Top of the World Highway 30 Jun 10

Gary took the attached pictures. Exciting ride.....

June 30 - gw

We made it to Alaska! All safe and sound.

Temps: 50's and 60's all day. Very cloudy and overcast but only a few sprinkles for the day.

We departed the hotel in Dawson at 8 a.m. and headed for the ferry which is on the edge of town about 1/4 mile from the hotel. Had to wait for 30 min to get on the ferry to cross the Yukon River. The river is very fast moving and takes a skillful hand from the ferry captain. But the crossing went well. We then headed up the "Top of the World Highway" heading for Chicken then Tok. The first 110 miles to the Alaska / Canada border was all gravel. We saw our first vehicle heading the opposite direction at about 100 miles. No houses, facilities of any kind at all; just alot of twisty turns up, down and across the mountains all with no guard rails. Once up there, you understand why the road has the name Top of the World. We rode through the clouds, at times barely seeing the person in front of us. Great fun! Very cool though. As we crossed the border, the gravel turned to muddy roads for the next 10 or so miles; a bit slippery. And this is where Mikes tail bag came off his bike. We had to pick it up and re-mount the bag. All is well with the bag. We rode the last 80 miles into Tok, washed the mud off the bikes, clothes, etc., had dinner and are now kicking back. Heading for Fairbanks in the early morning.

I guess you have to "be there", but the expanse of land we viewed from this highway is a site to behold. Janet asked if we were getting tired of riding, which I said no. Looking forward to seeing Janet, Lea and Pam is just a few more days.

Rusty posting pics.

June 28 / 29 - gw

I couldn't sign on yesterday, so will update here for two days.

June 28 - Temps 54 to 74 degrees, with partly cloudy skies. No real rain, so another good day.

Muncho Lake Lodge was quite a place as you saw in the pictures already posted. Clean rooms, wonderful view. The water was so clear in the lake you could see straight to the bottom with no problem. Got to see several animals; Black Bear, Brown Bear, and Moose. 400+ miles into Whitehorse. Whitehorse was an "unremarkable" town, though it is the capital of the Yukon Territory. It is mile '0' of the Alcan highway and it was good to get pics at the milepost there.

June 29 - Temps 48 to 70 degrees. Again, partly cloudy skies with just a quick sprinkle of rain.

Riding today, as well as yesterday, was superb with long winding roads and twisties. We crossed many rivers and travelled for many miles along the Yukon River. What a large river; and the high cliffs and hills along the way provide the natural habitat for falcons and eagle. (Though I didn't see any today). Total distance ridden today just over 330 miles. Coming out of Whitehorse, we had to stop at Braeburn lodge for the humongous Cinamon Bun. Made me a bit sick by late morning. We then rolled into Dawson City by about 4 p.m. had a nice dinner. I had Char for the first time and boy was it delicious. Tomorrow we head for Chicken.

Whitehorse to Dawson City Yukon Terriroty RW

Cool in the morning, mostly sunny day with a few sprinkles and fantastic riding. Did a lot of winding roads by the river. The roads were mostly empty. Nice calm quiet riding. A few surprise patches of dirt and loose gravel but again, no issues. The bikes have been running great.

As usual, we didn't miss any meals. We even stopped for "2nd breakfast" which is a favorite of hobbits. Attached are a couple of pictures of the cinnamon roll we ate. Not much in the way of wildlife today. We arrived in Dawson City which only has a single paved road going right to the river. The rest of the town is all dirt streets with planked sidewalks. It's like stepping back in time but with lots of dust.

Traveled 333 miles today.

Tomorrow we are off to "Top of the world" highway. It's almost all dirt (about 189 miles) with a short stop planned in "Chicken".

Whitehorse Yukon Territory 28 Jun 10 RW

Today was a great day for riding. No rain, mostly good roads (5 km of dirt) and beautiful scenery. There were a lot of bridges as we spent a fair amount of time riding by the rivers and crossing back and forth. Most have steel grating so it can be interesting keeping things going straight. Lots of mountains and trees as far as the eye could see.

We saw a herd of buffalo crossing the road about 40 miles into the ride this morning, next a mother and cub black bear and down the road about 30 miles a brown bear (don't know if it was a grizzly and didn't stop to ask).

442 miles today with a total of 3920 since we started. Tomorrow it's off to Dawson City.

June 27 - GW

Temps 60 - 74 degrees. Almost all day in the 60's with 74 degrees finally reached around 2 p.m. just before the clouds and a bit of rain set in. The temps then returned to the mid / low 60's

All in all another good day of riding. As we left Dawson Creek we saw about 100 miles of continuing prairie / farm land, then we returned to steep hills (or small mountains depending on how you look at it). Alot of twisty roads for the day - excellent riding. Saw some moose and mountain goats today.

Rusty seems to have come out of his conservative norm... Rumor has it that he increased his speed today to about 140 km but don't believe that rumor. I can attest that he was at least 162 km/hour at least twice today though the speed limit was 100! Oh, and Rocketman (Mike) had motorcycle trouble today. We think his throttle was stuck because it seemed like we made excellent time. We rode about 425 miles today, stopped for lunch, and still made it here in Muncho Lake by 5 p.m. Tomorrow we head for Whitehorse; another 400+ mile day.

Muncho Lake Yukon Territory 27 Jun 10 RW

Today we started off 8am sharp from Dawson Creek and arrived 440 miles down the Alcan highway at Muncho Lake. Scenery was much improved over the prairies of yesterday. We saw several moose beside the road and deer from time to time. One moose was about 5 foot off the road as we passed.

The road conditions deteriorated from previous days. Today had stretches of gravel and when combined with spot showers, made for interesting riding. We also crossed several bridges with either wood or grate roads. Weather was mostly 50's, 60's, and low 70's. All in all it was another fantastic day for riding bikes.

June 26 - gw

Day 8 and still having fun!

Temps today 49 - 73 degrees. Skies clear with a few clouds. No rain.... all good stuff.

We left Jasper around 8:30 heading for Grande Prairie then to Dawson Creek. Miles and miles of backwoods Canada from Jasper to Grand Prairie. I never imagined trees as far as the eye can see. We passed a sign saying next gas 135 km (80 miles), and for that period, we saw few cars (only saw 3 going North in the entire time). Beautiful scenery, though today was void of mountains, that included forests which then turned to farmland at Grand Prairie and on to Dawson Creek. Very strong winds between GP and DC. I guess I know why GP is called GP. For awhile I thought we were back in South Dakota; the winds were so strong.

Dawson Creek is Mile "O" of the Alcan highway. We begin riding on that road tomorrow morning.

A note for Bridgette - my favorite Doctor. I noticed you were following the blog... I was good and got my other medical check-ups before I left Michigan, but did not get to see you for by overdue pelvic exam. I need to make an appointment with you when I get back. The last appointment on you "short day" might work for a lunch as well. I am sure I will need food after the exam.

Dawson Creek 26 June 2010 RW

Today it was a chilly start (49 degrees) and cool most of the day. We left Jasper this morning and headed to Grande Cache, Grande Prairie and ended up in Dawson Creek. Total of 330 miles which seems pretty easy until you factor in the high head winds which blow across the prairie. The roads were excellent and we made pretty good time. The weather gods have been looking out for us and we didn't run into any rain today.

Tomorrow morning first thing we will ride past the Mile Post stating we are at mile zero of the Alcan highway.

Total miles traveled is just over 3035 miles.

Jasper 25 Jun 10 RW

The attached pictures don't do Icefields Parkway justice. The views were breath-taking.

We saw a couple of critters today (bear cub and mother crossing the road on our way out of Lake Louise). A couple of stone sheep and a small herd of goats had cars backed up on the roadside.

Tomorrow Zen-master Pearse will be giving instructions on how to pass slower moving traffic in a timely fashion. We are all a-titter with anticipation.

PS: Bob J: Please tell Richard at Bodes that his corn beef breakfast is sorely missed. Give our best to the rest of the crowd.....yes, even Garry.

Almost Switzerland

Hey these Alberta Rocky Mountain parks are great! I am attaching a couple pics just to wet the whistle.

Missed the posting about our Calgary stop over at Dave's 'Anderworks' on Thursday. Dave is the local BMW super wrench and runs a very friendly and informative shop. During our visit he shared his projects of side hack conversions and his greatly up-scaled HP2 Enduro. Dave is super big on Ohlins and almost had us all converting from our stale OEM suspensions to Ohlins on the spot. Dave invited us to stay in touch for tech advise. There was another group of riders there en route to Alaska. We continue to see these guys pop up along our route.

Haven't seen the Navy Seal team since Thursday in Seeley Lake. I was hoping to see them again on the road to see if they would play in the curves with me (you know, being Navy Seals and taking on all challenges). Since the Seals are on the way to Alaska, we may see them again. They were really nice gents and invited us all to party and share in their celebrity. They are on a fairly well sponsored memorial ride for a fallen comrade. All sporting new GSs. Do Seals get canyon chasing special ops training?

I am offering to act as 'passing coach' to my 3 riding buddies free of charge. I conducted a post ride lecture on 'deliberate passing protocall'. It was shrugged off as Pearse's daily nag. Dinner Lecture Subject: "Executing the proper passing procedure with vengeance" I have yet to tally the class evaluations.

Fri, June 24 - gw

Temps - Low 50's to High 70's, skies clear early going cloudy during the mid afternoon

Another great riding day; but for a few kinks. Pearse forgot to charge his two way radio battery so we had to wait until he charged up this morning. Then I figured out that I did the same thing. We are both charging batteries right now.

We departed Cochrane and headed for Banff, Lake Louise, and ended up in Jasper at the Tonquin Inn for our acomodations for the nite. Since I couldn't talk with anyone, I peeled off from the group and went into Banff. What a neat little town. It has alot of the quaint stores with the hint of the ski area. Very nice. I then moved on to Lake Morain and then to Lake Louise. As it happened, I saw the other guys bikes in the parking lot and hooked back up with them for the last 130 miles into Jasper. Next site was the Icefield area - got pretty chilly, but then warmed up for the last 20 miles into Jasper. Tomorrow we head for Dawson Creek.

Pearse lost some Zen today. Hopefully he is back in form tomorrow!

Zen Master Speaks Out

Can't let the day pass without notable mention of Gary up and raring to go in the morning.

Gary wakes Zen Master from deep slumber by saying "hey, time to get going... it's 7:20, we'll be late".
In focused response Zen Master says... "but it is still pitch black outside, how can it be 7:20?"
Gary suggests... "ah, well ...the mountains must be hiding the sun".
Zen Master compiles available data and verifies correct time as 4:30 and councils Gary to reconsider current energy level.
Gary realizing his over enthusiasm (and error in time keeping) and with hearty laugh councils Zen Master to return to meditation. Zen Master quickly complies. No pictures of this exchange.

June 24 - gw

Temps 60 - 80 degrees. Sky clear temps stayed in the 70's until later in the afternoon.

We crossed into Canada at the Rooseville entry point. Really a big crossing - one lane. We were the only vehicles until we were almost cleared for entry. One car pulled up behind us. No real issue with the crossing; so we were happy about that.

We rode about 310 miles today; so all in all a short day in the saddle. Took two lane roads all the way from the border up Cochrane which is about 15 miles west of Calgary.

Stopped at lunch at "little New York" excellent food - other than Rusty's soup. It turns out Mediterranean is not his favorite! Then headed for Calgary to a BMW repair shop to get some engine oil for the bikes - nothing wrong with the bikes, just normal oil usage.

Rode through steep mountains, next to the fast river and later open plains for this day. This is REALLY a rural area. We made a turn and saw a sign - Nest gas 135 km ( approx 80 miles).

Rusty didn't try to kiss any dear today while riding. We did see a Big Horn Sheep / Ram Horn Sheep along with her small lamb. Another good thing is that Pearse did not try to kiss them either. Speaking of Pearse, the Zen Master lost part of his Zen while getting frustrated trying to determine how to get a gas pump work work, but I came to his aid and he did get his Zen back!

Anyway, another great day of riding. Tomorrow we head for Banff and Lake Louise.

Pictures Glacier Park 23 Jun 10

Glacier Park 23 Jun 2010 RW

Today we rode 405 miles including part way into Glacier Park. The Sun highway is closed due to snow so Gary and I only went part way into the park. Attached are some pictures. Another beautiful day of riding and fantastic scenery. Pearse made reservations at an Italian eating establishment and the food was great. As usual, no one left hungry.

Bozeman to Whitfish Montana

Well, today we departed from Bozeman at 8:00 am and rode to Whitefish Montana. We covered roughly about 375 miles of spectacular country that had great roads with many sweeping curves. These great roads and wide open spaces allowed us to enjoy the performance capabilities of our motorcycles and hone our riding skills for Alaska. We arrived in Whitefish about 5:00 pm.

Our luck has been 100% so far and we have avoided the rain! We know sooner or later we will have to deal with the rain, but so far it has been wonderful to not have to suit up for it. We were told that they had terrible storms including tornado's in Seeley Lake Montana where we stopped for lunch. After lunch we all shared a piece of Peach Huckleberry pie with ice cream..., and we all agreed that it was absolutely the best piece of pie we have had in a long time. We resisted and only shared the one piece because our motorcycles cannot handle any more wieght. Just joking...!

We have had good luck missing all the storms so far, and we have truly appreciated the great riding weather we have enjoyed up to this point.

Our ride has taken us through many valleys and plains. As we turn a corner and look through the tree line we can see often mountain beautiful vistas. The mountains are covered with snow and have elevations over 9,000 feet. We had hoped to travel from St. Mary, Montana through Logan's Pass on the "Lake of the Sun Highway" to West Glacier Montana, however the road was still closed this afternoon due to too much snow cover. We are all a bit disappointed we could ride this road, but we still had some great scenery to appreciate all day.

Whitefish is about 1-hour from the Canadian border and we will be crossing into over Canada tomorrow morning as we head to Cochrane, Alberta.

Bikes are performing well and a real pleasure to ride. Not many pictures today, just a lot of great roads and riding.

22 Jun 2010 RW

Today started off leaving Spearfish SD and took a ride to Devils Tower WY and ended up in Bozeman MT. Total miles on the bike today were 485. We took mostly paved back roads today which afforded us great views of the landscape. Besides beautiful scenery, there was a variety of wildlife. It varied from a baby skunk skittering across the road in front of us to large mule deer which also skitter across the road in front of us. All in all, it was a beautiful ride with cool weather while we dodged almost all of the rain showers.

A Rider's Perspective on June 22nd

Today's ride can be described as creating a common sense of relaxation in individual demeanor as well as in riding style. Rusty's lead today had a calming effect on 'yours truly' and on the group at large. Previous discontinuity in terms of pace and riding expectations were replace by a steady and smooth pace where every rider performed as more of a unit. Although the unit thing isn't necessarily the intent for this ride, it is as if we collectively exhaled today, shedding much of our unwanted energy. We all have different riding styles and expectations and yet there is much to be gained from slowing the cadence and performing with relative unity. Perhaps the person who is in the calmest mood (of the day) should lead the ride for that day. Judgment over emotion. Weather conditions, road conditions, and probability of meeting livestock will drive our daily riding mood as well.

June 22 - gw

Temps: 60 - 80 degrees. Mostly sunny in the a.m. turning to afternoon thunderstorms mid afternoon. Blind luck again in that we did not have to ride in the rain save a few sprinkles.

Just a quick note about yesterday's ride - Janet, we ate at Peggy's Place again in Keystone. For all others, if ever in Keystone (Black Hills area), you need to have lunch at this very nice local eating establishment.

Well, Rusty led the ride today. I find that he rides very fast when he is leading. He tried to marry up with a couple deers this morning but then got that out of his system for an uneventful ride the rest of the day. The scenery in Montana was just out of this world. It is no wonder they call it "Big Sky" country. Awsome scenery.

We left Spearfish this a.m. , then rode to Devils Tower (pics posted) and from there rode about 200 miles on two lane roads before coming onto I 90 and riding another couple hundred miles into Bozeman, Montana where we are spending the night. Excellent weather for the day; not too hot, note too cold, just right.

Jun3 19, 20, 21

June 19 -

Temps - 70 - 90 degrees, skies clear.

The four of us departed Plymouth, MI at 6 a.m. heading for Muskegon. We took the 10:15 a.m. ferry to Milwaukee with hopes of making La Crosse, WI that evening. Given we were so full of energy, we decided to make it to Albert Lea, MN only to find there were no rooms available to due (get this) a softball tournament and road construction workers. We then had to push on to Jackson, MN. This put us at 600 miles on the first day! - plus the 2.5 hour ferry ride!

June 20

Temps 70 - 90 degrees, raining early, turning into hot and muggy conditions; tornado warnings late that evening when we were in the motel.

On Father's Day we were met with rain as we left the motel but soon ran out of the rain. This day was totally uneventful as we rode for miles and miles and miles and miles across Minnesota and South Dakota. We arrived in Spearfish, riding about 510 miles. Michael had to have Culvers custard so we walked across the lot ready pay up the big bucks for a late evening treat... but instead we received free sundae's for being fathers! This was a great end to the day.

June 21

Temps: 53 - 88 degrees, sunny and clear all day other than late afternoon thunder showers, though we were lucky and skirted the rain only through dumb luck.

Monday was an excellent day riding the Black Hills including Needles Highway and Iron Mtn Highways. What a gorgeous place to ride. It is no wonder the Indians call this Holy ground.

Total miles today, 150.

June 16 Update

All have been completing bike prep work including electronics and especially packing to make sure we all have correct clothing, tools, spare parts, etc for the trip. Final oil changes and final drive lubrications completed earlier this week.

Enjoyed a group dinner last evening. Departure set for 6 a.m. Saturday, June 19. Weels must be rolling NLT than 6 in order to make the ferry across Lake Michigan late morning in Muskegon. Weather currently looks like rain Sat morning!