Whatever/Whenever. RR Father/Son to AK

[LumpTheBeezu]

This RR moved me. I found myself caught up in it from start to finish. I didn't want it to end to be honest... I wish I had this opportunity with my dad years ago. I know we would be closer today because of it. Thank you for sharing your trip. I look forward to reading about your trip in January. Take care!

[Rutsref]

Great and inspiring report ! My son and I have already ridden our "long way up" from So Cal to N Wa. He was 19 And we were planning (ok, I was) a similar trip with a ferry return. Maybe 2011!
Cheers and Kudos

[muskeg]

Your recount of your trip was a fun read with an element of depth not often found in even the most exotic RR's. Thanks for taking the time to share the details especially the post trip thoughts.

Looking forward to more in the future!

[soph9]

just awesome and so cool you did this with your soon!

[Sportakus]

You really be a great afortunate for enjoy the two most important things...

The first your soon...

The second your bike...

Thanks for the pics friend...

[the darth peach]

Wow!
So cool to see some of the same places I saw around the same time you guys did.
What a great father/son adventure!

[GR8ADV]

Originally Posted by LumpTheBeezu

I wish I had this opportunity with my dad years ago.

Thank you all for the kind words. Yes it was a truly amazing trip. Chris actually wrote about this trip "an event that shaped my life" for his college entrance essay. It was very interesting to read about the trip from his perspective.

The Lump speaks for us all; get out there and do it. There are 50 reasons why you can't/shouldn't make this trip. Search for the 1 reason why you should.

enjoy and ride safe. if you can't be safe, be very very fast.

ken

[smilin jack]

Originally Posted by chrome bandit

On the TV: I think it's Liverpool v Rabotnicki in the Europa League qualifying round. If I'm right, save the $1, really, the RR report alone is worth the read and investment. Looks like a great trip. Keep it coming!

By coincidence, I'm just over in Sammamish with a 12GS planning an AK trip in 2012. My youngest son is aching to go, he'll still be just out of age range for the trip @ 16. He hasn't ridden a bike yet, so we would going the whole MSF et al route as well. Looks like the 650 is proving to be a good horse for you so far.

Ride safe up there!

ChromeBandit, What are the rules in Washington? Is 16 to young to motorbike? Guess the kids could ride on the back? Get him riding some dirt bikes for training and be ready for the MSF training course. Schedule it soon.

In 1966 my brother and I each rode out little Suzuki 150 twin two-smokes from Oregon to Dawson Creek and back to Oregon. He was 16 and I was 17. We didn't seem to be too young. We spent most of the summer doing it and day jobs on ranches to buy the fuel and food. Great memories.

Dick doesn't ride anymore (medical issues), but I'm riding everywhere man, and will start drawing SSAN this summer. And almost ready for another DR650, as this one's about 1/2 way to 100K miles.

GR8ADV, that was a NICE ride report. Enjoyed your photos and all the side trips to the out of the way places. That's the way to smell the flowers.

Dave

[GrizzLee]

Originally Posted by GR8ADV

Thank you all for the kind words. Yes it was a truly amazing trip. Chris actually wrote about this trip "an event that shaped my life" for his college entrance essay. It was very interesting to read about the trip from his perspective.

The Lump speaks for us all; get out there and do it. There are 50 reasons why you can't/shouldn't make this trip. Search for the 1 reason why you should.

enjoy and ride safe. if you can't be safe, be very very fast.

ken

I totally agree!! Awesoem trip report

I've done a very similar trip twice now with my son. Not on a bike, but we did go to the same places... backpacked, kayaked the Yukon river (500 miles.. my son paddled his own kayak at 11 years old!) trekked on the tundra, backapacked the Chilkoot trail..... all when my son was 11 years old.

You can come with a milliion excuses why you "can't" do this.... All I can say, "can't" is not a word we use in our house. Everyone should do something like this at least once in thier life. To do it with your children is comendable.

Our 3 month trip up north in 2007:
http://rubikonthewaynorth.blogspot.com/

Current blog:
http://rubikonadventures.blogspot.com/

BTW: I am going back up there this summer for 6 weeks with my son (now 15 years old) to do some more trekking. When he is of age, you can bet that we will be heading up there on our bikes.

Once you taste the water up there... you get very thirsty for more.

-GrizzLee

[GR8ADV]

Originally Posted by THX_337

Once you taste the water up there... you get very thirsty for more.

-GrizzLee

What a lucky boy you have there! I will pm you later this week and we can hook up.

Stay thirsty my friend...

[GS Dad]

GR8ADV, thank you so much for taking the time to write up this RR. This is the trip that my wife and I want to take with our daughter. She's 7 now (the daughter, not the wife) and loves riding with us. Your story and pictures have stoked the fire to make sure we get this done!

[Erik500]

I've spend a few hours to read your RR from start to finish, and would like to thank you for sharing your great adventure with all of us here.
It was a pleasure to read and see all these amazing pictures. What a great way to spend time between a Dad and a Son.
Thanks !

Erik.

[gutsplitter]

Great RR - best I've read. Wish I had more pictures & better journal to remember the trip my son & I made circling BC the summer after he graduated!

[GR8ADV]

Originally Posted by gutsplitter

Great RR - best I've read. Wish I had more pictures & better journal to remember the trip my son & I made circling BC the summer after he graduated!

Yea, for Christmas I gave him a book with the entire RR in it, along with many more photos from the trip, and included some misc things we picked up like the Ferry ticket, a fishing pass and other memorabilia, and wrapped it up in his rear tire from the trip with "Chris and Ken, Alaska 2010" painted on it. It was fun. I know that he will open that up a few times over his lifetime.

[letz4wheel]

Originally Posted by GR8ADV

Yea, for Christmas I gave him a book with the entire RR in it, along with many more photos from the trip, and included some misc things we picked up like the Ferry ticket, a fishing pass and other memorabilia, and wrapped it up in his rear tire from the trip with "Chris and Ken, Alaska 2010" painted on it. It was fun. I know that he will open that up a few times over his lifetime.

Cheap Bastich! Yup that was a joke lol. Some of the best gifts I ever got as kid were the ones I understood the least. They are now the ones I treasure. Thanks for the wonderful ride report, wanna adopt me? lol