Whip Posted October 13, 2007 Posted October 13, 2007 As some of you may know Chris Olson, Mrs Whip and myself went to Alaska this summer. We started the planning for this trip around Fall Torrey 2006. I had read many Ride Tales and reports from all kinds of riders with different bikes and attitudes about traveling. Some camped every night and worried about bears. Others took the Alaska Marine Highway. and spent all their time on a boat before they got to Alaska. We spent many days and weeks goin over all our options. In the end we decided to ride the whole way. Mr Olson could put together about 25 days of vacation. This meant we would not have much time in Alaska. From Phoenix it would mean he would spend 18 of those 25 days riding to and from Alaska. We came up with a plan. Ship his bike to Missoula MT. Mrs Whip and I would get there early, pick it up and have it ready for him. Buuuuutttt......before I get too far ahead of myself y'all are gonna have to see some pix of our journey to Missoula. I'm gonna go through the first couple days quickly....... First Night Tucumcari NM. In New Mexico we ran into this gentleman. He asked where we were headin. He was shocked when I told him "The Artic Circle, it's too darn hot here." This was the first of what would feel like 100 "pilot vehicles" we would follow before this trip was over. Somewhere south of Breckenridge CO. North Of Breckenridge CO. Second Night Steamboat Springs CO. From there it was Jackson Hole WY. One of my favorite places in the world. Before leaving for Alaska I bought a 70 x 400 VR Nikon lens for my D-80. I got to play with it while hangin out in the town square. Every day they have a gun fight around 6pm. We were late for the fight, but I had some fun with the local color. The new Harry Potter book had just come out.... I'm not in your book. I'm pretty fast...... Let see!!!!!!!!!!!!! Not as fast as I am....... _________________________________________________________________ Before we left San Antone we were givin a very important responsibility. W8NONU sent out a call for anyone riding in the Wyoming area before we left. I answered his post with a PM. He told me a story of a young lady who's father had passed and was never able to see Wyoming. He was a biker with a big heart and a dream of riding the beautiful country of Wyoming. His daughter was his best friend. She wanted someone to take some of his ashes to Wyoming. We were honored and promised to do our best. A long the way I thought about this man(Pops), his daughter and the note she sent with the ashes. I can tell ya I could feel him riding with us as we headed north. ___________________________________________________________________ We stayed in Yellowstone for a couple days, just checkin things out. I saw this fox sneakin around the Buffalo...... It wasn't the Buffalo he was interested in.... They started to run and then turned around to face the fox..... He pretended like he wasn't interested....sometimes size does matter. We checked into the Yellowstone Lake Lodge. .....went for a walk on the shore of Yellowstone Lake. Anyone know what this is????? I had to pull over and find a comfy spot for this.. Danny and Phil..... Richard is that you????????????? One the best things about Yellowstone....no waiting in line for the Hot Tube. The showers aren't too bad either... Teaser for next week.......
Francois_Dumas Posted October 13, 2007 Posted October 13, 2007 Awesome pictures !!! You made my evening..... and I just tore up a bunch of mine The ashes thing is a wonderful gesture. May he ride forever.
Firefight911 Posted October 13, 2007 Posted October 13, 2007 Whip, You, my friend, have absolutely captured the essence of what you see in the camera's eye!!! Wow!!!!! Awesome. Can't wait to see more!
Highway41 Posted October 13, 2007 Posted October 13, 2007 Most excellent appetizer. Looking forward to the "Rest of the Story". Bill
barryNmarin Posted October 13, 2007 Posted October 13, 2007 Yellowstone is one of my favorite places in the world! You and Louise take some great pixs. Can't wait for the "rest of the story". Barry
dhanson Posted October 14, 2007 Posted October 14, 2007 Anyone know what this is????? Looks like a foam cutter. Hook up a model train transformer or such to the wires and the piano wire on top gets hot enough to cut the foam block. They use something similiar to make the wing sections for the LongEze and VariEze by "Burt Rutan". Make plywood forms and fix to each end of foam (blue high density type) then the hot wire runs on the plywood forms. Trick is to get the heat just right, no lag in wire but hot enough to cut fast, thus the spring at top on the end of wire to keep the tension (piano wire will stretch when red hot)!
Whip Posted October 14, 2007 Author Posted October 14, 2007 Hey David Thanks. What would it be used for...lakeside???? Foam cutting???????? My imagination fails me.
Jerry_75_Guy Posted October 14, 2007 Posted October 14, 2007 Hey David Thanks. What would it be used for...lakeside???? Foam cutting???????? My imagination fails me. Just a guess, but dockfloats maybe? (And I think David's guess of a foam cutter is likely correct: I'm building a Rutan derivative, and this looks very like the foam cutter in my plans, the only item I don't see is the voltage regulator.)
flyingreg Posted October 14, 2007 Posted October 14, 2007 Whip, Thanks for sharing your memories. Those are great pictures. One of these days...I'm going back to Alaska via Yellowstone and Banff.
Dances_With_Wiener_Dogs Posted October 14, 2007 Posted October 14, 2007 Thanks for the photos Whip. These are my favorites...
roydog007 Posted October 14, 2007 Posted October 14, 2007 Whip I just don't even have words, that was way cool carrying the ashes up there EXCELLENT PICS THANKS
90%angel Posted October 14, 2007 Posted October 14, 2007 Awesome pix, bro! You (and/or) Louise really have an eye for photography...not a bad pic in the bunch. Keep 'em coming!
Eschelon1 Posted October 14, 2007 Posted October 14, 2007 Every day they have a gun fight around 6pm. You drove through South Sacramento to get to Jackson Hole ?
dhanson Posted October 14, 2007 Posted October 14, 2007 Larry What would it be used for...lakeside???? Foam cutting???????? That is a good question! The only thing I can think of is a high performance rudder on a sailboat (foam form with carbon fibre layup). Or, more likely, replace/build a ski for a snowmobile (agin carbon layup), gonna need a warm fire inside for curing that epoxy tho!! Nice pictures and following your trip report closely. Between you and the "Hoon from Florida", I am getting inspired to dream about my own trip to Alaska. Just need a bike and a camera, ha!!!
flyingreg Posted October 14, 2007 Posted October 14, 2007 Larry What would it be used for...lakeside???? Foam cutting???????? Before composite airplanes and boats, fisherman used nets for catching fish. I have watched many a fisherman cut his nylon net using such a contraption, when making his nets. Just another possibility to think of.
bahetrick Posted October 15, 2007 Posted October 15, 2007 Great shots Whip. Looking forward to seeing the rest.
Mike O Posted October 15, 2007 Posted October 15, 2007 Whip, While the photo shots are really telling about Yellowstone, what you did for 'Pops' will be a story in and of itself. I'm sure they appreciate it. Mike O
BFish Posted October 15, 2007 Posted October 15, 2007 nice...can't wait to see the whole trip. took my buddy's ashes to their final resting place on the back of my moto last year. know what you mean about having another passenger.
hANNAbONE Posted October 15, 2007 Posted October 15, 2007 wOW..wHIPdON... you really did it this time, my friend. That was perhaps the coolest gesture to do what you did for that family..proud of you and Louise...awesome. The pic with their two pictures and the Tetons behind...wow - that is a cover on a book about the story. Blessings and KEEP it COMING
GS_George Posted October 15, 2007 Posted October 15, 2007 Nice Pics. Joan and I stayed at the Yellowstone Lake Lodge last summer and had great time riding in the park.
bakerzdosen Posted October 15, 2007 Posted October 15, 2007 So far so good... The problem with starting like this is that you'll have to at least sustain this level of quality.
azkaisr Posted October 15, 2007 Posted October 15, 2007 So far so good... The problem with starting like this is that you'll have to at least sustain this level of quality. He will probably need to bring in a ghost writer by the time he gets to the Canadian Border. But I like it so far! Kaisr
ully211 Posted October 15, 2007 Posted October 15, 2007 That was awesome with the ashes, Whip. Actually got to do something similar when underway on an aircraft carrier ... one of our officer's uncle had died and wanted his ashes buried at sea. His Mom and Dad came out on the ship and we did a burial at sea per US Navy tradition. Very emotional and inspirational ...
Whip Posted October 15, 2007 Author Posted October 15, 2007 So far so good... The problem with starting like this is that you'll have to at least sustain this level of quality. He will probably need to bring in a ghost writer by the time he gets to the Canadian Border. But I like it so far! Kaisr I don't need no stinkin ghost writer. I have all the facts memorized.
Paul_Burkett Posted October 15, 2007 Posted October 15, 2007 Very nice indeed, you have a great eye for taking pictures.
gottago Posted October 15, 2007 Posted October 15, 2007 See what I mean by "cowboys"! (LEO lean) Anyway..great pictures and taglines. You two are special people for helping Pops reach his dream. Can't wait to see the rest n
Joel Posted October 15, 2007 Posted October 15, 2007 Two things, Whip. First, bless you for helping Pops' dream come true. Second, next time we're together I hope I can learn something about photography from you. Good stuff, man.
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