I'm getting ready to head out. Because of the nice, sunny morning, Paul is going to try another run @ Deadhorse with a person he met in the dorms. I hope the weather cooperates for them.
Very friendly bike parking.
A wee bit of maintenance. I took the air filter out & cleaned it in the dorm bath room & re-oiled it. Everything else looked in good shape.
It's a beautiful day in Fairbanks. I've been riding in rainy weather for 3 days. It's T shirt weather.
I can only imagine how cold it gets. I've seen a lot of these engine warmers.
A very motorcycle friendly place to stay when in town. A few of the riders in Coldfoot mentioned the university dorms as an option for a bed & shower @ $43 per room. Clean, comfortable, strong Internet connection & nicer than the $200 Coldfoot room.
7/24/2010
It's a big campus & we had to ask around as to where the dorms might be. Took about 5 minutes.
Off the Dalton Highway & into Fairbanks.
Apparently, Paul is in front...
Here is Fred & Paul following the pipeline.
Paul must be contemplating the meaning of the universe, or, just turning around.
Picture time.
Asphalt!
Fred crossing the Yukon River Bridge.
Paul & I getting gas @ the Yukon River stop.
Errol, Paul & Fred
There is dirt where the sun rarely shines.
We are looking for tools that would be best for cleaning mud off of a radiator. Paul gave him his toothbrush. Freakin' water cooled bikes, Jeesh...
We run into Errol. We met him @ Coldfoot. An issue with his bike overheating. Errol is from London, England.
While @ the Circle, we meet Fred Fogle. Fred is a teacher of engineering in New Jersey.
Fred & Paul leaving the Arctic Circle.
Back again. Why not? It's a nice place.
The Silver Bullet all fueled up & ready to head back to Fairbanks.
The Bullet, in a tough crowd.
Not a 4 star accommodation, but, it's a welcoming bed & shower.
There's mud everywhere.
The Restaurant & Saloon. The food was excellent. The manager, George, was pleasant & a New Englander originally. He said he was from Boston, Ma. & I told him I was born in Lowell, Ma. He then fessed up that he was born in Lawrence, Ma & went on about the mistakes the city made over the years. I don't think he misses Lawrence.
I bumped into Paul Shriner when I arrived in Coldfoot. He lives in Texas & was originally from Oklahoma. He seemed to have a lot of fond memories of his childhood. He has driven his bike all over. If he needs a place to stay in New England, I hope he gets in touch with me. We both had wished that we met a little sooner, so that we could split the $200 cost of the room.
Up the red carpet to the Slate Creek Inn.
I don't think Paul's stuff & mine would fit in 1 room. We would have made it work.
Just checking the fire exits...I could probably just punch through the exterior walls.
This is the view outside my window. SOGGY. It's been raining for a couple of days now. A hint of sunshine & I would have gone to Deadhorse. You just can't see all there is to see. I like taking pictures. I'll come back without hesitation.
Beaver board paneling.
I arrived in Coldfoot & wasn't sure I was actually there. I pulled in & saw a couple dozen trucks & thought I was in a trucking company yard. I pulled back out to the Dalton Highway & it was pouring rain. It had been pouring for the last hour. It was 10:00pm and confusion set in. The odometer said I was close. Since Fairbanks, Thomas Thomas has been telling me that I was not on any road & kept giving me directions to get back on the road that I was already on. GPS update needed for many places in the Northwest. I drove about a half mile toward Deadhorse in some mash potato mud and decided to turn around. I pulled back in to Coldfoot & saw a trucker getting out of his truck. He said that the Saloon was behind the trucks that were up ahead. The first beer was excellent.
This opening a few miles from the Circle looked inviting. I would camp here & hope for better weather in the morning. If so, Deadhorse.
I got my tent & found this nice spot. That is when it started to pour. Unable to see while standing there type rain. Coldfoot tonight! I hopped on the bike & said to myself, 60+- miles, that's a ride to Boston & back. No problem. Suprisingly, the road is paved all the way to Coldfoot from the Circle. The weather stayed consistently bad.
I didn't see any troublesome wildlife out on the tundra. I'm camping.
Leaving Fairbanks & heading back home. I'll be retracing a few roads leading to Alaska. I'm heading towards Watson Lake, Yukon. From there I will head in a different direction through Alberta, Canada. I will be cruising through Dawson Creek, Edmonton & Calgary. Back through Montana, USA.
