Our last night at the cabin. I was going to miss the peace and quiet, and the view.

Also homemade is the "Mud Buggy", complete with moose winch. One bad-ass four-wheeler.

The guys we went riding with yesterday got a moose and brought it by in their homemade moose hearse to clean it at Michael's cabin, since he had hoses hooked up outside.

Here's the guys trying to pull out the Rhino. Three four-wheelers with winches and it still took them lots of trys.

And then they got a call that another neighbor had gotten his Rhino stuck and needed a pull out. That takes some doing...

Sometimes we'd stop at neighbor's cabins to see if they'd gotten/seen any moose, and for some hot coffee. Joe's cabin has a nice observation deck for moose spotting.

We saw quite a few moose, even a nice, big bull. Unfortunately, he had another season to go before he would be legal. But it was amazing to watch them in their native habitat, and to see just how huge of an animal they are. It was also nice to be out and see the other critters. This was a very curious ermine. When I made little squirrel sounds at him, he'd run closer to us, get a look, then run off. But his curiousity would bring him back...

The hills are covered with four-wheeler trails, which are usually pretty dry this time of year. However, this summer was much wetter than usual, so we were in a lot of mud most of the time. Above is one of the more defined trails.

Except for a few cabin-maintenance days, we ventured out most every day for some moose hunting. The area had burned a few summers ago, and torched most of the trees in the area. Even so, it was still beautiful.

The week spent at Michael's cabin was relaxing. Here's a view from the deck. On a clear day, the mountains across the Bay can be seen in the distance.

Riding into Anchorage from Palmer was almost a bit of a culture shock. It was the first 4-lane road we had been on since southern BC. After more than 2,000 miles of fairly remote roads, it was kind of disappointing.

After three 500-mile days in a row, we decided not to push on to Ninilchik that night. Rather, I should say that Michael wanted to keep going as he was excited to get to his cabin, but I wanted to be able to see the Kenai Pennisula in the daylight. I had driven it this time last year, but not on a motorcycle. And I knew I was in for a treat. In addition, I didn't fancy dodging bears and moose in the dark, as well as negotiating the 20-odd miles of rough gravel road up to his cabin.

So after 350 miles (which oddly felt longer than some of our 450+ mile days, maybe due to the weather getting colder), we opted to stay the night at a lovely bed-and-breakfast in Girdwood. Having a hot shower and plush bed with a view of Mt. Alyeska right outside our window was the perfect end to the day.

Stopping at Eureka Lodge was a treat: hot coffee and a full rack of ribs went down rather well. Outside, three Harley's (each hauling a trailer...) were parked while their owners were inside eating. Their mascot was left to watch the bikes (to the amusement of everyone coming-and-going in the parking lot).

View of mountains, trees, and flowers somewhere along the Glenn Highway from Tok to Anchorage. There were so many snow-covered peaks, and miles and miles of glacier-filled valleys along this National Scenic Byway.

The road from the border to Tok was by far the worst one of the trip. Most of it was torn up due to construction, and we were coming through on a weekend, so no road crew to direct us around the worst parts or make us slow down (doh!). And they left things in a pretty miserable state. On top of it all, it was night and it was raining. All of the potholes had filled up with water and water was shooting up our pant legs and down inside our boots. And being filled with water, we couldn't tell how deep they were...until we hit one so deep that had we been going any faster, it surely would have thrown us over the handle bars. At least it served to make us slow down...

We passed through Whitehorse, the largest town in the Yukon. After checking out 3 of the 4 motorcycle shops in town and having a late breakfast, we headed on to Haines Junction. Here we ate some sandwiches and bought a few more since this would be our last town before Tok, AK (almost 300 miles).

Riding along Kluane Lake was spectacular. Disclaimer: my Kluane Lake pics didn't turn out very well since the weather was overcast. So I pirated this one above off of the internet.

It's a beautiful ride out of town this morning along Teslin Lake. It's an immensely long lake...we started out halfway along it and even then the part we rode along went on for 30 miles.

Today we make for Tok, Alaska. It will be another 500-mile day...most of which will be through pretty remote country.

Most mornings start with a helmet-cleaning...seen here: the pain inflicted from having too-short of a windscreen.

This is the view entering into Teslin, Yukon. After 480 miles and impending twilight, we were happy to be done for the day.

Being too early to stop, we decided to continue onto Teslin where we planned to stay the night. Above is a picture I took (at about 85 mph) of the perfect weather, constant trees/hills, and lonely road we had mostly to ourselves. The road inbetween Watson Lake and Teslin is very well maintained, allowing us to go 120 mph for long stretches at a time. Felt great, as well as getting us closer to beers and bed that much sooner.

Mid-afternoon on Day 4, we rolled into Watson Lake. This was our first town in the Yukon Territory, and I think where Highway 97 changes back into Highway 1. The ride up from Fort Nelson had been incredible. More wildlife, more rivers, more mountains, more trees, etc etc.

The "Sign Forest" in Watson Lake was started by a homesick Army boy working on the AlCan during WWII (http://www.yukoninfo.com/watson/signpostforest.htm). People have been adding their signs ever since. (Zooming in you can see the sign for Godfrey, Illinois...where I spent many happy childhood days at my Uncle Bill's/Aunt Nina's house).

This would be the last day for a very long time that our Beemers looked this clean.

When the road offered clear views into the distance with no signs of wildlife, we could open the throttles up. 100 mph at this point no longer felt all that fast. We had adapted to the switch from mph to kph by just doing whatever the speed limit posted was....in miles. If it said 100 kph, then we did 100 mph.

The road was is good condition with only a few potholes (hit one at 85 mph..sorry Beemy) and a few gravel patches that they were kind enough to warn us ahead of time with well-placed signs. And the brush clearing alongside roads made spotting wildlife easier. Even so, there were a few very quick stops.



As well as lots and lots of buffalo. Some a little too close for comfort.

Got to see a herd of mountain goats up close.

Day 3 took us from Prince George to Fort Nelson. A very long, long road at 500+ miles. And a long day, still getting into the swing of things.

Day 2 of touring always seems to be the hardest. Not quite used to riding after being out of the saddle (for any reasonable amount of distance anyway) since the last trip, but not as fresh and well-rested as Day1, I guess. Whatever the reason, we were feeling it, and furthermore, making Dawson Creek from Cache Creek, although completely feasible at 530 miles, didn't sound like fun. And we were, afterall, supposed to be doing this for fun. Seeing as there weren't very many places to stay between Prince George and Dawson Creek, we opted for an easy 274-mile-day and a nice stay in Prince George.

On day 2 when Highway 1 turned eastwards, we continued on up Highway 97 towards Prince George. The canyons were absolutely beautiful, as well as fun to ride. As a forester I am aware of the pine beetle damage done to the forests of BC, but it was different experiencing it as a motorcyclist. Riding along the pitch smell caused by the beetle-kill was so strong, it was like being in clearcut post-harvest. Who knew such large-scale death could smell so good....

We started out on the morning of August 12th - a beautiful summer day in the Pacific northwest. No rain, and temperatures in the low to mid 80's. After a border crossing at Sumas, WA and dinner in Hope, BC we headed north on Highway 1 to stay the first night in Cache Creek (which is a respectable 458 miles considering we had to stop at every BMW shop on the way up as well as Touratech in Seattle).

I have no idea where these pictures were taken, but I think somewhere north of Cache Creek and south of Prince George.

BC-YUKON-ALASKA 2008

During the summer of 2008, Michael was planning his annual moose hunting trip to his cabin in Alaska. He originally planned on flying up, but figured if I'd be interested in going with him, we could ride our bikes up together. Seeing as riding up the ALCAN highway through the Yukon Territories and Alaska was one of the reasons why I originally bought my motorcycle, I thought this was the perfect opportunity.

We planned on leaving August 12th and being back by September 1st. After having taken 2 weeks off in May for my SW US motorcycle tour, I was grateful that my bosses allowed me another extended vacation so soon, and in the middle of a fairly heavy workload. This time I'd be gone 3 weeks: one week getting up there, one week moose hunting and relaxing at the cabin, and one week riding back. Life is good.

Stayed the last night at Michael's friend's house in Redmond. The next day on the way home we stopped to see another friend of his in Wamic and go fishing. The weather was beautiful which was a nice change after the last few days. A good note with which to end the trip.

An even better note to end on was getting back in time to see Rush on June 1st. They even played Between the Wheels, the namesake for this blog (or for which this blog is a namesake??), and pretty rare to hear live. I think it is only the second or third time that I've heard them play it in the last 16 years.

And tonight I'm going to WA to see Iron Maiden! Rock on!!

And another from the web. Much sunnier than when we were passing through at about 7 PM during a storm.

We stayed Monday night in Tonopah, Nevada and Tuesday night in Alturas, California. The ride through Nevada was another favorite of my trip. We came over from Utah into Panaca, and filled up in Caliente for what would be our last gas stop for 200 miles. I was happy to be carrying extra fuel just in case.

We took highway 375, also known as the Extraterrestrial Highway. Nothing but open range and sagebrush. If it weren't for the constant danger of cows in the road and my need to be conservative on my fuel consumption, I would have done 110 mph for much longer than we did. Still, it was exhilirating.

We passed this wide, perfectly straight dirt road that went off into the distance for as far as the eye can see into Nellis Air Force Range. My map didn't show it, but Michael's had it listed as going to Area 51. In addition to the cows, we kept an eye out for aliens.

The storm had hit hard here too (and we were still getting a good amount of it). There was standing water in the desert...lots of drowning sagebrush and cacti.

Since we were doing 110 past here, we didn't stop for pictures. But I found this one on the web.

The highway goes through a tunnel in this cliff. Pretty amazing. You can see an air hole into the tunnel.

After staying the night in Kanab, Utah we headed into Nevada by way of Highway 9 through Zion National Park (which cost $12 per bike to drive through the park). I laughed at Michael's comment when we stopped to pay our fare: "We just came from the Grand Canyon. What do you got??" But it really was worth every penny. I will definitely go back for some hiking.

We drove east around the Grand Canyon to start heading home. What an amazing drive. One of my favorite so far. In addition to no wind, no traffic, and no cops, there was incredible scenery and flat, straight roads where I felt comfortable doing 110 mph.

89 North to Alt 89 West took us over the Colorado River and past the Echo Cliffs and the Vermillion Cliffs.

As nice as it was to have been traveling solo until now, it's great to see Michael. He's a lot of fun to ride with, also very compatible...always seems to stop when I am thinking of stopping, and wants to get going when I do.

Left Sedona today for the Grand Canyon. Decided that the weather was still too nasty to head east to the Petrified Forest and Canyon de Chelly. But that's okay since the Grand Canyon was our main reason for heading into Arizona. And it is amazing.

Had to go through a pretty serious lightening storm outside of Phoenix on my way from New Mexico. It was totally worth it though. Highway 60 through the Tonto National Forest is amazing. It rained steady all day yesterday, and I was ready to be done.

After 10 hours of riding, and not in the best conditions, I didn't quite make Sedona. I stopped for the night at Camp Verde when it got too dark and the rain started coming down even harder. Since Michael only made it as far as Kingman, there was no point getting to Sedona tonight anyway.

But today the weather is perfect, and Michael met me in Sedona. Beemers love company. (And I thought I brought a lot of stuff...)

Well the storm got me yet again today. I stopped for breakfast in the little town of Alma, about midway between Glenwood and Luna. I talked to a trucker there that had just come over the pass from Arizona. He informed me that there was about 6 to 8 inches of snow on the road there, and it was still coming down pretty heavy. As I sat and ate, every person that came in looked at me like I was crazy, once they figured out that the motorcycle outside belonged to me. Then an old timer came in and announced to everyone (and no one in particular) that he had lived here for 25 years and never seen snow in the pass in May. Just my luck. I try to call Mike to let him know I won't be meeting him in Winslow, but no cell service here. I just want out of this damn state...

So I turn around and take 78 into Arizona, which turns out to be beautiful, despite encountering rain, sleet, ice, hail and, within about a 2 or 3 mile distance, signs for: falling rocks, sharp curves, dips, bumps, wind gusts (getting used to these), flowing water, animals, and finally, no road markings for the next 10 miles. If it wasn't raining so hard, I might have stopped to take some pictures.

I am heading into Arizona today, and thought I'd aim somewhere near Winslow, AZ to meet up with Michael (who left Oregon yesterday). That way we could go to the Petrified Forest National Park and Canyon de Chelly.

I decided to go up through Silver City and over into Eagar through the San Francisco mountains.

Watching the news this morning before leaving I heard that the awful winds I rode through to get to the VLA were actually 60 mph winds. No wonder I was so miserable. At this point, I just want out of this state. (Although I think the storm is all across the West. Heard a semi blew over coming from Tucson...won't go that way)

Unlike quartz-based sand, the gypsum stays cool and can be walked upon with bare feet, even in the hottest summer months. The dunes constantly change shape and slowly move downwind, covering the plants in their path. Some species of plants, however, can grow rapidly enough to avoid being buried by the dunes. Some are seen in the dune behind my Beemer.

The majority of sand found in the world (like 99% or something) is made of quartz. White Sands is unique because it is formed from gypsum, which is rarely found in the form of sand because it is water-soluble. Normally, rain would dissolve the gypsum and carry it to the sea. Since the Tularosa Basin has no outlet to the sea, rain that dissolves gypsum is trapped within the basin, and the rain either sinks into the ground or forms shallow pools which subsequently dry out and leave gypsum in a crystalline form on the surface.

After having my fan installed today at Badlands in Las Cruces*, I visited White Sands National Monument, east of Las Cruces NM.

Driving past the White Sands Missile Range was pretty neat. I had wanted to see the Trinity Site yesterday (where the first atom bomb was detonated), but unfortunately didn't have time. Maybe next trip...

For some cool pics, see http://www.wsmr.army.mil/ and wait for the pictures to change.

*Side note on finally finding someone to install the fan. The guys at Badlands in Las Cruces were very good about making time to work on my bike despite a full schedule. The mechanic was kind enough to let me watch him work on it, and I didn't feel so bad when he had trouble getting the damn thing pulled out of there just like I did. He busted the plastic tab (as I'm sure I would have too if I had kept working on it) but reattached the unit with some silicone.

If just one antenna dish was constructed to do the work of these 27 dishes, it would have to be 20 miles in diameter.

Each dish is 82 feet wide and weighs 230 tons.

One of the coolest things I saw in New Mexico was the Very Large Array (VLA). It consists of 27 parabolic dish antennas that are on 13-mile long Y-shaped tracks so that they can be moved into various configurations. Together they form the world's largest radio telescope. http://www.nrao.edu/imagegallery/php/level2a.php?subclass=VLA&class=Telescopes

After getting the seized fan diagnosis in SLC, I called ahead to Santa Fe BMW and had them order the part. So this morning on my way down to Socorro, I stopped in to pick it up. $200!! (I heard from someone that a fan kit for a KTM only costs about $80....oh well). Guess I should be used to the Beemer sticker shock by now.

Unfortunately, they didn't have time to put it in for me. So I pulled off in the shade to install it myself. It seems to be a pretty easy operation, but I couldn't see how to get the fan off without breaking the plastic(?!) tab holding it on. Since it wasn't a critical situation and I now at least had the hard-to-come-by part with me, I decided to wait until I was somewhere where a mechanic could do it in case something went wrong.

Besides, I watched the weather channel this morning, and they were expecting 40 to 50 mph winds in the area I was going through. And it was supposed to be worse traveling from north to south rather than east to west. Cross winds....great. So I wanted to get going before the wind picked up anymore than it did.

Another view of Cliff Palace.

Left Moab this morning for Santa Fe, NM. Stopped at Mesa Verde National Park to see the Ancestral Pueblo cliff dwellings. Amazing. Had lunch in Durango, CO before heading into New Mexico. Watching lightening storms in the distance tonight from Santa Fe while typing this. Very cool.

A happy Beemer. My last night in Moab tonight, on to Durango, CO tomorrow after Canyonlands National Park.

Ute Indian petroglyphs, Arches National Park