WE MADE IT!

  A 40 day, 9600 mile trip comes to a end!  Was it worth it?  Absolutely!  It had it's ups and downs along the way but that was to be expected.  We saw country that one can only dream of.  Being on a motorcycle, with no walls to confine you, is similar to sailing through the countrysides.  You become fully aware of your surroundings as nature completely encompasses you. We set out to have a once in a lifetime experience, and so we did!!!

  As far as the equipment was concerned, we are mostly satisfied.  The stereos on Joe & Tom's bikes failed during the course of the trip, this was a bummer.  Joe's was on the way out of Alaska and Tom's when we entered the US on the way home.  A software problem according to the Harley people we spoke to along the way.  Mechanically the bikes did very well considering the the road conditions we encountered.  We're aware of only one missing bolt on a tour pack, which is nothing after all the vibrations.  The luggage and/or bags that we decided on for the trip all held up great.  Tom & Joe were satisfied with their "T-Bag" brand and I with Harley's brand of luggage.  Leakage being a main concern at the beginning, was of no concern.  Electronics also did very well with the bouncing they had to put up with.  Communication with the outside world was of course limited to service provided.  As you are aware of, if you followed this blog, there were times of little to no service for phone and Internet.  One thing to note is all hotel/motels will claim to provide WiFi.  They are not to be trusted!!!!!  I personally give two thumbs up to "Anti Monkey Butt powder", it served me well.  The Garmin GPS and cameras held up well and were used throughout the trip.  The video camera, that I had hoped to record some road footage, just couldn't take the vibration and was a bust.

  One thing the boys did prove during this trek was that you can throw all your dirty laundry into one machine, mix in a little soap and "voila", it's clean.  Have you women been lying to us all these years? ???? Laundry areas in motel/hotels are fairly common, however the costs vary greatly.

  Having stayed at over 30 different places, it was determined that all but a few are all the same.  Fortunately we had no bad encounters, IE bugs, mold, gunfire, etc..  Costs were anywhere between $60 to $200 a night depending on supply and demand.  The  lodging was a variety of cheap motels to expensive hotels and B&B's to historic landmarks.  When it comes down to the rooms, they're mostly the same!!!!

  Road conditions for the most part were good.  The problems we encountered were mostly up north where they use the practice of tearing up the asphalt and putting down packed gravel for extended periods of time.  This makes for some rough going and is not too kind on the bikes.  The worst by far was the Al Can highway up in the Yukon Territory.  The road up there is a mine field that is having little to no work done on it.  The highways in the states are for the most part in much better condition.

  There was not one day weather wise that prevented us from riding.  Sure we had our share of rain and cold, but it wasn't extreme enough to sideline any of our intentions.  So as a whole, we were very lucky with weather, remembering many a day when we just happened to skirt around this or that storm.  As a note; the "Gore Tex" rain gear is worth every penny, impenetrable!!!!!!!!!!!

  Over the length of the trip we met so many people from all over the world.  Some very interesting and some full of bull----.  The friendliest by far were the Montanans, waving to you as you would ride past and helpful as can be if you had a question.  The least friendly I would have to say were the British Colombians.  They have beautiful country and act as though they created it, thus what are you doing there.  Very expensive too.  Taxes at times are as high as 15-20% in their somewhat socialist world.  Many people we talked to from  Yukon and Alberta, their neighbors, don't regard them very highly! Sigh

  Alaska is absolutely incredible!  Even with Sarah Palin, ha ha.  We did have the pleasure to cruise through her hometown a couple of times, Wasilla is the name if I remember correctly.  The state is so large and unique and unspoiled for the most part.  The only drawback being it's limited roadways for those wanting to explore but on the other hand it is able to maintain a Edenistic quality.  Without the Al Can highway, it would still be fairly secluded.  Private ownership of planes is higher in Alaska than anywhere else in the US.  Many native Indians still in the remote areas live a very simple existence.


  Now that the trip is over it is time to reflect.  So much to absorb from the last six weeks because even though we were there, we were on the move almost constantly.  A lot of information overload!  At times it was stressful and exhausting and mistakes were made.  That is the downside to such an undertaking and hopefully we remember all the good that came from it.  If the trip was being planned today I couldn't think of a better pair to go with!!

  Well with that said, it is time to put down the computer and start cleaning the bike.  Weeks of dirt,tar,mud,glacial  dust, jelly beans and who knows what else, is in every crevice.  Thanks so much for being a part of our adventure.  Thanks for excusing my poor literary skills and I hope it wasn't too repetitive!  A special thanks to our loved ones that not only allowed us to do it but also took on the added responsibilities at home.

Personal Favorites;

Foods - Elk chop and Bison prime rib
Lodging - Fairmont Hot Springs resort and Homer Alaska BandB
People - Montanans
Rides - Glacier Park, Iceland Parkway and Denali
Sayings - "I concur", "they're people too", "WOW"
Snacks - Chips Ahoy cookies and Crunchy Cheetos
Lakes - Louise and Jackson

Take care and to the bikers out there "KEEP THE SHINY SIDE UP".
Mark

 
  The Blackhills of South Dakota was to be the cherry on the sundae, our last must see before heading home.  It truly was a great way to finish up this amazing trip.  The hills have there own signature and unique colors so the ride was a whole new feel for us.  It has many curves and lots of ups and downs, giving a roller coaster type ride.  For those that ride. it is the ultimate in becoming one with your bike.YESSSSSS!

  Within this area, which encompasses the northwest corner of South Dakota, are many things of interest.  You have Mt. Rushmore, Crazyhorse, Rapid City, Deadwood and Sturgiss. 
  Mt.Rushmore is one of this countries best accomplishments in my eyes.  To permanently honor these men that have done so much to make America what it is, shows what were capable of producing.!!!!!!  It was congress who spearheaded and appropriated the funds for this back in 1927.  The project was 14 years in the making.  It was one mans vision, designed by sculptor Gutzon Borglum, who ran things for most of the way.  He passed away shortly before the final dedication.  Beautiful facility to view and learn at having being totally rebuilt about 12 years ago.  The only drawback was parking, sure there's plenty of it, in a nice new facility.
Our problem is that it is a private concessions, that charges  ways too much for a chance to view something paid for with tax dollars. Annual National park pass is useless there, beside that it was a good time.
  Crazyhorse, on the other hand is a totally private venture taken on by  Korczak Ziolkowski in 1948. Now it's run by a foundation to continue the work on. It was requested by the Indians to honor one of there heroes and also donated the land. The hero chosen was the great chief Crazyhorse.  It is a monumental undertaking that should take generations to complete.
  Deadwood being one of the great old legend towns and Sturgiss of motorcycle fame became our final sightseeing.  The Sturgiss motorcycle rally is THE motorcycle event of the year.  The people in charge are expecting close to one million bikers this year, over the course of the rally.  Being officially a week long, it usually draws tens of thousands the weeks before and after.  Being such a good location for day trips on a bike many  have come for years making it a ritual.  Motorcycles are everywhere and encompass a 60 mile radius.  I-90 traffic is half bikes between Rapid City and Sioux Falls with all motels/hotels at a premium. It's the kind of place where "what happens there stays there".  Fun place but don't bring the kids!


  Should be home in a few days if all goes well.  This will be the last post on the road, finishing up when I get home.  Until then enjoy a few more pictures and sorry about the spot on them.  I guess riding with the camera mounted on the handle bars has caused some damage to the lens.  The trip was worth it and coming up on the 9000 mile mark and still enjoying.
Mark

Things of note;
1-all kinds go to Sturgiss
2-lots of people trailer their bikes to the area and then ride
3-we watched a guy buy a bike for $138,000
4-I hope Patty likes Tom's tattoo!!!!!!
5- plenty of road resurfacing, taxes at work
6-wanting to get home but sad at the same time!
7-my daughter would call Rushmore Mt.Facemore, when she was real young,
sorry Allie but it's a fond memory.
8-weather is very hot, but you already know that
        

Hi all,

  No Internet for a couple of days, so I will try to catch you up briefly.  We were in Belgrade Montana on Tuesday night.  This was a good jumping off point to take us into Yellowstone the next day.  The weather has been very kind to us, unlike what I hear home is like.  Yellowstone was everything I remember it to be.  It's what I would consider a geological amusement park.  Believe it or not, we stayed  in Jackson Hole for two nights and both days they experienced earthquakes, 4.8 & 4.0 magnitudes.  Tom really liked the area having never been this way before.  Look out Patty, all he talks about is bringing you back here!


  Yellowstone is the worlds first national park, encompasses 2.2 million acres, and is renowned for it's scenic beauty.  It's loaded with wildlife, rivers, canyons, lakes,spouting mud caldron's, waterfalls and geysers.  Who out there hasn't heard of "old faithful", every 90 minutes or so, THERE SHE BLOWS.


  The Grand Teton National Park mountain range is directly south of Yellowstone, actually the two abut each
 other.  This we thought might be somewhat of a letdown after seeing so many incredible mountains over the course of this trip.  WRONG, they are as beautiful now as they were 30 years ago when the likes of Rich (Wags), John (Willy), Joe, Jimmy (Vogel) and myself would come out here backpacking!!!!  The mountains really jump out at you because they shoot straight up from a flat valley and they have two beautiful lakes at there base. Those would be Jackson Lake which is huge and the much smaller Jenny Lake, just as impressive.


  Our lodging would be just a short ride down the road to Jackson Hole.  A very popular tourist destination, known for it's skiing in the winter and what Tom says is a hangout for the rich and famous.  Years ago it was a fun cowboy town to hang out in and have some fun.  Now it's totally commercialized as far as were concerned.  Lots of upscale galleries, restaurants and souvineer shops, and it has expanded greatly.  Oh well, we had to rough it!!!  One restaurant, the Gun Barrel, I would highly recommend after trying the Bison prime rib, Elk chops and the Venison bratwurst.  YUM YUM YUM  Oh, by the way, Tom had pizza!!!
Of interesting note, the town got it's name from a relative of Andrew Jackson (Stonewall himself).  He started things rolling here by establishing the first trading company.  The Hole in Jackson Hole is what trappers used to call  mountain valleys.


  Today we headed back for a little more Yellowstone and then out the east gate, went thru the Sheshone
Forrest and then up and over the Bighorn mountains.  Totally amazing country and all unique in there own way.  I hope the attached photos give you a feel.
Mark

Things of note;
1-Staying in Buffalo Wyoming tonite
2-Rode thru several open ranges today
cattle everywhere, no fences
3-Were in Buffalo Bill country, Big Time
4-Passed 8,000 miles for the trip yesterday
5-very tired of motels
6-miss home cooking
7-should be home in less than a week
8-my apoligies for the bug on the camera lens   

Prince George to Whitefish

  We had to write off Vancouver!  With the main road under major construction and not wanting to put up with small roads, it was time to stop heading west.  Having loved the Iceland Parkway on the way to Alaska, we decided to enjoy it again and opted to use it for a conduit south.  From Prince George to Jasper to the US border to one of our favorite towns, Whitefish.  Here we will recoup for a couple of days!!!!

  This time around were on the outskirts of town staying at the Chalet motel.  A wonderful little motel that cares how they treat their guests.  It's the perfect layover complete with a pool and hot tub.  Facilities to clean the motorcycles.  Shopping and food establishments all around it making walking a viable option. I highly recommend this place for motorcyclists and tourist alike.

  The next move will be heading down towards Yellowstone National Park. This being our destination after Vancouver had we gone there.  We should be able to get within striking distance of the park if all goes well on Tuesday. 
Mark

Route 37 south

We came from Whitehorse and headed down to Prince George over the course of three days. About 1130 miles of Northwest British Columbia.  A big part of it was route 37 south for about 650 miles. It was a beautiful ride but not very motorcycle friendly.  Narrow winding roads with little to no visibility for wildlife. This impeded our progress because we slowed down due to the wildlife. We encountered a close call when Joe clipped a wild horse that darted out of nowhere.  Fortunately he was able to control the bike and is unhurt.  Another time we came upon a group of six wild horses on the road and they are hard to move and mean.  Areas very heavy with moose but we lucked out having to deal with them. About 100 miles down 37 we did see a BMW car on the side of the road with it's hood pushed all the way into the back seat.  Later at our first night stay we found out it was compliments of a moose.  The next morning we woke up to find ashes on the bikes.  The road we came down the night before was now closed to a forest fire.  At the time of this writing (3days later) the road is still closed and the fire is getting worse.  420 fires are going on at this time in British Columbia.  Glad to be heading south away from most of them.

One nights stay was in the town of Stewart which is on the USA peninsula border.  It abuts the Alaska town of Hyder where we were able to observe the Salmon running up river spawning.  If you're lucky the bears show up, but it wasn't meant to be for us.  Oh well, it was still a cool thing to see!  The road to Vancouver, route 97, is heavily under construction and we've been forewarned very hard on motorcycles.  The bikes have been taking a lot of beatings so were going to give them a break and alter our plans. Until next time!!!!
Mark


Things of note;
1-Tom says to tell you all how good he looks riding
2-He says pictures make him look fatter
3-weather is getting warmer every day south, today 25c
4-glaciers and waterfalls are abundant
5-Kelly, you're welcome
6-Hutson, waiting to hear from you
7-Canadians are story tellers
8-sawmills are everywhere
9-Allie & Nick, dad misses you
10-most of the roads we travel are filled with campers and cycles

Where the asphalt ends


   Monday we reached our pinnacle. Heading north out of Fairbanks, We
took the route that would take you to the top of Alaska. If you follow it to
it's end you would wind up in Prudoe Bay, oil country. The problem with it
is that there's only pavement for the first hour or so. Hence the title
"where the asphalt ends".  Riding hundreds of miles on gravel roads with our
babies was totally out of the question!  To understand more of what the road
is like you can watch the TV show Ice Road Truckers (Discovery channel),
which is all about the trip from Fairbanks to Prudoe and beyond. The point at
which we turned around was officially the farthestnorth we would go and
heading south became THE ROAD HOME. This was actually a somber
time for the three of us knowing that it was almost half over. Later on in the
day we all passed the 5000 mile mark, which is the approx.half way mark.
*****SIGH****** Anyway, we know there is still an incredible journey ahead.
  Today's highlight without a doubt was seeing and learning about
the infamous Alaska Oil Pipeline. What a marvel to be able to
stand next to this engineering feat.  It was built over a 2 1/2 year
period in the mid seventies.  It traverses three mountain ranges,
thirteen rivers and is a measely 800 miles long. All of it cut through
densely forrested virgin land. Half of it is buried and the other half
is suspended on stilts.(see photo)   650,000 barrels pumped through
the line every day. You wouldn't think 3 grown men would be so
enamored with a pipe but we were. It's really a cool spectical!!!!


Tok to whitehorse DAY 26

  It was bye bye to Alaska today. The journey began with a little rain but soon
cleared up. One hundred miles later (14 of it mud), another border crossing.
This one was the fastest yet, we used our charm with the female border guard.
 ----"Are you laughing at me?"---- The other three hundred miles were very
enjoyable this time through. On the way up we had a lot of rain. Lake Kuane,
which was about half way, was another gorgeous setting among so many
we've seen. We took the time for some photos there. After 400 total miles,
two gas fill ups, a border crossing, one visitor center, nine hours and a stop
for ice cream we ended back in Whitehorse. This being one of our favorite
stops heading to Alaska. Without hesitation we used the same lodging and
went to one of our favorite bars for suds and food.

Mark

Things of note;


1-Three days no rain
2-Bikes are running good and are made for this
3-Coach, good to hear from you.
4-Demon, the bike needs more than detailing
5-saw a huge moose with full rack today
6-gas around $3.80 gl
7-Pooch, I hope all is well!
8-laundry day YEAH
9-Thanks to our loved ones for handling things back home, we love you for this!!!!!

DAYS 23 & 24

  Saturday was an uneventful day.  Lots of cold and rain that took us most of the day to get from Anchorage to Healy.  Healy being just north of the park entrance, so we called it a day and found some warm lodging to  shake off the chills.  I know there's no sympathy from the Chicago people.  We here you had to deal with a little rain yourselves!   Stopping in the bar for a couple last night, the first person we met is from Logan Square, Chicago.  Then a little later on, a couple of cheeseheads came in and finally Sunday morning we met a retired cop who lives by Western and Montrose in Chicago.  Gee it's a small world after all, gee it's a small world after all, oops sorry, I thought I was back in Disneyworld for a sec..

  Today we caught a break with the weather and checked out Denali National Park.  Two million acres of protected prime real estate thanks to foresight by some wise men a century ago.  The gem of the park is Mt. McKinley at over 20,000 feet.  Not being able to see it due to cloud coverage so we took in what we could and made the most of it.  Not seeing the mountain is the norm not the exception.  This particular mountain range creates it's own weather and the clouds are almost a permanent fixture.  Not what you would consider a big crowd for such an acclaimed national park.  But it's also not the most accessible for most people being 250 miles from Anchorage and that's on a two lane highway that is usually under construction during the warmer months.  Maybe this is a good thing, the park is unspoiled and still pristine.

  To finish the day we rode up to Fairbanks, about 120 miles.  Tonight we relax, tomorrow the adventure continues.  Mark

Things of note;
1- Willy, Tom says we got our permits to climb the mountain next July, start training and you owe him $250.00 for your permit.
2- Tom says HI mom
3- Lorry, how come there are no Hondas out here on these roads?
4-GTC say hi to JR for me
5- Were pushing 5000 for the trip
6- We would love to hear from some of the quite ones out there
7-You betcha, Sarah Palin says hi!!!!!!!!

  DAYS 21 &  22
  We have really been on the run with the families and having a lot of laughs making some incredible memories. At the time of this writing the girls and Nick are on the way to the airport, so concluding a wonderful week.  Their stay included Anchorage, Homer, Seward, Talkeetna and everything in between.  The southern portion of Alaska where we have been visiting is truly amazing.  Around every turn is a picture postcard of some of the most beautiful scenery that I have ever experienced. 

  With that said, lets fill you in on some of the stuff we did in Seward. It's a great little seaport town on the Kenai peninsula which abuts some incredible surroundings known as the Kenai fiord's.  We couldn't pass up the opportunity to take a cruise on Thursday night and was it worth it!  During our excursion we were fortunate to see; sea lions basking on the rocks, otters swimming all over, puffins (very colorful birds) diving underwater snatching some dinner, porpoises swimming along in the ship's wake, mountain goats clinging to the sides of mountains so steep you wouldn't believe it, eagles perched majestically on rock out cropping or tree branches, and last but certainly not least WHALES.  With binoculars at the ready, most eyes are on the look out for those spouts in the distance.  Once sited, the captain zeroes in but not too hastily.  Creeping up to them feels like your plugging right into natures outlet. They'll sit on the surface for 3,4, maybe 5 breaths and then up goes the arched back, the flip of the tail and down they go into the depths feeding.  We came across a pair of them first as the ship entered the Gulf of Alaska and one by himself on our return in.  For those out there wondering what it takes to see something like this, Seward is a popular cruise ship stop nowadays.

  Our lodging was a bed and breakfast about 6 miles north of town on Bear lake.  We didn't have much time there because of the schedule but Nick did get the opportunity to do some kayaking. 


  Pulling back into Anchorage late Friday afternoon, it was time to change from family vacation back into those rough and tough biker dudes you all love, haha.  The church van was turned in and the bikes were picked up.  We left the bikes at Anchorage Harley for some service and it turned out to be a major disappointment.  Not very happy with their service and we let them know.  They were willing to make corrections at the time of pick up, but they should have done it during the four days they had them.  Shame on them!!!!

We are all spending two days in Homer and just admiring it's innocence and splendor.  Staying at a charming Bed and Breakfast that over looks Kachemak bay.  Nothing like having Otters playing around in your backyard.  Fresh seafood and fish at almost all meals.  Really having a good time and soaking it in!  Here is a sample of our surroundings.



Pictures say a thousand words........