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In Alaska, Not Every Road Is Paved

131K views 302 replies 120 participants last post by  Papa5 
#1 ·
Snow covering the ground, cloth covering the Wing... for now. That means there's a little time for posting some photos of places the Wing has taken me. For those who don't like photos that don't have a motorcycle in the picture - try to find your BACK button :lol:, because some of mine might have just scenery that I saw while riding. For the rest of you, I'll do my best to present Alaska as viewed from the seat of a GL1800.

This fall a fellow rider managed to borrow a Suzuki DR650 and we rode north on the Haul Road together to Wiseman, enjoying fall colors along the way. Stopped at the Arctic Circle, of course -


And a little farther north, at the top of Gobbler's Knob -


Heading south the next morning, the lighting was pretty good for this shot across the valley of the South Fork of the Koyukuk River -


Back at the start of the Haul Road, rather than ride back to Fairbanks, we turned west on the Elliott Hwy and rode to Manley Hot Springs. There were miles of this cobblestone-like rock that the Wing didn't really appreciate -


But the scenery made it all worthwhile -


A few weeks later a lady friend managed to obtain a permit to travel into Denali National Park, so we took the Wing two-up and rode all the way to the very end of the park road. Here's one shot as we were coming back out -


More from that trip later.

More recently, a little ride that was cut short by a heavy snowstorm west of Fairbanks. This was a gas stop at Tok earlier that morning. Temperature had warmed up to around 25° (from a low of 2° earlier), and there were 65 miles of icy pavement before I got on dry asphalt again.


Our summer riding season is too short up this way, so it has to be extended into winter. Makes for some good photo ops -


IF you don't mind a little cool weather -


Will try to add more photos to this thread as time allows.
 
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#29 ·
Unbelievably beautiful country captured magnificently by you.

Hope to be up your way in '14 or '15, Lord willin'.

Thanks for sharing.
 
#30 ·
Just my curiosity, BUT, why did you choose a wing for the type of riding you appear to do so much?
I love my wing, but I plan to stay on asphalt and nothing but asphalt if I can help it!! I have occasionally been on a well maintained hard packed gravel road, but I don't like it!
I can understand having a wing in Alaska, for certain times and roads; but where you take yours blows my little mind!!!!:shock: The extra fuel you carry certainly gives you a lot more range "for when the gas is scarce!"

Great pics!!!!
 
#31 ·
A few more before I head off to the big city this morning. These are from a little breakfast get-together some of the local ADVriders had in Talkeetna. Since the distance from home to there was about the same via either route, it was more fun to get there on pavement, and return home via the mostly-gravel Denali Hwy.

At the south Denali viewpoint on the Parks Hwy. The big mountain itself is hidden in the clouds to the right of the photo -


After the clouds blew on by, the mountain was in the clear -


The Denali Hwy runs east-west paralleling the Alaska Range. Always a beautiful ride... as long as it's not raining.


This view of the bridge across the upper Susitna River appears in many ride reports of the ride across the Denali Hwy.


Looking upstream at the braided channel of the Susitna - the Big Su.


Being that it was the 24th of September, temperatures had been dropping at the top of Maclaren Summit.
 
#32 ·
LOL, I was just over on the ADV rider board and had a pm answering my question about the front tire on a wing I'd seen a pic of over there. Same set-up and probably the same bike and rider. Thanks ALCAN Rider.

Snow clem
Hey Richard,
I think you need to update you "states I've ridden in" signature. :coffee1:
thecruiser
 
#33 ·
How does the ABS work @ 40 below?

Hey AKLDRIDER;

Fantastic pictures. If you don't mind I would like to send the link off to my Harley Buddies... just to, you know, rub them a bit.

I have often heard the expression "Ride it like you stole it!", however, I never seen anyone take such a big step up and actually live the dream. :)

Question: given the roads you ride and tires, love the studded gripster, how do you find the ABS on your wing. Do you find it useful?

BTW, Have you considered trying PlastiDip or Bedliner on the lower plastic? PlastiDip is all the rage for the import guys and over on TitanTalk.com, my other life. It easy to spray on and peels right off.

Before I order a chrome cowl, I was thinking I would spray paint my stock cowl PlastiDip Black, and see if I like the look. If I don't it just peels off in minutes.

However, for your bike, I can see Bedliner which is more durable, being something that you might find of interest... or not.

Maximum Respect,

Rick

http://www.plastidip.com/
 
#35 ·
details

Come on guys, pay attention. You're missin a lot of the fun. This is the last time I splain this. Ck the sig line from AKLDRIDER. It includes the 650 that was probably the "borrowed" 650 from the 1st set of pics. I suspect that the LD in AKLDRIDER stands for long distance, therefore the need for a wing. If not, you still need to remember how big Alaska is. LD is still an apt discription.

Jack, when I do get to Alaska, I would love for you to show me some of the places that you obviously love.

Richard

edit: Also he runs a more conventional front tire in the summer, it's just for Alaska WINTER riding that he has the studded tire for.
 
#36 ·
Jack you are my hero!!
Jeff - your hair is gonna be as white as that Wing before you bring it up here and ride around the state after your season ends, unless you do it pretty soon. :lol:
 
#37 ·
#38 ·
LOL, I was just over on the ADV rider board and had a pm answering my question about the front tire on a wing I'd seen a pic of over there. Same set-up and probably the same bike and rider. Thanks ALCAN Rider.

Snow clem
Oh-oh. my alternate nom de plume has been revealed. :oops: Nowhere left to hide. :-(
 
#39 ·
Just my curiosity, BUT, why did you choose a wing for the type of riding you appear to do so much?
The Wing was actually chosen for long distance runs, such as down the Alcan, around the U. S., and back home. The decision was made as I was returning west across the States toward the end of this run: Five Corners
While riding south through central Maine after finishing the Four Corners Tour at Madawaska it came to me that I would like to pull a camping trailer behind the bike so I could comfortably spend more time in some areas of the country, such as I was passing through at the time. A couple of days later, zipping across the Midwest with the Concours' engine spinning along at ~5000 rpm (a speed it can maintain for days on end, but it just sounds so "busy") I decided that it would be nice to have a bike that could maintain the same road speed, but with an engine that sounded as though it were loafing. The answer was simple: A GL1800

I love my wing, but I plan to stay on asphalt and nothing but asphalt if I can help it!! I have occasionally been on a well maintained hard packed gravel road, but I don't like it!
I can understand having a wing in Alaska, for certain times and roads; but where you take yours blows my little mind!!!!:shock:
Here in the largest state, we have the fewest miles of highways. Paved, contiguous highway miles (not counting city streets or those highways in the Southeast Panhandle that have to be reached by taking a ferry or traveling through Canada) are just over 1600. That's barely two days travel time on a Wing! So if I'm heading for a destination here in Alaska with little or no gravel, I'll usually straddle the Concours as it begs to be ridden quickly. For a lot of gravel, or where I might want to do some exploring that could include the bike taking naps in the dirt - it will be the KLR. But if a trip to the South 48 is planned, especially when the weather calls for heated gear, the GL1800 is the ideal mount. Of course, it also is ideal when riding in the winter during the time of year when both heated gear and auxiliary lighting are highly recommended.

The last few times I have come out of Anchorage late at night (arrival back home around midnight or a little later is common) it has been interesting to observe cages staying behind me to take advantage of the light on the Wing to spot moose on the road for them. :lol:

The extra fuel you carry certainly gives you a lot more range "for when the gas is scarce!"
Started doing that on the Concours for Alcan runs, when I usually keep the wheels turning all night long. The Wing will regularly give over 400 miles, and almost 500 if I hold the speed down. Except for one time, just before Christmas, I was riding from Orlando, FL up I-95 to Columbia, SC. Hit rain around Dayton Beach and it got heavier. Ended up riding through over 8 hours of steady, heavy rain, arriving in Columbia around 2:00 AM. Had to stop south of Columbia to get gas after only 372 miles so I wouldn't run out. The rain was sucking the gas mileage down. Didn't help that I was keeping up with the fastest traffic, of course. ;)

That Wing has made some rapid trips across the South 48, believe me. San Diego, CA to Tybee Island, GA in 45 hours total time. A trip from Alaska to Columbia, SC on the Wing and back to Alaska on the Concours in 21 days, with lots of stops along the way for photos and get-togethers. And more to come, I fervently hope.

It even manages to get in some photos in the South 48, like this one near El Capitan in the Guadalupe Mts on the Texas-New Mexico border:
 
#40 ·
Hey AKLDRIDER;

Fantastic pictures. If you don't mind I would like to send the link off to my Harley Buddies... just to, you know, rub them a bit.
Thank you. No problem with the link...but... I've always heard "Friends don't let friends ride Harleys". :lol:

Question: given the roads you ride and tires, love the studded gripster, how do you find the ABS on your wing. Do you find it useful?
While I rely heavily on the ABS to save my butt if a moose, bear, or caribou jumps out onto the road ahead of me, so far I have only felt it come on just once, and that was a month ago when I had been riding a stretch of icy pavement for about 25 miles (with another 25 miles still ahead of me). My average speed had dropped to 40 mph with the tires dancing back and forth a little on the lightly rutted ice (sort of like riding on loose gravel) when I realized I had never put the ABS to a test to see if it really did any good. (This was after passing a moose browsing rather close to the road.) So I dropped the speed to ~25 mph with my feet down and hit the front brake lever. Felt the rapid vibrations from the ABS pump as the bike slowed quickly. Gave me confidence that the ABS would do its job, so long as I did mine.

BTW, Have you considered trying PlastiDip or Bedliner on the lower plastic? PlastiDip is all the rage for the import guys and over on TitanTalk.com, my other life. It easy to spray on and peels right off.

Before I order a chrome cowl, I was thinking I would spray paint my stock cowl PlastiDip Black, and see if I like the look. If I don't it just peels off in minutes.
Heck - the whole bike's plastic, isn't it? :cool:

However, for your bike, I can see Bedliner which is more durable, being something that you might find of interest... or not.
Well... that is what color my KLR is - bedliner black -


...but not sure that would do much to enhance the Wing. :shrug:
 
#41 ·
Come on guys, pay attention. You're missin a lot of the fun. This is the last time I splain this. Ck the sig line from AKLDRIDER. It includes the 650 that was probably the "borrowed" 650 from the 1st set of pics. I suspect that the LD in AKLDRIDER stands for long distance, therefore the need for a wing. If not, you still need to remember how big Alaska is. LD is still an apt discription.
The 650 in the first pics is a Suzuki DR650 belonging to Amy (HayDuchessLives on the ADVrider forum) -


The rider was a Coastguardsman friend who was passing through on his way from Air Station Kodiak to a new station in Florida. My 650 is a KLR650 (now 685) that carries me along when Amy and I ride together, or when I escort other riders to Deadhorse (now that the '82 Suzuki GS1100 has been retired from that duty) as in this photo taken at 1:30 AM near the top of Atigun Pass on May 30, 2009 -


Jack, when I do get to Alaska, I would love for you to show me some of the places that you obviously love.
How many months do you plan to spend here? ;)

Also he runs a more conventional front tire in the summer, it's just for Alaska WINTER riding that he has the studded tire for.
Correct. For summer use an ME880 at 45 psi points me in the right direction. But... if I were to take the Wing to Deadhorse, it just might find itself wearing a 110/80-18 knobby.
 
#42 ·
Back to the good stuff - Alaska photos.

These were taken when I rode up to the Arctic Circle on April 1, 2007, a ride I labeled the "First Annual April Fools Arctic Circle Run". It has been conducted every year since, although attendance has been sparse. As a matter of fact, no rider has even attempted it in the interim. But we don't let that stop us from holding the annual event. :lol:

Having to be in Fairbanks for a business meeting on Saturday, the next day, April 1st, seemed like a good time to make the short 200 mile run on up to the Arctic Circle seeing that the Wing was still shod with its winter tires. But first, a few photos of the scenic route through Isabel Pass between home and Fairbanks. Fortunately, it was a bright, sunny day.

Just 252 miles from Glennallen to Fairbanks, and while Isabel Pass can suffer weather just as bad as Atigun Pass, this weekend it was nearly perfect. At least, as perfect as it could be with the temperature just a few degrees above zero. The route -


The Gulkana River near its headwaters, as it flows down through the canyon just north of Paxson -


Overflow during the long winter has formed ice two to five feet thick over literally hundreds of square miles of river flood plain -


Despite the cold, there is always some open water somewhere -


Minerals dissolved in the water color it varying shades of blue to green -


From Fairbanks the Steese Expressway leads out to Fox, then the Elliott Hwy takes over to get a rider to the beginning of the Dalton Hwy.


Near Livengood, the first hill on the sloping Dalton Hwy can be seen about 3 miles away -


Pulling out of Fairbanks that morning, and having no idea what road conditions awaited me, there was no guarantee that we would make it this far. But here at Mile 1 this sign assures us that we are, indeed, on the Haul Road.


Fifty-four miles later, the sight of the frozen-over Yukon River was encouraging.


While the south-facing slopes had been bare of snow, with just a thin layer of daytime mud covering the frozen gravel surface, north of the Yukon River that became intermittent, with all of the north sides retaining icy snowpack. The Wing took no notice of the changing conditions, and just kept rolling along.

On the north side of Finger Mountain the paved highway was again bare pavement, thanks to strong crosswinds all winter long and bright sunshine now that spring had sprung. Just 15 more miles to the Arctic Circle.


Success! (Along with a very dirty windshield.)


Heading back south, the steep climb up Beaver Slide looks less daunting in this setting than it does to many riders on a rainy summer day.


Even the bridges here on the Haul Road feature steep grades.


After leaving the lights of Fairbanks behind, the Northern Lights became more visible, and out of the mountains on the south side of Isabel Pass, it was time for a stretch break and a few more photos.






All in all, a very good trip. :thumbup:
 
#43 ·
No offense to Wingnutzz and other great photographers on this forum, but those were the best pictures EVER!

Full of awe and wonder here. Wow.:shock:

:thumbup:
 
#44 ·
Absolutely beautiful! But I have to be able to stay warm.

I had a camping trip with my son when he was in Boy Scouts about 5 years ago in the dead of winter. I was miserable the entire time.

I don't even pull the telescope out on nights when it's cold, even though that's when you get some really clear, atmospheric distortion free skies.....I might just build an observatory (shed with roll off roof) and buy some electric clothes.
 
#45 ·
Absolutely beautiful! But I have to be able to stay warm.

I had a camping trip with my son when he was in Boy Scouts about 5 years ago in the dead of winter. I was miserable the entire time.
You wouldn't have enjoyed this ride, then. :smile:

We had arranged that two riders from Wasilla, one on a Wee-Strom and the other on a KLR, both with freshly studded TKC80's on both ends, would ride east to meet me at the top of Eureka Summit so we could shoot some photos, as the rider on the Wee is a professional photog. It was 22 below when I pulled out of Glennallen, but I was bundled up so warm that I only had to turn on the heated grips and gloves to stay somewhat comfortable. At the higher elevation the temperature was a balmy 15 above, so we had a lot of fun shooting photos that afternoon.

In this one the zoom lens pulled the Nelchina Glacier, some 18+ miles away, right up close to the bikes.


Can hardly take credit for the way this one turned out, as the sun was hitting the viewing screen so that I could barely discern that the three bikes were somewhat centered in the photo.


The mountains in the background are the Wrangells, from this point 80 to 100 miles away. Nice, clear, haze-free winter air makes for good photos. :thumbup:
 
#49 ·
Jack,
It looks like you made a camera equipment change between the 07 photos and the recent ones. Or is it different processing?

Richard
From 2007 to now I have used 4 different cameras: Sony DSC H1, Sony DSC H7 (that last one soured me on Sony cameras), Nikon Coolpix P90, and Panasonic Lumix FH20. For the last two years the latter two have taken most of the photos. It would be nice to have a really top-notch DSLR with an assortment of lenses, but the need for a camera that I can carry in a tank bag or around my neck for quick deployment is the top priority so I stick with very capable point-and-shoot cameras. In 2008 I also began utilizing the extra capabilities of HDR for scenery shots, like this one -
 
#51 ·
Outstanding photos - thanks!!
Kudos on off-roading the wing!!:thumbup:
 
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