Post #14 - Canada....NOT

The route above was to be our exciting ride through the Montana and Washington mountains to finally cross the border into British Columbia.  But at a stop light in Spokane, the transmission on the BMW broke and would only shift upwards, eventually locking up in 6th gear.  After many trying to help on a post on ADVRider, I decided there would be no easy fix.  The transmission would have to be opened up to find the issue and likely, extensive work.  If the local BMW shop had been open on Monday morning, I would have allowed them to take a look, but they were closed on Monday.  I decided to rent a Uhaul, bag the trip and haul the bike home.  So here we are on the Wyoming border, having driven half way home, with Colorado Springs in my sights for a Tuesday arrival.

Bummed.... Yep, I am very disappointed that I was not able to experience Alaska, but these things happen sometimes and we just have to go with the flow.

Oh well.....Alaska 2017.

Post #13 - Onward to Missoula

With the bike in great working order, we awoke with excitement to continue heading north.  Busting out of Pocatello at 8am, we rode northwest through the Idaho National Laboratory (Click), which was a bit like White Sands in southern New Mexico, except a bit greener.

After the long ride through the flats, we bent north and started running the amazing valleys on the Salmon River for over 200 miles.  There were 2 or 3 small towns with towering peaks leaning over the valley where Audra and I both said.... "Wow, we could live here."

Eventually we found ourselves at the Montana border and Audra was able to celebrate visiting another state for the first time.

Getting closer to Missoula, the Bitterroot Range was incredible.

A shout out to my colleague, Keriann, and her husband, Alex, who live in Missoula and took us out on the town.  We enjoyed a top brewery and the best pizza in town, but the company was 'tops'.... Thanks Keriann and Alex!!!

Post #12 - Oh my goodness....

444 miles on the odometer

This generally isn't how you want to end the second day of riding, on a trip to Alaska and back!

We departed Craig, CO, in the early morning hours to get a jump on our 440 mile day.  We knew it would be a big one, but we had no idea.....  By 8am, we had completed nearly 100 miles and arrived at the Utah state line.  

It was under the sign with the dinosaur that I noticed Audra's left boot was covered with a thin coat of oil.  I said to myself.... "Oh this isn't good at all!"  We put the bike on the center stand and I crawled under for a look.  All around the left cylinder was a thin sheet of motor oil and the oil also covered the left rear box.  It appeared that I had lost a quart or two, but my fears were calmed, when I discover that the oil sight glass stilled showed full.  Maybe 4 oz had escaped.  So on to the investigation.... After removing a couple of plastics parts and pulling the spark plug (yes, still out in the middle of nowhere and under the dinosaur sign), it was apparent that the oil was coming from the vicinity of the spark plug.  I instantly knew what the issue was.  I was certain that I had crimped the gasket, when I reinstalled the valve cover, after doing the valve check the weekend before.  I was just puzzled that the oil leak didn't reveal itself on the test runs, or the 266 miles from day one.  I mentally measured the distances for the rest of the day and realized we still had about 350 miles to ride to Pocatello.  I decided we would play it by ear, after buying a quart of oil in the next town.

First time for Audra in Idaho!

Except for the constant oil leak, little as it was, we clipped away at the riding day, stopping every 50 miles or so to check the oil level.  The Wyoming border came and went.... and then the Idaho border was celebrated and before we knew it, we pulled up into the parking lot of our hotel in Pocatello.  Then the work began.  I laid the bike on its side, resting on a hand towel on the engine guards.  After removing the valve cover, I instantly found the spark plug housing gasket floating freely in the bit of oil in the head..... undamaged!!!!  I was able to fit it back on and button everything up and it was all good as new.  Of course, Audra was sitting beside me the whole time, cheering me on with her encouragement and prayers.

As you can imagine, I "played it calm" for Audra, but I was twisted inside with stress the whole day.  I was really looking forward to the area around Flaming Gorge, but just couldn't find any joy or peace, wondering if we could make it to our destination or get the bike fixed in short order.  Yes we encounter challenges but thank God for His help and protection, despite my stupidity in not fixing the bike properly to begin with.

Riding down into Flaming Gorge

Post #11 - And we are off....

As I had mentioned in an earlier post, I had connected with Dr. Greg Frazier (Writings) in the weeks leading up to our departure.  Doc, as I call him, mentioned that he needed to ride from his Denver pad to his property up in Montana and suggested we do a few miles together.  Never missing an opportunity to ride with Doc, Audra was quick to agree.  Audra and I departed home and rode north through Parker to Morrison, where we met up with him.  

Promptly wanting to escape the blistering heat of Denver, we rushed away, pointing west for elevations above 10k and cooler temps.  That effort was quickly dashed, when we encountered stop and go traffic on Interstate 70 about 5 miles from Eisenhower Tunnel.  But excitement brewing with our departure, we kept a smile on our faces and joked about the challenge.  Finally the miles started to roll by and we peeled off the Continental Divide, exiting I70 and filling up with gas in Silverthorne.  

Doc's KLR was impressive, seeming to have no trouble keeping up with our 1200GS, despite hauling a Weed Eater and a Chain Saw, on top of heavily loaded boxes. Our first dose of dirt presented itself with a couple miles of road construction on the way to Steamboat Springs.  Both bikes, despite the heavy load, performed with ease and I could sense the Harley riders we met were incredibly envious.  At an intersection close to Rabbit Ears pass, we parted ways with Doc.  Audra and I had about 90 more minutes of riding to complete our first day and arrive in Craig, CO.

Post #10 - Night Before......

What is it about the 24 hours before departure?  No matter how much I have prepared over the years for motorcycle trips, I end up in a flurry of activity the night before.  For this trip, it was all about tires.  I was counting on a guy in Fairbanks to sell me tires and install them.  Long story short, I learned three days before departure, while I was in Utah on business that he decided to refund my money and refuse service.  (Possibly a wild Alaska man with too much fire water one evening.)  So I had to quickly go to Plan B.  Apex Sports in Colorado Springs bailed me out with a couple of brand new Michelin Anakee 3's.  I had to pick the tires up at the dealership, once I flew home and rush to install.  It was a quick a job, only about 2 hours, and I finished about 8pm.  I'm not sure if the tires will endure the full 8,000+ miles, but am sure hoping they do.

Audra has learned a lot over the years and is now a master at packing.  These pics depict everything she is taking with her for three weeks of travel on a bike.  Everything packs neatly in one side box.

Here is our GS packed up for departure.  Now we just need to sew up some work, personal and home responsibilities and we hit the road.

Post #9 - The Weekend Before

We have everything laid out for packing.  Doc Frazier, my world traveling buddy, told me to lay it out and take half of it.  We are sorting through that, and he has given great advice.

Dr. Greg Frazier

Audra: Friday was my last day of work for the next four weeks.  I am an associate high school principal and the time off is much needed.  Taking care of everyone else’s teenagers for 9 months deserves a reprieve.  Many of my coworkers, friends and family have inquired about the trip and are a bit amazed I would tag along with John.  After all, a very small percentage of the US population drives a car to Alaska, a smaller number are on a motorcycle and we may be the only couple on the planet this year to ride all the way to the Arctic Circle, 2-Up.  Yeah, as I think about it more, it is an incredible commitment.  I just love John’s adventurous spirit and I love being with him, and I actually enjoy riding the bike.  No doubt the ride will be a challenge at times, but overcoming adversity (riding in rain all day) will add spice to the ride and a great sense of accomplishment, cementing the memories.

John:  This weekend, I finally dove back into the bike to check and adjust the valves, screw in new spark plugs and change all the oils and filters.  It was a 5 hour affair, but everything went smoothly, until this morning…….  I jumped on the bike to give it a test run and check off some errands in town.  Low and behold, the “Check Oil” light promptly glared in my face.  A little challenge that dampened my Sunday morning.  After a lot of checking and an hour of surfing the BMW online forums, I found a possible source for the warning light.  I had to check the oil pressure sensor.  Long story short, when buttoning the bike up after the valve check, I crimped a tiny wire running to the sensor, severing it.  Ten minutes of work, splicing the wire and the Beemer is good to go and I have 100% confidence in her.  

Post #8 - Motels....gotta have 'em.

When I originally started planning this trip, I would be riding up to the Arctic Ocean and then back to Anchorage to pick up Audra from the airport.  I would be tent camping 80%+ of more than half the trip....very affordable.  I haven't thought about it much, until this weekend, when I was reading one of the Riding Alaska Motorcycle Books....and they said tent camping could be done with little to no planning or reservations.  But if you want a motel room, you best get reservations 2-3 months in advance.

This was an OH CRAP weekend!!!

We are a week and a half from departure and I have no reservations.  Saturday night, after celebrating a wonderful dinner with some of my kids, grand baby and Audra, honoring the work of my son and daughter in law to graduate from Colorado State University.....I went to work.  10pm to mid-night, I began to search.

The hotels going up: Craig, CO; Pocatello, ID; Missoula, MT.... were a piece of cake, as were the hotels coming back south in: Whitefish, MT; Bozeman, MT and Riverton, WY.   Then I started working on Canada.  Expedia became my friend, as I searched the tiny towns heading north.   I am certain the AK riders of the 70's and 80's didn't the luxury of technology and online searches and reservations, but even though I was late to make reservations, I was able to put together an itinerary for each night.  It did take me another 4 hours of work this morning to finish up and finalize.  Thank God.....I would have been in the hot seat with Audra.

Ridiculous that I forgot or procrastinated.....not advisable to anyone else....get your reservations at least 8-12 weeks earlier.

I will say, it was fun to call the motel in the remote reaches of the Cassiar Hwy, and talk with the gal with the crying baby in the background, to book my room.  I put her at ease, when I said my grand baby was visiting and teething and a little cranky.  It was also fun to converse with Kim at the David Thompson Resort, just north of Banff, where she knew I wasn't Canadian with my Texas/New Mexico/Oregon accent.   hahahaha

Nobody in particular...just a great pic!

It is exciting to see everything come together to a better degree.  I will say...the fact that I have a hotel, motel, cabin or bunkhouse booked every night of this trip, it is a bit daunting that we will be so planned and regimented.  Our riding mileage will be: 263, 419, 363, 383, 324, 422, 335, 500, 290, etc.  We will have to average 380 miles a day.

In a patriotic effort....we will be back in the States for the 4th!!!!

Post #7 - The Test Run & Gear

The Memorial Weekend ride had been planned for a couple of months.  The intention was to pack the bike identical to the big trip and ‘give it a go’ around the mountains of Colorado for a couple days as a test.  We would also put our gear to the test.  

The mountains above Marble, CO in the background

Well, we didn’t have everything we would need, as I lacked the preparation time, but the bike was certainly tipping the scales at our max traveling weight.  We just took way too much of the wrong things.  Audra’s massive make-up bag, honking huge hair dryer and my ridiculous amount of camera equipment, were just three examples of bad decisions.   Day 1 we rode from Colorado Springs to Redstone, totaling right at 300 miles.  The bike performed amazing and far better than previous trips.  I attribute this to the suspension work, as the stock shocks and springs on the GS are pure junk.  Overnight at the Redstone Inn was a treat and the adjoining restaurant put together a delicious enchilada plate that we split.  The next morning some Mimosas and Juevos Rancheros gave us the jumpstart we needed.  

Gunnison, CO for lunch

Riding west we circled around through Black Canyon and pulled into Gunnison for lunch, before the final run home through Salida and Woodland Park.  A HUGE shout-out to my buddy Matt for lending me his Russell Day-Long saddle, as it made my hours of riding so much more comfortable.  Audra’s saddle is a Seat Concepts that she loves.  We returned home with a ton of knowledge and feel that we have the recipe for proper gear, packing and logistics on a daily basis.  Thank God we did this test run before departing for AK!!!  

Post #6 - The Capture

The Alaska trip will allow Audra and I to hone our skills with a resurrected love for film photography.   We will carry a 40 year old Canon FTb with a 24mm wide angle lens and mostly shoot B&W.  I chose the FTb, as it is a completely manual, mechanical camera that doesn’t have electronics that could die.   It is built like a tank and should easily take the abuse of the trip.  

Canon FTbN - B&W 35mm Film and Wide Angle Lens

Of course we won’t be without a digital camera, and we will also have our camera phones for immediate photo publishing on this BLOG each evening.  In addition, I will also sport my trusty, 6-year old GoPro Hero1.  Four 32G SD cards will allow about 8 hours of video, both action shots on the bike and daily video journaling.  A month or so after the ride, I will publish an hour long Vimeo Movie for everyone to view and experience the ride beyond this BLOG.

Post #5 - The Route

Great Map of Canada and Alaska

The rough plan for the route will tally about 8,000 miles, round trip.  I have altered my original route, since Audra will join me, so as not to require too many hours in the saddle each day.  We will need to average about 400 miles a day (8 hours of riding), which should give us plenty of time to enjoy the sights, experiences and people.  

Middle portion of the trip

From Colorado Springs we will head northwest, to the Wyoming-Idaho border, on our way to Coeur d’Alene.  We will briefly venture into Washington State, before crossing the border into British Columbia, Canada.  Roughly we will head due north to Prince George, catching the Cassiar Highway, which will intersect us with the Alaska Highway, close to the Yukon Territory border. 

Northern part of our trip

From Tok, we have decided to head south to Anchorage and then back up to Fairbanks. The next morning we will point back south, with Valdez in our sights, before heading back north for Chicken and down the Top of the World Highway to Dawson, YT.  The trip back home will include the south end of the Alaska Highway, Lake Louis, Banff, Glacier National Park and Yellowstone National Park.

Post #4 - The Bike

The bike will be a 2005 BMW R1200GS.  I purchased this “Garage Queen” in early 2015, a ten-year-old motorcycle with only 12,000 miles on her and in tip-top shape, including a new final drive in 2012. 

The bike put back together with the new paint job

She came outfitted with the BMW Vario Boxes and the factory GPS.  I have added a touring windshield, engine guards, a stiffer progressive rear spring, a throttle lock, and touring saddle.  Mounted on the handlebars is a SPOT satellite locator, and our kids will receive half a dozen texts a day with “OK” messages and our coordinates.  And to help her be more photogenic,  she has a new paint job and decals.

A BMW GS 'skinned down"

Audra and I have ridden a lot on the bike, including 2, three day trips over a thousand miles each.  We know the bike to be the most capable and comfortable of any 2-up machine we have owned.  The weekend before we leave, I will check/adjust the valves and install the new spark plugs.  New air/oil filters will be added, along with new, high-end synthetic lubricants.  

Yep, I twist my own wrenches, as I want the peace of mind that all the work is done properly and I want the skills to work on the bike if I have too during the trip.  We will run highway tires to Fairbanks, where we will get a fresh set of sneakers for the off-road excursions.  The bike has a 250-mile fuel range with the stock tank, so I have added tank panniers that will house two ¾ gallon fuel containers, giving us another 75 miles in a pinch.  The GS should be the perfect bike for the frost heave and pothole infested tarmac of the Alaska Highway, as well as the 500+ miles of dirt road that we will tackle.