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Category: Alaska 2008

REAL ALASKA MOUNTAIN MAN

REAL ALASKA MOUNTAIN MAN

MY LONG TIME FRIEND SCOTT AGENBROAD, WAS A FELLOW PILOT AT NORTHWEST AIRLINES UNTIL HE HAD A MEDICAL PROBLEM REQUIRING HIM TO RETIRE AT AGE 42.

HE DECIDED TO MOVE TO ALASKA AND PURSUE HIS LIFELONG LOVE OF HUNTING AND FISHING.

IF IT MOVES SCOTT WILL SHOOT IT. AS YOU CAN SEE FROM THE TROPHY ROOM ABOVE, HE HAS HUNTED IN AFRICA AND OTHER FOREIGN LANDS.

SCOTT IS ONE OF THOSE FORTUNATE PEOPLE WHO HAS FOUND HIS PERFECT NICHE IN LIFE.

HE IS MISTER ALASKA, IN EVERY WAY.

SCOTT HAS A HOME 5 MILES FROM WASILLA WHERE HE CANNOT SEE A NEIGHBOR BUT FEELS THE NEED TO HAVE A GET- AWAY CABIN 60 MILES INTO THE REAL WILDERNESS,

WE SPENT 2 DAYS AT HIS LAKESIDE CABIN WHERE HE DOES MUCH OF HIS FISHING AND BEAR HUNTING.

WE TOOK ATV’S INTO THE WILDERNESS CHECKING OUT HIS BEAR TOWER AND OTHER HUNTING SPOTS.

WE WERE NEALRY EATEN ALIVE BY MOSQUITOES, HOW FUN.

I DID CATCH ONE VERY SMALL TROUT.

FAIRBANKS TOMORROW.

OUCH

OUCH

TODAY, I GOT A CALL FROM BILL’S WIFE SARAH THAT BILL HAD FALLEN AND BROKEN FOUR RIBS.

HE WAS RIDING A SECTION OF THE INUVIK ROAD, WE HAD KNOWN TO BE UNDER CONSTRUCTION AND HAD FRESH GRAVEL. I SUSPECT THE SAME STORM THAT I ENCOUNTERED ON THE TOP OF THE WORLD HI-WAY HAD MOVED EAST TO THE INUVIK ROAD. HE WAS AIRLIFTED FROM FORT MCPHERSON BACK TO INUVIK.

I WISH HIM A SPEEDY RECOVERY. BROKEN RIB RECOVERY IS PAINFUL AND SLOW.

ANYONE WANTING TO WISH HIM WELL MAY DO SO AT BSALTLAND@ HOTMAIL.COM

TOK TO WASILLA

TOK TO WASILLA

FINALLY, SUMMER HAS ARRIVED. I HAD A VERY BEAUTIFUL AND WARM DAYS RIDE TO WASILLA.

WASILLA IS ABOUT 50 MILES EAST OF ANCHORAGE.

ABOVE YOU SEE MT WRANGELL, WHICH LOOKS VERY WINTERY.

BYE BYE BILL

BYE BYE BILL

BILL, GASSED AND READY FOR THE DEMPSTER HI-WAY
THE YUKON RIVER LOOKING TOWARD DAWSON CITY YUKON
US/ CANADA BORDER CROSSING ON THE TOP OF THE WORLD
TOO BALD TIRE
KLONDIKE LODGE

AFTER OUR RIDE OUT OF TELEGRAPH CREEK WE CONTINUED ON ANOTHER 230 MILES TO WATSON LAKE YUKON.  WHAT A RELIEF TO BE WARM FOR THE FIRST TIME IN SEVERAL DAYS. WE MET DOZENS OF OTHER RIDERS ALL HEADING UP THE ALASKA HI-WAY. WE SPENT THE NIGHT ENJOYING THE WARM WEATHER AND AGAIN MET MARCEL AND MARY ANN.

THE NEXT DAY WE RODE ONTO WHITEHORSE YUKON WHERE WE AGAIN FOUND VERY COLD WEATHER. WE CAMPED OUT AND WOKE TO 37 DEGREE TEMPERATURES AND IT REMAINED COLD ALL THE WAY TO DAWSON  CITY.

MY ORIGINAL PLAN WAS TO RIDE THROUGH TO FAIRBANKS AND MOUNT MY OFF-ROAD TIRES, HOWEVER BILL WANTED TO RIDE THE DEMPSTER HI-WAY TO INUVIK. WHEN WE GOT TO DAWSON CITY I DISCOVERED I DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH TIRE TREAD LEFT TO RIDE ANOTHER 1000 MILES OF GRAVEL ROAD AND THEN GET TO FAIRBANKS FOR MY OTHER TIRES. THEREFORE BILL WENT ON TO INUVIK AND I AM ON MY WAY TO FAIRBANKS. WE WILL ATTEMPT TO RECONNECT IN FAIRBANKS FOR THE RIDE TO DEADHORSE.

THE DEMPSTER HI WAY IS 475 MILES OF GRAVEL AND ONE OF THE PRETTIEST HI-WAYS IN THE AREA.

THERE HAS BEEN A LOT OF RAIN AND IT IS REPORTED AS WET AND MUDDY.

MY RIDE FROM DAWSON CITY TO TOK ALASKA WAS VIA THE “ TOP OF THE WORLD HI-WAY. SO CALLED BECAUSE THE ROAD IS BUILT ON THE RIDGELINE OF A MOUNTAIN RANGE STRETCHING SOME 180 MILES AND AT TIMES SEEMS LIKE YOU ARE IN-DEED “ ON TOP OF THE WORLD “. WELL TODAY IT WAS RAINING THE ENTIRE WAY AND THE 105 MILES OF GRAVEL WAS VERY SLIPPERY INDEED, AND AGAIN VERY COLD AT 38 DEGREES AND A COLD RAIN.

I HAVE RIDDEN THIS ROAD 4 TIMES. TWO TIMES WERE DURING THE CLINTON YEARS. IT WAS WARM, SUNNY, DRY AND THE BIRDS WERE CHIRPING. BOTH TIMES DURING THE BUSH YEARS IT HAS BEEN COLD, RAINY AND CLOUDY. I DON’T HAVE THE ANSWER TO THIS SITUATION SO I E-MAILED AL GORE. HE RETURNED MY MAIL AND CONFIRMED 2 THINGS. HE INDEED HAD DISCOVERED THE INTERNET AND THAT GEORGE BUSH ALONE WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR GLOBAL WARMING AND MY MISERABLE RIDE.

I AM HOPING CONDITIONS WERE BETTER FOR BILL ON THE DEMPSTER. I HAVE RIDDEN THE DEMPSTER WHEN IT WAS MUDDY AND RON AND I HAD ONE OF THE MOST CHALLENGING AND ENJOYABLE RIDES EVER.

TOMORROW I WILL RIDE TO WASILLA AND VISIT MY FRIEND SCOTT AGENBROADE BEFORE GOING TO FAIRBANKS.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY GLEN!

65 MILES OF MUD TO TELEGRAPH CREEK

65 MILES OF MUD TO TELEGRAPH CREEK

TELEGRAPH CREEK IS 65 WEST OF DEASE LAKE B.C.  THE DIRT ROAD IS WELL MAINTAINED AND SMOOTH, SMOOTH ALWAYS MEANS VERY SLIPPERY WHEN WET. WET IT WAS. THE FIRST 33 MILES WERE VERY WET, AFTER THE NIGHT RAINS. THE ROAD CONDITIONS IMPROVED THE FURTHER WEST WE RODE BUT REMAINED WET. TELEGRAPH CREEK SETS ON THE STIKINE RIVER, WHICH IS A POPULAR RAFTING AND FISHING DESTINATION. THE TOWN HAS SEEN BETTER DAYS AND WHAT YOU SEE IN THE PHOTOS IS JUST ABOUT IT. WE RODE OUT FOR LUNCH AT THE RIVER SWAN RESTAURANT AND JUST FOR THE FUN OF IT. THE RIDE OUT TOOK 2 HOURS AND I RODE BACK, NON-STOP IN 1 HOUR 28 MINUTES. THE ROAD HAD DRIED CONSIDERABLE IN THOSE 3 HOURS.

WE THEN CONTINUED ON TO WATSON LAKE YUKON, ANOTHER 3 HOURS AND LIGHT RAIN.

THE TEMPERATURES HAVE BEEN COOL BUT NOT COLD.

WHITEHORSE TOMORROW.

A BIRDS EYE VIEW

A BIRDS EYE VIEW

BILL AND I WERE HAVING COFFEE THIS MORNING IN STEWART WHEN A RED KLR WENT BY OUR RESTAURANT, SAW THE TRAVEL STICKERS OF SOUTH-AMERICA ON OUR MOTOS AND CAME IN TO FIND OUT ABOUT OUR RIDE,AS HE WILL LEAVE IN NOVEMBER FOR HIS JOURNEY SOUTH AS WELL.

HE THEN OFFERED TO TAKE US FOR A RIDE IN HIS BELL HELICOPTER TO GET A BETTER VIEW OF THE AREA, WOW DID WE EVER. OUR 30 MINUTE FLIGHT TOOK US AROUNG THE HYDER, STEWART AREA AS WE NEVER WOULD HAVE IMAGINED.

WHAT A TREAT.

DUG  CAMMAGE THANK YOU.

MORE ROAD FRIENDS

MORE ROAD FRIENDS

THIS LIVELY CREW OF HARD RIDING, HARD DRINKING CANADIANS WERE ALL DRINKING A FEW DOZEN PITCHERS OF BEER IN HYDER ALASKA’S FAVORITE WATERING HOLE. THEY ARE ALSO TRAVELING TO INUVIK.

THEY WERE GREAT FUN AND A GOOD BUNCH OF GUYS AND GALS. I HAVE NO DOUBT WE SHALL SHARE A FEW MORE BEERS WITH THEM LATER.

FRIENDS OF THE ROAD

FRIENDS OF THE ROAD

ONE OF MY FAVORITE THINGS ABOUT MOTORCYCLE TRAVEL IS THE VERY NICE PEOPLE YOU MEET ON THE ROAD. MARCEL AND HIS WIFE MARY ANN ARE FROM SASKATCHEWAN CANADA AND WERE ABOARD MY FERRY FROM PORT HARDY. I HAVE NOW RAN INTO THEM TWICE MORE. THEY ARE RIDING THEIR HARLEY’S TO FAIRBANKS, SO OUR PATHS WILL PROBABLY CROSS AGAIN. MARY ANN IS PARTICULARLY LOOKING FORWARD TO THE GRAVEL AND MUD PARTS OF THE ROAD.

BILL, ALASKAN DRUG DEALER

BILL, ALASKAN DRUG DEALER

YOU MAY RECALL, I MET BILL IN PERU NEAR MACHU PICCHU, BILL HAD JUST VISITED THE PARK AND I WAS GOING TO IT, BUT WE AGREED TO MEET A FEW DAYS LATER IN PUNO PERU. WE RODE TOGETHER THROUGH BOLIVIA AND TO MENDOZA ARGENTINE THEN HEADED OUR SEPARATE  WAYS. BILL AND HIS WIFE SARAH OWN AND OPERATE A DRUG STORE ON PRINCE OF WHALES ISLAND ALASKA, IN MY BOOK MAKING HIM A DRUG DEALER. BILL AND I SHALL RIDE FOR THE NEXT FEW WEEKS TO DEADHORSE AND INUVIK.

THIS PHOTO WAS TAKEN AT SALMON GLACIER NEAR HYDER ALASKA.