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DAMN rider in exile on the Dalton Highway

Want to go for a DAMN Ride? So do we! :whoop:
skierd
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DAMN rider in exile on the Dalton Highway

Post by skierd »

Its been a while since I checked in here. Looks like I missed a great Durty Dabbers, wish I was home to ride the 777 ride this year... and the Michaux... and the Hammer Run... I've been making the best of it up here though and am really loving living in Alaska :freakey: :smoking: so much so that it's looking like I'm going to stay through the winter at least, maybe next summer too.

If you haven't seen or read my ride report for moving north:
http://advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=767414

Basics: left March 6, arrived in Fairbanks April 5. MD, WV, Kentucky, Illinois, Missouri/Arkansas/Ozarks, Oklahoma (stayed a week in Tulsa), Colorado (new tires and chain in Salida), New Mexco, Arizona, Death Valley, CA1 and US101 up the coast, ferry to Haines, AK, Alaska Highway through the Yukon on the tail end of winter.

When my schedule came out a few weeks ago, I couldn't help but notice that I had three days off in the middle of the week. Not wanting to spend all three days hanging around town or home, I decided to pack up and check off one of my Alaska Summer goals... It's time to ride to Deadhorse!

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Knowing that I'll need extra gas for the stretch between Coldfoot and Deadhorse (at 250 miles, its 50-100 miles beyond my bike's range with the 3.1gal IMS tank), I dropped by ADV Cycleworks in Fairbanks and rented a 2gal gas can then filled up both leaving Fairbanks. Loaded up:

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Oh yeah, did I mention it was raining? Well, it was raining. Heavily at times. The weather said its supposed to get nicer north of the Yukon River... You'll also notice the gas can moves around to different locations quite a lot. It took me a lot of different tries to get it strapped down so it wouldn't move and fall off the back.

Start of the highway
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Oh yeah, for fun I took my film camera. Just about every pic thats going to get posted in this thread are scanned 35mm. Mostly Fuji Superia 400 color neg film, shot with my nikon n2020 with a 35-70mm lens.
Never run out of ideas, traction, and real estate at the same time...
'08 WR250R w/ an X change
skierd
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Re: DAMN rider in exile on the Dalton Highway

Post by skierd »

Just as I stopped to get my shot of the sign I heard the unmistakable sound of a BMW Boxer over the din of the mosquito swarm coming up from behind. I was more than a little surprised to see a sidecar rig on a 1200GS, with 2 guys, from Delaware. They seemed to be enjoying themselves at least, though they almost got run over by a truck on the first corner of the highway since they decided to stop on the back side of the blind corner to adjust their gear for the rain that was gearing up to start up again.

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First construction zone, had to stop and wait for a pilot car to get through it as it was about 10 miles long and had lots of heavy equipment rolling around moving dirt to rebuild and widen the road.

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It started raining when I stopped to wait, so I left the good camera in its waterproof sack. The road continued like this, a bit damp but not too slick making for good fast riding and sliding just about up to the Yukon River Bridge, where the sun came out oh so briefly.

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I'll have pics of the bridge on the way back, because as soon as I pulled off to get gas at the station at the Bridge the skies opened up something fierce. Thank goodness I got across the bridge when it was dry because its slowed downhill at a 6% grade and is wood decked... not fun on a motorcycle. Especially not fun if there is oncoming traffic. Doubly so because the bridge is hidden by a rise in the road until you're almost on top of it. Fun fun! I took pictures on the way back, since it was miserably rainy and I had to come back this way anyways.

Stopped for lunch at Mile 61 aka the Hot Spot Cafe.
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Already looking good n' muddy
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Order at the screen window, and the lady goes out to the little grill area to the left. Between the trailers a tarp is hung to keep the rain out and concentrate the mosquitoes where most of the tables are. Fortunately there are tables inside as well...

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Ate a great big cheeseburger with fresh veggies grown in their garden, then continued on up the road. By now the surface had devolved into a nasty snot slick goop, not the best traction for a motard but I managed to get moving without dropping. Within about 10 miles, just when I was about to turn around, the skies cleared, the road dried, and all was well in the world:

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And it just kept getting nicer and brighter and prettier. Running alongside of the TransAlaskan Pipeline, the reason the road exists.
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No sir, this doesn't suck, not one bit. :)
Never run out of ideas, traction, and real estate at the same time...
'08 WR250R w/ an X change
skierd
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Re: DAMN rider in exile on the Dalton Highway

Post by skierd »

Riding, more riding, some more riding, and a little more riding. Not much else to do, as if you stop the mosquitos try to carry you away. I did stop at Caribou Mountain as the sun started to 'set', and by set I mean run along the northern horizon.

Looking out over Caribou Mountain, near Finger Rock. Google it, neat place.

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Pretty skies make for difficult metering on my camera, maybe it doesn't like living in my tank bag? Or being 20+ years old? Oh well, the skies came out ok.

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One of the smaller trucks rolling along headed north
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Quick self portrait to finish off the roll
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Just past this point, I crossed paths with a bicyclist who was riding south from Deadhorse and setting up camp for the night. Said he had gotten a ride up about week ago and was working his way back south. How far south ultimately was still to be determined... sure hope he didn't get eaten by the grizzly bear he saw walking along the pipeline about 20mins earlier. For the record I didn't see any bears, and didn't see any other big game until I got a lot further north.
Never run out of ideas, traction, and real estate at the same time...
'08 WR250R w/ an X change
skierd
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Re: DAMN rider in exile on the Dalton Highway

Post by skierd »

More great scenery as the Road stretches off into the distance...
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At Mile 115 on the Dalton Highway, the road and this rider crossed the Arctic Circle. Not a soul there, so I had to settle for taking my own picture.

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More tundra on the approach to Coldfoot Camp
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Paved again. Why only random stretches are paved I have no idea but this section was pretty decent for motarding around.

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Stopped for dinner and fuel at Coldfoot, mile marker 175 and 250+ miles from Deadhorse. There is nothing between here and there except empty open tundra and the odd maintenance shed and pump stations for running the pipeline. No food, no lodging (except in Wiseman, about 10 miles up the road, where there are a few cabins), no gas. Bought a gatoraide to go with my clif bars for breakfast and rolled into the midnight sun.

11pm
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A rare sight, empty truck running south

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getting close to midnight, waiting at another construction zone

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Not too bad though, pretty bug free and pretty to boot
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Looking up towards Atigun Pass and the Chandalar Shelf, in the heart of the Brooks Range
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other side of the pass, around 1am
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You can just barely make out the campground I stayed at on the right side of this photo, the little white box is the forest service outhouse.
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Galbraith Lake campground, mile 275 or so. 2am, tired and sore, I threw my food in the bear box, set up my tent, and tried to get some sleep.

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Once again, this is at 2-2:30am.
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The sun doesn't really set up here, it just swings around on the northern horizon all 'night'.
Never run out of ideas, traction, and real estate at the same time...
'08 WR250R w/ an X change
skierd
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Re: DAMN rider in exile on the Dalton Highway

Post by skierd »

I slept fitfully at best, maybe a solid 2-3 hours tops as the bright sunshine and construction sounds from the gravel pit 10 miles away conspired to keep waking me up. By 730am I gave up, packed up, and got on the road. Saw my first critters in camp:

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Aparently I went through the middle of a construction zone in the middle of the 'night', so when I got back to the Dalton I had to wait for a pilot car to come by and guide me past the 70ton side dumps and steamrollers and 'dozers widening the highway.

Past the construction, in the last of the green tundra. The trees stopped at the pass, so it was wide open up here.

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Finally, some big critters! Caribou!
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Muskox!
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Lots of birds and even saw a couple arctic foxes, but they and I were moving too quick to stop for pics. The road alternated between scary fast and loose gravel and awful broken pavement. More or less I was steering on faith that speed would carry me through the loose stuff and that I wouldn't get hung up on the ridges on the frost heaves in the pavement. While dodging oncoming traffic and trying to not be in the way of trucks coming from behind and trying to not get caught in their dust clouds in bad spots.

First oil rig, about 20 miles south of Deadhorse
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Finally... the end of the road at Lake Colleen, about 8 miles from the Arctic Ocean. To go any further, you either work for the oil companies for pay out the nose for a tour.

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Cold up here, around 40-45 degrees with lots of ice and snow still around. Most of the rest of the way it was at least mid 50's, as high as 80 at times. I guess being on top of the world on the Arctic Ocean does that.

Ate lunch/breakfast at the Prudhoe Bay Hotel (kitchen was closed, got to buy some prepared foods and nuke them), got gas at the remote pump, and stopped at the General Store (one of the only independent businesses in Deadhorse) for the famous photo-op
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Deadhorse is more a giant open air factory than a town. Very few people actually live here, most are workers only up here a few weeks at a time. People and vehicles all move around like they're on a mission all the time as such, and frankly its not all that pleasant to visit. This is definitely more of a 'because its there' type ride than anything else. Oh well... time to head south!

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Shortly south of town, the bike and I celebrated another mile(age)stone:
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Yup, 40,000 miles on the little thumper that could! Celebrated by hitting 100mph (indicated, didn't bring my GPS as its unneeded lol 1 road) on the dirt leaving Deadhorse, still running as strong and smooth as ever!

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Speaking of speed, the highway patrol left this on the side of the road as a reminder to slow down...
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Didn't take any pictures southbound until I got back south of Galbraith Lake and back in towards the pass. The featureless tundra is just so bare and sparse that its hard to photograph. Not so much in the mountains...

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Looking down onto the Chandalar Shelf
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On the other side of the pass...
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Starting to get hungry, and getting a bad caffeine headache from all the coffee in Deadhorse, but still had another 100 miles to get to Coldfoot... and it was too pretty not to stop... but time for a fresh roll of film.
Never run out of ideas, traction, and real estate at the same time...
'08 WR250R w/ an X change
skierd
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Re: DAMN rider in exile on the Dalton Highway

Post by skierd »

Looking upriver

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back downriver
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Headed back to Dietrich Camp and Coldfoot
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By the time I got to Coldfoot I was feeling pretty terrible. My mild headache had gotten worse, hoping food would help I ordered dinner, ate, then gassed up. As soon as the gas fumes hit me, my headache went full blown into a migraine and I knew I had about 15 minutes to try to get some sleep before I threw up... How much is a hotel room? $199 a night. :frustrated: :screwy: :salute: Camping was free at least... soaked my head in cold water to try to turn down the pounding inside, rode over to the field they have set aside for campers, and was immediately swarmed by just under a million mosquitoes. Set my tent up without attaching the rain fly or staking it down, tossed my gear in and DOVE inside. As soon as I settled and killed the last of the skeeters that made it in with me... :barf: :flush:

Rushed back outside and lost my dinner about 15 feet from my tent, then ran back to the lodge to clean myself up. I was absolutely exhausted at this point and just needed to sleep. Wait... where is my air pad? Oh, back outside still in my saddle bags. Out with the mosquitoes. f_ck it. It was around midnight as I wrapped up in my sleeping bag and passed the hell out on the hard ground and slept like a baby clear through to 730am.
Never run out of ideas, traction, and real estate at the same time...
'08 WR250R w/ an X change
skierd
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Re: DAMN rider in exile on the Dalton Highway

Post by skierd »

Despite falling asleep flat out on the ground, I slept wonderfully well and woke up to bright sunny clear skies over Coldfoot. Unfortunately I also woke up to no food, as the kitchen was closed except to supply their buffet... which was empty. Grabbed a gatoraide and ate my last two clif bars and headed south into the morning sun.

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Roadside flowers, much more purple in person
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Looking south
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This time as I got to the Yukon River Bridge the weather was absolutely perfect, so I stopped for breakfast and my last gas stop before Fairbanks. Since it was Friday there was a lot more recreational traffic than there had been earlier, so I was happy to be going south instead of fighting the crowds going north.

The gas pump, gas is in the big white tank, go inside to pay then fill up here.
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Breakfast was great, got the 'Haul Road Special', 3 eggs, 1/2 pound of bacon, double order of hashbrowns, and sourdough toast with OJ. :eats: After eating I took some note of the bikes that were pulling in to fuel up. This guy was up from Costa Rica and was on one of the few non-BMW's I saw the entire time.
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Owned by a British couple who were too busy talking with each other over intercom to chat with some lowly soul riding a 250 who obviously couldn't have been that far from home or ride all that much. I have a big problem with most BMW owners because of that attitude, many of them only seem to recognize the roundel, worse than even the Harley pirate fashion riders.
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A pair of overloaded GS's up from California
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1) I think they individually packed more on their bikes than I moved up here with or hell own period.

2) If you can't get your own bike up on its centerstand by yourself its overloaded.

Nice guys though, had a nice long with them about the road north, etc. Will probably run in to them again at Dawson by which I hope to remember their names lol.

Walked down to the riverfront for some more pics, found this barge just hanging out up on the dry

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Yukon River Bridge
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You can't tell from the pics, but that river flows fast. 7 knots is what I heard, all I know is it wouldn't take long for you to get swept far far far downstream if you got caught in the current.

Looking down the river
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Looking south up the bridge
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Not much else after that. I rode the last 60 miles of the Dalton then headed back to Fairbanks. I did run in to a true sourdough Alaskan, towing a small trailer behind his bicycle up the Dalton. "Whatcha doin?" "Goin' pannin'!" As in panning for gold... dude looked like he was straight out of the 1900's if it weren't for his sweatpants and baseball cap. There's still lots of gold in them thar hills, and lots of people still work minor stakes and claims throughout the region.

One last pick on the Elliot Highway before I got back to the Steese Hwy and back to town for dinner, a hot shower, and getting my film developed.

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Hope you enjoyed the ride! Hardest thing about living up here is I wake up knowing I'm doing exactly what I want every day. :hi5:
Never run out of ideas, traction, and real estate at the same time...
'08 WR250R w/ an X change
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Re: DAMN rider in exile on the Dalton Highway

Post by Laoch »

:thumbup:
Bruce
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Re: DAMN rider in exile on the Dalton Highway

Post by Rut Row »

awesome, simply awesome. I wish I could do a road trip and come visit!
Ken
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Re: DAMN rider in exile on the Dalton Highway

Post by bonehead »

That really looks great :loveit: . It seems your are really living your dream up there. Enjoy and please do keep us in the loop. Maybe if you are up there I might see you in 2014.
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