Alaskan Trip Photos

ron melton · Jun 18, 2006

If anyone is interested here's a link to my recent trip to Deadhorse Alaska & back. 5-20- 6-11. I hope you enjoy these photos.

https://community.webshots.com/album/551260426Nudohm

twowheelnut · Jun 18, 2006

Very nice, Ron. Funny plate for a Wing, no?

Ah, Alaska. Some day. Some day...

ron melton · Jun 18, 2006

Yes it is a funny plate for a Wing , his last two bikes were Harleys, & he just likes the plate.

FtLFjr · Jun 19, 2006

ron melton said:
If anyone is interested here's a link to my recent trip to Deadhorse Alaska & back. 5-20- 6-11. I hope you enjoy these photos.
https://community.webshots.com/album/551260426Nudohm

Spectacular trip Ron... Did you rent the BMW's to make the trip?

I've spent a good amount of time in the Banff, Jasper, BC area playing golf but haven't made it on the FJR yet.

That's my dream trip from Ft Lauderdale to AK... Maybe next summer...

Cheers...

FtLFjr

Ari Rankum · Jun 19, 2006

Looks like a great trip. Thanks for the photos.

How'd you meet your riding partners?

What were the biggest challenges of the trip?

Any mechanical issues?

What will be your fondest/favorite memories?

trimmantom · Jun 19, 2006

Ron,that looked liked an amazing trip.

How many miles did you log?Did you have to do any tire changes?

How much camping did you do? How were the road conditions?

Did you run into any wildlife?Sorry for all the questions but that type of trip really interests me and I'd like to take it one day.

ron melton · Jun 19, 2006

FtlFjr,

I own the 1200GS it has 22,000 miles on it. I bought it new August 05, it shares riding duties with my 05 FJR.

rogdeb · Jun 19, 2006

Great photo's

Man !! even the paved roads looked like they would wear the tires real quick - some harsh surface there.

ron melton · Jun 19, 2006

Trimmantom,

10,369 miles round trip, I changed the rear tire as it was worn out at 8,000 miles into the trip. I started with a new set. I usually get 12,000 miles from a rear tire. I changed it my self in a Hotel parking lot, along with the oil & filter & valve clearance check. We camped two nights out of three weeks. I almost did run into some wildlife, had to brake hard three different times for Moose, Deer, & Badger. We saw Wolf, Fox, Caribou, Porcupine, Rams, Mountian Goats, Grizzly & Black Bear. It was a GREAT trip WELL worth the expense & effort. The road conditions were really pretty good, the unpaved section were mostly hard packed gravel, some potholes,some dirt, some mud. ron

sgoat · Jun 20, 2006

Ron,

Could you somehow post a map of your route? Did you use a GPS (Garmin) and if so, do you have a route file you could make available. I'd love to be able to take a ride like that before I'm too old to do so. Thanks!

............Steve

P.S. Did I tell you I hate you!

jestal · Jun 20, 2006

Man, looks like a great trip. I rode a similar route up the Alkan Hiway to Alaska and returned via the Cassier in 1981 on an XS1100 Yamaha. Amazingly, I recognize some of the places in those pictures as it seems little has changed up there!!!

When we rode the Cassier it was 100% gravel from the Alaska Hiway at Watson Lake south to Highway 16. Is the Cassier still completely gravel or are parts of it paved now? When we rode it the whole length of the Cassier was graveled with this crushed granite that was like a file on the tires. We could measure the tire wear hour by hour on the Cassier since the bike was always squirming around and the rear tire was always slipping a little in the gravel.

We didn't stop at Skagway on the way south on the Cassier due to time constraints. I went back up in that area in 1984 and went out to Hyder and rode some of the roads in that area. Beautiful country for sure.

Great ride and thanks for the pictures.

ron melton · Jun 20, 2006

sgoat,

We used paper maps, no GPS. Memphis to Colby KS to Billings MT (crossed the border at Sweetgrass MT) to Calgary Alberta Canada to Jasper Alberta, to Vanderhoof BC to Kitwanga BC to Hyder AK, to Whitehorse Yukon Territory,to Fairbanks AK, to Prudhoe Bay AK, back to Fairbanks AK, to Anchorage AK, toHaines Junction AK to Ft Nelson BC, to Calgary Alberta, to Casper WY to Henrietta OK to memphis TN. I hope this helps, if you pull out a map you can pretty much follow along our route.

Reg# 43897 · Jun 20, 2006

Nice to see your photographs! Thanks for sharing. That brings me back to when I used to run those roads... Stayed at the King Eddie lots. Used to sled up the Salmon Glacier and run the ice sheet that spawns it. Appers that you never got in to Telegraph Creek. That's one of my favourite places. Unbelievable scenery in there.

Gonna have to go back some day, for sure.

John.

meosborn · Jun 23, 2006

Nice photos. Get some quoting practice.

STL FJR · Jun 23, 2006

Hi Ron. Nice choice in bikes. I have the same two in my garage. IMHO, they complement each other perfectly.

BTW, what kind of side bags are those on your GS? They're huge!!

ron melton · Jun 23, 2006

STL FJR

The bags are Micatech, very good bags, they even crash well. ron

ron melton · Jun 23, 2006

Ari Rankum,

I met my riding partner in a campground in 1969, while i was on a solo trip to CA from memphis TN on my 1970 Harley.

I think the biggest challange of the trip was riding alone around Destruction Bay at night with no phone & no help on wet muddy roads. I felt as though one slip could just possibly be fatal, as there were bears around. The saying out in the middle of nowhere takes on a whole new meaning when your out in the middle of nowhere by yourself. Be careful who you choose as a partner.

Actually my GS had no mechanical issues, i serviced it & changed a tire all in the hotel parking lot.

I think my best memory will be riding the Dalton Highway, it was like a test of my resolve. BTW i got a cool Tatoo in British Columbia to remind me of a most excellent trip! ron

stellarsteve · Jun 26, 2006

Some great photos!! Kathy and I are planning a trip up to Lake Louise next summer. Can't wait. Looks like you had a lot of good weather even though you camped in the rain.

Ric in Sac · Jun 27, 2006

Great photos and thanks for sharing your experience. I gotta do it someday soon!

Alaskan Trip Photos

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