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Day
20 Friday June 25
Washed
the bike and spent a total of 2-1/2 hrs cleaning it. Still not perfect, but
it’s better than before, and I went to the laundromat this PM. I
have to repack the luggage (saddlebags and trunk on the bike) for tomorrow’s
run to The Circle - I don’t need to take the sleeping bag, tent, mattress, my
clothes, etc. We’re riding to
Anchorage Sunday and Monday AM early I am flying to El Paso for 3 nights. There
are some pressing issues at Teramar that need my attention. Later
- After a lot of thought, I’ve decided not to ride up to Prudhoe Bay tomorrow.
Jim doesn’t want to go past the Arctic Circle and said he’s only going
because I’m going. My thinking is that riding 241 miles on gravel road alone
would be risky, especially if I take a spill or have a flat tire. I don't have a
gun to protect myself or to use to signal with or frighten off wild animals, etc
and I would feel very vulnerable out there alone. So, Jim and I will ride to the
Circle and back and that will have to do this time. I’m thinking maybe a BMW
model F650 would be perfect for the trip and I could get one up here or maybe
rent one? I need to find someone to take the ride with me. George of Trail’s
End BMW said there is a BMW rally this weekend but didn’t say where. Maybe we
will bump into someone on Sunday and I can ask them. I want to have the 12K mile
service performed on the RT in Anchorage, and replace the tires if they’re
worn out. Oh yes, and have them check the left valve cover gasket for the oil
leak. Overnight at Fairbanks, Alaska Day
21 Saturday June 26
The
day was clear and bright, with a cloudless sky (and warm). We rolled along until
65 miles from Fairbanks (60 miles from the next fuel and help) when Jim’s
engine blew a coolant hose directly under the gas tank, and coolant sprayed all
over the engine. Not 10 minutes after that happened, two men towing an empty
flatbed trailer came by, stopped, and agreed to take the bike to Yukon River
crossing, where they were going. What luck! After they unloaded the bike at
Yukon River, they would only accept lunch at the cafe as payment. Jim
worked on his bike while I rode up to the Circle and back (120+ miles round
trip). He was ready to go when I got back.
We stopped at a Trading Post on the way up, and learned that if we looked
for and got the ‘password’ off the back of the sign at The Circle, they
would give us a free certificate for reaching the Arctic Circle. I forgot to do
that, but two Gold Wing riders gave me the word and we got certificates. Alaska
has shown us trees of many descriptions since Haines, and the ride north from
Fairbanks is no exception. However, as we rode toward the Arctic Circle the
trees became shorter and with fewer branches. The
“Arctic Circle or Bust” sign is still on my bike as I ride the dirt road
north. This is the highlight of my ride - reaching the Arctic Circle - further
north than I have ever dreamt of traveling. The sign sits on a hillside with a
panoramic view northward. As I approached the driveway to the Arctic Circle sign
I was numbed by the enormous distance I had ridden and the remoteness and
wilderness surrounding me. I was in awe of the expanse of barren tundra facing
me. It’s possible that I had some fleeting thoughts about Jack London’s
books - White Fang, Call Of The Wild, etc. and the savage frontier I was in. I
felt elated and humbled - my mortality and my insignificance enveloped me
briefly. Then I celebrated, had my photo taken in front of the sign, talked with
others who were there at the same
time, and generally relished the moment.
I
packed an extra water bottle in the trunk and the cap somehow came off and the
entire contents emptied onto and soaked the trip log and my clothes. Everything
is salvageable, but I’ll need to use the other logbook for the rest of the
trip. The trip back to Fairbanks was uneventful, but seemed very long. I
didn’t write at the end of the day for two reasons: 1) it was 9:00 PM when we
rolled back into Fairbanks. We ate a quick Mexican food dinner, and I was dead
tired; and 2) I didn’t want to look for the other log book I brought.
Overnight at Fairbanks, Alaska
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