Just me and the DRZ, my first motorcycle tour

Speaking of wild blueberries, I think the bears like them too. Did you worry about this? bete..

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I felt a little uneasy when I slept out in the wilderness in Montana and when I camped in the Canadian Rockies, but after that I really just didn't think about it.

Woke up to chilly temperatures and light rain.



Would've taken more pictures on the way up to Deadhorse but there wasn't much to see since the fog was so thick. I read in the Coldfoot visitor center that the north slope doesn't get much precipitation. Why does it have to be raining the one day I'm up here? I am freezing my ass off riding up this road.

Make it to Deadhorse at last. Here is the gas station.



Coming into town the fog was thick I could only see about 30-40 yards ahead of me and the place looked really tiny. I stopped at a kind of a motel and grabbed a bag lunch and sat outside trying to warm up. In the short time I was in town the fog lifted up and I was able to get a shot of my bike and the Arctic Ocean.



Before I started up this road I was all pumped up thinking I would jump in the Arctic Ocean to be able to say I did it, but at this point I am cold, wet and miserable and only thinking about heading south. The temperature was about 37-38 degrees here and this is the middle of August.

As I got farther south the weather continued to clear but it was still cold. Felt like one of the longest rides of my life trying to get back to camp.

I chased this guy about 2 miles down the road. No lie, he just wouldn't get off the road.



When he got off the road he jumped off of the right side. That is like a 10 foot drop off over there. He jumped off like it was nothing. Then I stopped trying to take another picture and he got back on the road and crossed over to the pipeline side







I like shots of the road to try to give you a sense of what you see while riding the bike.







I would end up spending the night at the same place I did the night before. Glad to be back in my tent after that day.

Don't knock your photo skills,
stunning pics lad,thanks for sharing.
Bloody good,keep on keeping on.

Day started with some more light rain



Back at the Yukon River crossing again I met a man and woman from Germany doing a RTW trip. They were riding those new Hondas that kinda look like the BMW GS, I forgot what they are called. There was a tour group there that had gotten off a bus and were eating lunch. Everyone was huddled around me asking about my trip and they were amazed that I had come so far and on my dirt bike while this German couple had crossed the Atlantic with their bikes and no one was talking to them. I thought that was kind of funny. They had only gone up to the Arctic Circle not all the way to Deadhorse. I followed them a lot of the way back to Fairbanks when I could keep up.

Here is my ADV salute



At the time I was glad to be off of that road, but I'm glad I did it. I had a blast.

BAISE
Was partying with your brother and dad at the 7mtns campout in PA.,they told
me you were on this trip. met you there the year before(WHISKEY) maybe see ya there this year.
EDDIE BOLTED

Lol yeah that was a fun weekend
At least I managed to get some decent riding in that weekend after
I'm living in Alaska right now if I move back east I'd love to go back to 7 mountains.

Ok, slipping back in here for another question on your DRZ. I was wondering how many miles were on your bike when you started having bearing problems?
GREAT RR BTW!

Tires, clutches, rear wheel bearing, front wheel bearing... you just kept on riding! :dllama Thanks for sharing, it was a good read.

Great RR! I'm enjoying this - thank you! (Some superb photos too, by the way).

Probably around 5,500 miles when the rear bearing went. Around 6,500 when the front bearing burned out.

Baise,

Maybe I missed something but can you tell me a bit about your set up? What year DRZ? How many miles before you started this trip? Any mods to the bike(ie. gearing, tank, etc)? It looks like you enjoyed the bike and it performed well. Great pics! What is the plan now?

Lumpyone

Missed this one. Thanks for the report. You're doing it right.

It really is a small world!!! I've been following the Mobius trip from the beginning; and your chance encounter with
your inspiration(The Dynamic DRZ riders) boggles the mind!!!

I just finished reading your report; BTW it's fantastic

In your first post of the thread, you mentioned losing your job, and how this might be the only time you would
be able to take on such an adventure. In Mobius, you were aparently on your way to work; and in this thread you confirm that you are now working in AK!!!!

I gotta ask(with tongue in cheek)did you have a job waiting for you when got to Alaska; or did you just luck into
one??

BTW, You still riding the DRZ?

Dang I still have not even finished my ride report from last summer. I don't have the internet time to do so now. I did not have a job lined up in Alaska and it took me a few months of applying to jobs until I found one. I worked at the Carlson Center in Fairbanks over the winter (loved it) and now I'm working at Sheep Mountain Lodge (mile 113.5 on the Glenn Highway) for the summer. I see a lot of ADV riders come in here. Last night I met an older man who rode his V-strom up here from Mississippi.

The DRZ is in Montana right now so the plan is to fly down there in the middle of September and ride it back east. I think it may be too cold to ride it north to Alaska at that point.

After about a year I'll try to finish this report up quick. Left Fairbanks and headed down to Tok where I caught up with the couple I rode with earlier in the trip.

View from their house



I ended up staying there for days as it was about 45-50 degrees and raining. They kept saying "Oh, you don't have to leave yet" So when the weather broke and I was ready to head down the highway they told me "You can't leave Alaska without going to Valdez". So after last minute change of plans I was on my way to Valdez.

The weather was real nice the first part of the trip down and I had some real good views of the Wrangells. The rain started to pick up the closer I got to Valdez.





Explored town a bit, seen the salmon run, crawled into my tent cold and wet and hoped for better weather tomorrow.

Coming into Valdez the previous day I wasn't that impressed. I didn't see what the big attraction was. I woke up in the morning to sunshine and magnificient views. :eek1 Where did all those mountains come from?



One of my favorite pics taken above Valdez.

I made it back to Tok where I think I stayed another 4-5 days or something trying to wait out the rain and cold. I'm thinking I need to get out of Alaska before winter comes. Eventually I saddled up and hit the road.

I can't remember where this place was, nice view though.



Camped on a 4-wheeler trail south of Whitehorse near this lake.