Alaska 2023

[greiffster]

I’m very bad about documenting rides.  So bad, in fact, this is my first ride tale.  So, if it sucks, I’m a beginner….

 

This is a trip I’ve been planning since about 2017. In fact, I have the ’17 Milepost setting on my desk.  As it turns out, it is not easy to plan a month-long bike trip when you are working stiff.  So, until now, it has not happened.  Last year, about this time, I realized that I might have window in early summer ’23, between projects.  Luckily, I work for a very small company, who have been very supportive.  So here we go.

 

So last summer I tell Nicol that I’m making Alaska happen in 2023.  She, with her adventurous spirit and tremendous FOMO, says “Well, I’m going, too.”  Well, that’s great except that I’m not carrying your happy ass from Tennessee to Alaska.  Even if I wanted to, I don’t think we could carry what we need, riding two up.  I also pointed out to her that she had neither a motorcycle nor a license to ride said motorcycle.

 

So fast forward a little….

 

I will be on my trusty ’08 GSA seen here, looking way cleaner than it actually was.

 

 

And Nicol will be on whatever this thing is….

 

 

More about this later.

 

We’re going to trailer out to about Great Falls, MT and leave from there to avoid the cross plains drudge and save a little time.  Also, the miles on the bikes will be reduced to about 6K miles instead of about 10K miles which should put us in maintenance and tire windows.  We’ll be heading out tomorrow (6/8) sometime and this will be the general route from northern Montana.

 

 

What could possibly go wrong? 
 

 

 

 

[wbw6cos]

31 minutes ago, greiffster said:

I’m very bad about documenting rides.  So bad, in fact, this is my first ride tale.  So, if it sucks, I’m a beginner….

 

 

What could possibly go wrong? 
 

 

 

 

 

 

Do you mean with the ride, or The Ride Tale?    So far, so good.   Keep up the good work!   

 

Y'all ride safe and have some adventurous fun!!

 

...envious.

[lkraus]

31 minutes ago, greiffster said:

 

What could possibly go wrong? 

A couple dozen things that you can never predict, but that turn a trip into an adventure.

 

Have fun and get back safe!

[Indy Dave]

I know how much time and planning you and Nicol have put into this! So glad the time has finally come to put the plan into motion. I know you both will have a great adventure!

 

Woo hoo!

[Indy Dave]

You KNOW you both didn't sleep last night . . .

 

KICK STAND up and get those 5 wheels rolling!!! Daylight's a wasting!

[Skywagon]

Good story. A trip of a lifetime. Ride safe and don’t forget it’s about the journey, not the destination. Post up when you can.

[BamaJohn]

I reckon you're already on the road this morning.  Keep us posted on your adventure, and wishing you tailwinds!

[BamaJohn]

12 hours ago, greiffster said:

I’m very bad about documenting rides.  So bad, in fact, this is my first ride tale.  So, if it sucks, I’m a beginner….

 

This is a trip I’ve been planning since about 2017. In fact, I have the ’17 Milepost setting on my desk.  As it turns out, it is not easy to plan a month-long bike trip when you are working stiff.  So, until now, it has not happened.  Last year, about this time, I realized that I might have window in early summer ’23, between projects.  Luckily, I work for a very small company, who have been very supportive.  So here we go.

 

So last summer I tell Nicol that I’m making Alaska happen in 2023.  She, with her adventurous spirit and tremendous FOMO, says “Well, I’m going, too.”  Well, that’s great except that I’m not carrying your happy ass from Tennessee to Alaska.  Even if I wanted to, I don’t think we could carry what we need, riding two up.  I also pointed out to her that she had neither a motorcycle nor a license to ride said motorcycle.

 

So fast forward a little….

 

I will be on my trusty ’08 GSA seen here, looking way cleaner than it actually was.

 

 

And Nicol will be on whatever this thing is….

 

 

More about this later.

 

We’re going to trailer out to about Great Falls, MT and leave from there to avoid the cross plains drudge and save a little time.  Also, the miles on the bikes will be reduced to about 6K miles instead of about 10K miles which should put us in maintenance and tire windows.  We’ll be heading out tomorrow (6/8) sometime and this will be the general route from northern Montana.

 

 

What could possibly go wrong? 
 

 

 

 

She'll need gas on that "thing" before you do.........

[szurszewski]

22 hours ago, Indy Dave said:

You KNOW you both didn't sleep last night . . .

 

KICK STAND up and get those 5 wheels rolling!!! Daylight's a wasting!

You're undercounting wheels AND overcounting kickstands! 

 

I suspect today there are eight rolling wheels and five more enjoying the view from their spots in the trailer/truck bed. (Nine or maybe even ten if there are spares for the truck and trailer!)

 

@greiffster Looking forward to seeing more about this, but very disappointed you're choosing boring Alaska over the very much more exciting Olympic Peninsula ;)

 

EDIT TO ADD - oh my I owe @Indy Davean apology - I am a poor reader. You had the right number of kickstand all along EEP!

 

 

[greiffster]

14 hours ago, BamaJohn said:

She'll need gas on that "thing" before you do.........

Yeah. 6 gallons so it’s decent size. But it’s been getting about 32mpg. So she’s the weak link in the range game. But, I’m carrying a small fuel bottle and siphon. So, in a pinch I can share some fuel off the Valdez tank and together I think we could go 270ish miles. 

[greiffster]

So we packed up and headed out about 10:30 this morning.

[greiffster]

Rewind to last summer..

 

Nicol says she’d like to go on this trip. Maybe on a Can-Am Spyder. Well first thing first.  Go take the MSF and get a license. I suggested the regular 2 wheeled course. In Tennessee, you can take and get an M endorsement on 2 or 3 wheels. My thinking is that if you can ride 2 wheels, you can ride 3. I’m mostly correct.

 

So she takes the regular course along with our daughter.  They have a great time and both get their licenses.

 

I was looking at various under 300cc bikes for her to start on and get some mileage before looking serious at the Can-Ams. BUT, then I find this nice 75Ogs, low suspension and side cases. Maybe the perfect Alaska bike for her, eventually?  So we get it knowing it might be too much, too early. 

 

She did very well on it and was doing great but she didn’t like the weight. Perspective is everything because relative to the big pig GSA, that thing was so light it made me grin when I got on it. She dropped it on a trip to Chattanooga (sharp right hand, up hill turn from a stop). She was prepared knowing that she was going to drop it sooner than later. Welcome to the club. None the less she decides it’s too heavy. Spyder it is. 

[Hosstage]

Gotta be comfortable to enjoy it. Have fun and good luck!

[szurszewski]

5 hours ago, greiffster said:

Rewind to last summer..

 

Nicol says she’d like to go on this trip. Maybe on a Can-Am Spyder. Well first thing first.  Go take the MSF and get a license. I suggested the regular 2 wheeled course. In Tennessee, you can take and get an M endorsement on a 2 or 3 wheels. My thinking is that if you can ride 2 wheels, you can ride 3. I’m mostly correct.

 

So she takes the regular course along with our daughter.  They have a great time and both get their licenses.

 

I was looking at various under 300cc bikes for her to start on and get some mileage before looking serious at the Can-Ams. BUT, then I find this nice 75Ogs, low suspension and side cases. Maybe the perfect Alaska bike for her, eventually?  So we get it knowing it might be too much, too early. 

 

She did very well on it and was doing great but she didn’t like the weight. Perspective is everything because relative to the big pig GSA, that thing was so light it made me grin when I got on it. She dropped it on a trip to Chattanooga (sharp right hand, up hill turn from a stop). She was prepared knowing that she was going to drop it sooner than later. Welcome to the club. None the less she decides it’s too heavy. Spyder it is. 

 

 

Wait until she has to pick the Spyder up - that's got to be WAY harder than picking up that little bitty baby GS.... ;)

 

[Hosstage]

4 hours ago, szurszewski said:

 

 

Wait until she has to pick the Spyder up - that's got to be WAY harder than picking up that little bitty baby GS.... ;)

 

Things have gone very badly if it gets to that point!

[Indy Dave]

22 hours ago, szurszewski said:

You're undercounting wheels AND overcounting kickstands! 

 

I suspect today there are eight rolling wheels and five more enjoying the view from their spots in the trailer/truck bed. (Nine or maybe even ten if there are spares for the truck and trailer!)

 

@greiffster Looking forward to seeing more about this, but very disappointed you're choosing boring Alaska over the very much more exciting Olympic Peninsula ;)

 

EDIT TO ADD - oh my I owe @Indy Davean apology - I am a poor reader. You had the right number of kickstand all along EEP!

 

 

 

Well, ya . . .I forgot to carry the 1 .  Hey, I hadn't had my coffee yet (not that it would have helped my math in any way).

 

 

 

 

[szurszewski]

1 hour ago, Hosstage said:

Things have gone very badly if it gets to that point!

You never know when you might have to swerve to miss a moose and end up in a muskeg! 

[TEWKS]

Not to be a Debbie Downer but, have you considered the belt dive on the Spyder? I can only assume you’ll be traveling on gravel…

 

A wedged stone in a Spyder belt can ruin your day. 
 

Sorry, now back to your regularly scheduled happy Alaska vacation! 

[szurszewski]

1 hour ago, TEWKS said:

Not to be a Debbie Downer but, have you considered the belt dive on the Spyder? I can only assume you’ll be traveling on gravel…

 

A wedged stone in a Spyder belt can ruin your day. 
 

Sorry, now back to your regularly scheduled happy Alaska vacation! 

 

Kind of late for that concern ;)

 

 

That said, all kinds of belt drive bikes go, every year, where they’re going. I’m not saying gravel in belts is not bad, but judging by all the bikes I’ve seen riding with belts in that part of the world vs the number of times I’ve encountered or heard of a rock induced belt failure on or around the Alcan (zero - but that’s just my knowledge), I assume it’s less of a problem than you and I think it might be. 

[TEWKS]

18 minutes ago, szurszewski said:

Kind of late for that concern ;)

In my defense, this appeared as a “Flash Mob” Alaskan road trip. At least that’s how I saw it. 

 

Yeah, I think the concern is over played too, but it’s out there. 

[Indy Dave]

22 minutes ago, TEWKS said:

In my defense, this appeared as a “Flash Mob” Alaskan road trip. At least that’s how I saw it. 

 

Yeah, I think the concern is over played too, but it’s out there. 

Ha! I I misread that!

 

I thought you said "in your defense, you once appeared in a flash mob on an Alaskan Road Trip".

 

And knowing you Pat, that made perfect sense to me! 🙂

[greiffster]

4 hours ago, szurszewski said:

You never know when you might have to swerve to miss a moose and end up in a muskeg! 

She's already worried about bears.  Now we have to deal with muskegs?

[greiffster]

On 6/9/2023 at 8:59 AM, TEWKS said:

Not to be a Debbie Downer but, have you considered the belt dive on the Spyder? I can only assume you’ll be traveling on gravel…

 

A wedged stone in a Spyder belt can ruin your day. 
 

Sorry, now back to your regularly scheduled happy Alaska vacation! 

Debbie,

Yup.  The Spyders are missing what is called the "missing belt guard".  Most of the belt is protected except for gravel thrown up and forward from the rear tire.  There are available mods and I just put it on a couple months ago.  It's as protected as it can be.

[TEWKS]

Glad to hear!  And Mike, I was only playing Debbie on TV. 

[greiffster]

So the thing is a 2016 Can-Am Spyder RT-S with about 8k miles.  I bought it from a couple that are getting out of riding and pursuing bourbon tasting and reviewing.  A noble cause for sure.  Basically it was stock with the main front sprocket recall complete.  That's been the main issue for that year.  There were some previous years that had starting issues as the computers were not receiving the signals from the FOBS correctly.  But the late '15s and later have been corrected.

 

I have since gone through the whole thing and did all the required maintenance as well as new tires for the trip.  Also a couple of mods including stiffer sway bar, front skid plate, and the "Pat" belt guard.  In addition, I wired up a fuze block for heated gear and some front usb power ports.

 

The thing carries a ton with the "frunk", side bags, and rear compartment.  I've followed a few tales from Spyder owners that have made the trip and they didn't have any issues.  Obviously the haul road and Top of the World have me somewhat concerned, but were only going to tackle that if the weather cooperates.

[Dennis Andress]

3 minutes ago, greiffster said:

…if the weather cooperates

What? Are y’all coming back a second time if it doesn’t?

[Dennis Andress]

10 minutes ago, TEWKS said:

Debbie Downer ….

Debbie 👋

[Indy Dave]

1 hour ago, greiffster said:

She's already worried about bears.

At least she's looking out for you. Better keep an eye on the twinks too.

[greiffster]

Gratuitous stop. It’s been many years. It’s still stupid. 

[Indy Dave]

Oh. It's THAT kind of trip, huh? Me myself, never have stopped.

 

But.... We're heading to Glacier this summer. And yea.... I'm sure we'll have to stop and share in the stupidness.

[szurszewski]

22 hours ago, greiffster said:

I have since gone through the whole thing and did all the required maintenance as well as new tires for the trip.  Also a couple of mods including stiffer sway bar, front skid plate, and the "Pat" belt guard.  In addition, I wired up a fuze block for heated gear and some front usb power ports.

 

I am shocked to find out that you have put that much preparation into this. Simply shocked! Wait - I just thought of this for some reason: did you upgrade the shocks to the HD Alcan grade suspenders? 

 

23 hours ago, greiffster said:

She's already worried about bears.  Now we have to deal with muskegs?

 

Only if she swerves to avoid the moose. That thing has ABS, yeah? You'll be fine...

 

21 hours ago, Indy Dave said:

At least she's looking out for you. Better keep an eye on the twinks too.

 

Good news is the bears and the twinks they'll encounter are likely to be diminutive. Well, maybe not *those* bears, but the adorable black ones along the sides of the road are way smaller than most people expect, and thankfully interested in eating your goodies but not so much you.  The big brown ones are much less commonly spotted along the highways - I'd try to avoid those. Always useful to know that sometimes brown bears are black and sometimes black bears are brown (or cinnamon -my favorite!- or even white). No problem! Fortunately, there's a handy chart you can use to determine which bear you might be looking at and whether or not it is likely to try eat you (or if you should "act big and fierce" to scare it, or "curl into a ball" to hope it goes away) - I suspect the claw size difference would be key - just ask the bear to put a paw right up to your face so you can get a good look. I find a simpler way to tell is: if it's trying to eat you, probably a brown bear (or grizzly, if you prefer), but if it's just rummaging in your cooler and not growling at you, probably a black bear. 

 

 

 

taken from here: https://www.bearsmart.com/about-bears/know-the-difference/

 

3 hours ago, Indy Dave said:

Oh. It's THAT kind of trip, huh? Me myself, never have stopped.

 

Dude! They have ice cream! 

 

[Chris K]

Remember Mike, the slower runner carries the bear spray!

Also, you can tell the difference between bear species by their size.

[szurszewski]

2 hours ago, Chris K said:

Remember Mike, the slower runner carries the bear spray!

Also, you can tell the difference between bear species by their size.

 

I used to carry a pistol when hiking around grizzlies. Whenever anyone would tell me that it wouldn't be enough to stop a bear, my reply was, I don't need to shoot the bear if you've only got one good leg. 

 

They say the same thing about alpaca and llamas - but I find that's only useful if you've got them standing side by side. If you see THAT happen with a bear pair, definitely get a picture!

 

 

[greiffster]

On the road after dumping the truck and trailer in Conrad.

Canada customs. She was not very nice.  All business. Really wanting to make sure I wasn’t carrying mace. Is this really a concern?  Crazy Americans with their pepper spray?

 

[Indy Dave]

🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦

[szurszewski]

You are making big miles for three days in - I hope you feel like you can slow down a bit now. Looking forward to some great pics :)

 

Canadian law has language specifically prohibiting carrying anything intended to cause harm or injury even in self defense - you used to be able to get this weird colored foam that was in pepper spray like containers and it would stain skin pretty badly (I suppose to identify the attacker) but I don’t think you can get that anymore. We only got searched one time in 11 years of regular crossings and that time they seized some of the dog food we had (but only a portion, amusingly). I may have accidentally one time crossed the border multiple times with a prohibited defense item because I forgot it was in the console of our truck. Super glad I didn’t realize until after we were back in Alaska because I’m not sure what I would have done if I’d realized in Canada. 

[greiffster]

8 hours ago, szurszewski said:

You are making big miles for three days in - I hope you feel like you can slow down a bit now. Looking forward to some great pics :)

 

I was planning on the drive taking 3 days, but did it in 2.  So we banked a day. I’ve got the ferry booked in Valdez that I’d really like to make. And the following day we’re meeting Dan (B.O.B) and Michelle in Anchorage for a Denali plane tour ( thanks Chris and Alan for that suggestion). Other than that we have no daily schedule. 
Photos?  It’s time to launch the drone. 

[TEWKS]

1 hour ago, greiffster said:

Photos?  It’s time to launch the drone. 

Now that would make for a spectacular vantage point!  I’m drifting off track here (sorry) but, how cool would it be to film something big like a bear (from somewhere safe) with a drone? Now I have to go YouTube that, I’m sure someone has done it. 

edit

Yup, they be curious.  

[Ken S]

3 hours ago, greiffster said:

we’re meeting Dan (B.O.B) and Michelle in Anchorage 

I live in Anchorage.  If you need anything while traveling here, or would like to meet up, let me know.  I also have a nice place near Big Lake, AK if you'd like to make a stop in that area (about 50 miles north of Anchorage).

 

I've run both the Alaska Highway and Cassiar Highway in the last year, and they're mostly in pretty good shape -- except keep an eye out for some pretty serious frost-heaves.

[greiffster]

10 hours ago, TEWKS said:

Now that would make for a spectacular vantage point!  I’m drifting off track here (sorry) but, how cool would it be to film something big like a bear (from somewhere safe) with a drone? Now I have to go YouTube that, I’m sure someone has done it. 

edit

Yup, they be curious.  

Challenge excepted. I’m off to find a bear. 

[greiffster]

7 hours ago, Ken S said:

I live in Anchorage.  If you need anything while traveling here, or would like to meet up, let me know.  I also have a nice place near Big Lake, AK if you'd like to make a stop in that area (about 50 miles north of Anchorage).

 

I've run both the Alaska Highway and Cassiar Highway in the last year, and they're mostly in pretty good shape -- except keep an eye out for some pretty serious frost-heaves.

Ty. We just might have to stop by. 

[greiffster]

Banff, Icefields Parkway, Jasper. Wow.

 

 

 

 

 

[Lowndes]

Man, oh man, where is The Done Boy when you really need him??

[MikeRC]

14 hours ago, greiffster said:

 

Banff, Icefields Parkway, Jasper.  Wow.

 

 I'm glad you missed the worst of our local forest fire smoke.  It moved in here yesterday and stuck around most of the day.  Cool weather and some rain may improve things later this week. 

 

Keep an eye on road conditions and the local forest fire situation via Drive BC and Canadian Wildfire Information System (particularly the interactive map). 

 

On your return trip I hope you are aware of the process for booking an entrance/pass on the Going-to-the-Sun Road in Glacier National Park (GNP: Vehicle Reservations). 

 

Mike RC

[greiffster]

10 hours ago, MikeRC said:

 I'm glad you missed the worst of our local forest fire smoke.  It moved in here yesterday and stuck around most of the day.  Cool weather and some rain may improve things later this week. 

 

Keep an eye on road conditions and the local forest fire situation via Drive BC and Canadian Wildfire Information System (particularly the interactive map). 

 

On your return trip I hope you are aware of the process for booking an entrance/pass on the Going-to-the-Sun Road in Glacier National Park (GNP: Vehicle Reservations). 

 

Mike RC

We left Calgary Sunday morning. It was pretty hazy and it smelled of fire. It mostly cleared out by about half way to Banff. 
 

I tried to book passes for gttsr, but it was full the same day it opened. Wtf. We’re going to try and get through the gate early. We’ll see. 

[greiffster]

Entering BC.

 

Mt. Robson for coffee and breakfast. 

 

[TEWKS]

Some beautiful pictures! Even without the drone.   Keep them coming! 

[Dennis Andress]

19 minutes ago, greiffster said:

 

I tried to book passes for gttsr, but it was full the same day it opened.

 

Try booking multiple days of passes, like giving yourself a range of dates to be there. They don't follow up on unused passes...

[Indy Dave]

On 6/11/2023 at 8:14 AM, greiffster said:

 And the following day we’re meeting Dan (B.O.B) and Michelle in Anchorage .....

Do you mean S.O.B.? [B.O.B. works too, and it's spelled the same forwards and backwards - which is nice for guys like me.]  

[MikeRC]

2 hours ago, greiffster said:

We left Calgary Sunday morning. It was pretty hazy and it smelled of fire. It mostly cleared out by about half way to Banff. 
 

I tried to book passes for gttsr, but it was full the same day it opened. Wtf. We’re going to try and get through the gate early. We’ll see. 

 

That smoke was from the three out-of-control forest fires of over 1000Ha over 100 miles north of here.  

 

From the Glacier National Park Vehicle Registrations page:

Vehicle Reservation Release Dates

• A portion of vehicle reservations were released 4-months in advance. The remaining reservations will be released 24-hours in advance.
• 24-hour reservations become available daily at 8 am MDT the day before the planned visit.

Just remember that 8am MDT is for all of Montana, but parts of British Columbia and Idaho are Pacific Daylight Saving Time (one hour earlier).   I'm not sure where you are coming from or going to, but I have been on the Going-to-the-Sun almost every time of day and my favourite is after 5pm when the tourists have mostly left the park or set up camp for the night.  And it won't be getting dark until after 10pm for the next 3 weeks.

 

Mike C