Going North

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JasonLester

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Ok a little off the boat topic... In a couple weeks I am heading north on my motorcycle. I have done this before and think I posted a thread about it in the hobies section...

So anyway here is the plan. In 2010 we did a similar ride but this one will include a few more roads we skipped last time.

We leave from here in Ohio and truck the bikes to my uncles house in Montana. There isn't much to do between here and there considering the time we have to make it to Fairbanks and back...So we skip this little 1700 mile section...Don't worry its still 3000 miles to Fairbanks give or take a couple hundered mile (lean to the heavy side on mileage) So plenty of riding even from Montana.

It takes a couple days even in the truck to get to Montana. So we plan to get there early in the day and then unload, pack the bikes, say our hello's and goodbyes to family and head out. Then we will head north on mostly back roads to Banff, the Icefield parkway, then Jasper and then up to Dawson City and the start of the ALCAN. Then up to Fairbanks via a few extras I will go into detail about as I go.

Then I fly home and Dad stays up at his place in Fairbanks for the summer. And six weeks later I fly back up and we ride home on a little different route to include a really big Tin....the Alaska Marine Highway...

I have never done a live or semi-live ride report so I'm gonna try it on here. Hopefully I can post a few pictures and brief descriptions as I go along. If anyone is interested. It was a blast in 2010 and should be again. I just thought I would take you all along if you want.
 
A few teaser pics from 2010.

At the start in Montana. Dad on the Left and me on the right.

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Amazing views

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Amazing wildlife

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Feul stops aren't that bad either

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This was fun to wake up to at 150 yards from the tent

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one more.. Kluane Lake in the Yukon Territory Canada

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So anyway the idea is I post some as I get Wifi conections. And as I can.
 
Can't tell from the pictures. Are those KLR650's? Have fun, be safe. I don't think my butt could hold up to that ride. Best I ever did was 700 miles in one day and that was all I-road. I usually just like to do about 400 a day. Isn't it nearly all paved road to alaska depending on the route you take?
Tim
 
Thanks guys....Glad some of you will enjoy it and it gives me a reason to document it which helps me remember it afterwards.

To answer a couple questions. Yes they are KLR650's... its a nearly perfect bike for the trip. Obviously they have a few upgrades to make them more bulletproof...like so when you drop it your not stuck with a broken bike. And there has to be room to carry stuff. I recently took old Army mermite cans and made panniers out of them. Took alot of work but it beats the 700-800 for a set and a rack. Made the rack too.

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As far as milage we do between 250 and 400 in a day depending on what we feel like. It's all about the juorney after all..why not slow down and enjoy...we also ride slower than some would. We ride most around 50-55 or even less depending on conditions. Rain slows us down pretty good. But we push on regardless.

The road is not to bad...its paved for the most part but there are areas that are gravel or worse and you never know when you'll hit them. Last trip we didn't have to much maybe 50 miles or less. But then it was a pretty basic trip last time...this one will be different. Two notable times we hit unpaved spots...one on the way up we hit a section of gravel that for the first 50 feet felt super soft... imediate pucker factor!....but after that it was normal gravel road which these bikes do very well. The second was on the way back and there was no gravel...only what felt like bottomless mud.... this was slick...and scary....Remember its not like the lower 48 up there...very little as far as warnings to whats coming. When you hit that stuff at 50 mph it gets scary fast...We have differnt tires this year. More agressive. The reason....ALOT more gravel this trip. We will hit a minimum of 300 miles of it. Thats probably being conservative. And thats not including the areas they have tore up to repair. Oh and some sections have frost heaves and trenches you have to deal with even though its paved roads... Those sections slow 4+ wheeled traffic to a crawl...

We stop alot. We smell the roses so to speak...we camp...we laugh at ourselves...people think we are crazy for doing it...we think we'd be crazy not to do it again. Maybe we are but we are having fun doing it.
 
A link to my post about the last ride. this is a brief overview not the full report.

https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=43&t=23644
 
I envy you. Would love to make that trip but I dont think my old vn750 could make it and not sure my old butt could either. Be safe and ride on brother.

:arrow: "MOOSEHEAD" A great beer and a new experience for a moose ! [-X
 
Ok we are less than two weeks out...we pick the bikes up from the shop today...they were in pretty good shape but we wanted a second look over and jsut piece of mind that they are good.
We are already getting stuff laid out...both of us are excited...cannot wait to go...
 
Ok so we had a little hiccup in our plans. I was scheduled for LASIK on Friday. Everything I read says I will be fine. I was a little nervous about it but not to bad...so Thursday morning I wake up in the middle of the night in PAIN... I know what it is but am in denial about it.... Kidney stone.... I spend 4-5 hours in pain and finally tell my wife...I head to the doc and it eases up on the way...that or the pain pill kicked in. So under a week and the trip isn't looking likely.



I avoid the ER and go directly to my family Doc. She gets me a CT scan like right now and we hurry over to it. Yep confermed not one but two. One in my kidney not doing much...the other headed to my bladder making me not so comfortable. She gets me a appointment with the urologist, the next morning....All this time I'm telling everyone how close the trip is etc etc....I see the urologist and tell him too...he says in that case he'll get me in monday so if I didn't pass it he could get it out and I could still go....



I had my LASIK that evening...all is good with it.



Then today I went in to the hospital since I had not passed my stone... my doc was able to take out my stone and gave me the go ahead for the trip...



It was scary that I may not be able to go... I have a few days to rest but I should be ok by the time it is time to ride... I feel much better already.
 
Ok we are in Helena MT. We ran through snow to get here. Fortunately the bikes were in the truck. Stopped and got some wool so we don't freeze tomorrow. We are unloading in the morning and heading north.
 
Well plans changed. Winter storm warning 12-24 inches of snow in high elevations. We are driving to Alaska and riding / fishing around. Should be fun
 

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