, KY
Distance traveled: 370 mi
Start: 9:30 met Alan at I-75 and 120 north loop
Stop in Nashville, TN to have lunch with Alan's daughter and grandchildren: the incredibly cute and hungry, Miss Katlyn and Miss Amanda
Picked up a satellite phone in Nashville. A little emergency planning for when we get north of Fairbanks and the cell service is even worse than Alpharetta.
Finished the day at ~ 5 PM when a nice man with a computer in his delivery van showed us the real-time weather radar feed and the downpour we were about to ride into - thank you technology.

The goodbye at the house was emotion filled: I was sad to leave them - and they were glad to be left.

Meet Alan Harrelson: Intrepid traveler, motorcycle-ace, partner in crime:

Bike & Mods

2006-05-31T23:23:00.000-04:00

Bike: 2006, Kawasawki KLR

Item
Tank Bag & rain cvr - Wolfman
IMS: Shift lever, SS foot pegs
Happy Trails: Svc Manual, Heated hand grip, Front fork springs, Doohickey, Skid plate, Rr brake mount, SS brake lines, Crash bars, hi-way pegs, Brake Mstr Cylinder guard, Saddle Bags,
Side Racks, Windshield
Saddle: Corbin
Cruz Tools: Tire repair, Tire irons
DualStar: Fork Brace, Fork Boots, Drain Plug, Handel bars, Carrier Deck, Headlight Guard, Tubes, Frame upgrade, Battery
Arrowhead: Hand Guards, Hand covers, Front fender, Grips

Camping Stuff
Sleeping Bag
Tent

Roads & Routing

2006-05-29T07:51:00.000-04:00

Proposed Routing

I. Stage One

ATL to Billings, MT
Total Est. Distance: 2094.01 mile
Planned tire change at the Kawasaki shop

II. Stage Two

Billings to Dawson Creek, British Columbia (that's in Canada for you gerography buffs)
Total Est. Distance: 871.36 miles
Why go to Dawson Creek?, Because that is where the Alaska Highway begins (formerly called the ALCAN Hwy)

III. Stage Three

Dawson Creek, BC to Fairbanks, AK
Total Est. Distance: 1461.83 miles
Technicallythe Alaska Hwy is now paved. However, 10% is under constructio at any one time and the rumor has it is 150 miles of rough sledding. That is why I'm riding the KLR and not the Harley. I can stand to dump a $4000 motorcycle alot easier than a $22K scoot.

IV. Stage Four

Fairbanks to Deadhorse (Prudhoe Bay)
Total Est. Distance: 498 miles
There is only one road: the Dalton Hwy, also known as the Haul Road
There is no pavement north of Fairbanks - the weather is too sever and the thermal shifts breakup anything permanent. This is where the KLR payoff is recognzed - 1000 miles of dirt road traveled mostly by semi trucks supplying the pipline activities (moose, bear, et al)

V. Return Trip: Prudhoe Bay to Edmonton - via Cassiar & Yellowhead Hwy

Deadhorse to Coldfoot 239 mi
Coldfoot to Fairbanks 259 mi
Fairbanks to Delta Junction 98 mi
Delta Junction to Watson Lake 764 mi
Cassiar Hwy, Hwy 37: Watson Lake to Yellowhead Hwy Junction 450 mi
Yellowhead Hwy, Hwy 16: Cassiar Hwy Junction to Prince George, BC 298 mi
Prince George, BC to Edmonton, Alberta 454 mi
Total 2,562 mi

Hot Functional Testing

2006-05-25T18:15:00.000-04:00

May 24 and 25
Shake-Down Cruise: Took a 500+ mi ride to give the entire package a real like test. Will the bike stay together or have all those "improvements" I've made handicapped functionally?

First day's ride was magnificent:

Atlanta to Highlands, NC and then on to Asheville, NC via the Blue ridge Pkwy.
I was planning on spending the negated there but just wasn't ready to stop - still had more miles in me
I jumped on I-40 and headed west ending up in Gatlinburg, TN around dark.

The second day saw downpours as I came out of Great smoky Natl Park, on the the Foothills Pkwy and all throughout the Deals Gap and into Robbinsville, NC. Want to pinch a chuck out of your saddle? Ride the Tail of the Dragon in the rain. That will make you testify.

Think you can't get a hotel room for $35? Think again. Gatlinburg, Tennessee proves its value.

Testing results were mixed at best. Final scores: A, B and F.

The bike did great. Ran like a top - nothing vibrated loose - all the electrical loads (heated vest, heated handgrips worked fine and didn't blow and fuses). I am completely pleased with the KLR.
The gear work well: saddle bags, strap-on duffel. The tank bag is too small for a map which make one wonder why it has a "map pocket", but it held riding swag well.
Clothing was a disaster - Roadgear jacket and gloves, allegedly waterproof, gear leaked like a sieve - at least from the outside. However, once the water got in, the gloves it did seem like they held it very well and refused to let it out. Maybe I should wear this stuff inside-out?

Pre-Trek

2006-05-23T09:06:00.000-04:00

I. Introduction
What's the deal? What's going on? Why the blog?

Simply put; I am embarking on an adventure I've always dreamed about and will use this web-log to capture the action. In addition to simply memorialize events I have several goals I plan to achieve, again via this blog format:

Real-Time Communication. First and foremost I want to communicate the journey, in real time, to my children and wife who will be suffering incredibly during my absence...Ha. Experience tells me email is not going to work well for the format I envision, ie lots of photos, time-zone shifts, random updates, etc. I am hoping this electronic format will prove convenient both for the author and the target audience: Claire Joseph and Pam (you to Mia).
Planning. For others that might consider such a venture, and for myself when I do this again, I want to capture the planning and and travel considerations (design criteria for you participating engineers), so that doing this again will be easier.
Routing. Details on the planed and actual routing will be provided
Tech Stuff. Being an unreformed gear-head I would be remiss without a good technical discussion of the machinery involved: the motorcycle, modifications, the gear used. Be prepared for candid critiques from the road. Note: a wet rider is an unhappy rider.
Personal journal. An escape as epic as this almost guarantees becoming a transformational experience and demands a measure of personal reflection: time in the wilderness, man-nature interface, near death encounters with semi-trucks, grizzly bears and road house food. Hopefully, I can touch on some of these personal level insights without getting too mauldin - we'll see.

II. Prologue:
I have had Alaska on the brain for years and in particular the idea of riding a motorcycle there. Recently two events have conspired to bring this idea to fruition:

My interaction with, and travels to, Alaska in support of a past client: Alaska Pipeline Services Company (the folks that run the Alaskan Pipeline).
My acquaintance and friendship with riding-ace, Alan Harrelson.

It turns out Alan has been doing some serious motorcycle touring over the last years: cross-country ride, re-tracing the Lewis & Clark trail, etc, had Alaska in the queue as well. We got to talking one evening while making a Blue Ridge Pkwy ride and realized we were both serious about doing this AK ride and both had a single standing constraint from our wives, "You cannot do this ride alone". The assumption being that another willing and non-crazed participant was not to be found. Well that is all it took; Alan and I both bolted home, told our respective wives we had found some one that appeared rational and could we have permission to go. The deal was done. So, in classic innovation theory, we have a long simmering idea (AK ride) brought to life by a chance encounter with an enabling agent (Alan).

That was a year ago and since then Alan and I have been scheming, plotting, planning and acquiring to make it happen. Amazingly, this has all been done with minimal communication. Neither of us has done any kind of dual-sport touring before (ie lots of dirt roads) and didn't have any of the gear or even the motorcycles. My Harley and Alan's Goldwing are just not the right mounts for this type of ride. Alan and I agreed on the type of bike needed, time frame and duration, route and we have been individually busy making it happen. It is great working with competent people.