With no ride north this year, might as well look back at 2004 and 2010:
The departures:
2004: the sport touring version . . . pre-ATGATT
2010: started with 2 goldwings and the GS, ended with 1 gold wing, a GS (which was almost traded in Missoula, Montana for a GSA), and a honda varadero (which was purchased with the red goldwing on the left in Prince George, BC--and was illegally brought into america, apparently.)
The routes:
The 2004 trip went west thru New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, California, Oregon, Washington, Vancouver Island, British Columbia, and into Hyder, AK.
The 2010 trip went north thru OK, KS, Neb, Wyoming, MT, Alberta, British Columbia, Hyder.
Sights and recollections from 2004:
We hit the coast south of San Francisco. This pic was in northern CA.
We had a clutch problem on a RT and had to stop at San Jose BMW. I remember the traffic and the horrible Motel 6 in San Jose.
Great night in Yachats, Oregon. Little cabin on the water. Snacked on smoked salmon.
Dined on fresh halibut.
Our landing in Victoria, Vancouver Island, BC.
We spent the night in Port Angeles, WA waiting on the ferry to Victoria. Good Thai food.
Rolled off the ferry, thru customs. This loomed over the harbor.
Went to Tofino and its long beach. Ate fish tacos out of a bus in the woods. So good Whitley googled their recipe 7 years later.
Farther up the island to Gold River.
Gold River, Vancouver Island
Gold River's little harbor.
Port Hardy on the northern tip of Vancouver Island, caught a ferry to Prince Rupert, BC.
Our view from the open top deck.
15+ hours. I remember reading most of the time. Looking back i wish i hadn't.
Getting close now. The famous North to AK sign.
7 years after this pic, my dad's bike died outside of Watson Lake, YT. We were stranded under the "South to Alaska" sign for about an hour without noticing it. Would have loved to have had that picture.
Bear Glacier in 2004.
Bear Glacier and the Honda ST.
Alaska.
It had been a dream for a long time.
To the harbor.
The celebration.
A special toast.
I remember feeling relieved and thankful that we made it here.
Back into BC.
I remember the trip back being 4 days. Night 1 was to Jasper, BC. Saw my first black bear along the road about dusk. I remember the cold that first night and second morning. It was late August and snow was forecasted for the morning.
We would miss the cold in about 2 days.
On the Icefield Parkway. Last photo I shot on the ride back. We met a guy riding the Lewis and Clark Trail outside of Great Falls. I remember the wind and the speed thru Wyoming. And the heat in West Texas.
___________________________
From 2010
Kansas to Montana:
Nice people in this cafe in Kansas.
Chimney Rock. A road sign along the old Oregon Trail.
The Wyoming morning sky.
Something special about passing a train on a motorcycle thru the plains.
Following Chief Joseph's Trail
Bear Tooth Pass, MT
Elevation is high here. I remember a group of harley riders in the parking lot. One non-fuel-injected bike wouldn't start due to the altitude--we're not sure how he got down.
Dusk in Harlowton, MT. Ate a mircrowaved hamburger at the saloon below.
The Two Dot Bar in Two Dot, MT.
A few cold beers in Red Lodge, MT.
Entered the park at sunrise.
The Icefield Parkway smoky in '10.
6 years later:
(The yellow varadero was purchased by Whitley in Prince George, BC the morning of this picture. We stopped at the honda shop for him to put new tires on his goldwing and 4 hours later he had convinced them to sell him a bike not legal in the U.S. and to buy his texas-plated-goldwing. I can't tell you the mess this would cause a few days later trying to re-enter america with no license and no D.O.T. inspection paperwork. Thank goodness it was late, raining, and the agent was from Uvalde.)
Bear Glacier 2010. Seemed smaller.
Rite of passage:
Great toast part II.
A big reason I bought the GS was for this road up to Salmon Glacier out of Hyder. About 30 miles of gravel. I traveled about 10 miles of it in 2004 on the ST and turned around. I vowed to return on a GS to finish the job. (Of course DB just road the goldwing up no problem.)
Great road.
the summit.
1800cc Dual-Sport.
The return.
In Stewart, BC, across the "border" from Hyder.
Back in Hyder. The Bus. Wonderful.
The crew was a little tired at this point.
The border crossing back to BC.
We rode thru Idaho on the way back, after stopping in Missoula to see if they would take my GS in trade for a demo GSA. No dice. Spent the night in Boise. I remember the remote landscape of the Idaho/Utah border. Felt like the moon. The thick traffic in Salt Lake City. Went thru Moab and spent the last night in Cortez, CO. Home late the next evening.
East of Moab.
Summer storm outside of Cortez. Lightning forced us to find shelter in an abandoned gas station.
_______
