What started out innocent enough for a planned ride for the day was very entertaining, cold, hot, dirty, rough, and to end all, I met some really nice folks today. This is the first time that I do not feel up to posting a blog report because I’m exhausted. I got on the motorcycle around 7:30am and I didn’t finish riding for the day until 6:00pm. I didn’t ride every minute of the day, but I was at all day. So if I ramble or my sentences do mot make sense or I jump around a lot, forgive me.
I left Tok, Alaska with picture perfect skies not a cloud in sight. My goal, other than ending up in Valdez, was to ride into Wrangell-St. Elias all the way to McCarthy. But first story one! As I was driving and taking pictures I over took another rider on a Yamaha Royal Star packed to the hilt from Washington State. He was having some difficulties navigating through the snow heaves in the road. That Yamaha just didn’t have the suspension to handle them at the posted speed, so he did the smart thing and slowed down. Me? What do you think? Anyways, shortly the road smoothed out and looking in my mirrors here he comes. He followed me a good 50 miles until we came to a T in the road. I saw what looked like a gas station, so I pulled in just to see if he would follow, he did. He was looking for fuel. He saw my Red Tanks and thought worst case, maybe I would bail him out. He said he had 60 miles of fuel left and I told him 13 miles dis a way, and you should be good. I told him, I would not leave him until we reached the station, so we rode together to the fuel station and both fueled up. He was happy and off he went. I wasn’t done. Here comes two Harley riders to examine the bike. We chit chatted about everything bike and then they started telling the whats, whys, and whatevers of Alaska. Yes they were locals, and Debbie Fanatia if your reading this, from Homer. They took up a good hour of my riding time, but it was very enjoyable conversation and informative. Thanks Craig and Todd of Homer, Alaska, it was nice meeting you.
I had to get on the road because I knew the next part of my adventure had a lot of unknowns. Will the dirt be dry, muddy, or lot’s of loose rocks. Muddy would make me do a u-turn because of my tires currently on the bike. Before I made it to the entry point, I bumped into a F800GS BMW rider and I followed him until he stopped in the middle of the road because of a moose. Before we could even start chatting, we both noticed a moose swimming across a pond. That was cool looking and you will have to see that in the pictures. His bike was a rental and there was 3 more riders in trail. Shortly they showed and it turned out, we were all heading the same way, McCarthy. I let the 4 of them go first and that was a big mistake. This road was 60 miles long on way and I got stuck eating dust for 40 of it. Couldn’t take it anymore so I zoom past the guy I following, the slowest guy of the bunch, and had fresh air for the last 20. My bike was the largest of the bunch and should have been the slowest but that beast does handle well on dirt roads as long as they are hard packed. It was obvious to me very soon into the dirt portion that it is time to replace that back tire. She is pretty much bald, just like the rider of the bike.
I finally parted with the GS-guys when we reached McCarthy. I found a hole in the wall restaurant that fixed my a Potato-head Wrap. I wish I would written down everything that was inside because it was good. Eggs, onions, something that was hot like jalapeno’s and stuff I couldn’t id, but it was good. You should take a look at the bridge I had to cross to get back into the woods to McCarthy and the Restaurant, it that’s what it should be called. It felt more like a mobile truck you would see in DC or New York City. The conversations that I had with some of the locals was very entertaining. They looked like they still lived in the 1930’s or later. The one fellow, who had never seen a dentist, was a pan for gold and silver professional. I mean with a pick axe, pan, and a nice rock to sit on. I kid you not!! He was a gentle sole thought and I enjoyed his stories.
Now that I have finished my lunch/supper because it was kind of late, I needed to get out the woods and to Valdez. That is 60 more miles of dirt and then another 80 or so to Valdez. I was rocking the dirt while riding solo to the point I had two thoughts, a broken collar bone and the wife. That’s when I said to me, “stay inside you skill set and stop acting like a 15 year old.” Besides, I didn’t have the tires to be flying through the woods solo, 4200 miles from home. So I backed off a bit and made it safely back to hard surface roads. I was hot, 80 degrees outside, and I was a filthy mess. I stopped before I started to Valdez to make sure everything was still on the bike and functioning. Seems my Spot Tracker quit! I put another set of batteries in, and nothing. It appeared I killed it. So I started my ride to Valdez.
What a ride that turned out to be. Remember I said 80 degrees! 20 miles outside of Valdez and about 3000 elevation, we are talking 49 degrees. Damn! I almost switched up gloves but I started descending into Valdez. There was snow everywhere. I’m talking in places still 3 feet deep and higher. The roads were clear, but there was snow everywhere. The the waterfalls coming down the sides of the mountains with one spilling right out onto the roadway. Checkout the pictures. Rolling into Valdez, back to 65 degrees. I was toast! I no plans to eat the rest of the day because I was just wanted to shower and relax. So writing this blog and feeling sleepy at the same time, is a little hard for to pull off. By the way, the Spot Tracker is fine. It works perfectly when the user, (me), puts the batteries in correctly.
One more small note, I do not think Redhead in the below picture was to happy when I told her she was going to have to clean the bike!!!
She does look pissed !
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