These are the continuing stories of Scubatony as he travels across the continent for Ride the Americas. The 16 thousand mile journey is focused on raising awareness for the National Safety Council's anti-cellphone while driving initiative. Blog post are almost daily and include lots of pictures and stories and a funny video or two. Follow along and enjoy your ride!
Of all the things I have posted I hear positive comments about the videos the most so here is another one to tide you over. I hope you like it and I would of course love to hear from you about its' content.
These are the continuing stories of Scubatony as he travels across the continent for Ride the Americas. The 16 thousand mile journey is focused on raising awareness for the National Safety Council's anti-cellphone while driving initiative. Blog post are almost daily and include lots of pictures and stories and a funny video or two. Follow along and enjoy your ride!
What a wonderful day on the road! I can’t remember ever seeing so many wonderful vistas and amazing scenes. It’s the kind of stuff I used to see in jigsaw puzzles when I was a kid. The highlight has been the Casier Hwy 37. It starts just west of Watson Lake Yukon and goes about 700 miles South. It is not a fast road nor is it real well maintained. Some of it is actually still gravel but Little Mule loves gravel roads and I have actually been enjoying the bike a lot on this curvy fun little road. If all the roads were like this one no one would ever pay to go into a national park.
Today has been the day for travelers. I met a number of interesting people all traveling today. The first one was Koko. He has been traveling alone by bicycle for over 4 years. Having ridden a bicycle across the US when I was young I knew what it was like to travel by bicycle. He is from Japan and has been all over Europe and Asia. He just started north America a few months ago and is planning to finish in about 2 years at the bottom tip of Argentina. He is writing for a couple Japanese magazines which partly fund his trip but not enough to keep going. He hopes the money will last til he gets to his destination.
I also met Fin and Alex. They are also on bicycles and started about 3 months ago in Anchorage. They are filming a documentary on their trip highlighting climate change along the way. They over estimated the distances and facilities available on Hwy 37 and could not buy any food when the planned to. This left them very hungry with more than a day to travel before any towns. Calories are way more important for them so I gave them all the food I had which will feed them tonight and into tomorrow. Check out their website at www.going-south.tv. They made me sign a waiver for their film as the talent. Unfortunately I did not have any battery in my camera when I met them and did not get any pix or video of them.
Also on a bike I met Steph. She had been on the road for 5 days and expected another 10 or so to get home to Victoria. She is the first solo woman traveler I have met on my journey. I also ran across Bruce today. He and I were both considering the same campsite. He eventually decided to move on down the road a bit and let me have it. Very cool of him. He is on a vision quest to discover what life my offer him next. He is a computer programmer from Santa Barbara California. We knew a lot of the same places. He was not sure if he was going to move to Thailand or find a new focus in his project. He is working on bringing cultures and people closer together using the internet. He believes there is a spiritual side to everyone that needs to be tapped and nurtured to heal the world as we know it. I wish him all the best success in his endeavor.
The cream d la cream of meets had to be yesterday in Carcross Yukon where I met Chrissy and Jake. They have both worked in the dive industry and when I mentioned Cozumel they asked me if I knew scubawoman Sheila. I said of course I knew her and long conversation ensued. We took pictures and sent Sheila an email on the spot. They actually considered working in Cozumel and may still do it but are going to spend at least the winter in Yukon and see how it goes. So as big as this planet is, the ride of Americas taking months to complete, I find the world getting smaller all around me. I have things in common with all these people. It is not such a strange thing to have a wanderlust for travel. It is not so strange to want to do it alone. We all document our journey so that the images and memories remain clear. These are the experiences that will one day make us interesting old people. Maybe I should find a way to do this more often? Hum..
I took video of Bruce and Koko so expect to see vids of them very soon
These are the continuing stories of Scubatony as he travels across the continent for Ride the Americas. The 16 thousand mile journey is focused on raising awareness for the National Safety Council's anti-cellphone while driving initiative. Blog post are almost daily and include lots of pictures and stories and a funny video or two. Follow along and enjoy your ride!
I've had good weather for the last couple days and consequently I'm feeling really great. The road ahead looks clear and soon I will be entering British Columbia again and heading south.
I met up with another rider that was actually headed my way a few days ago. 63 year old Fred was riding a new version of Little Mule and had spent the summer with his kids in North Pole Alaska just south of Fairbanks. He had been traveling by motorcycle his whole life and we shared stories and a campsite for the night. Proof that you don't have to let age stop you. Maybe it just slows you down a bit.
I highly recommend Snag lake just south of beaver creek Yukon. It was one of the most scenic places I have camped and only cost $12. We even got to use the roofed off area because there was no one else around. Even saw my first beaver up close.
I treated myself to a real crappy hotel last night in Whitehorse Yukon. It cost me $100 for a really poor quality little room. I guess they have to make up for the slow winter by charging hight prices the rest of the time. It did have a coin laundry which I desperately needed to use and the bed was warm and dry.
There were a few places along they way that you should try out if you find yourself up this way. In Tok there is a little campground called www.alaskanstovecampground.com. They are very reasonable and they actually set up a tent for motorcyclists to use. There is also a nice bed and breakfast in Watson lake about 2 km east of town. It is run by a nice German couple and is called Airport bnb I think. It is a nice home away from home. If you are looking for a great deal the 26th street BnB in Anchorage can't be beat. $25 and you get everything you need including the company of some nice travelers at no extra cost.
So here is a little video which kinda sums up my last few days on the road. I hope you like it. I really do.
These are the continuing stories of Scubatony as he travels across the continent for Ride the Americas. The 16 thousand mile journey is focused on raising awareness for the National Safety Council's anti-cellphone while driving initiative. Blog post are almost daily and include lots of pictures and stories and a funny video or two. Follow along and enjoy your ride!
I spent almost 24 hours in Anchorage. It impressed me about as much as any big city can. It had facilities that I needed but I really couldn’t wait to get out of there. I didn’t really even take many pictures cuz if you seen one US city with a walmart or two you have pretty much seen um all. I did spend the night in the 26th street hostel. For $25 I got a warm dry bed, a hot shower and actually watched a little TV. First time in weeks. It was Mad Max Thunderdome. Forgot how bad Tina Turner was in that movie. The hostel was full of transient types like me. Brian was moving back up to Alaska to be closer to his kids and Alison was a kind soul working on med school and trying to decide if she really wanted to live in a cold climate. I slept very well and enjoyed my time there very much.
In the morning I said my goodbyes and set off in search of a badly needed front tire the Little Mule. All the shops I had called had some but wanted $200 for them. I considered ordering it online and forwarding it to Tok but next day Fed Ex to Tok was going to cost me $65 and take 8 days. So that tells you just how far away from the world they are up here. When next day is actually 8 days from the lower 48 you know you are out there. I finally found the Motorcycle Shop ( no really that is the name of the shop) that had the stock Dunlop tire for $60 and they only charged me $20 to balance it. I worked in the parking lot and replaced it on the rim then handed it to them to balance. It took all of 2 min to balance it so that comes out to about $600 an hour labor rate I guess. Not the bargain I had hoped for doing it all myself. Things are not cheap up here at all.
So I rolled out of town about 1 pm and decided to take advantage of the great weather for some miles back up north towards Tok. I was in no hurry at all really. I stopped often and really enjoyed the ride. Got a little bit of rain but this time I didn’t let it dampen my mood (all pun intended). At one particularly nice vista I sat down in front of a beautiful blue glacier. I took my boots off and aired my feet a little. I lit a cigar and listened to the wind blow through the trees. The serenity of the moment made my ears ring. It was about 5 pm and the sun was still high in the sky. The sky ahead was clear and all was right with the world.
I get a sense now and then of loneliness. It is not bad but so rarely am I not surrounded by friends and people I love. Luckily have a phone and can talk to those I am close to often. The feeling struck me particularly hard today. I had no sense of urgency and can’t think of anyplace I need to be or anything I have to do except enjoy the miles as they roll beneath the fresh rubber of my new tires. I’m not even letting the weather get me down anymore. I know that as I go south the weather will get better.
Little Mule has become my #1 companion. I listen to the hum of the single piston as we trod along the road. When I start it up in the morning I listen to the sound of the battery and starter and know that she is happy and healthy. Each time I stop I look her over. Tire wear, loose bolts and bugs on the windshield are all things I tend to regularly. If Little Mule is happy I have nothing to worry about for SHE will take me to my next vista and beyond. This, I am finding is what really matters as the adventure continues!!
These are the continuing stories of Scubatony as he travels across the continent for Ride the Americas. The 16 thousand mile journey is focused on raising awareness for the National Safety Council's anti-cellphone while driving initiative. Blog post are almost daily and include lots of pictures and stories and a funny video or two. Follow along and enjoy your ride!
This is what the Little Mule looked like before the Dalton Hwy
This is what it looked like after coming back down
This is just one of the vistas as you roll over tundra
In retrospect I wish I had taken some pix of the long ride with all the snow and mud. It was a pretty graphic scene really but sometimes it's better to make your own visuals.
The weather looks good for a couple days here. Tomorrow is sightseeing in Seward and new front tire for Little Mule
These are the continuing stories of Scubatony as he travels across the continent for Ride the Americas. The 16 thousand mile journey is focused on raising awareness for the National Safety Council's anti-cellphone while driving initiative. Blog post are almost daily and include lots of pictures and stories and a funny video or two. Follow along and enjoy your ride!
I have come to a new point of view in my trip. After failing to reach my goal of the arctic ocean it took me a day or two to realize that this trip really is not about destinations and there really is no failure. So taking the pressure off I think I can have a lot more fun now! Huge thanks to everyone that offered encouragement and support when I was feeling down the other day. The road ahead looks sweet and I am rollin once more! Here is a little vid of just a few of the sights from Alaska. This place truly is the last frontier!
These are the continuing stories of Scubatony as he travels across the continent for Ride the Americas. The 16 thousand mile journey is focused on raising awareness for the National Safety Council's anti-cellphone while driving initiative. Blog post are almost daily and include lots of pictures and stories and a funny video or two. Follow along and enjoy your ride!
The trip up the Dalton Hwy started out bad. Lots of rain and very cold. Worst thing was I could not get my new tire to pop on the bead. That means that the tire was not seated properly and was unsafe to ride on. I spent 3 hours in the morning in Fairbanks just trying to get it on. Thanks the the Chevron Station with Tim and Bob on a wet Sunday. They let me use the tools and air compressor to get the tire to finally sit properly. I would have been in a real bind without them.
I didn’t have high hopes as I headed up the road. The plan I had was to make it half way on day one then Prudhoe bay the next day. That would put me at my destination by Aug 31. It was my original goal although I new I was the last one making this run for the summer. There was very little traffic and the road was wet muddy and slippery. There were sections where I entered the clouds and the viz went to nothing quickly. But as the day rolled on the road got better and the weather also improved, I made it to my halfway point (Coldfoot), at around 9:30 pm. It was still light out and the sky was clear so I found a cheap campsite and pitched my tent and had dinner. Shortly after I snuggled into my sleeping bag the rain began to fall. It rained all night and I could not sleep much because I was worried what all that rain would do to the road the next day. I stayed in bed til after 9 am hoping that the rain would stop and I could pack up relatively dry. Unfortunately Alaska had other plans for me and it took me over 2 and a half hours to pack up. My hands were so cold I would have to heat warm water, do some packing, hold the hot water bottle for a bit then do some more work. It was 35 degrees and raining. When I finally got moving it was almost noon. As feared the road was wet and slippery. It was also raining pretty hard and it made the viz real bad. I was making horrible time. If I could maintain the 20 mph pace all day the GPS said I would make Prudhoe bay at 9 pm. I knew it would be light but that made for a long long day of rough road. To make matters worse all the mud was clogging up my radiator and making it hard for the bike to maintain a good temperature. I was also gaining altitude and it was not running well. Every time I slowed down I would have to constantly rev the little mule just to keep it running. I have had some battery trouble lately as well so I didn’t want to use the starter much. The road got worse and the weather followed. 2 hours into the ride I had not stopped for a break. I was cold, I had not eaten breakfast and my hands really hurt from the cold. I started to see snow on the side of the road. It really killed my mood when the rain turned to slush on my windshield. The bike was still giving me trouble. The idea of being stranded up here really was a possibility. The slush on my windscreen made it very hard to see. My breath would fog the shield and I would lift it up to clear it but it would get so cold on my face that I would have to close it again. IT was hard just to take my hand off the handle bars to do this. Little Mule was sliding around all over the place. My fingers were really starting to hurt too. Then the road grading began. A huge scrapper was grading the mud. It made a huge hump of wet mud in the middle of the road. I knew I could not cross it without falling over. This of course stuck me in the oncoming traffic lane. I knew it was not looking good when a huge big rig came over the next hill in my direction. I slowed to a stop, the whole time revving the bike to keep it from dieing. I moved as far as I could to the right without getting in the mud hump in the middle of the road. I knew there was not enough room. So as the rig waited for me I slowly crossed the mud hump. It was hard because when I put my foot down it would slip as much as the tires. It took a maximum effort but I made it across without going down. Then just as I started to roll again my front tire dug into the mud and I fell over. It was slow but very messy. I didn’t hurt anything but it took me 5 min just to get the bike back up with all the bags loaded fully. The ground was so slippery. Of course once I got it up the motor would not start as I feared. I messed with it a while but could not get it to fire. I could also hear the battery getting weak. I was headed up a hill. Behind me was down and I thought maybe I could bump start the bike down hill. In the mud I was not sure the rear wheel would get enough traction to turn the motor over. I had no idea how much farther to the pass and possible better weather. I thought it would be better on the other side but I knew there was another pass beyond this one. All I could think of was failure as I turned around and headed back the way I had come. First attempt to bump start the bike was bad. The rear wheel just locked up and I skidded sideways. I needed more speed. Luckily it was a long down hill. On the second attempt the motor fired up and I was very relieved. I began the slow painful return to where I had already been knowing I would not see the Arctic Ocean this time. My hands and fingers hurt so bad. My lips were numb and the visibility was terrible. By 2:30 pm I made it back to where I had started in Coldfoot. I stopped at a info center to warm up. As my hands warmed there was a very strange tingling sensation. I also borrowed a hose and rinsed out the radiator so that it could cool the engine once more. I continued on 120 miles further to hotspot. I got a room for the night and warmed up and had a nice hamburger. $116 for a crappy room but it was dry and warm and I was happy to pay it. When I started my journey 2 weeks ago I had one focus. I wanted to make it to Prudhoe bay before the weather got bad. The locals saw tons of bikes this year. They said the most they had ever seen. All of them had stopped coming about a week ago. They also said I was smart to turn back. The weather up here changes so quickly and if I had made it over the pass there is no telling if I could get back over. I talked to a hunter in a big 4x4 who said he had just barely made it through the pass. He said there was a full blizzard going on up there. I have no doubt I made the right choice to turn back. If I had left a few days earlier I would have made it without a problem. Now the remainder of my journey will be shrouded in defeat. I can not say I made it to Prudhoe bay. I didn’t take any pictures of the snowy day. I was having a hard enough time just controlling the bike. As I type I still have the sore numbness in 4 of my fingers. I assume it is mild frostbite. I will head down out of the Northern most road in America. The Dalton Hwy and the weather of Alaska has beaten me.
The first rendering of the blog did not work out so well. But it seems this new blog will work out much better. I have even taken the feed direct to my new website at www.scubatony.com. So become a follower if you will and leave a comment now and then if you like the rants
