Alaska 2023

[greiffster]

Brad,

Thanks for tip. I was already on the hunt for a suitable piece of plastic to give that a try. I heard it might work in a pinch. 
 

I did a little maintenance in the Walmart parking lot in Fairbanks. I drained it and measured it. It looks like I have only lost about 3 ml since we left so it’s leaking pretty slow. I refilled it and will keep an eye on it. 
 

ha. Deadhorse was never the plan. Not with a Spyder. But we did want a pic at the Arctic circle sign. 

[greiffster]

Back to our regular programing.

 

The ferry from Valdez to Whittier was pretty uneventful.  It mostly rained (everything in Whittier is shittier), but we did see a few harbor seals and sea otters.

 

The ferry was the Aurora and it was heavily involved in the cleanup of the spill.

 

 

 

 

 

[greiffster]

Heading from Whittier through the crazy tunnel and into Girdwood I caught this pretty good Bob Ross style shot.  

[greiffster]

We met up with Dan and Michelle back in Girdwood.  We had a Denali plane tour scheduled for Wednesday.  However we got cancelled due to weather.  We hung around Rust's Flying for a bit for a potential 30 float plane flight around Anchorage, but even that got cancelled.  We visited a glacier and the Alyeska Resort and drank and ate instead.

 

 

[greiffster]

On 6/25/2023 at 10:12 PM, Boxflyer said:

I made the one on the top from a Do Not Disturb sign from the Anchorage Marriott on a trip to Alaska back in 2014.

This exact one cleaned out the leaking fork seal on my '08RT as well as 3 other BMW Boxers with leaking Final Drive small bearing seals.

The "Real Deal" is the Seal Mate in blue, but just about anything with a gentle hook shape on it with a thickness of what is on the caliper will work.

 

KEEP GOING!!!  you don't want to miss Dead Horse!

 

 

Gonna try this in the morning.

 

 

[RT_Jim]

8 hours ago, greiffster said:

But we did want a pic at the Arctic circle sign. 

Fair warning - not much there other than the sign and a LOT of very large (and very hungry) mosquitos. 

 

We spent hours driving there to take 2 pictures with the sign and then quickly jump back in the vehicle to head back - mosquitos were bad. 

 

Crossing the Yukon River was cool and the restaurant just north of the river created some great stories for us. 

 

Good luck! 

 

 

[greiffster]

The trek down to Homer was busier than I had expected, but well worth it.  This is a great pic even if you can't see the moose.  He's there I promise.  I can't see him, and I took it.

 

Here is the cabin that Dan and Michelle booked for us.  What a great find.

 

 

Went out to the spit and ate at Captain Patties and had a few beers at the Salty Dawg.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[BrianT]

11 hours ago, greiffster said:

The trek down to Homer was busier than I had expected, but well worth it.  This is a great pic even if you can't see the moose.  He's there I promise.  I can't see him, and I took it.

 

 

 

 

I believe you.  But if you tell me he had a flying squirrel with him, I'll start to loose faith.

 

[Ken S]

On 6/27/2023 at 9:45 PM, greiffster said:

The trek down to Homer was busier than I had expected, but well worth it.

It'll be busier this weekend.  There's a record run of red salmon in the Kenai and Russian rivers this week.  Catch limits for the reds have been raised to 9 fish per day.  That hasn't happened in a number of years.

 

On your way back north from Homer, there's a nice place to eat at Cooper Landing.  It's called Gwin's Lodge, and they have nice outdoor seating for sunny days -- which is supposed to happen this weekend.  But there will be lots of people in the area, trying to get to the salmon run.

[S.O.B.]

Ken, we did stop and have lunch at Gwin's!  The rivers were crowded with folks taking advantage of the 9 day catch limit.  Pretty area for sure.  

[RandyShields]

On 6/28/2023 at 1:45 AM, greiffster said:

at the Salty Dawg

I see Michelle has her dollar bill ready.  What, they have Chippendale guys coming out?

[greiffster]

It was time to leave our friends in Anchorage and head up to Denali and Fairbanks. Here is a worthless shot of McKinley from the north viewing area.  Can you see how it majestically rises thousands of feet above its neighbors?  Of course you can’t.  Nobody ever gets to see the damn thing.

  

[TEWKS]

 IFR? Get that bird up in the air! 

[greiffster]

 

We made up to Sven's Basecamp in Fairbanks.  I believe that Sven is Austrian.  About 10 bikes were already there when we pulled in and a big student group camping.  Mrs. Sven (I didn't catch her name) makes a damn fine Americano. We stayed in one of the Treehouses, but they have wall tents and regular tent spots as well.  Stay at Svens if you ever are in Fairbanks.

 

 

 

 

 

[Dennis Andress]

17 minutes ago, greiffster said:

.... Fairbanks....

 

1979. 45 days with an average high of -35º and an average low of -65º. I remember a KC-135 slipping sideways on the icy runway when an outboard engine failed to make full thrust on takeoff.

 

 

 

 

[greiffster]

After pulling into Svens, a Dutch rider notices my final drive seal is leaking.  It has seeped in the past and can be noticed especially with a bunch of dirt and crap on it.  However, I just changed it prior to the trip and had noted that exactly 180 ml was drained out of it.  I didn't think much about it and refilled it as usual with 180 ml.

 

At Sven's it did appear to me leaking more as it showed a solid line of oil running down to the drain plug.  Certainly more than I had noticed before and so I was a bit concerned.  We were about 4200 miles in at this point and I wasn't sure how long this was going on.  I looked back at a few pictures along the way that showed the right side of the bike and it was clear that it had been leaking.

 

So the plan was wipe it clean and ride up the Elliot to the start of the Dalton (about 75 miles) the next day.  Let's see what it looks like after that distance.  If it was minimal, continue on to the circle or at least give it a shot. 

 

Side story:

The Dutch rider is on a hexhead sidecar rig that you can sort of see in the photo.  He is on a several month long trip with his wife from Mexico and up to Alaska.  Bold.  He would have offered me his spare final drive seal, except for the fact that it was taken by the Federales in Mexico.  Apparently, he shipped his bike and gear from the Netherlands to Mexico.  But, when he arrived, they accused him of "importing" the bike for probable sale.  So the took basically everything except for his cloths and riding gear.  Computer, cameras, GoPro, tools, spare bike parts, camping gear, all of it.  His options were to pay $5000 to have it "stored" until his return or $350 to have it "destroyed".

 

What bullshit.  I don't think he was planning on coming back into Mexico, but even if he was, he was going to need his stuff.  So he paid them $350 and had them destroy it all.  Which means they kept it and/or sold it.  Then he went out and bought all new stuff.  Basically everything except for the spare parts.    

[greiffster]

We make it to the start of the Dalton and grab a couple of pictures.  The mosquitos were horrendous.

 

 

 

I check out the drive and I have two streams of oil coming down the side. More than I was expecting to see.  I make the executive decision to head back to Walmart and have a closer look.

 

Nicol likes this picture of me in the Walmart parking lot.

 

 

I drained the oil and measure it.  It has lost a few ml, but not too bad.  I just wasn't sure if it was going to get any worse.  Certainly, the Dalton wasn't the place to find out.  Neither the dealer in Anchorage or a BMW shop in Fairbanks were open as it was Sunday.  In fact, neither would be open until Tuesday.  That is shitty timing on my part. 

 

We decide to skip the Dalton and head down the road to Delta Junction.  Discretion is the better part of valor or something.  I don't think Nicol was disappointed after seeing the start of the Dalton.

 

[szurszewski]

On 6/7/2023 at 2:48 PM, greiffster said:

I’m very bad about documenting rides.  

 

 

Now, _I_ would never say that about you, but it seems like it's been HOURS since you've been home and we have no idea what anything looked like after you left that Walmart parking lot....

[greiffster]

So I got the final drive refilled and the back wheel on.  It  was time to start heading south, sort of.  Or at least not north.

 

We stopped for a quick photo op in North Pole.  A stupid little town with a niche, not unlike Wall, SD.  But their niche is a big ass Santa and sleigh and not much else.

 

 

[greiffster]

On the way down to Delta Junction, I got this shot of a suspension bridge for the sole purpose of a pipeline.  Only in Alaska.  What can I say, I'm a bridge guy.

 

 

Looking south on the way had some spectacular views of the mountains. It was kind of unexpected until I looked on the map.  I can't figure out which peaks these are as there are quite a few in the area.  But the light was good and I got another one of those Bob Ross shots.  Well, I think it's pretty good anyway for an iPhone.

[greiffster]

So here is a shameless plug for the Delta Lodge in Delta Junction.  The perfect place to stay when on a ride to AK.  It's all done on-line and they send you the code to get in the place.  Maybe 5 people were staying that night in a place with about 30 rooms.  Laundry, clean everything, breakfast stuff, coffee, drinks in the fridge.  No hassle.  79 bucks.

[greiffster]

So the following day was a ride to Tok for gas and on to Dawson City via Top of the World.  I had been looking forward to this ride the entire trip.  But first a shot of one of the longer bridges on the Alcan.  This is over the Robertson River and is one of my favorite pictures so far. 

 

[greiffster]

I've read a lot of Alaska ride reports on various sites and everyone kind of rags on Chicken, the first stop on TOTW.  So I set the bar low.  I thought it was a great town and exactly as a town with population 15 at the cross roads of a couple dirt roads should be.  Nicol was trying to get a shot of the Chicken town sign, and a moose steps out.  Then they appear on the road a short time later.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Hosstage]

Stoopid moose. 

[greiffster]

Top of the world highway is mostly unpaved from Chicken to Dawson City, except for a couple sections including the border crossing.  However, on this day, the weather was great and it was in very good shape. Here's a shot at the sign just inside the border.

.

 

A link to a bit of video of the ride on TOTW.

 

[greiffster]

Like just about every river in AK/YK in June/July, the Yukon was rolling when we got to the ferry.  Here's a video from the ferry across to Dawson....

 

 

[greiffster]

Dawson City is great fun.  We stayed at the Triple J and wandered over to Diamond Tooth Gerties for some black jack and Can Can.  LOL.

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

[greiffster]

The ride south from Dawson City is paved and the scenery continues.  Here is shot from the Stewart River Bridge at Stewart Crossing.

 

We stayed at a great little cabin about 20 miles north of Whitehorse called Oma and Opas Northern Lights Cabin.  Quiet and peaceful.  The owners have a log cabin business and built the cabin along with the log house adjacent to the cabin. You can see the production area in the drone video.  Shout out to these folks as the cabin was beautiful.

 

 

12:08 am in the Yukon....

 

 

 

 

 

[TEWKS]

The Spyder do ok leaving the ferry? I know you added the extra skid plate, thinking that probably helped with the abrupt angle of departure. I only ask because my demo Spyder came with a scuffed up nose cone due to somebody not realizing how low the clearance was. (I made them replace it before I bought it) 

 

A completely enjoyable trip you’ve taken us on, thanks! And for you guys to meet up with Dan and Michelle just goes to show you how small the world actually is. And ya, I 100% agree that it is a lot easier for me to say sitting on my couch. 

[greiffster]

7 minutes ago, TEWKS said:

The Spyder do ok leaving the ferry? I know you added the extra skid plate, thinking that probably helped with the abrupt angle of departure. I only ask because my demo Spyder came with a scuffed up nose cone due to somebody not realizing how low the clearance was. (I made them replace it before I bought it) 

 

A completely enjoyable trip you’ve taken us on, thanks! And for you guys to meet up with Dan and Michelle just goes to show you how small the world actually is. And ya, I 100% agree that is a lot easier for me to say sitting on my couch. 

 

I'm not sure she scraped the nose the entire trip.  I don't think on the exit of the ferry, but I'll ask her.  I'm the one that scrapes the skid plate if I'm not careful about the angle when riding it on/off the trailer.

[greiffster]

The trip from Whitehorse to Watson Lake was partly a repeat from the opposite direction.  We've done a good job trying not to repeat segments, but this was kind or unavoidable.  Great weather and views.

 

Here's a clip of Alan's @Foot favorite bridge in Teslin, currently being replaced.

 

 

We had to be sure our plates hadn't been pinched from the Sign Post Forest.  It had been a couple weeks.  lol.

 

 

We stayed in Watson Lake for the evening.  Nicol was thinking about trading with this guy......

 

[greiffster]

2 hours ago, greiffster said:

 

I'm not sure she scraped the nose the entire trip.  I don't think on the exit of the ferry, but I'll ask her.  I'm the one that scrapes the skid plate if I'm not careful about the angle when riding it on/off the trailer.

She confirmed no issues on the Ferry.  The only issue she had with clearance that she recalls was going through some construction outside of Dawson City.  It had rained and the pilot car took us through some nasty ruts getting back up to the pavement.

[greiffster]

The ride through the Muncho Lake had the most wildlife of the trip.  We saw 6 or 7 bears, bison, goats, moose.  The weather was a bit rainy, so the pics kind of suck.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[greiffster]

When you get to Muncho Lake you have to stop at the Double G for lunch (and breakfast I'm told by Alan and Chris).  They make their own bread for their sandwiches and it's fabulous.  "White or brown?"  I just said brown because he's intimidating like the soup nazi.  Lol.  After making our sandwiches he went outside and put the gas pump back together.  .  Don't miss this place.

 

[greiffster]

My moose video might be a young caribou.  Not sure.  Nicol thinks caribou.  She might be right.

[TEWKS]

11 minutes ago, greiffster said:

My moose video might be a young caribou.

Ya, Moose / Caribou   

[szurszewski]

5 hours ago, greiffster said:

She confirmed no issues on the Ferry.  The only issue she had with clearance that she recalls was going through some construction outside of Dawson City.  It had rained and the pilot car took us through some nasty ruts getting back up to the pavement

 

Drove up to Haines in ‘96 in sort of my girlfriend’s Chrysler Laser. In one freshly graveled construction section we were moving over to get from the left to right edge of the road and encountered a very narrow but very tall “ridge” of gravel (running parallel to the road) and got to experience a wave of it going up the grill, across the hood and over the windshield. Poor car. 

5 hours ago, greiffster said:

My moose video might be a young caribou.  Not sure.  Nicol thinks caribou.  She might be right.

Hard to tell from the video (and being too lazy to look on something bigger than my phone), but the face/muzzle

looks like moose to me. 

[greiffster]

10 hours ago, szurszewski said:

 

Drove up to Haines in ‘96 in sort of my girlfriend’s Chrysler Laser. In one freshly graveled construction section we were moving over to get from the left to right edge of the road and encountered a very narrow but very tall “ridge” of gravel (running parallel to the road) and got to experience a wave of it going up the grill, across the hood and over the windshield. Poor car. 

Hard to tell from the video (and being too lazy to look on something bigger than my phone), but the face/muzzle

looks like moose to me. 

The fact you got a Laser up there at all is the real story.  

[greiffster]

Once you get to Fort Nelson, you lose the mountains and pick up the oil wells.  There is not much to see all the way into Dawson Creek.  Although I did find this beer in Fort Nelson...

 

 

The required shots when in Dawson Creek.  I guess these would be more exciting to us if we were about to get on the Alcan instead of off.

 

 

 

[Indy Dave]

21 minutes ago, greiffster said:

The fact you got a Laser up there at all is the real story.  

I was thinking the same thing, and it *apparently* made it back, despite ingesting road rock.

 

Your GS is slacking and needs to pick it up!!

[greiffster]

From Dawson Creek, our route was to take us back in to Jasper and the Icefields Parkway.  Then, near Lake Louise, head south and west toward Radium Hot Springs.  The plan was to cross the border on 93 into Whitefish and west of Glacier National Park.  Then through the park on Going to the Sun Road and back to the truck.  The ride down to Grand Prairie continued to be quite dull, except for this guy in Beaverlodge.....

 

 

 

[greiffster]

2 minutes ago, Indy Dave said:

I was thinking the same thing, and it *apparently* made it back, despite ingesting road rock.

 

Your GS is slacking and needs to pick it up!!

 

It's an 08' and you have to speak kindly to her.  

 

After stopping in Delta Junction, I ran the "Do Not Disturb" seal saver around the drive seal a few times (thanks @Boxflyer) and it hasn't leaked since.  There was some junk in there, go figure.  I'm going to guess it picked up some crap during the hundreds of miles on the Alcon between Destruction Bay and Tok.  It's a rough section.  Next time I'll leave it on the side of the road and get on the back of the Spyder.  LOL

[greiffster]

Nicol had been talking about having "Afternoon Tea" at the Fairmont in Jasper.....for months.  Yeah, I don't know what that is either.  But, I was trying to make it happen anyway.

 

For those that don't know, the Fairmont is a nice resort.  I think rooms were like $700 a night during the Canada Day weekend.  So when you get off the bike wearing the Klim, you get a lot of looks...

"They can't be on snow machines, it's Canada Day.  I hope they are not here for tea"

"I think they are Space Force.  Should we thank them for their service?  I hope they are not here for tea"

"I love your outfits?...You're not here for tea?"

 

We were too early for tea anyway, but did find some in the coffee shop.  It's actually quite good and we enjoyed it on the lawn by the lake.

 

 

 

 

[Indy Dave]

And let the Laser win?

[greiffster]

Somebody needs to tell this guy he lives in Alberta....

 

[greiffster]

I hadn't heard of Radium Hot Spring.  It was just on route to the west side of Glacier NP.  You actual cross back into BC at the divide.  The ride down and the town itself was a very nice surprise.  It kind of has that Helen, GA feel.  We did take a dip in the hot spring, but it is very commercialized and owned by the city.  I recommend having an Erdinger Dunkel and the Schnitzel at Old Salzburg.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[greiffster]

Our idea was to try and get some permits for GTTSR a couple days before we were there as they release some every morning and they are valid for 3 days.  If it wasn't to be, then we'd simply go after 3pm when a permit is not needed. 

 

We did actually get a couple permits about 2 days prior.  But we had a decent ride to get there from Radium and weren't going to get to the west entrance until the afternoon anyway.  All this to say....Don't miss it.  However you need to get in there, do it.  It's worth it even with the usual NP crowds these days.

 

We actually went in the lesser known west entrance on Camas Rd.  I didn't know about the 11 miles of dusty gravel road on N. Fork Rd. to get there.  But hey, we're pros by now.  Gravel?  pfft.

 

 

 

  

 

[greiffster]

Our final leg from Glacier NP had us chasing a storm into Conrad and back to the truck.  We get a double rainbow. That's got to be some kind of omen.

 

 

Final mileage: 6398 not to include the drive out/back from Montana.

[taylor1]

Mike Thanks for documenting and all the great photo's. Really enjoyed reading and watching your journey. It certainly has me getting excited about a few trips I have in the near future.
You headed far north, and I am heading far south. I just hope I can do as well of a job that you did, with story lines and pics.

[wbw6cos]

That was enjoyable Mike.  Thanks for letting me come along.

 

On that GTTSR:  I have never been and alwasy wondered what it looked like.   I doubt I would try looking over the wall as my head muscle is somehow connected to the handlebar muscle.     

 

I am sure Alan enjoyed your video of the his favorite bridge.  

 

It appears that y'all had a great trip.  Thanks for all the pictures and videos.