nydhags
Expert Class
Posts: 127
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posted June 13, 2011 06:30 AM
MISSION ALASKA
A little late, but Saturday I started my "Mission Alaska" ride, Starting from Long Island, NY and returning over the 4th of July weekend.
I’m currently in Chicago , then hitting I-90 west with stops at Mount Rushmore, Yellowstone, any other interesting points along the way;
heading for the coast to hit Washington before I head North to Alaska.
You can keep track of me with SPOT Tracker Courtesy of www.farklemasters.com:
http://share.findmespot.com/shared/faces/viewspots.jsp?glId=0a2rQOo8dxuYmYdiSkXvlQPkAhqY6TTDM
http://spotwalla.com/tripViewer.php?id=2f454df1095337109
Pics: http://www.triplexxxridersmc.com/coppermine
Not much to see yet
Thanks in Advance for prayers and well wishes
Until Next Time
Dave AKA O.D.
PRO / CIO
Triple XXX Riders MC
Strong (Long) Island, NY
Triple XXX Riders MC Website
Triple XXX Riders MC MySpace
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To Do List:
CONTINENTAL US DONE
Hawaii - I’ll rent a bike there, MAYBE
  
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heraser
Expert Class
Tall Blue 14
Posts: 259
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posted June 13, 2011 08:17 PM
All the best on your trip, thanks for sharing and updating. I really dig the Spot gps tracking and the photos. Looks like you packed and carry for everyone. 
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Blue '07 Racetech Fork Kit/Ohlins Rear
Ivan Tuned Fast and SMOOTH!
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dcjens
Pro
Wet side of Washington
Posts: 1059
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posted June 14, 2011 07:19 AM
Being a local here in Western WA, I'd skip hitting the beach and go northwest in Eastern WA along 2 then the north cascade highway. You will have much better scenery. We got ripped off on beach beauty here IMHO. Oregon and CA coast is MUCH better. Alaska will make up for what you skip at the beach here. If you must see the coast and come through Olympia, let me know and I'll buy your dinner and beverages.
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Black 06
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Ozonkiller
Expert Class
Posts: 350
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posted June 14, 2011 08:49 PM
Go by Hyder along the Casiar Hwy. Much, much better than the Alcan.
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nydhags
Expert Class
Posts: 127
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posted June 19, 2011 09:39 AM
@ Heraser, The kitchen sink wouldn't fit, but I tried, LOL. This is the 1st time I've done motocamping and The sleeping pad I orders is 30" wide and I should have picked one in the 24"-26" range but it does work very well.
@ Dcjens, thanks for the offer I wish I would have checked back sooner, i've been in Tacoma since Friday night and leaving out early afternoon today.
@Ozonkiller, that's the plan going up, going through Vancouver, Whistler, Prince George, Yellowhead to the Cassiar
Almost ran out of gas Friday based on not wanting to stop unless I had to and not filling up in the last large town I passed. The GPS said I only had 20 miles to the next gas station which was well within my range but when I got off at the exit there was no gas to be found. I had just crossed over into Washington and the closest Gas station was back in Oregon so I made the U-turn and headed back across the border. I had 3/10ths of a gallon left, Lesson Learned again, LOL
I changed the setting on my GPS to the "less fuel" option and it had me cut through a town and the let me onto Hwy 24 in Washington which was a road less traveled, it had very long straight stretched where I could see my self getting into trouble, but I fought temptation most of the ride on that stretch. I only saw a few guard booths but no buildings in sight and I started thinking about the underground resident evil labs, LOL. The road last few miles consisted of a bunch of orchards and I couldn't figure out what type of trees they were, but I thought to myself they must be apple tree, Washington is known for apples so that must be it, but the did look kind of small for apple trees and eventually I passed a fruit stand selling cherries and it was all so clear, LOL.
After coming off this road I was back on I-90 and passed another windmill farm while fighting the wind that drives them. At least one of the sides of my tires will get more wear do to me having to lean into the wind to ride straight. I had two more mountain passes to go over but the pale in comparison by only being around 3-4000 ft and I was able to cover them with just a glove change.
I've been in Tacoma since Friday night hanging out with a MC club out here. One of their member put me up for the weekend and I supported an Epilepsy run/walk with them Saturday morning and hit a MC event Saturday night in Seattle. It rained and was pretty gloomy Saturday so no one rode and I was chauffeured around.
I will leave out early afternoon today and back to the regularly scheduled program, LOL
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To Do List:
CONTINENTAL US DONE
Hawaii - I’ll rent a bike there, MAYBE
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3000psi and falling
Zone Head
Posts: 848
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posted June 19, 2011 02:33 PM
Im just an hour or so north of you, im in Oak Harbor. To bad me and my bike are all banged up or id have tried to meet up..
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08 ZX14, 2010 Persimmon Red bodywork.
Flies pulled, 16-42, BMC street, 8" extensions, drag shock, cut pan, Cycle Concepts Drag Pack and springs, muzzy m14 w/ oval can, lowered, Shinco usoft rear, pcv with autotune, leightweight Shori 18ah battery, throttle meister. 500lbs at bandimeres scales with half tank of juice.
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nydhags
Expert Class
Posts: 127
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posted June 22, 2011 10:13 AM
quote:
Im just an hour or so north of you, im in Oak Harbor. To bad me and my bike are all banged up or id have tried to meet up..
Sorry to hear about that hope everything comes back together soon
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To Do List:
CONTINENTAL US DONE
Hawaii - I’ll rent a bike there, MAYBE
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nydhags
Expert Class
Posts: 127
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posted June 22, 2011 11:07 AM
It's official I'm in Alaska
Since the sun never really went down last night/ this morning. I pulled an all nighter with a rest stop to cross the border this morning.
I'm going to have to Google the road repair process the use on the Alcan cause gravel section and mud are way worst than potholes.
the frost heave were fun at first, standing on the pegs and taking them at a good clip, but that got old fast. the raid didn't help the situation.
Kluane Lake was a highlight of my morning, the scenery around it was awesome and the curvy road were nice as well.
It's hard to decide weather to enjoy the scenery are take the lean in the curve.
well i'm taking a break at the first gas stop/diner I hit and trying to get some updates in.
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To Do List:
CONTINENTAL US DONE
Hawaii - I’ll rent a bike there, MAYBE
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heraser
Expert Class
Tall Blue 14
Posts: 259
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posted June 24, 2011 08:24 PM
Keeping tabs on your trip. I am both a little amazed and jealous of your Alaska trip. I am putting this one on the "Bucket " list!
Keep the sunny side up.
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Blue '07 Racetech Fork Kit/Ohlins Rear
Ivan Tuned Fast and SMOOTH!
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nydhags
Expert Class
Posts: 127
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posted June 29, 2011 12:42 AM
A few days of updates
After crossing the border and spending a few hours at a Dinner I got back into the saddle and headed to Fairbanks. I was going to stop in TOK, but the 1st place I stopped at had no vacancies and I took that as a sign to keep going. I’m glad I listen to myself because at my next gas stop I met 2 riders heading south that flew into Fairbanks and rented bikes to run up to Deadhorse, AK. They were BMW GS’s which seem to be the bike of choice for this type of trip I seen more than a few of them. The let me know that the University of Alaska Fairbanks campus has rooms like a hotel and only around $40. Sounded good to me so I put the university in the GPS and headed that way. I didn’t know all of the details but it was worth the effort to see what was up with it. I made it to the campus and rode around looking for the dorms, but couldn’t find it on my own. I saw some school workers and the pointed me in the right direction and told me just look for the bikes. There were about a 8 bikes there with a motorcycle only parking section. So I Pulled up and conversed with a few of the riders that were out there. One of them on a dual sport was replacing his chain and few others were performing some basic maintenance. As only bikers can we greeted each other and talked for a bit and then I went to see about getting a room.
They only had doubles available for $46, but that was fine with me. The rooms are basic and clean, no TV and a shared bathroom with showers. Internet access was available so I was able to hit allridersradio.com and say what’s up. After pulling an All nighter plus another bunch of hours, after the radio show I did some maintenance, grabbed some more of my gear took a shower and was out.
14 hours later I woke up and ready to begin the next day’s Adventure.
I loaded up my bags and saw a Victory cruiser covered with dirt, so after I finished. I walked over a struck up a conversation. The rider was from Cali and gave me some advice on heading up to the Arctic Circle. He advised me on how the road surface changes with no warning and that one of the Gas stops didn’t have any gas. After hearing about some of his woes on the road I was 2nd guessing myself, but I’ve come this far and not turning back now, I will accomplish my “mission”. Found a spot for breakfast usually my only meal for the day, the Sourdough Café is what I ran into and I’m glad I did. Nothing spectacular just good food and another spot I can post up in for awhile and I had some leftovers that I wrapped in foil and took with me. Next stop was NAPA I saw I on the way in and was out of chain lube so I figured I could get some there; I also picked up some nylon brushes to help clean the chain. Finally I hit the gas station on I was on my way out of Fairbanks. As expected, read and told, the road is definitely unique, but being from NY I was pretty used to dodging potholes and bad road condition, just nothing of this magnitude. Miles of gravel or hard packed dirt and out of the blue asphalt again, some smooth and some rough and as I was warned it changes sometimes without warning. I had past a trucker on the asphalt but when we hit the Dalton it was his time to shine, LOL. I saw the dust cloud get further and further away and I was helpless to do anything but ride my ride. The speed limit was 50 mph and I was around 40 on the rougher section and did a lot better when I could. The biggest tip I got from the rider from Cali was that there are curves at the bottom of some of the gravel/dirt declines. So I knew not to just coast down the hill be to watch my speed and gearing and I trail braked a lot. I finally made it to the Yukon River and slightly passed the 1st entrance for my gas stop. I’m glad they had a few entrances. Gas was $5+ a gallon but when you have no choice you do what you have to. I noticed that gas smells different up here, another thing I have to Google or ask someone when I get a chance, it’s very strong almost sickening , I alsonoticed that they don’t have that ethonal warning sticker on their pumps, so maybe that’s the difference. Back on the road more of the same but surprising there are some nice curvy stretches that happen to be on asphalt. I had made a pit stop at Finger Mountain to MacGuyver the GOPRO some power while I have on the helmet mount. Finished that task with about 0 miles to go, I can’t front I was mad excited and with smoother roads my throttle hand was showing it. I hit my target and was a bit emotional but it’s not like something you do every day. Use my tripod and took some pics, left my mark and back south I go beginning the home stretch. Feeling a since of accomplishment and pretty confident I hit the road running til I hit a rough section again and was back to reality, but this time I was able to run at a higher speed. I stopped by the pipeline for another photo op and as usual swarmed by mosquitoes I don’t spray myself fully with repellant but they usually find the spots I haven’t hit. Stopped back by the Yukon river gas stop and picked up some souvenirs, I would have gotten some t-short but at $20 a pop that adds up quick, key chains and pins it would be and they still cost me about 1500 miles is gas, LOL. I made it back down to Fairbanks with the intentions on going straight to the Denali and camping out, but I figured I’ll try calling the college again and see if they have a room and they did and so I went back there. Having all the sun coming through the window made it hard to sleep no matter how tired I was and I wanted to get all my pics uploaded, but that was a task all by itself since the school doesn’t allow FTP transfer and other firewall blocking. I got it done and didn’t go to sleep til about 4am local time with the sun still out.
Today I rode down to Anchorage via the Denali National Park. They only let you go about 15 miles deep into the park and for the rest you would have to take a bus service. I figured that would be 4-6 hours for the 85 mile each way trip.
So I opted to take the 15 mile excursion just to see a little more of the park. After this I got back on the road and noticed I was looking at the same mountains that I saw in the park, I guess it was a good little break and I was a little closer than from the highway. Back on route to Anchorage I hadn’t filled up and with an extra 2.5 gallons sitting in reserve I’ve been passing a lot of gas stations. I have to move a few things around to get to the gas can, but it’s good to know I have it with me and I was ready to pull it out cause the GPS said I still had 50 miles to the next gas station, but just when I was about to run dry I see a gas station and pull in. To bad all the pumps were out of service. So back on the road waiting for it to cut off and it did just as I spot another gas station and I was able to coast in, with a big smile on my face, LOL
Finished the rest of my route with only a minor construction delay and staying at the University of Alaska Anchorage campus.
New pics posted:
http://www.triplexxxridersmc.com/coppermine
Keep track of me:
Facebook: facebook@triplexxxridersmc.com
SPOT Tracker Courtesy of www.farklemasters.com:
http://share.findmespot.com/shared/faces/viewspots.jsp?glId=0a2rQOo8dxuYmYdiSkXvlQPkAhqY6TTDM
http://spotwalla.com/tripViewer.php?id=2f454df1095337109
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To Do List:
CONTINENTAL US DONE
Hawaii - I’ll rent a bike there, MAYBE
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WARBIRD
Needs a job
Posts: 2739
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posted June 29, 2011 11:12 AM
Thanks for the great pics and updates..........ride safe. .......
Clickable link...........
http://www.triplexxxridersmc.com/coppermine
.
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I'd Rather Be Roadracing.
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Superman T
Pro
Posts: 1831
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posted June 29, 2011 12:37 PM
Man that's one hell of a trip! I bet most those folks have never seen a zx14 before... ride safe bud! You got that thing filled to the gills!
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nydhags
Expert Class
Posts: 127
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posted June 29, 2011 09:57 PM
I thought the hard part as over but the rear tire is thinning quicker that I would like and I ended up with 2 holes in my rear tire. I was able to patch, inflate and go but one of the plugs worked its way out. I guess it didn’t help that I was pacing a car that was moving pretty fast. So about 1 mile from Thompson's Eagle's Claw Motorcycle Park in Tok, AK I had to repatch. I was able to see the hole a little better now that it wasn’t raining and it was more like a cut than a hole, so I doubled up on the plug and stuck them both in. I made it to the camp around midnight but the sun was still up and there were some riders from advriders.com on dual sports that were around a campfire. So after I set up my camp one of them came over and invited me to join them. I had planned on doing it anyways to at least say hello, so I wouldn’t seem anti social. They let me know that they had hit the Dust to Dawson rally in Dawson city, Canada and I told my trip report. It amazes me that people are amazed than I’m making the run on a sports bike. After about 2 hours of conversing we called it a night even though there as still light out, something that I could not get used to.
I hit the road the next test constantly checking my tire to make sure the plugs were holding and they held just fine. I ended pulling an all day and half the night ride and ended up at Watson Lake, BC. Since all the gas stations were closed I toured the sign forest. It was around 4am and I figured the gas station should start opening up around 6am. So I pulled into the gas station with and overhang and slept on the bike. It was a bit chilly so I kept my heated gear plugged in. I was waking up in 15 min intervals and starting the bike, but I guess my bike was getting real cozy cause I had woke up when I started feeling a chill and knew instantly that I had slept to long and drain the battery. I actually tried to push start it with a little hill close by while it was fully loaded but after the 2nd attempt I took the bags off and was able to get push start it. Since I had the bags off I figured I might as well check my amp since I was having some issues with my music. Turns out from all of the bouncing around one of the speaker wires had frayed and the remote wire to turn the amp on had come loose. So I fixed those thing gased up and was back on the road. I ended up riding through Muncho Lake and Stone Mountain parks and both were a blast, the scenery and roads were awesome.
After my second gas stop I noticed that cords were showing on the rear tire. So now I have to find a tire sooner than later, I had already had a tire and service setup for me in Calgary. I stopped in every town along my route to check to see if they had a motorcycle shop and if they had a tire to fit. When I got to Fort St John I stopped at a car tire shop and they directed me to a Honda car dealership that also sells bikes, but it was late in the day and they were closed. I was out front contemplation pushing it to Calgary or camping out in town and wait to see what they have. Then the sales manager David offered to lead me to a campground nearby, but after a call home. He offered me the option to camp out at his place. So I took him up on that offer. We arrived at his place and he introduced me to his family and had dinner. I asked him where I could setup camp at and he said he had something a little better, and he had his son take me to a guest room. His family took kindness and hospitality to another level. The next day we go back to the dealership but nothing to fit my back, but at least I was able to stay indoors and have a home cooked meal. So back on the road I go sitting sideways and riding at an angle to keep the wheel off the center. So a few towns down the line in Beaverlodge, AB I was able to get a tire put on at Gaudin’s Honda. I brand loyal to Kawasaki and Michelin and ended up at a Honda shop with a Bridgestone tire, beggars can’t be choosers, LOL. So with a fresh rear I’m back on the road to Calgary headed to NotDeadYet of ZZRbikes.com, who has offered to put me up for the night. On my way to his house I ran through Jasper and Banff parks and both were amazing. I hit rain in Banff which slowed me up a lot, So I dint hit Calgary til around 12:30am. As NotDeadYet said he had a cold beer waiting for me and even cleaned and lubed the bike chain and we talked a while about our road trips and after awhile we finally called it a night. I usually on eat one big meal a day so the next day we off to breakfast on his way to work. I tried to slip my card out to give to the waitress but I guess he caught me and told her to bring him the bill, kindness like that could never be repaid, but all he asked is that I “pay it forward”, since other have done the same for him.
So back on the road heading east and it wasn’t quite as scenic as the road I’ve been through but I did enjoy the rolling hills and rolling through the different town. I did have several vehicles that kept things on the road interesting and I called it a day in Indian Head, SK and was able to catch allridersradio.com.
Just so happen as I was typing this a storm passed over and I though me and the tent were going to fly away. I remembered that the tent came with some rope for windy conditions so I through on the rain jacket and added those pieces, happy to say we survived LOL
Hopefully I’ll get some pics posted before I go to sleep, 2100 more miles and I’ll be back home.
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To Do List:
CONTINENTAL US DONE
Hawaii - I’ll rent a bike there, MAYBE
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nydhags
Expert Class
Posts: 127
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posted July 02, 2011 04:43 PM
Back home safe and sound, Let the recovery begin.
Final updates will come soon.
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To Do List:
CONTINENTAL US DONE
Hawaii - I’ll rent a bike there, MAYBE
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heraser
Expert Class
Tall Blue 14
Posts: 259
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posted July 02, 2011 05:05 PM
Welcome home. Congratulations again. The first update will probably be to your profile because you are whittling it down pretty fast.
I'm doing New Hampshire with some buddies next month. The objective is to ride to the summit of Mt Washington. Long weekend or 4 days max. If your interested let me know.
Dwayne
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Blue '07 Racetech Fork Kit/Ohlins Rear
Ivan Tuned Fast and SMOOTH!
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HiMile14
Expert Class
Posts: 424
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posted July 02, 2011 06:59 PM
I suspect your sleeping right now but I'd like you to know there are a few of us who enjoyed traveling with you. I did a Grand Canyon to Orlando Trip 12 years ago and hope soon to have a job that will allow me a week off do something along those lines again.
NYdhags thanks for Sharing sounds like a trip to Alaska is well worth the drama. By the way the soreness will soon be forgotten and the challenges you have faced, wear them like a badge of honor.
Rob
2009 VFR 15,172 mi
2002 VFR 121,255 mi
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nydhags
Expert Class
Posts: 127
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posted July 04, 2011 06:58 AM
 Edited By: nydhags on 4 Jul 2011 14:58
The next morning after the storm I ran into a few campers that were a little worried about me but saw that I was alright and the tent was holding up. There were little broken tree branches all over the camp ground, indicating how strong the winds were. I packed up camp and went to start the bike but the battery was low for some reason. So I pushed the bike to the entrance of the park to use a little hill that was there. I had already taken off 2 bags but ended up taking them all off after the 3rd try. So once the bike was started, I rode back to my campsite to finally get everything packed up again and hit the road. I l kept the bike on the voltage monitor to make sure that it was charging and I didn’t have any other issues. So after my 1st gas stop and it started on its own, I felt a lot better. Due to the lack of police presence on occasion I cracked the throttle, to keep things interesting. It’s funny that when I started heading south to cross the border there was a police checkpoint on the other side of the road.
I made it to the border and I was the only one there no lines, no waiting like at the Washington crossing. I was asked a serried of question and pretty much went over my entire route like I have with everyone else. The only thing that threw me off was when the asked for another photo id. I checked my wallet, but didn’t have anything with a photo on it. I remembered I had brought my passport just in case and pop the trunk and pulled it out of my bag. I didn’t asked why my enhanced driver license wasn’t enough, but it did have me wondering about it. So back on the road I planned as going as far as I could, I started the day off tired from the storm and the early morning workout push starting the bike. So I was taking longer rest stops and when the sun started setting, I called the next KOA inline and setup a reservation. They registration would be closed by the time I got there so they left a map to my camping spot. It took me longer to find the power outlet than it did to setup my tent. It was on a small most between to camp sites by a tree, so once I found it I knew where to setup my tent. I plugged up my stuff and cleared my memory cards and that about all I had energy for.
I rested well and broke down my camp and happily the bike started on its own power. Went through more farmlands and noticed that for some reason the animals were grouped up like they were trying to keep warm. Since it looked cloudy in some areas I figured a storm was near and they were bracing themselves. There were some real interesting transitions to leave out of Minneapolis into Wisconsin on the 53/535/35 exchange. I was leaning into a curve when I saw the welcome to Wisconsin sign and thought that was an interesting place to put a sign. The temperature dropped as I rode by Lake Superior, the last bank sign I saw said the temperature said 87 and now I see a sign saying 67. I could definitely fell the difference. Since I was crossing the northern part of Wisconsin I was only in the state for about 2 hours before crossing into Michigan. All was going well but the speed limit was 55MPH and I just happen to be going faster than that when I crested a hill with state troopers on the other side. They were cool and didn’t come at me like I just committed the crime of the century. I got to tell my story again and he said I was going a little too fast for them to just let me go and I understood. He significantly reduced the ticket and since it won’t show up on my NY license, I wasn’t concerned about it. The only problem was that they require a road side bond but I only had about $8 and half was Canadian money. So they had me follow them to the nearest ATM and it as funny that I was following them at 70-75MPH. So I took out some cash and we talked a little more and I told them I wish we could have met under better circumstances. So back on the road I go and as the sun started to set it was getting colder, so I pulled out the heated gear again. It started to arm back up as I moved further away from the lakes but the heat as feeling good on my shoulders, like a heating pad, so I kept it on for a while until I got too hot and I just unplugged it. I was close to home, considering where I was. I figured I’ll push through the night. I wasn’t tired and I figured I only needed a couple of hours of sleep and I could get that at a rest stop. I ended coming through Detroit around 1:30AM and discovered that there were more “mile” roads than just 8, LOL. I have to come back one day to explore, but for now I kept it moving. I didn’t want another ticket so I was back to my normal 10-15 over pace, but I was being passed by cars and just fell in behind them for the most part with an occasional pass just to let them know I could if I wanted to. I hit Ohio and stopped at just about every rest stop on the Ohio Turnpike to get my rest and to wait out some rain. I have sleeping on my bike down to an art, just open my visor and put my head on my tank bag. I guess I was sleep so long that someone had to come and check on me. So with a few hours of sleep, the sun was starting to rise and I was on the road again. I actually thought I was closer than what I was but forgot I had to cover Pennsylvania and ride across the entire state. I’ve been through PA a few times so there was nothing new to me about this stretch of road. NJ, same story but since I’m very familiar with these road, I pretty much flew though the state. As usual no matter how good of a pace I keep once I come back into NY I hit traffic, Welcome home D, LOL. I was able to work my way through traffic even with the extra width and made my way to a BBQ, where I was welcomed home by some of my club members and many friends.
Once again thanks for to all that have helped me in one way or another.
Mission Accomplished
Pics: http://www.triplexxxridersmc.com/coppermine
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To Do List:
CONTINENTAL US DONE
Hawaii - I’ll rent a bike there, MAYBE
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epd345
Pro
Posts: 1494
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posted July 05, 2011 04:43 PM
Wow that is an Epic adventure!! Awesome that you could do that!!! How much Advil did you go through??? My back hurts just thinking about the long hours you did in the saddle!!
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2012 ZX14, Ceramic Coated Brock's CT Meg, PCV, throttlemeister
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