Just finished reading it myself. What a happy way to spend the day working for the government, reading about an adventure in Alaska. It has been said many times in this thread - you are a wordsmith with a keen eye! May the roads rise to meet you, I say! Mud
Hey, snowrider, I started reading this thread so many moons ago, maybe even when you were still riding it...and I never got back till today. I don't know why but for some reason I remembered your thread and had to go back to see the end of the story. Wonderful report
Someone asked me to make a book of the Alaska trip, so I did. Some of the text is pulled from these online ride report/journal entries, but a lot of it is new, and it has some extra pictures. If anyone wants it, here it is: http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/detail/43597 .
Snowrider Thanks fer bumpin' your ride report...I never would have seen it otherwise. I just spent a few hours reading it. I'm sending the link to friends. I think the DR650 is the greatest. I'll have to get your book. What a fantastic trip! Thanks for all the work you put into writing things up. Wish I had done the same years ago on some of my own trips...at least I took pictures. Should have kept a diary or travelogue like this.
Just got through the report - amazing pictures and good storytelling. Got a real good chuckle out of "30 or free, right?" Thanks for sharing!
Aaron, fantastic ride report!! Your attitude about traveling is just great. I say you're primed for bumming the world. I'm in the process of planning for my own ride to Alaska this summer on my DR. Maybe I'll swing by Madison in the spring. Cheers,
I'm also glad for the bumps of these older ride reports. This one makes for great reading and the pictures almost make me feel as though I'm along for the trip. Two days ago I took my KLR out and met a buddy on his XR650 at a local coffee joint. Today I've spent 3 hrs shovelling snow out of the driveway (not finished yet!). I was ready for a break and reading about this trip was just the ticket. Spring is only 2 weeks away!
Thanks for the bump. I first read this report when it came out, and followed it while ignoring my office work. Was that really 2005? Quit that office job and never did get the work done!
Just send a message if you're coming by, I've got a shop if you need to get anything done on your bike and space to crash. The problem with this kind of "bumming" is it's so expensive. If I could find a way to combine motorcycle travel and real hoboing, I'd love to. Maybe I need a bike that runs on cooking oil or chicken scratch, or used starbucks cups.
The next logical step is the rest of this hemisphere, central and south america. I need at least $5k to go. Currently, I'm saving no money towards this goal as my shop and recording space is costing me about as much as I make. I'm really going to try to make some money with the shop this year by getting some more lucrative bikes to strip and part out than the old freebies filling my shop now. If I can't start making money to at least come close to paying it's rent, I need to find a cheap space and start saving for the next trip. Or maybe I need to just work on some of this other stuff and the next trip is years down the line. I don't know right now, but I sure wish I could do a trip every year. Last summer I went nowhere. This summer I'm hoping to at least get to the appalacians for a week. Too bad none of you guys own travel magazines or publishing companies. I'll go as far and long as anyone wants, on any bike they want, if someone hooks me up. And I have a standing offer to any motorcycle company, if they want their bike ridden N. E. WHERE., I will find a way to ride it there, any time of year or weather, no matter what motorcycle... if they foot the bill. (in case any execs happen across this)
Snowrider, I first read this report a couple of years ago, but I wish I had been reading it when you were on the trip. I'm pretty sure you went pretty close to my house when you went from the Oregon coast to see the spruce goose. I would've ridden to the Evergreen Aviation Museum with you. I've never been there, and it's only 30 miles south of where I live.
Well I definitely recommend it. Lots of neat stuff to see, and of course the spruce goose, which you can step into.
Stumbled across this thread while doing some research on the DR650. I had almost written it off, but after seeing what is possible on it it's back on my short list. Wasn't sure it was capable of this kind of trip, but you have proven me wrong. It seems like a very capable bike. BTW - Great Report! Thanks for taking the time. I enjoyed every page of it. If you ever decide to explore Ohio (or just pass on through - which is what I recommend... ) and need a place to stop, let me know.
A few people told me a bunch of the pictures had stopped working so I just re-uploaded all the ones that weren't working. If anyone finds any that quit just send me a message and I'll fix it when I get a chance.