It suddenly struck me about 60 miles from Fairbanks that I had screwed up.
This morning we all left Talkeetna promptly at 09h00. A perfect day with the promise of seeing Denali or Mt McKinley as it is properly named. The name of the mountain was changed from Denali, its native name, to McKinley in the early 1900’s by an Act of Congress following the assassination of President McKinley. In the US, no natural landmark can be named after a living person. Subsequently in the 1970’s the Alaskan House of representatives changed the name back to Denali and petitioned the US house to approve the name change as well,  but this has been blocked for years by the Congressman from Ohio, the home state of President McKinley. So the name remains officially as Mount McKinley, but everyone refers to it as Denali and the area surrounding it is known as the Denali National Park.

The mountain is truly imposing. The main reason  for this is that it has a higher vertical rise from its base than does Everest. It stretches over 16000 feet from the bottom where as Everest has about 14000 ft from base camp to the summit, or  so I am told by Peter, who I meet at the view point. He writes for Outdoor Life Magazine, lives in Talkeetna, has a top end fly fishing tour company and should therefore know these things.His brother Tim is also there with more camera equipment than Harold Bloch and he appears to know what to do with it as well. he is a fellow of the American Society of Photographers. He also gives me his card. They have my newly Anchorage printed Moreson cards. If you have time look at his website at http://www.panoscenes.com and you will see some truly amazing photography.

Biker Pilot Conquers Denali

When we arrived at the view site, some 40 miles from the base of the mountain, it was shrouded in clouds although the weather elsewhere was perfect. It has its own weather system due to a combination of prevailing winds and Geography. As if on cue, the clouds parted for us and we were afforded an magnificent view of the summit.

Denali peeks out of the clouds

From there we went to the visitor center. I then decided to skip lunch as these are becoming drawn out affairs and head straight for Fairbanks. I figured this would give me an extra two hours to catch up on some writing and my laundry, much needed I might add.

So off I went, leaving all behind. Balls to the wall, enjoying the freedom of not having to ride in a group. About 60 of the 120 miles to Fairbanks behind me I suddenly realised that I had seriously messed up

You have to know I am approaching the stage of my life at which my short term memory is often the shortest thing in my body. Not always as the comparative item is dependent on whom and what I am thinking about. Thoughts and dreams of Bonnie, Jane, Spot and Lesley, particularly Lesley definitely make my short term memory the loser in this competition, loosely speaking of course!

What I had forgotten is that when we set off this morning, for the first time on the trip, I had dumped all my gear in the support van. So all the stuff I needed. My dirty clothes, my laptop, my iPad etc was not with me and was in fact about two hours behind me in a Merc Sprinter. I was not about to turn around so I just slowed down and relaxed.

As a result I went into Nenana, a small riverside town about 50 miles from Fairbanks to look for something to eat. I did not find anything really good, but what I did find was Don Bauer, all the way from Southern California on Bonnie’s identical twin. A 30 year anniversary edition GS 1200 Adventure. That is where the comparisons ended. His girl had had a major amount of  cosmetic surgery done to her care of his fine hands. Almost every modification one could think of. He took great pride in explaining them all to me and gave me full details of where the basic stuff came from. The one I liked the most was the shotgun with a folding stock with a special quick access holder in the one pannier. There in case the bears or tequila kings of Mexico were after him. His girl is the same age as Bonnie, exactly but she already has 37000 miles under her belt in two and a bit years. He is a hard core biker. 68 years old and he looks great.

Don Bauers Girl

Three days earlier in Anchorage, in the parking lot, Homer and his wife walked over to talk to me. She gave me hell because she said I was parked in a handicap bay. I had not realised I was. She asked me what my handicap was? I told her 15. She was not amused. Homer nearly wet his pants and he chirped that it was because I rode a BMW! In a heavy southern accent he then told me proudly that he was 93 ( he looked no more than about 75 and very fit). He rides a Harley and flies. I asked in what? A Cessna 185 he tells me. He says old “Crotchety” his wife is 82 and she also flies it. I am almost knocked flat. This is a serious aircraft and not for cissies. Goes to prove my point about Biker Pilots and Biker Chick Pilots.

So that aside, Don “The Man” Bauer and I part company and will re-establish this shorty as there is some of my stuff that he wants as well. An hour later I am at the hotel waiting for my kit, which eventually arrives as we are about to leave for dinner.

Tomorrow there is an out ride to the Arctic Circle. I have decided not to go as it is a bit pointless. 200 miles there and 200 miles back. 400 miles in total, much of it on very poor roads, just to have your photo taken at a sign. Instead I will use the morning to catch up on some things and in the afternoon I will go to the Chena Hot Springs. I am told that they are stunning and I plan to lie in them for an hour to sooth the body, which is now feeling a bit battered.

In the evening I am going to my Lake McDonald (remember the Glacial Lake swim in the Montana Glacier National Park) friends, the Crosby’s house and then we will all go out for dinner. I have contacted them and they are delighted, or so they say, to see me.

With all this in mind and the fact that on Thursday we ride to Paxson and then from there to Valdez on Friday, a total of about 300 miles, I have decided to give the mad dash to the Arctic circle a miss. This plus the fact that as you will see below I still have a wee bit of riding to come.

Then on Saturday my long haul back to Michigan starts with some very big days riding in the early stages as I go through Dawson City on the “Road over the Top of the World”.  Lots of dirt and I need to be fairly fresh for this and then for the balance of the 3700 miles that I will cover in the following two weeks.

I am battling to upload my photo’s due to a very slow connection and will do so overnight and then re-post them in this blog. If any of you want access to more of my photos please let me know, as I have a shared Dropbox folder, to which I will happily give you access.

Two last observations before I go to bed.

Firstly, I have never seen flowers and flower gardens to equal the ones in Alaska. At first I could not work it out as it is never warm here. It is of course a matter of “light hours”only and the laws of photo synthesis. At this evenings restaurant there was, in their garden, the biggest cabbage I have ever seen and a stunning display of flowers.

Giant Cabbage. See Human hand in photo for comparison

Secondly, I have never seen so many bad airfields. In Alaska if you can land a plane in a space, then it is immediately s=designated as an airfield. Wherever you look, there is an area  hewn out between some trees and flattened. Like mosquitos, immediately thereafter, some Super Cubs arrive and are tied down. Last night walking to dinner, I saw two Super Cubs tied down at the end of the main road. I could not even see the runway at first. Then I realised it was the small road leading off the main road.

Tarkeetna Town Runway. Fly in for dinner takes a new meaning

Main Street Parking Super Cubs in background

So until tomorrow and some serious writing. I will try and recreate my bankers Opus.

Good Night and Good luck

Copyright 2012