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OP Alaska 2011

gdw

New member
Hi everyone my wife and I are leaving for our trip this weekend to Alaska and then some, here are a few photos before the ride of all the prep getting the route and bikes ready.


The route 7500Km


Our route will take us thought Dawson Creek BC, Watson Lake, Dawson City, Chicken, Fairbanks, Coldfoot and Prince George then back home Edmonton.


Must read


Must get, all the information you will ever need


The works


Our stuff only kit missing in the photo is the tent and personel stuff


The Wife bike F650GS 2002


My F800GS 2009
 
Day 1

Thanks Kevin, here are a few photos of our first day (lots of rain)







Total km for today 580
 
High 80's and sunny in Fairbanks today; something to look forward to. We just returned from a four day ride to Dawson City. The ride over had mud, lots of mud, rain, hail, fog, cold temperatures, washed out roads and plague, famine and pestilence. The ride back was warm and sunny. Hope you get the later.
 
Enjoy the ride! Someday, I hope to make this trip but from the east coast, I think I'll need to retire before having that long of a vacation.
 
Day 2

Mile 0 to Ft Nelson, camping at the triple G. Had supper at the campground's resturant with beer. During the evening 4 more rides showed up, two riding north and two south. Here are a few photos

The triple G campground


The start




Hey Mom remember??
 
Day 3

27 June traveled 500km today from ft Nelson to Watson Lake. *Stayed at the air force lodge 80$. *Saw Denis again.

Helped Denis with his tire change, I provide the 1/2 ratchet, LOL.

Toad river


Yukon sign


Denis and Nick
 
Day 4

28 June, Watson Lake to Carmacks 582 km, we traveled a total of 350km on gravel doing on average 80 kpm. *The gravel to Ross River was very hard and smooth, only where they were doing repairs was the road loose and rough. *

The day started with rain but when we got to the gravel it had stop. *After lunch we were hit with the worst hail rain I have ever since. * Denis caught up with us at the lake.*

Just before Ross River I Help a old man with a blown tire, good thing he told me about a 10 km short cut to Ross.

After a long day we make it to Carmarks and set home at the coal mine campground and meet Denis again.

While putting up the tent the rain started and would last until the middle of the night.

On the Campbell


Nick, again, LOL


Our campsite
 
Day 5

29 June, Dawson city here we come, 350 km.

Well it's still raining, hard breakfast and then broke camp. *Not much to see on the way because of the rain but after Pelly crossing the rain dies down and the sun comes out.

Got a room at the Downtown hotel, 180$, well worth the money

Had supper at the hotel restaurant, it was very good once the chef found out we were from Quebec he came out to speck with us. *Gaetan was the chef name and he made sure we had more then enough on our plates.

Our hotel
 
Day 6

30 June, Tok Alaska, 315 km via the the top the world highway. *Had a good breakfast at the hotel, would of been better but the crowd was noisy. *Took the dome road to the top of the mountain to see Dawson from the top, very cool. *Before getting back on the ferry we see Denis again and wish him a safe trip.

Link to The best campground in Tok
http://www.thompsonseaglesclaw.com

The top of the world highway, from Dawson to the US border way to much pavement but the view is worth a million bucks. *No issues at the border just the normal questions and were back on the road. *Night and day is the difference between Can and US road conditions rough only starts to describe *how bad the road is, no gravel. *Chicken, AK had to stop and visit and get the *" got laid in chicken " sticker.*

Near Tok the rain starts again but we find Thompson eagle claw motorcycle campground, the best! *Vanessa our host is the best, get the steam house ready for us, and shows us around. *For $20us this is the best campground we have had so far. *For $20us we get the tent house, very cool, considering that it rained during the night and when we got up. *




Chicken, AK


Tok,AK




 
I'm following you with my airhead... I left Montreal on Monday, I'll be in Watson Lake on tomorrow and in Fairbanks on Monday the 4th (Kevin, maybe I'll see you at the Adventure Cycleworks BBQ? I have ordered my TKC to go to Prudhoe Bay).

BTW, thank you for the information about about lodging. I'm on a travel budget too.

If you see a yellow airhead loaded like a train, it's me :wave

LesCedres-DeadHorse.jpg


VoyageAlaska187.jpg


VoyageAlaska200.jpg


VoyageAlaska193.jpg
 
Day 7

1 July, day 7, 300km. *We leave Tok for Fairbanks nice ease ride with not much to see because of the cloud cover, hopefully when we come back the weather will be better.

The end of the ALCAN, almost miss it! *Good thing the wife wanted to see the big mosquito otherwise we would of miss it. *All the huge RV's may have something to do with us not seeing the end of the highway?

We carry on towards Fairbanks stoping for lunch on the side of the road, yum hotdogs.

At the knotty shop we catch up with the RV's, while Josee is shopping I am watching the RV show. *One of the RV didn't park in the right place and now is trying to leave. *While the driver is backing up his RV with tow car hook up he jack knife the car, damage to the car. *The RV's front suspension is fully cycled and with the wheels turned to the max damages the front fender/bodywork of the RV, what a show.

In Fairbanks we get a room so we can do our laundry and restock on food at Walmart and also upload photos to the net.






 
Day 8

2 July, day 8, 650 km to the Arctic Circle and back. *We leave early in the morning reaching the Dalton around 09:00 am the adventure begins.

The weather is on our side warm and sunny, off we go, the road is a bit rough but not to back we can do about 60 km/h. *Then I see something that I was not waiting for, pavement, on well let's go faster. *The first 100 km is nice pavement and gravel, we get to the Yukon river about *1 hour later and stop for gas and coffee. *We meet another BMW rider going south and tells us the road is nice, cool.

From the river to the circle the road is so good we think that we are on pavement, we get to the circle way faster then planed so we decide to head back to Fairbanks. *Good thing because it rained like hell once we get close to Fairbanks, some guy in a car hits a water puddle and soaks me from head to toe, LOL.*

Back in Fairbanks and wet we get another room and go to a restaurant for supper and stuff our faces. *Back in the room we relax and go to bed early.





 
Day 6 part 2

At the campsite in Tok we meet Coburn and Erin Black who are their third week of a long bike ride across the Americas. *It was great to talk to them during the evening with beer with a good fire. *They both ride the F650GS Dakar model. *Here is the link to their web site;

http://www.ridetheworldtogether.com
 
Day 9

3 July, day 9, back to Tok and the eagle claw campground. *We left Fairbanks in the fog, no rain and warm. *We made the required stop in North Pole to shop at the Santa Claus house, 75$ later we are back on the road.

We have lunch in Delta and then get back on the road. *Not long after we stop to put on our rain gear, again and fuel the bikes.

More rain all the way to Tok, we get their first and are able to pick which camp site we want, the tent wall. *Two more rides show up and set-up camp, cool people to talk too.

We take advantage of the steam bath again to relax while drinking a bottle of captain Morgan, the bottle is empty when we go to bed.


Make a wish









Back in Tok for two days




The steam house


The cleaning station
 
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