It's Been a While

Sorry for the delay between posts - I traveled halfway across the country (Dallas to Charleston, SC) with my sister and our 6 kids, so I was without internet access for several days.

Wayne sent this set of pix most recently...here is Wayne with his Fairbanks mechanic, George Rahm:



Here is Wayne's home away from home in Fairbanks:



Wayne met a couple of guys who had been stranded on Logan Glacier for 3 weeks:



Here's Wayne after driving through a fair amount of rain in 40 degree temps:



White Pass, Yukon - on the way to Skagway:



Near Kluane:



And near the Canadian border:

On the Road Again...Finally!

Wayne finally got the part he needed for his bike on Monday and was able to get back on the road yesterday. I received photos this morning with the note that he had driven from Fairbanks to the Arctic Circle yesterday, mostly in the rain. 515 miles in 16 hours. That's an average of just over 30mph.

Grizzly cubs playing:



This is the Dalton Highway that he traveled on yesterday:



Gates of the Arctic:



And the Arctic Circle (that's a long way from Dallas!):

Trails End BMW

So here's the fine establishment where Wayne will have his front wheel fixed:

Front Wheel Bearing Saga...

Wayne got to Fairbanks yesterday and felt like something was wrong with his front wheel. The shop in Anchorage couldn't look at it for a couple of weeks, but he found an old guy in Fairbanks who was willing to help him out. His front wheel bearing is shot and they have ordered another to be shipped from California. He said today that it will be at least Monday or Tuesday before the part arrives.

So he's exploring Fairbanks (very slowly) and trying to get some sleep in the land of the midnight sun!

Kenai Fjords

Wayne headed south from Anchorage to check out the Kenai Fjords.

Minor bike repair

Wayne stopped by the local BMW dealer in Anchorage and borrowed a bit of space out back (plus some tools) to pull his back tire and have them put a new one on. The dealership was too busy to do it for him, but was kind enough to let him take care of it himself.

Now here's something...

you don't see every day. Wayne spotted this guy out and about with his snowshoes attached to his bike. Only in Alaska, huh?

Meet Roger Bliss

Wayne is involved with the Iron Butt Association and also posts on some touring rider forums on the Internet. He met a fellow rider online named Roger Bliss and had dinner with Roger and his wife a couple of nights ago. Roger has lived in Alaska for a long time and ran in the Iditarod in 1994.

Kluane National Park - Yukon

How to Change a Tire on the Side of the Road

Wayne met a fellow rider who is also doing the National Parks tour and is traveling with him for the next couple of days. He and B.B. encountered another rider who was on his way to Anchorage to get new tires. His back tire was out of tread and he was running on it flat:




Here is Wayne & B.B.'s new friend, Scott, looking pretty stranded!



It takes a little bit of ingenuity to get the bike up and ready for the tire to come off:



And still more to get the tire off of the rim:



But they were able to get it done, then found a house a bit down the road where they could borrow a compressor and get the tire aired up.





Wayne's in Anchorage today, getting his tires changed out and the bike looked over.

Alaska, part 4

Signpost forest - can you spot Irving, Texas???





Road to Teslin Lake (enroute to Whitehorse)



Trans-Canadian Highway



Icefields Parkway - Banff

Alaska, part 3

Jasper National Park - Icefields Parkway



Making friends along the way...on the Icefields Parkway.





Muncho Lake - he said it was still frozen over and the most amazing turquoise color.

Alaska, part 2

Teslin Lake - around 10pm - on the way to Whitehorse



Glacier National Park - North Entrance



Banff



Alcan Mile "0"

North to Alaska, part 1

Here are some of the photos that Wayne has sent to me along his trip to Alaska. The caption for each photo is below it, or between if there are 2 pictures. Enjoy!





Waterton Lakes



Two Medicine, Glacier National Park



Cut Bank, Montana