CREATING A SAR MOUNTAIN BIKE TEAM IN THE MOJAVE

RED ROCK SEARCH AND RESCUE
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA

Article in Development

Coming Soon

No Worries…..I'm Still Kicking and Living In Las Vegas

Not a single post on my blog since I completed my round trip journey from Butte, Montana to Fairbanks, Alaska during the summer of 2012. From the end of August 2012 until today so much has happened in my life that I turned away from writing about it. What transpired over these past 17 months was just as life changing as that epic Alaskan journey. I'll spare the details….life happens….focus changes…new opportunities come along. It's all good. I'm 1620 days post heart attack….and life continues to be filled with gratitude for every day I've been given. Now, let's begin a new chapter!

Red Rock Canyon in Las Vegas, Nevada
August 28, 2013

NEVER SAY NEVER- I'M LIVING IT

Finished the first three weeks of my Alaska cycling trip.

It's been quite awhile since I posted here. It's not that I have nothing to say. It's more a case of I have too much to share and no opportunity to get access to the internet here in the wilds of Canada. And, I am suffering from a severe lack of energy at the end of each Five For Alaska cycling day. Twenty-three days have elapsed and 2,293 miles have been ridden since leaving Butte, Montana on June 15th. Tonight the Five For Alaska team find themselves camped along the shore of Teslin Lake in the Yukon. Tomorrow we ride 114 miles to Whitehorse. 

To make up for lost time I am posting my daily log and trip journal covering these past 23 days across the top tube.

Day 1- June 15 Departure from the Outdoorsman at 1330 62ºF

63 miles/ 04:42:02 RT

Rt: Butte to Anaconda/ via Old Hwy 1, Missler Rd thru Ramsey,Mile X-Crossing to east side Bossard Rd along I-90, Fairmont RD to cutoff at Old Hwy 10, Old Hwy 10 to Hwy 1 toward Hwy 48 north Jnct at Anaconda. Then north frontage road into Deer Lodge downtown passed the old prison. Cut across I-90 at Beck Hill Rd and took north bound shoulder of I-90 for 4.3 miles to Beck-Hill Rd to overnight at River Front RV Park in Garrison, MT. Caretaker for RV let me ride his all electric bike. It was fast but weighed over 100 lbs.

Wx: Headwinds/crosswinds/temps mid to upper 50s / mid 60s

Overnight: River Front RV Park in Garrison, MT.

Wildlife: 4 deer, 2 antelope

Day 2- June 16 Departure from Garrison, MT at 0818 45ºF

78.67 miles / 05:30 RT for total route ( my time riding bike 41 miles/driving RV 36.67 miles 03:48:38 RT) . My total miles on the bike was 53 miles in 03:28)

Rt: US Hwy 12 east to Avon, MT along Little Black Foot River. Saw 2 bald eagles and 4 whitetail deer. At Avon, MT took MT141 north to MT200. Saw 6 antelope near Antelope Hill  on MT141. At 141/200 had lunch along side of the road where we met the RV for driver change. I drove from that point on MT 200 north to Ovando. Stopped in Ovando to visit the Fry’s at the general store. Learned a lot about “Little Larry” that was featured in the Tour Divide. He had a colorful life, was known as the Bob Marshall Bandit for stealing wood from the National Forest near Huckleberry Pass. Arrested a couple of times, went to prison twice, died of liver cancer last year (2011).

Wx: light winds in the am increased to 10-15mph by noon, temps in low 50s-mid 60s by afternoon

Overnight: Salmon Lake State Park N 47º05.503 W 113º23.785  Elevation: 4559 ft

Wildlfe: 5 deer, 2 bald eagles, 6 antelope, 1 marmot, a Kingfisher, and several red winged black birds

Day 3- June 17 Departure from Salmon Lake, MT at 0808 42.5ºF

65.3 miles/ 4:13:20 RT for total route. Avg 15.1mph./max speed 34.2mph

Rt: US 83 north from Salmon Lake to Swan Lake, MT

Halfway driver change and lunch was in light rain approx. 31 miles north of Salmon Lake. Minor mishap between Bob and Ken, with both going down in the roadway about 80 yards from the RV after pulling onto the highway from where the RV was parked. Bob had stopped on shoulder and Ken didn’t see him stopped and ran into Bob from behind. Ken was a bit shaken, but okay. He damaged is front brake slightly, and I managed to torque it back into alignment. He also damaged both cage bolts on the down tube bottle holder which I removed. Fortunately the thread pitch was not damaged, nor were the frame grommets. I’ll see about getting him some new bolts tomorrow in Whitefish at the local bike shop. It’s 2126 and it’s still raining. We’re all settling in for bed.

Wx: at 0808 departure light rain and 49F, light rain to occasions of heavy rain at times, rode out of showers about 10 miles north of Condon USFS Work Station. The final 12 miles were with favorable 10-15mph tailwinds into Swan Lake, MT.

Overnight: Swan Lake, MT N 47º55.259 W 113º50.379

Wildlife:  5 white tail deer, several turkey, and a herd of buffalo, and one dbsor (dead by side of road) female adult elk

Total ride mileage at end of Day 3: 213.6 miles

Total ride time: 13hr30min30sec

Total calories expended: 12,426

Day 4- June 18 Departure from Swan Lake, MT at 0810 MDT in light rain, Temp 49ºF

Stats:  93.54 miles / 04:15:15 h:m:s Ride Time (RT) for total route. My ride distance was 47 miles and I drove  the SAG the balance of the day to Fortine.

Route:  US 83 from Swan Lake to Montana 35 east of Kalispell, then along Montana 206 into Columbia Falls,  then west on Hwy 40 to US 93 North through Whitefish, Montana and north to Fortine, Montana 

Weather: light rain most of the day, winds 5-10mph, temps in the upper 40s

Wildlife Seen:  5 white tail deer, 8 turkeys

Overnight:  Jerry’s Bar and RV Park, Fortine, Montana

Summary of our day:

We rode in and out of light rain most of the day. Traffic seemed heavy for rural areas and the shoulders along the route were non-existent in some cases. The most dangerous section was Montana 206 to the US 2 junction in Columbia Falls. We had too many close encounters with big rigs and the speed on that stretch of roadway was excessive given the limited width and the absence of shoulders. Stopped in Columbia Falls for a driver change and lunch. I took over driving the RV from Bert and then did some grocery shopping for the crew at Super 1 Foods in Columbia Falls. I then drove to Whitefish to Glacier Cyclery for some spare parts for Bob’s bikes. There I meet Cricket Butler and her son Grayson. Grayson is a Type 1 Diabetic patient, and I’m riding for him. His name is written on the top tube of my bike as we head to Alaska. I met the team in Fortine north of Whitefish. Read Ken’s biketoalaska.blogspot.com for more details. The waitress at Jerry’s Restaurant where we had dinner said she was making a donation to our Tour de Cure ride in memory of her 30 year old daughter who recently passed away from Type 1 diabetes.

Day 5- June 19 Departure from Fortine, MT at 0838 MDT in light rain, Temp 47ºF

Stats: 83 miles/ RT 05:41:43 for entire route. Avg 14.5mph/max speed 43.5mph on the 8% descent over the Elk River / 3,133 ft of climbing was accomplished enroute today.

Route: From Fortine, MT USA 93/Canada 93 to US/Canada Border Crossing at Roosville, British Columbia

Weather: As usual these past few days we left in a cold, light drizzle. Fortunately it dissipated and we had generally overcast skies and cool temps as we approached the Roosville border crossing. We arrived in  Ft.Steele, BC at 1545.

Wildlife Seen: 6 white tail deer, 6 turkeys

Overnight: Fort Steele CG, British Columbia

Summary on our day:

Left Fortine in a light rain, and rain was intermittent all day until we were 10 miles into British Columbia. It was a good day on the bike. The ride was gentle rolling terrain along a river valley into Ft Steele.

Day 6- June 20 Departure from Fort Steel, British Columbia at 0826 MDT, Temp 49ºF

Stats:  79.5 miles/ my RT for 42.4miles was 03:39:04 (drove RV to Radium Hot Springs after 1/2 way lunch break), Avg 12.14mph/max speed 34.5 mph, 3,062 ft of climbing was accomplished enroute today.

Route:  From Fort Steele, BC on Canada 93 to Radium Hot Springs, British Columbia

Weather: First entirely rainless day on the bike. Partly cloudy, light winds, and temps in the low-mid 60s. 

Wildlife Seen: 12 bighorn sheep, 3 bald eagles, 3 red tail hawks, and 1 deer along Columbia Lake at Canal Flats south of Radium Hot Springs.

Overnight: Radium Hot Springs, British Columbia N 50º.37.628’ W 116º04.135’

Summary on our day:

Nice day to be a cyclist. No rain today. Beautiful mountain scenery, lakes, and rivers.

Stats through Day 6 of our journey:

Total ride mileage at end of Day 6: 471.74 miles

Total ride time: 27:26:26 h:m:s of riding time (RT)

Total calories expended: 26,799 C

Total climbing: 15,151 feet

Day 7- June 21 Departure from Radium Hot Springs, British Columbia 0843 33.8ºF/1º C

Stats: 92.41 miles / RT 04:27:26/ 5,817 ft of climbing, I drove the RV the first half, so I rode the 49 miles remaining into Banff over the Continental Divide

Route: Hwy 93 to Canada 1 South

Weather: chilly in the mid 30s to mid 50s most of the day, light winds, partly cloudy

Wildlife Seen: 3 black bear, 1 grizzly juvenile (didn’t see Momma), 2 white tail deer,2 hawks,a marmot,and plenty of squirrels.

Overnight: Banff, Alberta N 51º 11.1711 W 115º32.752

Summary on our day:

Started out the day with Derek riding shotgun as Bert, Ken, and Bob climbed up to Sinclair Pass. Just after their summit we encountered a black bear crossing the road in front of them and a little more down the descent we saw another bear that Derek took some photos of. When we got to an overlook for a break, Derek geared up for the descent and off they all went toward our Kootenay Crossing lunch stop after I did two headset adjustments. After crossing the Continental Divide we motored some 30+ miles into Banff to find the camp ground at Tunnel Mountain. That 30 miles was a killer for me with the wind. Had some pretty severe swelling of my left calf (residual damage from a 2008 DVT that now causes fluid build up), so had to elevate the leg and begin wearing my compression socks that I normally wear post-rides. Starting tomorrow I’ll wear them 24/7 and see if that helps on those long days in the saddle.

Day 8- June 22 Departure from Banff, Alberta at 1037

Stats: 48.15 miles / 2,437 ft climbing / RT in RV 01:56:26 ( I took the day off from riding to alleviate the swelling in my left leg)

Route: Alternate Canada 1A north to Lake Louise

Weather: beautiful day, partly cloudy, light winds, temps in the upper 50s

Wildlife Seen: 1 black bear at southern end of Moose meadow

Overnight: Lake Louise CG

Summary: 

Started out the day following Bob, Derek, Bert, and Ken into Banff to see the Banff Springs Hotel and to eat breakfast before heading out to Lake Louise. We had a nice breakfast and the guys departed Banff on a very scenic and low traffic alternate 1A to avoid the freeway like conditions of Canada 1. I stayed in Banff a bit to find Bob a spare tire for Derek’s bike at a local bike shop. I left town and got on Route 1A to catch up the the team. 1A is a tree shrouded two lane road with numerous climbs on divided one way routes around hillsides for opposing traffic. It really made the steep climbs safer for the riders I thought. I encountered a black bear crossing the road just after the guys had ridden through that section at the south end of Moose Meadow. It was a short day, but I was grateful that I had a rest day to let my leg recover, which it did.

Day 9- June 23 Departure from Lake Louise, Alberta at 0903 temp 47ºF, calm winds

Stats: 61.3 miles/RT 04:24:21 h:m:s, ET 07:37:00 h:m:s,avg speed 13.3mph/ max speed 42.7mph over Bow Pass on 8-9% grade, 2,652 of total climbing, 3,512 calories expended 

Route: Canada 93 North

Weather: temps 42-47ºF, overcast,light to heavy rain for the first 24.7 miles, temps 45-47ºF/9ºC hovering around the upper 30s above 6000 feet the last 34.03 miles

Wildlife Seen: mother black bear with cub

Overnight: Primitive Rampart CG with outhouse, no showers, no water or electric hook-ups, and plenty of equal opportunity mosquitoes for everyone.

Summary on our day: 

This had to have been my most miserable day on the bike so far this trip. For the first few hours we rode in a cold, constant drizzle that varied in intensity from light to moderate rainfall. As we reached the 6000 foot level I could see my own breath as if it were a winter’s day. It was cold to me. I stayed fairly dry for the first hour in the rain, but as we slogged on I got wetter and colder. My shoes and gloves quickly filled with water. My toes were so cold and were free swimming in water as if in 100 meter medley relay race. By the time we all meet up with Ken at Bow Lake just about 3 miles below Bow Summit, we had numb toes and fingers. We quickly got out of our wet clothing and by the time we were done the inside of the RV looked like someone has open a Chinese laundry. After several cups of hot anything,lunch, and almost an hour of warming up Bert, Bob, and I suited up in what dry clothing we had, put on our wet shoes (I put baggies over my dry socks in my wet shoes), and headed up to Bow Summit. The balance of the ride (a little over 34 miles) was full of countless waterfalls, scenic mountain glaciers and beautiful glacier lakes, and was done on dry, rough roads without any more rain. At one point, at the base of a hill I spotted a car parked on the shoulder and wondered why they were impeding our way. It was then that I spotted a mother black bear and her cub foraging in the grass above the road. When I stopped to take a photo of them, cars and buses began stopping along both shoulders and droves of folks bailed out of their vehicles and made a mad dash to see the pair. I almost got doored by one German woman who was so excited about the event she was shouting as she ran downhill toward the bears. I rode up the hill as fast as I could and felt bad for the bears that their quiet forest hillside lunch was so destroyed by overly excited tourists. 

We arrived at our overnight CG about 1645, changed clothes, locked up our bikes to the picnic table, and headed back down the road 7 miles to the only restaurant at Saskatchewan Crossing. I had a piping hot bowl of tomato bisque, a small salad, and some yam fries without a drink for the outrageous price of $22 bucks. Back to the CG we went after dinner, I did a little organizing, photo and GPS data downloading, and began writing today’s journal entry. By 8PM all were tuck in to their respective beds and most were asleep by 2030. I typed this up on my laptop while listening to the rain pelt the top of the RV. It’s 2042 now, the light is fading, my computer battery is at 61%, so it’s my turn to shut it down for the night. o/o

Day 10- June 24 Departure from Rampart CG 7.4 miles north of Saskatchewan River Crossing 0800

Stats: 81.10 miles / RT* 04:14:44 h:m:s / 4020 of climbing. My total miles were 35.73 / RT 03:04:54 with 2451 feet of climbing including the 1,435 feet climb over Sunwapta Pass on the Big Ben road climbing with grades from 6-13% ( 1 cat 2 and 1 cat 4 climb). Max altitude at top of pass was 6,680 feet and the temp was in the 30s as verified by my frozen hands and visible breath.

Route: Canada 93 North

Weather: first part of the day cool temps in the upper 40s dense overcast, light winds, 2nd half moderate to heavy, cold rain, temps mid30s-40s, dense overcast...IT WAS COLD...and so was I.

Wildlife Seen: 2 black bears, 2 elk

Overnight: Wabasso CG 9.0 km south of Jasper, Alberta on 93A @ N 52º45.858’ W 117º59.029

Summary on our day:

We started out riding under heavy, overcast skies, and cools temps. At least we could out run the mosquitos. We all started out wearing wet cycling clothes because of previous day’s slog fest in the rain from Lake Louise. Fortunately we didn’t encounter any rain until our lunch break at mile 36 into the day at the roadside turnout at Mushroom/Diadem Mountain view. Only Ken finished the total ride today. The rest of the team opted to avoid hyperthermia, abandoned the ride, and drove to the overnight after looking for Ken in the cold downpour to be sure he was okay.

We finally caught up with Ken at the Wabasso CG south of Jasper. After covering and locking the bikes to a picnic table at the camp site, we drove into Jasper to wash our wet clothes, eat dinner, shop for food, and try to get in touch with our families through WiFi or Internet. Bert and I took turns on my laptop paying $1.00 per 10 minutes of Internet time at an Ice Cream Shop to contact our wives by email. We finally met up a local Pub where some of us were able to used the WiFi to conduct business. I only had a few minutes to use my laptop as the battery had run down from lack of being able to recharge it over the past two days. At least tonight as I type this, we have an electric hook up to recharge everything. It’s 10:29PM (2229) and still quite light outside, but it’s time to shower and hit the sleeping bag. It’s my rotation to start the day tomorrow driving the RV, so I’ll be on the bike for the final half of Day 11’s ride to Hinton, Alberta. o/o

Stats through Day 10 of our journey:

Total ride mileage at end of Day 10: 752.85 miles

Total ride time: 42:29:24 h:m:s of riding time (RT)

Total calories expended: 44,281 C

Total climbing: 32,641 feet

Day 11- June 25 Departure from Wabasso CG at 8:53

Stats: 63 miles for me, 55 miles for the team, lost the rest of the data from today. See my explanation below.

Route: Canada 16 from Jasper to Hinton, Alberta

Weather: glorious sunshine, tailwinds, and mid 70s...IT WASN”T RAINING!

Wildlife Seen: 8 female elk,1 elk calf,1 bull elk,1 black bear,10 Big Horn Sheep

Overnight: KOA CG, Hinton, Alberta (first WiFi connection since June 20)

Summary on our day: 

Happy Birthday to my dear, sweet wife, Jean. Oh, how I miss you more with each passing day. I loved being able to talk to your this morning to wish you a happy birthday, and it was from a pay phone in the forest near our campsite. For this reason, and the fact that we had a stellar, warm, sunshine filled tailwind day kinda day on the bike, it was a good day.

The end of the day was extremely frustrating because my Garmin Edge 305 computer failed to work after attempting to upload today’s ride data late this afternoon. Seems Garmin decided to change the Mac Communicator Plugin for my 305 and the required update somehow erased all the software and data from the computer. Attempts to reinstall the software were futile, so I decided to ride into Hinton to see if I could find a suitable replacement. On the way into town I got a flat 3 miles from our HOA CG. Fortunately I had what I needed to effect repairs and continued into Hinton to attend to my gps problem. Well, I couldn’t  find anything so I turned around and rode back to the CG. Thank goodness Bob had fixed a wonderful meal of pasta with marinara and bread. It hit the spot. Well, from this point forward I won’t be able to record my riding stats or plot our route until I get the Garmin situation resolved or buy a new replacement down the road. There is almost a slim to no chance that I’ll find anything where we are about to go. Stuff happens....you ride on! I’ll just do without and get mileage data from Derek since we ride essentially the same miles everyday....actually Derek rides greater distances so I rotate in to drive the RV every other day.

Day 12- June 26 Departure from Hinton, Alberta 43F

Stats: 90 miles of riding today. Left Hinton CG at 0801 and arrived in Grand Cache at 1633, 8 hr 32 min on the bike.

Route: Canada 40 North to Grand Cache

Weather: Starring out the day with 43F with frost on the bike covers, temps in the 60s all day, with a short sprinkle of rain en route.

Wildlife Seen: Ken saw our first moose and took a photo of her. I saw 5 elk and 2 whitetail deer cross the road in front of me and a Whitetail Buck and a doe grazing beside the road.

Overnight: Grand Cache Municipal CG, Grand Cache, Alberta

Summary on our day: 

This was, without any doubt the hardest 90 mile day I have had on the bike in my life. The distance wasn’t so bad, it was the combination with the steepness of the ascents and descents of the road, the relentless cross and headwinds, the road’s rough pot holed surface, narrow to non-existent shoulders, and high volume of very large logging trucks, 18 wheelers, and pickups. We even were overtaken by a two lane wide house being moved at over 60mph. Derek and I had a close encounter with the same house miles apart. Fortunately I saw it coming in my helmet mirror and moved as far right as I could to stay upright on the bike. We arrived at our CG about 4:33PM MDT very tired, in need of showers, and hungry. We had another night of pasta with marinara sauce. It was delicious for the send night in a row. We have a very long 109 mile riding day tomorrow to gets us to Grand Prairie, Alberta, staring right off the bat with a long, difficult climb off the river valley into the mountains. It will be a leg testing for sure.

Day 13- June 27 Departure from Grande Cache , Alberta at 0843 Temp 45ºF

Stats: 111 miles were ridden by Bob Brown, he is the only team member riding the entire distance today. I rode 76 miles today. We departed Grande Cache at 0843 and arrived in Grande Prairie, Alberta at 1639. 8hrs36min ET. 

Route: Canada 40 North

Weather: Partly Cloudy, started out at 45ºF with winds 270@17/gusting to 27mph. Temps were in upper 60s.

Wildlife Seen: a female moose, a red fox with a bird in its mouth, 2 bald eagles

Overnight: Camp Tamarack RV Park, Grande Prairie, Alberta

Summary on our day: 

Today I started out as the first SAG driver, so my bike miles were cut to 76 miles of the 111 miles ridden. The winds were the worst we have encountered this trip. At least it was warm and not raining.

Day 14- June 28 Departure from Grande Prairie, BC

Stats:

Route:

Weather:

Wildlife Seen:

Overnight: Dawson Creek,BC Mile Zero RV Park, Alaska Hwy

Summary on our day:

 Day 15- June 29 Departure from Dawson Creek,BC Mile Zero Alaska Hwy

Stats:

Route:

Weather:

Wildlife Seen:

Overnight: Fort St John Rotary RV Park

Summary on our day: 

Day 16- June 30 Departure from Fort St. John @ 0820 PDT

Stats: 92 miles / RT 06:31:09, avg speed 14mph, max speed 43.5mph

Route: Alaska Hwy from Fort St. John, BC to Pink Mountain, BC

Weather: @ 5:52 48ºF, during the ride 65-72ºF, winds SW@15-20 all day, cloudy with light sprinkle last three miles

Wildlife Seen: 3 dbsor female moose, 1 dbsor deer, 1 live deer

Overnight: Pink Mountain RV Park N 57º.03899 W122º.51054

Summary on our day:

During the prep for the ride my rear derailleur cable snapped inside the right shifter just as the guys were pulling out of the camp ground. Fortunately being a pro mechanic, the repair delayed me very little and I caught up to the main group fairly quickly. The entire team were riding out 20 miles north on the Alaska Hwy to have breakfast at the Shepard’s Inn. Breakfast was great and after Ken finished he rode back into Fort St John to pick up his RV, affectionately called the mothership. He then was our SAG until our lunch stop break in Wonowon, BC. Wonowon  was just a wide spot in the road with a gas station convenience store. For most the day we had a pretty brisk left quartering tailwind which occasionally become a crosswind. The road surface was somewhat better overall, but in one climbing section in the final 21 miles the road had no safe rideable shoulder and the surface was a very rough uneven chip seal with lots of small pebbles and debris. I rode the entire 92 miles. The final 21 miles had three long climbs. They were gradual Climbs with no real pitch ups, about 1.5 miles each, and I’d guess (without having the Garmin as back up) the grades were 3-6%. So by the end of the second one I fell back some distance just to monitor my heart rate and to keep it in the aerobic zone I’m so used to in training back in Las Vegas. The final 15 miles were a leisurely touring pace and I managed to get off the bike and take some photographs. I actually loved the pace even though I was the lantern rouge today. It was a great day on the bike for me. Tomorrow we have a long 142 mile day to get the Fort Nelson for our overnight. I’ll ride two sections and drive the Mothership for two sections. If I ride at least 52 miles I’ll have 1000 miles logged for the first 17 days of the trip.

Day 17- July 1 Departure from Pink Mountain @ 0758 MDT

Stats: 145 miles ( drove legs 2 and 4 rode 1 and 3 for total of 72.32 miles RT 05:02:43/MxSpd 38.2/AvgSp 14.3)

Route: Alaska 97

Weather: 42ºF at departure, cloudy, tailwinds prevailed all day, high temp was 81ºF

Wildlife Seen: 2 female moose, 2 grizzlies, 1 dbsor deer

Overnight: Fort Nelson, BC Triple G Hideaway RV Park (nice restaurant)

Summary on our day: 

Our adventure of the day was the almost 2 hour delay caused by a tread separation from the right inboard rear tire during my first RV driver shift and the 2nd leg of our long day. Derek was riding with me at the time. We waited for the rest of the guys and I found a level roadside stop so we could effect a tire change. We all got photos to document the event. In addition to the damaged tire, when it separated the restroom waste storage tank was also cracked and sewage was leaking out slightly. Ken effected a temporary repair with my duct tape. It resulted in a fairly longer day on the bike and a late arrival in Fort Nelson. When Derek and I got to town we quickly did some grocery shopping at a local food store and met the guys right at the entrance of the overnight. We had a great dinner at the Triple G restaurant and all slept well that night.

Day 18- July 2 Departure from Fort Nelson, BC at mile 300 on the Alaska Highway

Stats: 75 miles ridden by the team, 61 miles for me.

Route: Alaska 97

Weather: 55ºF at start, cloudy, windy, 

Wildlife Seen:

Overnight: Tetsa River RV

Summary on our day:

Our day started off in slow motion compared to other departure mornings because Ken had an appointment at the local Fort Nelson Kal Tire store to replace the damaged tire. Bert and I took advantage of the down time and did our laundry. We got underway after a short tour of the Heritage Museum and riding over to the tire store to see how things were coming along with the mothership.

I did 61 miles including the climb up Steamboat Mountain summit with grades 0f 6-8% for 6.7 miles and pulled the plug when my knees started hurting 1.5 miles on the washboard gravel section after the descent on the other side. Bert decided to ride to get extra miles so I drove the final 9 miles to the overnight at Tetsa River CG. I paid for the overnight and gas for the RV an almost chocked at the $6.77 per gallon price conversion from a $1.75 per liter. To add insult to injury, rain woke me at 2AM and I made a mad dash out of the comfort of my sleeping bag to cover everyone’s bike. I had no idea the rain would stop less than an hour later.

Day 19- July 3 Departure from Tetsa River CG @ 8:10am 

Stats: 85.5 miles / RT 06:22:49 /MxSpd 40.5 /AvgSp 13.2/Calories expended 3,611.9

Route: Alaska 97 north

Weather: cloudy to overcast, 58.5ºF at start, warmed to 60.5ºF, then dropped 8 degrees during cold rain

Wildlife Seen: 4 female moose, one bull moose, one loon 

Overnight: Northern Rockies Lodge and RV Park on Muncho Lake

Summary on our day: 

Probably the hardest day on the bike in my entire experience as a cyclist. Even worse than Days 9,10, and 12 of this trip. And those were the hardest up until today. We climbed two of the highest passes on the Alaska Highway, most of the last 1.5 hours in a very cold rain. Thank god the mothership was at the backside of the last descent were I could get my windbreaker and stay a little warmer as I hit speeds in the mid 30s to slightly over 40 at one point. It was insane what I did on that downhill, and I was constantly trying to feather my brakes all that I could without putting the bike in a skid on the wet pavement. I brought extra brake pads and I’ll bet I’ll need them. Those 6-9% grades are challenging enough, but the road surfaces we have been riding on are awful. In some critical cornering apexes there are no shoulders and no room for vehicles to pass with any margin of safety for us. I was frozen by ride’s end and I could not feel my either toes or fingers. I dried out my cycling shoes in the Lodge’s men’s shower using the hand drier. At least I’d start the next day’s cycling with dry shoes. The saddle sores had been getting better, but with all the extended time in the saddle over the past few days are getting worse and more painful with each passing day. I’ve been keeping everything extremely clean and medicated with antibiotic and anesthetic ointments, but the soreness is escalating. Thank goodness for the cheap gel seat cover I bought back in Dawson Creek at the local Walmart. It is literally saving my bum from more abuse. Because of the driver rotation today and Derek sitting out both climbs, I was the only person to ride both passes and the total distance to Muncho Lake.  We arrived at Muncho Lake at 1832 MDT. It was a very long and brutal day for me. The committee in my head had some long discussions with me.

Day 20- July 4 Departure from Northern Rockies Lodge on Muncho Lake

Stats: 73 miles ( I rode 37 miles of it as I had 1st driver rotation this morning into Laird Hot Springs.)My RT was 02:53:52 h:m:s/ AvgSp 12.6/ MxSpd 39.8mph

Route: Alaska 97 North

Weather: cool in the morning, 48ºF at departure, with brisk headwinds (which lasted all day), temp at finish was 77.4ºF

Wildlife Seen: 2 black bears, 1 grizzly

Overnight: Coal River Lodge RV at the Coal river crossing

Summary on our day: 

The first section of today’s ride was hard for the guys as there was a relentless headwind and some pretty short but steep grades to climb. The reward was a refreshing lunch stop at the Laird Hot Springs. Bert, Bob, and me took a nice dip in the springs. It really was hot and felt good on tired,sore muscles. Then came my portion of the day to ride on into the overnight about 35 miles out. The winds were still pretty brisk, and even though the terrain was rolling there were no real steep sections. The legs felt fine, but it was just hard keeping a constant pace because of the winds and my saddle sores made it painfully evident that this was not a ride I’d enjoy..and I didn’t! Derek and I fixed dinner tonight. We made turkey burgers ( I had my vegan option Gardenburger), french fries, baked beans, and a salad. It was our sort of Fourth of July dinner. Everyone was so exhausted that I think all of us fell asleep right after dinner cleanup. As I sit typing this into my laptop everyone is in bed and Ken is in the back of the RV snoring. The nasty headwinds were awful for Ken today, since he can’t get down in his drops like the rest of us can because of his neck positioning. He’s amazing...crazy....but amazing nonetheless. We have a very long 90+mile ride ahead of us tomorrow. I get the 3rd rotation driving the mothership, so I better get some rest as there is a 9% grade climb some 37 miles into our ride in the morning before Bert takes over from Ken. Not sure how many miles I’ll do before my rotation but it should be around 60-65miles....the bum IS NOT looking forward to it. Sleep don’t fail me now!

Day 21- July 5 Departure from Coal River

Stats: 93 team miles, I rode 68.53 miles as I drove 1 of 3 legs. RT 05:17:36 h:m:s, MxSpd 37.4/AvgSpd 12.9mph

Route: Alaska 97 North

Weather: clear to partly cloudy, temp at 0818 start 50ºF, at finish at 1752 79.3ºF, headwinds winds 5-7mph

Wildlife Seen: 7 black bear, 4 grizzlies, about 30-40 bison

Overnight: Watson Lake Downtown RV Park

Summary on our day:

It was a wild day on the Alaska Highway in the far reaches of upper British Columbia on our way to Watson Lake in the Yukon. We encountered 7 black bear and 4 grizzlies along the road and a herd of stampeding bison, maybe be 30 or so. They were hard to count since they were running alongside of us at 19-20 mph. We kept up with them for a little over a mile before they crossed the road in front of us twice and bolted into the forest. It was exciting to say the least. I managed to one hand the camera as I was riding down the descent we had just started, so I have about two minutes of HD video. We've been in some pretty remote places and it's nice to finally have WiFi at our CG in Watson Lake. We head deeper into the Yukon tomorrow and head for Whitehorse. It should take us two more long days of riding to get there. The team did 93 miles today in very steep terrain ( a lot of 9% grades...too many in fact)  and with headwinds most of the day. So far I have ridden 1272 miles total since leaving Butte 21 days ago. It's been epic in all respects.

Day 22- July 6 Departure from Watson Lake Downtown RV Park departure at 0818

Stats: 75 miles, Bert and I rode 100% of the route today. 

Route: Alaska 1 through the Yukon

Weather: clear to partly cloudy, temp at start 55ºF, temp at finish 79.4ºF, winds were most tailwinds, but last 17 miles were headwinds at 9-10mph

Wildlife Seen: 1 rabbit and 1 grizzly

Overnight: Rancheria Lodge CG

Summary on our day: 

As our days have gone of late, this day was just another perfect cycling day. The early morning temp was in the 50s, the winds were at our backs, and the road a series of gentle rollers with just a few 3-4% grades to climb, a lot less climbing today I thought overall. There was ample time for all of us to work on our tan lines. The pace was largely relaxed which felt to me more like touring as it should be. I didn’t have a very good day at all on the bike. The first 40 miles I was okay. Then after the lunch stop at Big Creek CG, I bonked big time. It was the result of the lack of sleep I had the night before and the very small breakfast I had eaten because I thought we were stopping 17 miles out to eat...and we didn’t. Even though I ate a good lunch the die was cast, and was lantern rouge again today. We didn’t see much wildlife today, just a rabbit and one very large grizzly grazing by the roadside. Got him on video. So far we have ridden 2,127 miles since leaving Butte on June  15th. Because of my rotation driving the mothership, and because I don’t to back track miles like Bert, Ken, and Bob, I have ridden 63% of the total miles doing 1,347 miles on my S-Works. 

Tomorrow, Saturday, July 7 we leave Rancheria and ride over one of the two lowest Continental Divide crossings along the Alaska Highway. The Elk Park Pass and Homestake Pass crossings back in Butte are much higher, both over 6,200 feet in elevation. This crossing is in the 2-3,000 foot range.

Day 23- July 7 Departure from Rancheria Lodge at 0718

Stats: 83 team miles ridden, I rode 45 miles as I had 2nd SAG in the mothership after the lunch stop. RT was 02:54:44 h:m:s, avg spd 15.3mph.

Route: Alaska Hwy Yukon 1

Weather: overcast, ceiling ~10,000ft, light rain, cool temps in low-to-mid 50s, winds south at ~8 to 10 mph

Wildlife Seen: 1 black bear, 1 sow moose in the river below Swan Lake, and a porcupine crossing the highway at the north end of Swan Lake.

Overnight: Dawson Peaks RV Resort on Lake Teslin N60º.11053 W132º.55165

Summary on our day:

We started about an hour earlier than usual in an attempt to get to the restaurant at the Continental Divide Lodge some 12 miles north of our overnight. But when we got there found it to be boarded up and closed. Bert drove the mothership up the road to a spot where we fixed breakfast in the RV beside the road. After a short break we were back on the road until our lunch stop at 45 miles out. A light rain began to fall at 1205 but it never got heavy and the road remained dry. The guys were happy that their shoes and gear remained dry. There is nothing worse than putting on wet, cold shoes to begin another cycling day. All-in-all a nice day on the bike with cool temps and a helpful tailwind to boot. 

Tomorrow is a 114 mile day into Whitehorse, and the following four days through July 11, we face days of 101, 110,112,and 108 miles to get us into Alaska at Chicken, our first Alaska overnight.