IGX

I can't do it this year but a buddy of mine and I are thinking about a motorcycle trip to Alaska maybe next summer. Anybody here done something like this? Got any tips? Two bikes not one homos.

My grandfather did with a bunch of his buddies when he was 77. Had just gotten out of the hospital for having his tractor fall on him and decided he wanted to hunt in Alaska. Had a heart attack on the trip, died, and was resuscitated. He was brought back home and made my dad drive down to tennessee to go rabbit hunting with him the next week. He was a Marine and a state game warden. Bad ass motherfucker and a Good Man.

Sorry Shape, you just reminded me of him. Loved him a lot.

Stop in Seattle for a drink.

Excellent story Signaid and even more reason to make the trip.

I was having a few drinks and a smoke the other night and was thinking I needed an adventure so this idea came up. I have been rolling it around in my head off and on for awhile and I thought about doing it by myself but I've got a really good friend that likes to ride and I asked him if he was interested in doing it and he's down so why not. Just gotta put a plan together.

Hellz yes Blade.

A couple of guys visited my fraternity from the chapter at Anchorage on a motorcycle trip. On their way through they crashed both bikes and had to stay in town for something like 3 weeks.

I was at a national conference the next summer and ran into a couple guys from that same chapter who said they crashed again, had to go home and pay off their credit cards, so they never finished their trip.

That's as much as I know about traveling to or from Alaska on a motorcycle.

I told an old girlfriend one time that as soon as I got out of the Corps I wanted to drive to Alaska.

She laughed, thinking I was being sarcastic, and said "you can't drive to Alaska". She really thought it was not connected by land to the lower 48.

I continued to date her for a few more months because she was pretty.

That'd be very cool.

I've been eyeballing the drive up through Quebec to Newfoundland, which then involves a bunch of ferry rides to get down to the lower maritimes, then Maine, etc. Seriously route, lots of gravel roads.

When you get up into the border are between Alberta, British Columbia and the Northwest Territories there's some spectacular scenery.

I did it in 1984 and 1987. They tell me it's mostly paved now. And the Haul Road from Fairbanks to Prudhoe Bay has been open to the public for a few years now, so you can go all the way to the Arctic Ocean.

Did the trip back in '78. Watch out for the Moose. Bullwinkle doesn't care for cars much or "a couple of buddies" on bikes. Some dude found himself decapitated one night when he was driving his car on the highway when I made the trip.

Good information Timmah.

Baff, I'm gonna try not to crash.

Shapecharge wrote:Good information Timmah.

Baff, I'm gonna try not to crash.

Good call.

We've got a lot of good shows to discuss coming up.

Maybe you should take just one bike and ride in the back so your friend can take the, er, impact.

Read Neil Peart's book Ghost Rider. He talks about taking that trip after his daughter and wife died within six months of each other. He talks a lot about the routes he took and stuff like that.

After riding your bike there, you'll be hungry. Consider giving Orso on 5th street a try. Also, the salmon and halibut burgers at the Arctic Roadrunner are awesome.

Lastly, even bad hotels cost a shitload of money in Anchorage in the summer and are filled with cruise ship tourists. Advance reservations could save you some angina.

Shape,
Watch all 9 minutes of this. Get your MC freak on and Alaska is yours.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=85VErvTqgWc[/youtube]

syaigh wrote:My grandfather did with a bunch of his buddies when he was 77. Had just gotten out of the hospital for having his tractor fall on him and decided he wanted to hunt in Alaska. Had a heart attack on the trip, died, and was resuscitated. He was brought back home and made my dad drive down to tennessee to go rabbit hunting with him the next week. He was a Marine and a state game warden. Bad ass motherfucker and a Good Man.

Sorry Shape, you just reminded me of him. Loved him a lot.

Your grandfather is a fucking badass!

Damn it you are making me like you!

Seriously, that is fucking old school cool, bless that man.

DARTH wrote:

syaigh wrote:My grandfather did with a bunch of his buddies when he was 77. Had just gotten out of the hospital for having his tractor fall on him and decided he wanted to hunt in Alaska. Had a heart attack on the trip, died, and was resuscitated. He was brought back home and made my dad drive down to tennessee to go rabbit hunting with him the next week. He was a Marine and a state game warden. Bad ass motherfucker and a Good Man.

Sorry Shape, you just reminded me of him. Loved him a lot.

Your grandfather is a fucking badass!

Damn it you are making me like you!

Seriously, that is fucking old school cool, bless that man.

Thank you. He was. :)

msr2112 wrote:Read Neil Peart's book Ghost Rider. He talks about taking that trip after his daughter and wife died within six months of each other. He talks a lot about the routes he took and stuff like that.

I have been meaning to look into his books, especially that one. The lyrics he writes after that are fucking deeper and more emotional than anything he did before.

I always thought he was one neat guy and when I saw all that about his daughter and wife I really felt bad for the man.

I'm glad he has been able to move forward and real glad he did not kill himself, his talents have done more good and has saved more young, confused and alienated peoples lives than we will ever know but I do know it is a
lot.

Timmah, watched the whole thing...that was a great fucking video. Hilarious that he put in some of his crashes too. You know on a trip like that some shit is going to happen. Now that's a fucking bike ride.