Key Largo, Prudhoe and Westfest [Archive]

riderR1150GSAdv

09-05-2007, 10:51 AM

Or how I rode 14.5 K miles in 5-6 weeks.

The trip I took this summer brought me from Key Largo, Fl to Prudhoe Bay, AK via Paonia Colorado to Sipapu, NM (for West Fest) and back to Ft. Lauderdale where my folks live.
It all started on June 25th when I took off from Ft. Lauderdale after spending the night with my folks. It is always nice to have a small jumpstart specially when the weather is hot and humid. The first travel day, for me at least, is always one in which to find my way around the ride. That is, getting into the comfort zone. The destination for me this trip, was Prudhoe Bay as it seems to be one of those 'must' do things when riding a bike. However I was determined to get there only if the conditions warranted a safe trip as I leave the gung-ho stuff for others.

I slabbed the Turnpike after leaving home at 8:30 AM as to avoid the 'great' cagers S.FL is so famous for. After all Miami has the dubious honor of being voted the worst city in the USA 2 years in a row......
A pic of my steed and me prior to riding of into adventure.

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Before the questions about the knobbies tied on the back begin, I have not regretted bringing them with me as an unexpected tire failure in AK or Yukon will wreck your trip. More on that later...as two other riders found out the costly way...

What can be said about slabbing some of the most boring road in Fl other than getting rest here and there and to let your personal Final Drive cool off as well as your bike's?? :D

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Well so much for cooling off as you get north, as in Tifton, GA the mercury rose to 102F before welcome rain cooled off the air to a more bearable 80 F.
Camping was going to be out untill the temps got better and so in Opelika, AL I sought a motel room with AC. The owner was nice enough that I was allowed to park on the grass in front of my room. :clap

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I don't know why, but it seems my gear finds it's way all over my motel room as I offload my bike. :rofl

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After checking in day one was done after 600 miles in the saddle...

More to come.......maybe..:D

RebeccaV

09-05-2007, 12:20 PM

More to come.......maybe..:D
Don't quit before you get to the Prudhoe Bay part!!! :stick

Bfish

09-05-2007, 12:46 PM

can't wait for the rest of the tale. interesting how it's been hotter this summer in the surrounding states than down here. somewhat less humidity tho.

let 'er rip...looking forward to a happy ending.:clap

riderR1150GSAdv

09-06-2007, 08:05 AM

All Right than, if I must.....:D

Day two and three of this saga :snore were both ridden on more rural roads than just interstate alone. Opelika to West Plains MO on US 63 bring more curves and kept me from dozing off completely. The second day was also about 600 miles and the only pic I have here is of US 280. I am slabbing so I didn't take many photo's.

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The bike at this point was running great although I heard the fuelpump more than normal. It was remedied by keeping the fueltank topped up more as, IMHO, it all had to do with the over the 100 F temps I was riding in.
Luckely I decided to ride with a little cooling necktie to keep my brain from frying. Day 3 brought me from West Plains MO to Grand Island NE or about 610 miles further north.

I decided to play around on some rural roads and the GPS got me lost :brow
Unfortunately there was no place to stop on these small roads as there was no shoulder to pull over on but these roads were worth the experience. US 63to US60 to US14 to route Z in Dogwood were really cool.
In Dogwood a big dog eyed me and wanted to give chase. I saw the mutt laying in wait and decided to get ready for him. The Stebel Airhorn ( it failed later in AK with all the dust) blew the dog off track as well as a quick flick of the throttle screwed his timing all up too.
I had a buddy who dumped his bike because of a dog and since I just started my trip I didn't want some mutt to possibly end it there in the middle of (nowhere) MO.
This pic is from Grand Island NE as seen from my room

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The goal for day four was Cody WY......

riderR1150GSAdv

09-06-2007, 08:19 AM

Day four of the trip started in Grand Island NE and I froze my a$$ off. :violin It was 54 F and after the previous heatwave days it was a shock to the system. Living in a warm climate (20 years in the FL Keys) makes a person less tolerant to lower temps. It turned out that later I would be riding in 34F weather..... Anyway,
not only was it 'freezing', but the one hour time change threw me off too.
I ended up Leaving at 4:30 AM local time as my own clock said 5:30..:huh
This was going to be a 'theme' for most of the trip, often bewildering bystanders as I asked for the local time. :rofl
Some must have thought that I came from a different planet, this might as well be so, since I am Dutch :lol :lol .
Going on a long trip like this also made me forget what day it was, if it hadn't been for my daily log that I am now using to write this report with.

Anyway, I did ride I-80 untill I hit US 26 in NE into WY than till I-25 N till Casper WY from there to Shoshone, Thermopolis and finally Cody. It was hot in Thermopolis at 104 F but it was 'dry' heat and was therefore much better than the Tifton GA experience with the humidity there. A GPS shot of the road.

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Getting closer to WY.....

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Towards Thermopolis and Cody

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I arrived at 4:30 PM at the Ponderosa Campground in Cody, WY after a 718 mile day riding to what was, for me, familiar ground as I had been there in 04 for the 'Unrally' from the sporttouring.com guys on my way to the MOA rally in Spokane WA.

To be continued......

riderR1150GSAdv

09-06-2007, 08:35 AM

Day 5.
All right, I made it to Cody! :clap A few days of R&R as the Buffalo Bill Museum is a MUST see. You miss out on some real history and artifacts if you don't go there. As there are 5 parts to this museum it would take 2 full days to take it all in. This first day however I slept in late had BBQ lunch and bought a book, looked after the bike and met a gentleman from Alaska who was bicycling to Florida from Anchorage. We had to laugh as most people just don't understand the drive we had to undertake trips like ours.

Later that day I met Jerry and Jonathan from Colorado Springs, who were father and son riding their motorcycles around too.
They decided to pitch their tent in what we all thought was a great spot.
I moved my tent as well into that area on the second day in Cody. You know that spot that seems soooo cool that you have to be there??? Shade, calm little creek behind the tent etc,??? Well stay tuned....:lol
At first this deer came around as I pitched my tent at 4:30 PM the previous day....

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And after a little doing I was up and running with the gourmet meal for the evening

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Than the move to the "idyllic" spot....:D :D

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Well after a fitfull ichty night by both Jonathan, Jerry and myself, we found out our tents were invaded by tree-mites and we had to move away from what could have been a 'kewl' spot. Oh well, there is something about a fence and green grass......:rofl :rofl
The sun took care of the unwanted invaders btw.
Back with the regular crowd..
The Rider with the Honda trike had an issue with his fueltank and after describing the symptoms I asked if he still had the charcoal cannister. He did and decided to have it removed asap at the nearest Honda dealer/mechanic.
See guys, BMW's aren't the only bikes with canister issues...:nono

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And a overview of the tent area at the Ponderosa campground

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I really like this set up as the steep road keeps traffic to a minimum and it makes for a real quiet area. The deer running around there are kinda tame too and show up from time to time. Better at the campground than on the road...

SNC1923

09-06-2007, 08:50 AM

This is a great trip report so far. . . . Keep it comin'!

riderR1150GSAdv

09-06-2007, 09:25 AM

So after the previous day's tent 'dance' I did go to the museum and will have lots of pics. The tent saga however wasn't quite over yet though :bluduh

The entrance to the Museum

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Annie Oakley's dress.

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Buffalo Bills rifle on the bottom as it was found after his passing. The stock was missing before his passing and he had no idea where it was.

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Bill Cody's coat

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This Gatling gun was used by GE to prototype the Phalanx guns on among other the Black-hawk chopper a variety of naval vessels etc. The gun stands at over 6 feet tall on its mount

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Gary Coopers Gun in "High Noon"

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A pair of dueling pistols

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A display of the Native American Plains Indians

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A stagecoach.

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A chuck wagon used until 1910!

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There is so much to see there that it is almost overwhelming but totally worth the time. I have many more photos but this would take up too much bandwidth...

As promised the tent issue had not quite gone away yet, for when I returned
from my museum trip the whole tent had fallen apart at most of the seams. :bluduh
This was obviously a problem as my trip had just started. Prior to my trip I had sent the tent in to get repaired, but Mountain Hardwear decided to not check out the tent.:banghead
Well long story short I bought a new tent at Sierra Trading Post in town and used the NEMO with inflatable poles for the rest of my trip.
A pic of the old and new tent. The new one is light green.

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The old tent ended up where it belongs and I used it's floor and ground cloth for the new one. Now I had a tent that packed smaller and was lighter too.:clap
All in all, quite a day.

To be continued......

riderR1150GSAdv

09-06-2007, 09:45 AM

July 1st took me out of Cody to Missoula MT, for a 491 mile ride, where the bike was going to get new oil prior to crossing into BC Canada. But before getting there I had to ride a 'little' bit. It was one of those crystal clear, blue sky heavenly days you can only dream about and the road to Missoula led over the Chief Joseph Hwy and Beartooth Pass.
I did not fancy riding through Yellowstone and get stuck behind bluehairs and their breadboxes (RV's):sick to save a few miles. Besides I had not seen Beartooth after the repairs made necessary by the massive rockslides a few years back.

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The KOA campground in Missoula. I adjusted the valves here and the oil changed at the BMW dealer. This was pricey but now I had a bill for maintenance as the bike was still under BMW warranty.

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A Brit living in Vancouver riding his bike through the US

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This day brought me one of those 'Zen' moments for which I counted my lucky stars. I stopped often to just take in the scenery and reflect on how lucky I was just being there. Carpe Diem rings very true.

There may be more coming........:rofl

Bfish

09-06-2007, 10:01 AM

most excellent!:D

riderR1150GSAdv

09-06-2007, 10:03 AM

July 2nd

Awoke at 5:45 AM and adjusted the valves on my bike before my trip to the dealer. After breakfast I rode to BMW in Missoula only 3 miles from the KOA and while the oil was changed I roamed around the showroom for some bike porn :heart Saw the new Kawasaki Concour14 there. :bikes
Fortunately I didn't need anything at that time.:D

Todays ride took me past the Grand Coulee Dam. Quite an impressive Dam.

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The bordercrossing into Canada was easy as pie, as the Canadian customs officer only once asked if I had any weapons on me. I replied with a "no" , as I didn't have anything anyway. Then he asked why not, and my reply was that I don't need any weapons.:evil
We chatted for a bit and I ended up giving him a business card. Who knows, he may come down to fish with me. :rofl
The trip ended that day with 467 miles on the odo, at small motel in Princeton BC. There I found a decent Greek meal and turned in for the night.

Final photo for the day.

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To be continued.....

riderR1150GSAdv

09-06-2007, 10:18 AM

July 3rd
489 miles for the day. I left Princeton BC at 7 AM riding through beautifull vineyard country which was a complete surprise to me as one generally doesn't equate Canada with wine. :buds
It did rain a lot :cry ,so the pics on the vineyards had to take a backseat.
A few rest stops yielded these piccies though. Not a lot to report as I was trying to get to Hyder AK.

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The last rest place for the day was the Provincial campgroud in Fort Fraser BC.

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These Provincial campgrounds are quite nice but have no showers, same as it the US with the National Parks. Therefore I usually take a pack of babywipes with me and they work quite well. :D

To be continued....

riderR1150GSAdv

09-06-2007, 10:32 AM

July 4th! Happy B'day USA!

This day was short on miles, but long on massive rain. One moment I stopped as the visibilty was down to zero. Tropical rain in BC?
Anyway the the sceney was still nice when the rain quit as blue skies were trying to peak out.
Another Hotel room was waiting for me as tent camping in Stewart BC/ Hyder AK is not allowed by the campground owners due to bear activity. :nono
Seeing a black bear crossing the road in front of me made me think that this would be better for my health. :nod

A fellow traveller I met on the viewpoint of Bear Glacier was not going to hotel it here, but ride on. We later met up again in the Yukon and he told me that it had been a bad decision and had the worst ride of his life, as the weather turned worse.... Past Hyder there isn't a whole lot of shelter to be had, and riding in the semi-dark with Bears and Moose (is plural Meese??) running around isnt my cup of tea. It was IMHO time to just get of the road and have more daylight in the AM and hope for better weather. One 'little' issue I noticed were the mosquitos. They are big and got more plentyfull further north.... Three of them can make a bug burger...:rofl

I had to pack the tent wet and I was drying it out in my room. The following outdoor photos are from the way out actually, except this first one on the crossroads.

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The view from my room towards Hyder after checking in...

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Hyder in better weather.

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Another 'exploded' room :rofl. I improvised drying stations as there wasn't a hook to hang a coat on anywhere in the room!!:bluduh

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Drying station 1 :laugh

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Drying station 2 :laugh

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Bear Glacier

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Bear Glacier two years ago. Notice the lack of exposed rock in the middle...

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The road in/out of Stewart, BC/ Hyder, AK

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Next stop; Yukon

To be cont'd

riderR1150GSAdv

09-07-2007, 08:27 AM

July 5th turned out to be the most interesting ride of the whole trip thus far.
From Stewart BC to Faro Yukon was 691 miles out of which 320 were off-pavement. This day was also the longest in the saddle with 18 hrs of travel time but included some nice breaks and good food.

I left Stewart at about 7 AM after trotting up and down a flight of stairs about 8 times.... Those GS 2 boots don't make for quiet house slippers..:evil
Add the squeaky stairs, and I'm sure the whole place heard me leave. :rofl
The previous night some other guests decided to keep noise going to 11 PM so payback can be tough... :D

The rain had subsided and that was a relief. The BC 37 was under construction at places and the interesting thing is that the workers make the bikes pull forward so we riders don't eat as much dust. The Pilot cars are a riot as some drivers go too slow. I once passed one as it was going way too slow. The driver got pissed but after explaining the finer points of off road bike riding he sped up enough to make it much better.:thumb
Too slow and down goes the bike.....Not an option with a loaded GS. I never dropped the bike this whole trip btw.
Photo break...

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Till I hit Watson Lake I had no idea where I was going to stop for the night.
Funny that perpetual daylight messes with the internal bioclock and I wasn't tired at all. I had to stop at a familiar food stop in Watson Lake....Sally's Cafe :bar

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After a good homecooked meal and signing the ADV logbook I took off on the Campbell "highway" or BC 4.
Notice the quotation marks. Goatpath is more accurate but WOW what a scenery!!! :heart Road photo first

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Frances River

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Frances River Bridge.

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Another scene photo. The reason for the distortion is that the bugs really got bad. I was kinda on the run..... :huh

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What a stunning place to see. If the skeeters had not been bad I could have pitched my tent here.

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After all this, it was inevitable that something had to go 'wrong'. As it was quite late when I pulled into Ross River, I found out that the gas stations had NO gas.... There are only two stations there and BOTH were out. This was interesting, not just for me but the locals as well.
Ok, so I have MSR fuel bottles good for another 40 miles right?? Yup, pulled the bottles out, filled the bike a bit and took off for Faro, the next town over.
This town has only ONE station and it doesn't have pumps with creditcard capability... Now it was 11:30 PM, and it would open at 9 AM! Bankers hours as they closed at 5 PM! It was time for me to catch some Zzz's :snore anyway so it wasn't bad to get stopped in my tracks at this point.
I pitched the tent in a nearby provincial campground and fell unconcious..
I think I had a big grin in my face when I crawled in my sleeping bag as this day was the exact thing I wanted to experience on this trip.
It paid off to be prepared with food, gas and water for those kinds of 'adventures'. :D

To be continued........maybe :D

riderR1150GSAdv

09-07-2007, 08:57 AM

On the morning of July 6th I came out of a deep coma, or was it sleep???
It was a chilly start of the day as I broke camp which took very little time as I only had a tent, sleep pad and bag to deal with. My German neighbor had made coffee and we shared that and a few power-bars. We were also swatting at the ever present mosquito's so I have no pics of this event. :cry
After an aufwiedersehen (goodbye), I took of for Faro, where I had an appointment with a gas station. I was there before opening time but a local resident who was putting air in his van-tires, called the owner who opened early for us. He didn't want to be in a photo so I have the important part of his gas station instead. :D

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After gassing up and riding to Carmacks, I realized that the 120 miles from Faro would not have been done on the gas I had left from the previous day.
The bike was running fine and sipped fuel, but riding 40 MPH on gravel and stopping for pics uses more gas than continuous highway riding.
On my way to Carmacks the overdue fuel truck for Ross River headed my way too.
The ride was beautiful. The scenery was interspersed with lakes like 'Little Salmon' and eventually the Yukon river, cutting through the landscape like a silver ribbon. Pictures don't do the scenery any justice and will never relay the emotions you feel riding around here or anywhere it is so beautiful.

Little Salmon Lake. Funny name as it is 20 miles long....

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Little Salmon Lake.

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Yukon River.

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Yukon River.

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A sign describing a boating disaster on the Yukon River.

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I stopped in Dawson for a butt break and food. My original plan was to ride to the border to Chicken, AK. The weather changed that plan, as a ferocious thunderstorm made me pitch the tent in the provincial campground across the river. I had just set up the tent as heavy rain set in. The 'Top of the World' Hwy had to wait till tomorrow. Which turned out to be a blessing......

Dawson City and the Ferry.

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Camp at Dawson.

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Drying out firewood at the provincial campground at Dawson. This was funny as I brought an ax rather than a tent hammer and I split the, free but wet, firewood in small pieces and had a good fire going in no time. Most folks around me had smokey fires and were looking at my fire, and when they realized what I was doing they did the same.:D

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To be continued...

riderR1150GSAdv

09-07-2007, 09:13 AM

July 7.

After a really good night's sleep, I packed up camp to head for Fairbanks. This was a 400 mile day, and the 'Top of the World' Hwy was a great start.
I did gas up prior to crossing the river the previous day.

The following pics are from the road to Chicken..

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I didn't think however that the American side of the border would actually have the roughest part of this road, but after sliding around a bit I ended up in Chicken for their famous Cinnamon roll. The crossing itself was easy as I had passed all the RVs on the way up to the top of the road where the customs officers decided to unpack every RV that day.... They let me in after a few questions without any issues.
When asked if I had anything to declare, my answer of 'overpriced gas' made the officer laugh and I got waved through. :D

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The infamous 12 gazillion calorie cinnamon bun :eat. And yes, I ate the whole thing in one go with plenty of black coffee, which would later pose a small bathroom issue in Fairbanks.....:whistle (no details will be provided to keep it a clean report) :rofl :rofl

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Fireweed.

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More Fireweed.

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Motel room in Fairbanks at the Ranch Motel. Clean place not too pricey...

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All in all a very nice day with just a little rain but great temps to ride in.

More to come.....

riderR1150GSAdv

09-07-2007, 02:36 PM

Sunday July 8th.

So far I had been riding on street tires and the Batllewing 501/502 tires held up great. I was worried a little about tire life, but at this point I ended up riding Haul road on them as well. I had stopped at George's place to find out where his shop was in Fairbanks and after a brief talk with him and seeing his workplace, I decided not to spend another day in Fairbanks, but to just ride to Coldfoot and start the run to Prudhoe. Finally eh readers?? :D

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The Pipeline.

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The nasty mud. It sticks like glue on everything. I bought a rainsuit that I was prepared to throw away if it became beyond cleaning later on.

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The Bike and pipeline.

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General overview of road, fireweed and pipeline.

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Where I came from. That shine on the road is from the slick goo (bentonite)
that keeps the dust down....

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Proof that I am not the only nut on the road :lol . Bicycle riders from Germany.

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Yours truly...

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The Yukon river bridge. It has wood planking with big gaps in it. Pay attention when riding across this one. I had no traffic and used the whole bridge to avoid the biggest holes in the decking. :huh

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Another Bridge shot, this one from the north side.

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Mother nature's ADVrider greeting :evil

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The real explanation about Finger mountain...

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Endless Tundra views 360 degrees around you.

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Another Milestone reached.

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After I crossed the Arctic circle rain was to accompany me into Coldfoot where lightning had started a brushfire. Smoke jumpers were deployed to put it out and this was the first time I saw these guys/gals in action.

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I met up with a few riders in Coldfoot, which is nothing more than a gasstation and restaurant/hotel, and is intended as a stopover place for travellers for the final run into Prudhoe. These riders told me that the road near Prudhoe was a nightmare with knee deep gravel/rocks in some places about 50 miles worth...
This is where my decision to keep my knobbies as spares could pay off in case of a tire failure. It turned out I was not the only guy with spares.
Never thought to take their photo and neither did they, as this seemed out of place for some weird reason. Can't put a finger on this, it just happened this way.

To be continued.....

riderR1150GSAdv

09-07-2007, 02:57 PM

July 9th

Got up a 6 AM and hit the Haul road some more at 6:15. By this time I was a master of speed packing up camp. Frankly I hadn't unpacked much..
Today's program was Prudhoe and the first part was a great ride. The road is sometimes paved with what I call 'teaser' pieces. 2 or 3 miles of smooth pavement to lull you into thinking it's gonna be this way for a while.....yeah right.
They are welcome but the climate and geology is such that paving the entire road is next to impossible and would result in no more adventure riding there.
Photos don't do the road any justice. Most of us who ride the rougher stuff know this, as you really have to be there to appreciate how nasty roads can be. And no I didn't take piccies of the paved stuff. The ride into Prudhoe was easier than I thought as the weather was fantastic. I had heard Atigun Pass can be a nightmare when the weather is bad. How prophetic that was to be....

Camp photo from inside the tent. 3 mosquito's make a bug burger and I intended
not to get drained by them....

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Toward Atigun Pass

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Private room :heart

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Another 'exploded' room...:D

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The Prudhoe Bay hotel caters to the oilfield workers and for $125,= I got a private room with my own shower and TV. The best part was that I could do laundry and eat all I wanted in between the included meals. This IS the place to stay and reservations are recommended. I got lucky as I hadn't made a reservation...
The Caribou Inn is very $$$ and food and laundry are extra....

The rough road pics will come up a little later, stay tuned...:wave

riderR1150GSAdv

09-07-2007, 03:12 PM

July 10th

A 510 mile tale of bugs and rain to Fairbanks.

I left at 7 AM in 34 F weather and fog which resulted in running almost over Caribou who dared to show up now that the 'skeeters' were temporarily gone..
I'll start with the photo's of the last, or first, 50 miles outside Prudhoe.
The gravel is knee deep in places. As stated before, photos just don't show it well.

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At this point, I am still on my street tires and they, IMHO, were better than TKC's at this point. I had been practicing in the Everglades, as we have similar roads here (hard-pack gravel with washboard and ruts) and found that street tires were more surefooted than knobs. I may be off here, but I was not climbing any single track, but riding semi-maintained 'road' . The sidewalls on street tires are tougher too and I had no rips...

More on the tire saga. As I pulled into the hotel the previous day, I was met by some oilfield workers who actually praised me for bringing spares. The week before two riders had ripped a TKC rear and had to spend 2 nights @ $ 200,= each night in the Caribou hotel while waiting for a new tire. Add 2 nights, a tire and it came to $ 750,= for one TKC. Ouch!. :cry
Again, the Caribou hotel has NO laundry or food included in their pricing......
I ended up meeting those riders outside Anchorage later in the trip where I heard their whole story..

On the way back, I had to stop for construction and the mosquito's where so bad that I saw black clouds of them. Not even in the Everglades have I ever seen this!!
The road worker in the truck got out and she was wearing some deet stuff that kept them away. I however, was besieged and left the helmet visor shut.
She laughed and so did I at this ridiculous assault of these critters and she told me to ride on through without the pilot car :clap . She radioed the crew ahead and I passed without a hitch. Phew! No bloodletting!

As I got closer toward Atigun Pass, the prophecy of it being a nasty road to traverse in bad weather came true. I saw the black clouds hanging over the area. The weather hit me as I was climbing up the road. The rain was like we have with Tropical storms with nasty 40-45 MPH cross winds.
Now I ride in the Keys in some nasty stuff albeit short lived, but this was quite an experience I just as soon not repeat. A pucker factor of 6.5 in my book. (pucker factor 10 made me quit my career as an oilfield diver)

At the moment that you go through something like this, you question your sanity and ask yourself why you're even here. Afterward it is great to look back and savor the memory.

Weather closing in on Atigun Pass.

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After this little excursion :brow I saw this moose feeding in a lake and saw my intrepid bicycle friends still peddling northward.
Moose are huge! I think more in the elephant range than horse size. Cool to see this one going about her business.

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At the end of the day I checked into the same motel as before as I was very tired from keeping the bike in the upward position. I did succeed not to dump the bike.
I also rinsed off the muck from the bike. I had sprayed the bike with silicone spray prior to the trip and it aided greatly in muck removal. This I will do from now on in as it helped a lot.

More to come..............maybe..:wave

riderR1150GSAdv

09-07-2007, 03:24 PM

July 11th (My Birthday too...):lol

With the bike somewhat cleaned up, I knew that I had pushed the tires a lot with all the rough stuff. At 11 AM I took off to Anchorage and Alaska Leather where I knew a tire change was possible. I also wanted to see a little of Denali and Anchorage. Well Denali was socked in with rain and the tour buses and the whole area around the park entrance made me gag.

I live in a tourist area and don't need more of the artificially applied make-it-look-authentic cr^p I see everywhere.
Also doing a 'tour' in a bus with 50 blue hairs wasn't in the cards either, as I have done those trips in the keys as a tour guide myself.
" On the left, ladies and gentlemen WE can see.....blah blah, and on the right a moose taking a huge dump........Ooops" :rofl
Nah, not for me as I enjoyed the ride too much to even stop for photo's and as it was pouring most of the day my camera stayed safely tucked away...

To make a long story short I ended up in Anchorage at www.Alaskaleather.com before closing time, where Barbara :heart not only changed the tires, but exchanged the knobs for new Tourances, since I had done the whole ride on streets anyway. She told me I was weird for doing it "the other way around" on streets vs knobs. She also told me it was smart to bring spares.
I told her I was weird but not dangerous and we had a good chuckle :rofl The tire saga ran like a red line through this trip although it ended here for me.

Barbara runs a great shop and knows about good customer service. I was out the door for a little over $ 100,= all told. I got 11K miles out of the Battlewings and will buy them again. Barbara directed me to the Harley Davidson dealer in town, who offer free camping for motorcyclists. There is a shower and head as well. :clap :clap
This is something more dealers should offer where possible. Ultimate customer service.

On that note; everywhere I have been on this trip, whether in Canada or the USA, people have been very helpful and nice. Not once did I experience any negativity because of my mode of transportation. I personally think that traveling solo has a lot to do on how people approach you. The group thing brings with it a bit of a 'bad' biker image. Not always true but non riders perceive motorcyclists differently anyway.
A big smile when you pull you helmet of, or flip it open helps a lot too.

More to come.........:wave

riderR1150GSAdv

09-08-2007, 04:04 PM

July 12 th,

After a night in Anchorage at the HD dealer, it was time to head out toward Colorado.
I left at 7:40 AM and my first stop was an auto parts store to replace the now dead Stebel Nautilus air horn. I guess that the fine dust (construction zones) in the air killed it off
That replacement job took 15 minutes and I was on my way again.
The Wrangell-St Elias mountain range is beautiful and the ride to Tok was very nice.
As I stopped in Tok for gas I met Brian and Shawn, the guys who had the tire issues in Prudhoe...
We chatted a bit and they told me that they will bring spare tires for their bikes if they ever did this ride again. Getting burned like they were, isn't cool and a hard lesson to learn.

The border crossing was again very simple as the customs officer asked if I had weapons on me, checked my passport and after my "no" answer let me pass.
I did about 538 miles that day and camped in Burwash Landing at Kluane Lake for free. :clap

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Alcan construction.

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More to follow

BubbaZanetti

09-08-2007, 05:03 PM

very cool man!!!

:lurk

phil

09-08-2007, 07:04 PM

:lurk Great pics and ride report.

riderR1150GSAdv

09-09-2007, 11:40 AM

Thanks guys!! :buds I'll try to post some more later.....:D

riderR1150GSAdv

09-10-2007, 08:54 AM

Friday the 13th..... :uhoh

Actually it was a long day (600+ miles)and after breakfast in Burwash Landing I headed south.
After a quickie lunch in Whitehorse ( Monster energy drink and a Chocolate bar) and gas, I rode to Teslin Junction. The bridge there was a b^tch. Fortunately I was forewarned and took it easy as the metal grate made the bike go diagonally across it's surface. Even pick-up trucks do funny stuff... :nod

The Watson Lake stop was spend at Sally's Cafe again, as I needed a personal fill-up with meat, potatos and veggies. The truckers there told me about some wild-life and I did see a Grizzly crossing the road about 40-50 yards in front of me.
It was not interested in me :nyah at all end bee-lined for a patch of berry laden bushes.... 800 yards further, the construction crew was less than enthusiastic about my sighting and let me pass again without a pilot car...
Note to self; cry Wolf and the construction folks may let you pass without the pilot car??? :idea :D

The next living thing however was a Wolf, who too fled the scene. I guess the quiet BMW rumble put him off... :D
And yes it was a Wolf, as I also had seen Coyotes and thet are very different. My folks had a German sheppard who was 1/4 wolf, complete with aria's during full moon :bluduh

The day ended in Dease Lake after a last minute fill up at a gas station about to close, I actually had to beg for the fuel because they were closing. Fortunately the manager was nicer :heart than the attendant :bluduh and let me fill up. The bike did take 7.5gallons.... I am happy about my tank modification allowing me to add at least 2 quarts of extra gas.
I pitched the tent at the Dease Lake campground for a restfull night next to a river. :clap

Teslin Junction

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Ok one with the bike.....:D

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Camp at Dease Lake

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To be cont'd

Bfish

09-10-2007, 09:02 AM

love it, oskar....guess you didn't get any fishing in on this trip!:nono

riderR1150GSAdv

09-10-2007, 09:13 AM

July 14th

It was now really about making some time as I am riding the same route back on the BC 37 as I did on the way up.
From Dease River to Quesnel BC was a 670 mile ride. I started early as the road crews weren't ready yet. The pilotcar thing got on my nerves, as it is in 90% of the time a waste.
I'm sure it is a union thing as the roads in some cases aren't re-graded but de-graded into a mire of muck. I wish I had before and after pictures to show.

The area however is really beautiful and nature is amazing. It being very early in the AM, the only sounds are of nature itself and your own.

Early AM and nobody on the road. I did go slow enough to avoid wildlife or so I hoped..

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I ended up with an dry eye issue I get when I am very tired. and In Quesnel BC, I got a hotel where I met a Canadian who writes for motorcycle magazines. He took this pic. :D

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More on the way...

riderR1150GSAdv

09-10-2007, 09:25 AM

July 15th

Well after a very good night's sleep, my dry eye issue was resolved too.:D At breakfast my new found buddy from Canada showed me some rural roads on a map but unfortunately I was getting pressed for time and skipped them, sorry Steve!! I still have them marked on my maps though. :groovy

After another uneventfull border crossing into the US at Osoyoos/Oroville, I ended up in Wilbur Washington. Here I was contemplating a different route than I already had ridden, but the forrest fires changed that plan. I was originally going to ride the Continental Divide trail on the way south, but between the heat and the fires I will do that next year as I didn't fancy being stuck in a bad situation. " A man has got to know his limitations" and potentionally being in over my head was not the smart thing to do. Thusfar I had absolutly had no major issues with myself or the bike and wasn't about to change the good Karma.

Another photo from Steve in Quesnel BC

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Inside joke for ADV riders:whistle

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A ski area in BC

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All in all a nice 526 mile ride and back in the USA!

Still more to come...:snore

riderR1150GSAdv

09-10-2007, 09:40 AM

Monday July 16

Today's ride, 443 (s)miles, was an easy one as I had to shop for the bike. The machine needed an oilchange and filters because it turned 36 K on the odo... From Wilbur I rode to Missoula MT for the parts. I knew that the airfilter was going to be pretty dirty. I wish I had a photo of the pile of sand that came out of the old one... The bike's computer took 2 minutes to readjust the idle as more air was coming in...The bike's milage improved by 4 MPG as well!! Note to self: clean out the filter more often...

36K problem free miles so far!

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Fortunately I had purchased the extended warranty from my dealer prior to the trip and it now has 5 more years of unlimited miles coverage from Pinnacle. :clap :clap

The temps in MT were 105 F and I saw quite a few overheated Harley's stopped on the side of the road...:cry
The big boxer however didn't have any issues with the heat and after AK and BC neither did I. :D
In Dillon I also pressure washed the bike as the sticky stuff from Haul road and other road grime was getting to be too much. You can't really check for leaks etc and the motor runs hotter too with all that goo attached everywhere. The Koa's are really nice as they offer clean camping and often breakfast for little money.
A pic of a cleaner bike at the KOA in Dillon MT

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more coming.....

riderR1150GSAdv

09-10-2007, 09:51 AM

July 17

Awoke to a little rain, but it was so dry in Dillon MT that it mostly evaporated on impact.
As I was sitting at the breakfast table enjoying a pile of pancakes and black coffee, a gentleman sat down next to me and asked the usual questions about the trip, where I was from and all that. We talked for a bit and when he found out that I am single, he looked at me and said he wished he was too. Until I saw his kids I had no idea... Amazing that total strangers open up about their penned up feelings. I felt sorry for the guy, his wife was nice but those kids ...........the horror, the horror (insert Marlon Brando's voice from Apocalypse Now):D
It was his own fault for having the brats the way they were, but still....
Anyway at 9 AM I hopped on the bike and fled the scene at the table...:lol

Today was the dreaded slab ride on I-15 and I-70. Riding like that requires a 'zombie' mode as you have to pay attention all the time with all the cagers around you. In Salt Lake City UT the temps were 107 F on the road. My little 'neck-cooling-thingie' ( it is a gel packed neck tie) worked well to keep my brain from completely frying ,although some of you may say it already has.. :D
Although I did bring my cooling vest I really didn't need it as my pressure suit was cool enough. Some random shots in MT.

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The UT part of the trip has no photos as it was slab riding :snore
I must say that I-70 between Salina and Green River UT are really beautiful though. I ended up in Green River after 620 miles.

Tomorrow I was of to Grand Junction and Paonia for the TOR rally:clap :clap

riderR1150GSAdv

09-10-2007, 10:05 AM

July 18th

Since it was only 177 miles to Paonia CO, I decided to change the oil at Grand Junction BMW.
These guys are great as they let me do the whole thing myself. All I needed was an oilpan.
They couldn't give me tools, but I had enough to start a shop :rofl. I guess that the lawyers got to them too with their liability BS :cry

Anyway, I bought fresh fluids from them for the engine, tranny and FD. The new fluids made me and the bike happy. The FD fluid was good as I had changed that on the road one extra time anyway to keep an eye on things.... :deal
After this interlude I rode to Paonia bought a bottle of rum!! ( I don't drink when riding) and pitched the tent for the next 4 days.
Seeing familiar faces all over, this is the rally I like a lot.
Didn't ride at all for the next 4 days, as at this time I had ridden 12K miles and I needed a mental and physical break.
This trip was becoming work :rolleyes :lol

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Tents popping up like mushrooms...

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There were good bands playing this weekend and I have some pics of the best one...

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Did I mention I like this rally????

riderR1150GSAdv

09-10-2007, 10:12 AM

July 19, 20 and 21

As I said before I didn't ride these couple a days but did some maintenance on my bike.
I started by sleeping in and that was welcome as the adult beverage purchased the previous day did its job... :drink No headache or anything like that, just a deep sleep... :deal
Anywhoo. I got up and decided the check the valves on my bike as an AM project....
This turned into an event as there are always folks around wanting to learn a new trick or two. I ended up with about 5-6 onlookers who all wrench them selfs, but out of curiosity just wander over :D , and add their own opinions to the whole show. Y'all know those cracks from the peanut gallery :stick
It is really cool to attend rallies for this reason, because you can always learn a thing or two. I did the job and the proof of doing it right is starting the bike up.
Well I did, and my bike purred like a happy kitten. :cat
This whole 'event' resulted in one gentleman asking me if I could look at his bike as it was noisier than mine.
I did that a day or so later and his adjustments were.... let's say a bit tighter than I would have set them.
Actually he had feeler gages that looked like pretzels....
No folks, I don't mention names here out of respect and keeping the peace. :rofl
The party continued with everyone having a great time..

Some friends on the dance floor.

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Still more on the way....:deal

riderR1150GSAdv

09-10-2007, 10:21 AM

July 22nd

Today was going to be a short ride as it was only 77 miles to Gunnison. I took the West Elk Loop and it was just a nice easy day.
The following photos are all from the West Elk Loop.

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That day I pitched the tent at the Gunnison KOA as this is a very nice place to stay for a day or two.
At this point in my trip I decided to attend West Fest rather than ride around again in an area I spent 2 weeks in last summer. Not that that would be bad but new territory is what a trip is all about too and who knows what characters I was about to meet there.. :lol
I stayed two nights as I really wanted to go to Tincup and do the Alpine Tunnel road as last year I got rained,snowed and sleeted on and had few pics to show for it.

More to come...

riderR1150GSAdv

09-10-2007, 10:40 AM

July 23

Today I hopped on the bike to Tincup, Alpine Road and surrounding area.
A leasurely 112 mile loop.

Alpine Tunnel Road.

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Alpine Tunnel Road with view into valley below

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Rubble on Alpine..A very tough winter made the road rougher than last year.

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Marmots on the road

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Views..

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Alpine Tunnel restored building

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The collapsed tunnel entrance.

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The wall.

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The road above the wall.

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Cumberland Pass toward Tincup.

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Views from Cumberland Pass.

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The road into town.

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Taylor Lake.

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Stitch job by a friend....
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Like I said it was a day of pictures and easy riding...

More coming up...

riderR1150GSAdv

09-10-2007, 10:47 AM

July 24

Early in the morning I awoke to gnawing sounds behind my tent and it was a beaver busy at work. I never saw the critter as he dove in the water every time we aimed a light in it's direction... My neighbors being the other part of 'we' , trying to see nature at work.
It was really neat but I wish I had seen it. There are so many of them around as is evident by all the creeks being "under construction".
Anyway today I was off to Durango on the CO 550 or million $$ Hwy.
I had been here before in 2004 but had forgotten how nice it really is past Ouray toward Silverton. It is one of those 'oh my God' roads that permeate the West.
In Silverton I had lunch ($10 ,= burger :bluduh )and rode on under the threat of thunder and lightning, toward Durango.
I picked a campground in Durango that also had the narrow gauge RR running right behind my tent. I didn't know about the 'choo choo' , untill I rode over the tracks and heard a whistle blowing.
Some pic's

http://rider1150gsadv.smugmug.com/photos/180755249-M.jpg

http://rider1150gsadv.smugmug.com/photos/180755487-M.jpg

http://rider1150gsadv.smugmug.com/photos/180755959-M.jpg

http://rider1150gsadv.smugmug.com/photos/180758575-M.jpg

I just spent one night here and the next day I took off for Sipapu :clap

More to come.....

Timba

09-10-2007, 12:10 PM

Great ride, and great report!

I'm jealous of your GS special edition paint job--it's the best looking Adventure out there!

Traveler1

09-10-2007, 01:45 PM

Thanks for sharing this great ride report. One of the better ones I've seen. Great photos and text.

riderR1150GSAdv

09-10-2007, 05:32 PM

Thanks guys!!! :D

July 25,26 etc....

After a rainy and windy night through which I slept like a baby , I got up and packed a dry tent as only the wind had remained.
The road to Sipapu was amazing with the CO 160 being nice, the 84 beautiful and the 518 very cool.
Taos was like Key West with a busy main street filled with tourists. The difference being the adobe structures.
Not my cuppa tea but it has it's own character. (Small explanation here for those who don't know me; I live in a tourist area and despise the fact that the character of a small town changes to the point of becoming a gaudy tourist trap. It is NOT what most locals want, but is forced upon us by big corporate investors who understand nothing of an area they want to "develop"):cry

Deciding not to ride after getting into Sipapu, as I still needed to get home some 2K miles away, proved to be wise as a few unfortunate attendees found out the hard way....
I had thus far not dropped the bike and didn't want to press my luck.
So finally I was going to meet the faces behind the anonymous handles on the ADVrider .com board. :buds
I wasn't disappointed. The camaraderie was amazing and uplifting to witness.
Anyone that needed help was selflessly taken care off by whoever was nearby. It seems to be a theme at all rallies I have been too.:buds
One disappointing thing about West Fest is that it is too short!!!
Well here are some of the pics....

Early arrivals....

http://rider1150gsadv.smugmug.com/photos/180766948-M.jpg

My own set up. I didn't budge the bike as I decided to hang out for a few days.

http://rider1150gsadv.smugmug.com/photos/180767036-M.jpg

http://rider1150gsadv.smugmug.com/photos/180767107-M.jpg

My new buddies Scott on the left and Frank on the right.

http://rider1150gsadv.smugmug.com/photos/180767182-M.jpg

GSDave's clone copy of my GSAdv

http://rider1150gsadv.smugmug.com/photos/180767263-M.jpg

The most photographed birds in NM

http://rider1150gsadv.smugmug.com/photos/180767756-M.jpg

Food!! :eat Excellent food was cooked all weekend! I gained weight :D

http://rider1150gsadv.smugmug.com/photos/180768180-M.jpg

Augie, Scott and Frank saluting in the appropriate ADV way.. :nyah

http://rider1150gsadv.smugmug.com/photos/180782463-M.jpg

Getting busier :clap

http://rider1150gsadv.smugmug.com/photos/180782348-M.jpg

Repair after a ride in the mountains...

http://rider1150gsadv.smugmug.com/photos/180782545-M.jpg

Trying to help this fellow rider out on the way home. His bike was beyond roadside help....He took it well....:D

http://rider1150gsadv.smugmug.com/photos/180785516-M.jpg

In the end I rode 14500 miles in 5 1/2 weeks and had an absolute blast.
Will I do this again?? Alaska probably not. I don't regret one single mile ridden, but the lower 48 have so, much to offer that riding that kind of distance is not really needed to meet cool people and see beautiful scenery.
The more I travel, the more I realize that people are basically the same everywhere. We all want friends, family and happiness and we all need the same basics of life. What we do for other people is what defines our lives and makes us human. People will never be remembered for how much material possessions they owned in life, but for what they did for others. Travel, IMHO, brings the best out of people.

Thanks for reading.

rinty

09-10-2007, 10:34 PM

Goed gedaan hoor!

Rinty

riderR1150GSAdv

09-11-2007, 06:55 AM

Goed gedaan hoor!

Rinty

Hartelijk bedankt!!! :D

mtfrench

09-11-2007, 12:12 PM

Great ride report, Oskar! Thanks for bringing us along for the big adventure. I was actually out in Colorado on my way to Lake Tahoe during some of the same days as you. Probably passed each other on some of the spectacular twisties. Are you going to the Winter Rally again this year? Hope to see you there and hear some more stories about the trip. Cheers.

Mike

jld2872

09-11-2007, 07:54 PM

Thanks for sharing a great report of an awesome trip!!

riderR1150GSAdv

09-12-2007, 08:13 AM

Thanks for reading guys!! :D

If possible I will go to the Winter-rally as that is a nice rally too, and hopefully it will be cooler to ride in. At the moment I am not liking the weather we have....:cry

espressoforyou

12-28-2007, 11:20 AM

cayuse60

12-28-2007, 01:52 PM

"...The more I travel, the more I realize that people are basically the same everywhere. We all want friends, family and happiness and we all need the same basics of life. What we do for other people is what defines our lives and makes us human. People will never be remembered for how much material possessions they owned in life, but for what they did for others. Travel, IMHO, brings the best out of people. "

Your final thoughts are interesting. Your insight is something that comes with interaction with good people.
Thank you for an entertaining report.

riderR1150GSAdv

12-28-2007, 04:57 PM

Any suggestions for a interesting ride in Florida. I am leaving Memphis on 12-29-07 and heading south for warm weather using Key West as a target.

What would be fun route riding a r1200gs? Interesting places to stay? Things to do: Everglades tour........

Thanks Randy

The best way to see any State is by the back roads and that includes Florida. If you can take some of those roads for the time you have to travel it would be great. Lake Okeechobee is a must see. The road around it is cool and has little traffic. When you get to Palm Beach County and happen to be on the Turnpike, stay on it until the very end. DO NOT get on I-95 south of Palm Beach, it sucks :banghead .
My folks live in Ft. Lauderdale area and I take Krome Ave through Homestead south and than ride Card Sound Road. A pit stop at Alabama Jack's is cool and the road is less traveled. The 18 Mile Stretch is under construction (this road is the one going straight south from Florida City)
Everglades Tours are good at Billy Swamp Safari on the buggies, the best air boat trips are the small boats on US 41 or in Everglades City. Don't get on a air boat with the capacity of a greyhound bus :sick
If you have more questions lemme know..:)

"...The more I travel, the more I realize that people are basically the same everywhere. We all want friends, family and happiness and we all need the same basics of life. What we do for other people is what defines our lives and makes us human. People will never be remembered for how much material possessions they owned in life, but for what they did for others. Travel, IMHO, brings the best out of people. "

Your final thoughts are interesting. Your insight is something that comes with interaction with good people.
Thank you for an entertaining report.

Thank you!! :D

knary

04-19-2008, 03:41 PM

bump :evil

PAULBACH

04-19-2008, 04:27 PM

riderR1150GSAdv

04-19-2008, 08:50 PM

I have to admit that I missed this report entirely so I am glad to see it resurface. I have been reading the "prose" and cons about posting.

I wonder how many other great reports I missed? Our forum might be improved if, after a given period of time, reports like these could be cataloged by state. Then I could search from Alabama to Wyoming. The might also be an overseas section so work by Franze, GlobalRider, Salcar and many others would not be lost.

I never expected to get to New Zealand and then one day a great adventure started in Auckland.

Yes, yes there is the search button but another way to find all the buried treasure would be helpful. :thumb

I just saw this post, thanks for the bump Scott :) , and I too hope that more RR's will be posted on this forum. I like your idea Paul, that maybe one day RR's could be stored semi-permanently in a catagory by State.
I love reading other people's RR's, knowing that I too won't ever get to go to most places myself. To me it is the most important part of a forum, followed by tech advise.

Rich

04-19-2008, 10:38 PM

I had missed this ride report too. Great job on the write-up! :thumb

knary

04-20-2008, 12:09 AM

PAULBACH

04-20-2008, 06:27 AM

It's not as though the threads disappear. :dunno

They don't disappear but without the bump a real treasure while not gone would, I fear, have been forgotten.

Kbasa has referred a couple of times to a big change coming in September. Hopefully in the grand scheme of things there can be a different cataloging system.

A suggestion:

Stories sorted by state with one picture. For example:
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g264/PaulBach/Scenic%20Shots/Alaska/arcticcircle.jpg

It would be hard to resist reading through this thread after seeing this shot. Each shot would be a thumbnail with a brief description. The description and the thumbnail would be provided by the author. For example:

http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g264/PaulBach/Scenic%20Shots/Alaska/arcticcircle-1.jpg
riderR1150GSAdv travels from Key Largo to Prudhoe Bay - a journey of 14.5K miles.

Hate to see real treasure buried even if it has not disappeared. Suggesting an idea which can be improved upon by Forum members.

franze

04-22-2008, 07:02 AM

It would be hard to resist reading through this thread after seeing this shot. Each shot would be a thumbnail with a brief description. The description and the thumbnail would be provided by the author. For example:

http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g264/PaulBach/Scenic%20Shots/Alaska/arcticcircle-1.jpg
riderR1150GSAdv travels from Key Largo to Prudhoe Bay - a journey of 14.5K miles.

Hate to see real treasure buried even if it has not disappeared. Suggesting an idea which can be improved upon by Forum members[/B].

I think this is a good idea Paul has, a thumbnail shot with the author's brief description. I don't know how I missed this either, I'd been on the forum for two or three weeks......... As of this moment, I don't have any plans on doing a ride to Alaska, but, that could change in a year or two. At that point, it would be great to search out ALL the reports of guys who did the trip.

Now, the praise section. That is an incredible ride and a lot of work to get it all up on the Forum. I liked the details about where your stayed, got service, etc. All useful stuff for the next guy. Also, thought you had a nice clean look fully loaded