That reminds me... has anyone sent this thread link to Trooper Benson yet? If not, I need to go find his card and send him a link to it.
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$4000 for a picture
- Thread starter sparkyphotog
- Start date
Gilk51
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Dunno, you guys are pretty brave messin' around with an officer carrying a SHOOTING trophy! 
Thanks you guys for sharing.
Some day....
Some day....
Gilk51
2
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- Arlington, Texas
- First Name
- Charles ("Chuck")
- Last Name
- Gibke
Day 7
We decided to sleep in this morning since the fatigue of the previous 6 days had caught up to us. We agreed to depart for Anchorage at 10:30 rather than our usual 8:30 as today promised to be a fairly easy ride. As we were getting the bikes loaded up I noticed that something looked amiss near my rear wheel.
Upon close inspection I thought something didn't look right about it. I mean it didn't look like pictures of leaking final drives I had seen before. I was glad we were in Fairbanks when it happened, because there is a BMW shop here and it would be a simple matter of getting the bike over there and getting it fixed. I looked up the number and rang them up. It was Sunday, so as expected I got the answering machine and left a message. It was only after this that the boys clued me in on their little prank.
After a bit of a laugh
we got to cleaning up mess and noticed something else amiss. Turns out that the pivot pin bolt on my center stand had sheared off. Minor annoyance, but it was a safety issue as the stand wouldn't fully retract without a little nudge. To prevent it from falling, I wired it in place with some of Graeme's safety wire and a couple of zip ties. it would mean no more center stand to use for the rest of the trip.
All this rigmarole meant an even later start, and it was sometime after 11:00 that we finally got on the road. We headed out of Fairbanks on highway 3, across the Tanana river and south toward Denali National Park. The sky was clear with just a few clouds here and there, and we were hoping to catch a glimpse of Mount McKinley. We stopped for lunch at the tourist trap just outside the park and did a little shopping for gifts for our families. After a nice break we continued south on Highway 3 which runs along the eastern edge of Denali National Park, and the scenery was stunning.
Tanana River valley...
Near Denali...
Being such a huge mountain, Mt. McKinley produces it's own weather patterns. While we were enjoying a nice partly cloudy day, the mountian was completely cloaked in think clouds. There are several spots along Highway 3 where you can get good views of the peak, but alas, not this day.
We had originally planned to go all the way into Anchorage and ride around the Cook Inlet, but with fatigue and the late start we decided to camp in Palmer. This would mean cutting out a little of the planned route, but would give us a head start the next day.
We stopped at a grocery store to pick up some camp supplies, and the boys couldn't resist a little fooling around...
The campground turned out to be very nice and very inexpensive. It was in a wooded grove near the edge of town.
My wife likes wildflowers, so snapped a few pics of the blue bells and wild roses that were growing around our campsite.
We were a little tired of freeze dried meals, so Bill cooked us up a big pot of spaghetti! Actually, I need to give Bill props for not just this meal, but the many camp breakfasts we enjoyed on the trip. Fresh eggs and tortillas is always a good start to the day! 
There was another rider camped nearby and we went over and had a chat with him. His name is Alexander, and he was from Holland riding a Yamaha TT600 I think. He was just two weeks into a trip that will take him from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego at the southern tip of South America! We had a nice chat and exchanged e-mail addresses and phone numbers. Bill offered him the use of his garage if he finds himself in Texas and in need of some bike maintenance. Good luck with your journey Alexander!
Total mileage for Day 7: 337
Total bike mileage to date: 2,858
We decided to sleep in this morning since the fatigue of the previous 6 days had caught up to us. We agreed to depart for Anchorage at 10:30 rather than our usual 8:30 as today promised to be a fairly easy ride. As we were getting the bikes loaded up I noticed that something looked amiss near my rear wheel.
Upon close inspection I thought something didn't look right about it. I mean it didn't look like pictures of leaking final drives I had seen before. I was glad we were in Fairbanks when it happened, because there is a BMW shop here and it would be a simple matter of getting the bike over there and getting it fixed. I looked up the number and rang them up. It was Sunday, so as expected I got the answering machine and left a message. It was only after this that the boys clued me in on their little prank.
After a bit of a laugh
we got to cleaning up mess and noticed something else amiss. Turns out that the pivot pin bolt on my center stand had sheared off. Minor annoyance, but it was a safety issue as the stand wouldn't fully retract without a little nudge. To prevent it from falling, I wired it in place with some of Graeme's safety wire and a couple of zip ties. it would mean no more center stand to use for the rest of the trip.All this rigmarole meant an even later start, and it was sometime after 11:00 that we finally got on the road. We headed out of Fairbanks on highway 3, across the Tanana river and south toward Denali National Park. The sky was clear with just a few clouds here and there, and we were hoping to catch a glimpse of Mount McKinley. We stopped for lunch at the tourist trap just outside the park and did a little shopping for gifts for our families. After a nice break we continued south on Highway 3 which runs along the eastern edge of Denali National Park, and the scenery was stunning.
Tanana River valley...
Near Denali...
Being such a huge mountain, Mt. McKinley produces it's own weather patterns. While we were enjoying a nice partly cloudy day, the mountian was completely cloaked in think clouds. There are several spots along Highway 3 where you can get good views of the peak, but alas, not this day.
We had originally planned to go all the way into Anchorage and ride around the Cook Inlet, but with fatigue and the late start we decided to camp in Palmer. This would mean cutting out a little of the planned route, but would give us a head start the next day.
We stopped at a grocery store to pick up some camp supplies, and the boys couldn't resist a little fooling around...
The campground turned out to be very nice and very inexpensive. It was in a wooded grove near the edge of town.
My wife likes wildflowers, so snapped a few pics of the blue bells and wild roses that were growing around our campsite.
We were a little tired of freeze dried meals, so Bill cooked us up a big pot of spaghetti!
Actually, I need to give Bill props for not just this meal, but the many camp breakfasts we enjoyed on the trip. Fresh eggs and tortillas is always a good start to the day! There was another rider camped nearby and we went over and had a chat with him. His name is Alexander, and he was from Holland riding a Yamaha TT600 I think. He was just two weeks into a trip that will take him from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego at the southern tip of South America! We had a nice chat and exchanged e-mail addresses and phone numbers. Bill offered him the use of his garage if he finds himself in Texas and in need of some bike maintenance. Good luck with your journey Alexander!
Total mileage for Day 7: 337
Total bike mileage to date: 2,858
BMWbabe
0
Some of my favorite pics so far! Well done!
Duke
0
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Here is another to add to the "Caption Contest"
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Vancouver here we come.
Cool Runnings Part II
Cool Runnings Part II
Day 8
The next day was overcast, damp, and cold. We hit the road at 8:30 heading northeast on highway 1 toward Tok. The road took us through the Chugach mountains, where we caught glimpses of some very large glaciers to the south.
Somewhere between Palmer and Glennallen, we stopped for gas at a roadhouse called the Eureka Lodge. They had a restaurant there and we decided to have an early lunch. Behind the lunch counter they had a cooler full of some of what looked like the best pie I've ever seen.
The guys ordered chili and I had a BLT sandwich. Then we each ordered pie with the waitress making sure we got to pick the exact slice we wanted. I think Bill and Al were arguing over a particular slice of banana cream. It was indeed some of the best pie I've ever eaten.
These folks have the right idea about pie...
So, they have a large dining room, plenty of parking, and AWESOME pie. I think I found a new location for a TWT pie run.
After lunch we continued northeast through the Wrangell mountains toward Tok. The weather improved some and the clouds started dissipating and it warmed up a little.
At a gas top we saw this rig with all the comforts of home...
We continued on to Tok, then took the Taylor Highway north toward Chicken.
We arrived in Chicken in the early evening and went to the bustling downtown district...
We had dinner at the cafe, then had a look around town.
There are no flush toilets in town, so if you got to go, you go at the Chicken Poop.
So here are some interesting facts about Chicken. The town got it's name from the local ptarmigan that filled many pots at the mining camps in the area. No one could spell ptarmigan, so they named it Chicken. There are no telephones and no flush toilets. Cell phones don't work up here, but some of the residents have sat phones, and some places have satellite based internet which they make available via wifi. So, while I couldn't call home, I could get on-line in my tent. There are about 30 or 40 residents in the summer, 6 or 7 of whom stay year round. The road is closed in winter, when the only connection to the outside world is the mail plane that comes twice per week.
It was a quaint little town with a comfortable relaxed vibe. I really liked it here, and felt like it could be worth an extra day or two if I ever get up this way again.
We camped at the Chicken Creek Outpost campground where we were given the covered picnic area for $20. This was nice and it allowed us to dry out our tents.
The outpost had a souvenir shop inside. They had a wooly mammoth tusk hanging up there, and it turns out the mammoth tusks are quite a common find in the area, and local artisans make jewelry out of the ivory. I bought my wife some earrings made from it.
Behind our campsite was an old dredge used in mining operations during the towns heyday. It was quite large, more than 100 feet long about three stories high.
I spotted some really nice looking fireweed and captured yet another pic for my wife.
Chicken was one of my favorite places on this trip, and I definitely want to come back here some day.
Mileage for day 8: 356
Total bike mileage to date: 3,214
The next day was overcast, damp, and cold. We hit the road at 8:30 heading northeast on highway 1 toward Tok. The road took us through the Chugach mountains, where we caught glimpses of some very large glaciers to the south.
Somewhere between Palmer and Glennallen, we stopped for gas at a roadhouse called the Eureka Lodge. They had a restaurant there and we decided to have an early lunch. Behind the lunch counter they had a cooler full of some of what looked like the best pie I've ever seen.
The guys ordered chili and I had a BLT sandwich. Then we each ordered pie with the waitress making sure we got to pick the exact slice we wanted. I think Bill and Al were arguing over a particular slice of banana cream. It was indeed some of the best pie I've ever eaten. These folks have the right idea about pie...
So, they have a large dining room, plenty of parking, and AWESOME pie. I think I found a new location for a TWT pie run.
After lunch we continued northeast through the Wrangell mountains toward Tok. The weather improved some and the clouds started dissipating and it warmed up a little.
At a gas top we saw this rig with all the comforts of home...
We continued on to Tok, then took the Taylor Highway north toward Chicken.
We arrived in Chicken in the early evening and went to the bustling downtown district...
We had dinner at the cafe, then had a look around town.
There are no flush toilets in town, so if you got to go, you go at the Chicken Poop.
So here are some interesting facts about Chicken. The town got it's name from the local ptarmigan that filled many pots at the mining camps in the area. No one could spell ptarmigan, so they named it Chicken. There are no telephones and no flush toilets. Cell phones don't work up here, but some of the residents have sat phones, and some places have satellite based internet which they make available via wifi. So, while I couldn't call home, I could get on-line in my tent. There are about 30 or 40 residents in the summer, 6 or 7 of whom stay year round. The road is closed in winter, when the only connection to the outside world is the mail plane that comes twice per week.
It was a quaint little town with a comfortable relaxed vibe. I really liked it here, and felt like it could be worth an extra day or two if I ever get up this way again.
We camped at the Chicken Creek Outpost campground where we were given the covered picnic area for $20. This was nice and it allowed us to dry out our tents.
The outpost had a souvenir shop inside. They had a wooly mammoth tusk hanging up there, and it turns out the mammoth tusks are quite a common find in the area, and local artisans make jewelry out of the ivory. I bought my wife some earrings made from it.
Behind our campsite was an old dredge used in mining operations during the towns heyday. It was quite large, more than 100 feet long about three stories high.
I spotted some really nice looking fireweed and captured yet another pic for my wife.
Chicken was one of my favorite places on this trip, and I definitely want to come back here some day.
Mileage for day 8: 356
Total bike mileage to date: 3,214
Last edited:
Awesome!
- Joined
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Awesome photos and great story! I guess we will never get to hear the other's impressions or ride reports; it appears they are leaving it all up to Sparky.
Now, let's talk about this Eureka Lodge pie run. I wonder how many would really go. After seeing this report and the photos, I would love to go and I think others would seriously consider it as well. The Gold Wing would probably like the trip and, in that photo of the bike with the trailer and sidecar, it is possible to put a 5 gallon extra fuel tank on the bike too. The Wing gets at least 200 miles on a tank. I am seriously considering this trip, especially if you guys ever want to go back.
-Saul
Now, let's talk about this Eureka Lodge pie run. I wonder how many would really go. After seeing this report and the photos, I would love to go and I think others would seriously consider it as well. The Gold Wing would probably like the trip and, in that photo of the bike with the trailer and sidecar, it is possible to put a 5 gallon extra fuel tank on the bike too. The Wing gets at least 200 miles on a tank. I am seriously considering this trip, especially if you guys ever want to go back.
-Saul
Last edited:
hmm... I'd change the "MO" for "RE"....
Highly in-appropriate.
Plus I thought I should leave a little to the imagination.
T
Texfire
Guest
ed29
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Here is another to add to the "Caption Contest"
Hey man, looks like your engine is smokin'.
Simmons1
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- Simmons
Here is another to add to the "Caption Contest"
This is the worst final drive leak I have ever seen!
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Wish it was one of the ladies that thought I was smokin'
Guess you have to take what you can get
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jhansen
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Here is another to add to the "Caption Contest"
Moose---" I sure hope Bill doesn't fart..."