Toe in the Arctic Ocean!

I promised if I made it to Prudhoe Bay I would at least dip my toe in the Arctic. Well, you have to haven`t you? The weather was colder than normal (according to the locals)with a biting North wind that cut right through you, despite several layers and my big jacket. The tour of Prudhoe Bay itself was quite interesting and it is so big it produces 20% of North America`s oil. Personally, I couldn`t wait to put it behind me as soon as possible and the more miles between me and the Arctic, the better!

"The road to hell...!" Prudhoe Bay - The Arctic Ocean

Setting off early (as usual) after a hearty plate of bacon, eggs, toast and coffee (as usual)the weather was fine, bright and sunny. It`s always nice to have a good start when you`ve got 243 miles of demanding riding ahead of you, particularly when you know that the last 85 miles are the worst.After an hour`s riding I could see the Atigun Pass looming in the distance. This is Alaska`s highest mountain pass (4,800 ft). It was shrouded in ominous dark clouds. That was the end of the nice bright sunny weather for the next 6 hrs! Climbing the pass it started to rain and got heavier as I descended the other side. From then on the conditions on the road began to deteriorate. In a days riding I experienced sun, rain, wind, dust, heavy mud, fog and a bitterly cold wind as I headed deeper into the Arctic Circle. Thank God for my heated jacket! Through one really bad patch of fog I came across another biker looming out of the mist. The first human contact for hours! I passed him and waved but he was clearly focused on just staying upright in the heavy mud. He later turned out to be my room mate at the Prudhoe Bay Hotel. About an hour from Prudhoe I stopped to put more petrol in the tank and it was bitterly cold. I`d seen nothing for hours apart from a couple of herds of Caribou crossing the road ahead of me and one lone Arctic Fox staring at me from the side of the road. What a God forsaken, desolate place this was. I was getting chilled to the bone even with my heated clothing. I pushed on to Prudhoe, desperate for some warmth. Eventually, out of the gloom, signs of civilisation gradually appeared. Prudhoe Bay is deceptively huge and sprawling. It stretches for miles around, so, frustratingly it took a while to orientate, find the one petrol pump and eventually find my "hotel" (more like a bunch of portacabins stuck together). Good job I`d booked ahead because there was precious little room anywhere. After showering, I was having a coffee in the canteen when the receptionist asked me if I wouldn`t mind someone sharing my room with another biker who couldn`t go on any more! In walked Austin from Chicago. He was the one I passed hours before in the fog and mud!Both of us weren`t relishing the return journey at all.Now we knew just how bad it could be, we were hoping for better weather in the morning. Sadly, we were to be disappointed!

The Dalton Highway Part 1

This is where the real challenge starts ............... the infamous Dalton Highway (remember the Ice Road Truckers?)This is essentially a 414 mile dirt road notorious for huge trucks kicking up clouds of dust in the summer or in the rain it can turn into a quagmire. Either way, not a pleasant experience. You can expect conditions to change rapidly. It has a severe reputation, so when I set off early in the morning I was a little apprehensive to say the least!



The run up to Wiseman (about 7 hrs) wasn`t as bad as I expected. Sadly, the Dalton had lulled me into a false sense of security!
Stay tuned!!

Fairbanks and beyond...........

At last! The journey really begins! Set off really early (couldn`t sleep) for my first stop in Fairbanks 362 miles away. It was a long day in the saddle. Stopped for breakfast at Trapper Creek Trading Post. Interesting place, full old blokes with beards and baseball caps. The only woman there was the waitress, no beard but a nice neck tattoo. It was like a scene from Deliverance. Fortified by (my now staple) breakfast of eggs (over easy), bacon, hashbrowns, toast and coffee, I pressed on to Fairbanks arriving late afternoon at a camp/hostel. Good value at 25$, even if I shared the cabin with 3 other blokes. The one drawback was a total lack of darkness. You know the kind we get used to in England. It gets to night time and the sun goes down. Not in Alaska. There was no darkness!! It was like trying to sleep with the light on. Can`t be done! Another early start was obviously on the cards. 17th June Early start! Up at 5.45 and on the road before 7.00. Went to a supermarket to buy another 1 gallon petrol can for the long haul up the Dalton Highway, notoriously short of “gas” stations. I rode for about half an hour before turning on to Elliot Highway, looking down at my GPS it said next turn in 321 miles! I knew then, the road trip had really begun!

Holed up in Anchorage!

I arrived in one piece in Anchorage on Sunday. I wish I could say the same about my luggage!Apparently it was reluctant to leave the safety of Frankfurt Airport. Lufthansa assure me it is winging its way to me as I write this update and all being well it should be with me in about 5 hours - this is good news for many reasons. 1. I can`t start my trip without my riding gear 2. I have now worn my underpants back to front and inside out and am running out of options. The weather was beautiful and sunny when I arrived 2 days ago and now a wet and windy front has settled and could be around for the week, which should make the infamous Dalton Highway (450 miles of dirt road)an interesting experience. While acclimatising and getting over jetlag, I thought it mandatory to explore and experience all things Alaskan. So far my dining requirements have been totally taken care of by one "authentic" Alaskan eaterie:- All I can say is, this is not a place to diet! Good wholesome food (and obviously plenty of it)and the smallest beer they serve is a pint! Made the mistake of ordering BBQ pork ribs and got a plate big enough to feed a small army - unfortunately, I became that small army and am not so small anymore. If my gear doesn`t arrive soon, I may be too big to get into it. Yesterday was taken up by getting my bike released from US customs and FedEx - reams of forms and paperwork (my all time favourites). Eventually got it all stamped took it back to the FedEx depot and was asked if I had brought any tools to dismantle the crate! I gazed at the ceiling whistling in true Homer Simpson style (why would I bring tools with me???)Doh! She escorted me through more security where we liberated a huge claw hammer and wire cutters from the high security FedEx toolbox and I set off following her as she drove my precious cargo on a forklift truck to a safe place 600 yards from the depot(security apparently, didn`t want me running amok on my dangerous goods in their depot). She finally deposited my crate in a "safe" carpark and left me to it. In no time at all I had hacked my way through the crate and freed my wheels:-



Lufthansa permitting, I set off early tomorrow for the first stage - 360 miles North to Fairbanks.