It has finally happened. Please watch Alaska Proof on Animal Planet:
Friday, January 15, 2016
Alaska Proof
I hate to admit it, but after years of not posting much here I will take the opportunity here to do a little shameless self promotion. I have been lucky enough to spend the last few years working at Alaska Distillery part-time. A good portion of that time has been spent working on a new "reality" show centered around life and work there.
It has finally happened. Please watch Alaska Proof on Animal Planet:
It has finally happened. Please watch Alaska Proof on Animal Planet:
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Driving In Anchorage
I should preface this quick note with an admission that, I am not a perfect driver, nor am I always polite. I drive with a purpose, that is to say, if I am on the road, I usually have somewhere to be. (This is certainly not always necessarily the case if I am out on one of the bikes, especially on the V8!) So it’s not like I am particularly patient with slow or indecisive drivers anyway, but I digress.
As I was out driving for lunch today, I could not help but notice that some drivers just plain need a lot of help. Yes, generally most do okay, but the ones that stuck out today are drivers and how they deal with "Right Turn on Red".
When it comes to "Right Turn on Red", there are at least two kinds of drivers at each end of the spectrum.
1. There are those won't make the right turn on red no matter what. Whether or not there is no traffic to merge into, they just will NOT turn on red. There are enough states out there where the law is to only turn right on red if posted. Alaska is the opposite. You can turn right on red here unless posted otherwise.
2. At the other end, there are those who appear to firmly believe that a "Right Turn on Red" is tantamount to a green light! I just watched a driver make a right turn on red in front of me despite the oncoming traffic who had the protected left green arrow! He almost caused an accident and seemed confused by all the horn honking and angry looks. Simply amazing...
It's days like this that I really do wish I had a bulldozer blade on the front end of the truck, just so I could push these "Bozos" off the road and make life so much better for the rest of us.
Hope you all have a great day!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
As I was out driving for lunch today, I could not help but notice that some drivers just plain need a lot of help. Yes, generally most do okay, but the ones that stuck out today are drivers and how they deal with "Right Turn on Red".
When it comes to "Right Turn on Red", there are at least two kinds of drivers at each end of the spectrum.
1. There are those won't make the right turn on red no matter what. Whether or not there is no traffic to merge into, they just will NOT turn on red. There are enough states out there where the law is to only turn right on red if posted. Alaska is the opposite. You can turn right on red here unless posted otherwise.
2. At the other end, there are those who appear to firmly believe that a "Right Turn on Red" is tantamount to a green light! I just watched a driver make a right turn on red in front of me despite the oncoming traffic who had the protected left green arrow! He almost caused an accident and seemed confused by all the horn honking and angry looks. Simply amazing...
It's days like this that I really do wish I had a bulldozer blade on the front end of the truck, just so I could push these "Bozos" off the road and make life so much better for the rest of us.
Hope you all have a great day!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Location:Anchorage, Alaska
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
Times they are a changing
I got this in an email from my dad and little sister today. Thought it was interesting enough to share! Enjoy!
Ads you'll never see again.....
Monday, January 9, 2012
Why are bartenders responsible for offenses committed by drunks?
If one was to look at all of my friends, they'd best be described as an eclectic collection of individuals overall. I'm not one who normally conforms to or fits any specific group of people. I generally like most people except, for the few individuals that give me good reason not too. That being said, the link here is for an article in today's ADN entitled "Police target drunks in bars and employees who serve them". (Read more here: http://www.adn.com/2012/01/08/2252919/police-crack-down-on-bar-drunkenness.html#storylink=cpy")
Almost a dozen of my friends, from many different walks of life, posted the link and included outrage at the idea of the police spending their time on this. Only a couple of them actually work in a bar, so those ones really got my attention.
First, a note on why I have something to say. I taught the Technique's of Alcohol Management (TAM) class, for several years beginning in the mid-90's. TAM is one form of the required server's courses here in Alaska. These are required to obtain a TAM or TIPS card to be able to serve alcohol and work in a licensed establishment (like a bar or liquor store).
Now, the article talks about compliance stings, which the police have been doing on and off for 20 years now, looking for bar staff serving individuals under 21 or over-serving their customers. I've never been a fan of many of the the Alcohol laws here in Alaska which is one reason I made it a point to learn them. What the police in the article are doing is legal, and it is an issue we used to stress during the 4 hour course years ago. All of the liability is on the server and the establishment. Thank the lawyers and your legislature for this one kiddies.
This is how we got here.
The Party -
Jimmy Joe Johnson is over 21, normally responsible, a good guy, and likes to go out and party with his buds. They like to bar hop. In the course of the night, they party hard, drink a lot of beer and shots at 4 or 5 places. He's pretty big, so the alcohol fails to have any obvious debilitating effects for the first few hours. Jimmy Joe is a friendly lug and everyone really likes him. He seems okay as they get to the last bar for the night and everyone passes inspection at the door. They go inside and the party continues. Pretty soon, the night's revelry takes hold and it's obvious he has had enough. The staff thanks him for his business and sends him out the door. They are concerned about him and pout him in a cab that the bar pays for.
The Bad Decision-
He has the cab go around the corner and then hops out and into his truck. He feels fine and just cannot see leaving his truck to get vandalized or having to cab it back tomorrow to pick it up. He drives home, convinced all is well.
Outcome #1 -
Jimmie Joe gets out on the highway, misjudges a turn because he is too drunk, and rolls his truck. He does not survive leaving a wife and child behind.
Someone has to pay! Someone has to be held responsible! We cannot hold him responsible, he's dead. Who will take care of the wife and child left behind? SOMEONE MUST PAY! OOO, the bar must makes lots of money, we'll sue them, and the servers working that night. Someone is bound to have money that will help his widow and baby.
Outcome #2 -
Jimmie Joe gets out on the highway, crosses the center-line, and kills Billy Jack and himself in a head-on collision. Billie Jack's never been in a bar, he's an 20 year old man with his whole life ahead of him. Jimmie Joe does not survive leaving a wife and child behind.
Someone has to pay! Someone has to be held responsible! We cannot hold him responsible, he's dead. Again, who will take care of the wife and child left behind? SOMEONE MUST PAY! That bar draws the short straw again. And don't forget about Billie Jack, he was an innocent victim! Someone has to pay to support his family and compensate them for their loss. (Notice how I emphasized the words pay and compensate? It's all about the money folks!)
Now, in reality, both of these occurrences actually happen far too often. It is truly sad. But our society has taken to removing the blame from individuals and blaming their environment, or society, or someone else. We are no longer responsible for our own decisions.
It gets worse:
Dram shop liability (Third-Party liability) - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dram_shop
"Generally, dram shop laws establish the liability of establishments arising out of the sale of alcohol to visibly intoxicated persons or minors who subsequently cause death or injury to third-parties (those not having a relationship to the bar) as a result of alcohol-related car crashes and other accidents."
What Dram shop liability basically says is, using our example above, that the relatives of the individuals above, can also sue both the bar and the bar staff based on either of the events above. They can do this even though they have never seen Alaska, much less been here, and live in another state all together.
One last point:
How do you define "visibly intoxicated persons"? Who knows the difference between someone who appears "visibly intoxicated" and someone with an injury or handicap. What about functioning alcoholics that show no outward indication of their impairment?
Now, I feel very sad for anyone who loses someone they love, and especially sad if it is due conditions like these. But please make an effort to place the blame appropriately. Our society appears to be migrating back to one where everything is "black and white" and where there is little, if any, room for gray.
I know there is a lot to read here, but some things to take away. Please be understanding if you're asked to leave a bar. The laws are NOT written in bar's favor and if they are shutdown, their employees (some of your friends) are likely out of work. The bar staff are not only protecting that business and owner, they are also protecting their jobs, the jobs of their co-workers, and protecting the employees and patrons themselves. They are NOT usually the power hungry automatons the uninformed members of the press and public often like to accuse them of being.
If you agree that these laws remove or negate the personal responsibility of the offender, then lobby to get them changed!
Almost a dozen of my friends, from many different walks of life, posted the link and included outrage at the idea of the police spending their time on this. Only a couple of them actually work in a bar, so those ones really got my attention.
First, a note on why I have something to say. I taught the Technique's of Alcohol Management (TAM) class, for several years beginning in the mid-90's. TAM is one form of the required server's courses here in Alaska. These are required to obtain a TAM or TIPS card to be able to serve alcohol and work in a licensed establishment (like a bar or liquor store).
Now, the article talks about compliance stings, which the police have been doing on and off for 20 years now, looking for bar staff serving individuals under 21 or over-serving their customers. I've never been a fan of many of the the Alcohol laws here in Alaska which is one reason I made it a point to learn them. What the police in the article are doing is legal, and it is an issue we used to stress during the 4 hour course years ago. All of the liability is on the server and the establishment. Thank the lawyers and your legislature for this one kiddies.
This is how we got here.
The Party -
Jimmy Joe Johnson is over 21, normally responsible, a good guy, and likes to go out and party with his buds. They like to bar hop. In the course of the night, they party hard, drink a lot of beer and shots at 4 or 5 places. He's pretty big, so the alcohol fails to have any obvious debilitating effects for the first few hours. Jimmy Joe is a friendly lug and everyone really likes him. He seems okay as they get to the last bar for the night and everyone passes inspection at the door. They go inside and the party continues. Pretty soon, the night's revelry takes hold and it's obvious he has had enough. The staff thanks him for his business and sends him out the door. They are concerned about him and pout him in a cab that the bar pays for.
The Bad Decision-
He has the cab go around the corner and then hops out and into his truck. He feels fine and just cannot see leaving his truck to get vandalized or having to cab it back tomorrow to pick it up. He drives home, convinced all is well.
Outcome #1 -
Jimmie Joe gets out on the highway, misjudges a turn because he is too drunk, and rolls his truck. He does not survive leaving a wife and child behind.
Someone has to pay! Someone has to be held responsible! We cannot hold him responsible, he's dead. Who will take care of the wife and child left behind? SOMEONE MUST PAY! OOO, the bar must makes lots of money, we'll sue them, and the servers working that night. Someone is bound to have money that will help his widow and baby.
Outcome #2 -
Jimmie Joe gets out on the highway, crosses the center-line, and kills Billy Jack and himself in a head-on collision. Billie Jack's never been in a bar, he's an 20 year old man with his whole life ahead of him. Jimmie Joe does not survive leaving a wife and child behind.
Someone has to pay! Someone has to be held responsible! We cannot hold him responsible, he's dead. Again, who will take care of the wife and child left behind? SOMEONE MUST PAY! That bar draws the short straw again. And don't forget about Billie Jack, he was an innocent victim! Someone has to pay to support his family and compensate them for their loss. (Notice how I emphasized the words pay and compensate? It's all about the money folks!)
Now, in reality, both of these occurrences actually happen far too often. It is truly sad. But our society has taken to removing the blame from individuals and blaming their environment, or society, or someone else. We are no longer responsible for our own decisions.
It gets worse:
Dram shop liability (Third-Party liability) - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dram_shop
"Generally, dram shop laws establish the liability of establishments arising out of the sale of alcohol to visibly intoxicated persons or minors who subsequently cause death or injury to third-parties (those not having a relationship to the bar) as a result of alcohol-related car crashes and other accidents."
What Dram shop liability basically says is, using our example above, that the relatives of the individuals above, can also sue both the bar and the bar staff based on either of the events above. They can do this even though they have never seen Alaska, much less been here, and live in another state all together.
One last point:
How do you define "visibly intoxicated persons"? Who knows the difference between someone who appears "visibly intoxicated" and someone with an injury or handicap. What about functioning alcoholics that show no outward indication of their impairment?
Now, I feel very sad for anyone who loses someone they love, and especially sad if it is due conditions like these. But please make an effort to place the blame appropriately. Our society appears to be migrating back to one where everything is "black and white" and where there is little, if any, room for gray.
I know there is a lot to read here, but some things to take away. Please be understanding if you're asked to leave a bar. The laws are NOT written in bar's favor and if they are shutdown, their employees (some of your friends) are likely out of work. The bar staff are not only protecting that business and owner, they are also protecting their jobs, the jobs of their co-workers, and protecting the employees and patrons themselves. They are NOT usually the power hungry automatons the uninformed members of the press and public often like to accuse them of being.
If you agree that these laws remove or negate the personal responsibility of the offender, then lobby to get them changed!
Monday, October 3, 2011
New Intersections in our Neighborhood
Here's an intersection near my house (http://goo.gl/aW7SZ courtesy of Google Maps)
Notice how the corners are curved in? It's done to make the crosswalk shorter and hopefully reduce the number of pedestrian accidents. I guess this has been a bad corner in the past.
A side-effect of this design is the loss of 8 or more parking spaces on the street close to the corner. For the owners of those houses on the corner, they now have to find somewhere else to park, or do they? It seems they really don't care if they block traffic.
I'm sure you can tell that even on the straighter section of street, there is just enough room to park on both sides and allow two cars to pass driving up the street while each trying to keep to their side of the road. (Imagine this in Winter when the people who live here fail to remove the snow on the street in front of their homes, but park there anyway. They are often almost in the middle of the street.) Once you get to the top of the curve on each corner, there is barely room for one large vehicle to pass if both sides are blocked. In fact, if there is on coming traffic as you make your turn, there is no where to go.
I know they are trying to make it safer for pedestrians, but in an obviously high traffic area, they have made it more dangerous for the drivers. Even more so when the corner residents attempt to claim the parking in front of their house.
The magic question, what would you do if YOU frequent this intersection?
Notice how the corners are curved in? It's done to make the crosswalk shorter and hopefully reduce the number of pedestrian accidents. I guess this has been a bad corner in the past.
A side-effect of this design is the loss of 8 or more parking spaces on the street close to the corner. For the owners of those houses on the corner, they now have to find somewhere else to park, or do they? It seems they really don't care if they block traffic.
I'm sure you can tell that even on the straighter section of street, there is just enough room to park on both sides and allow two cars to pass driving up the street while each trying to keep to their side of the road. (Imagine this in Winter when the people who live here fail to remove the snow on the street in front of their homes, but park there anyway. They are often almost in the middle of the street.) Once you get to the top of the curve on each corner, there is barely room for one large vehicle to pass if both sides are blocked. In fact, if there is on coming traffic as you make your turn, there is no where to go.
I know they are trying to make it safer for pedestrians, but in an obviously high traffic area, they have made it more dangerous for the drivers. Even more so when the corner residents attempt to claim the parking in front of their house.
The magic question, what would you do if YOU frequent this intersection?
Monday, July 11, 2011
Separate rules for everyone?
This is a pointer to the following CNET article:
Facebook blocks a second contact export tool
by Stephen Shankland
Read more: http://goo.gl/HVJDo
After all of Facebook's efforts to prevent this activity, and also after the shut down the API that Open-Xchange uses, why is Yahoo still allowed to pull this info with email addresses but other apps are not even permitted to pull the first and last name?
Read the article in full and tell me what you think?
Facebook blocks a second contact export tool
by Stephen Shankland
Read more: http://goo.gl/HVJDo
After all of Facebook's efforts to prevent this activity, and also after the shut down the API that Open-Xchange uses, why is Yahoo still allowed to pull this info with email addresses but other apps are not even permitted to pull the first and last name?
Read the article in full and tell me what you think?
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Internet Privacy
I have received several emails about this site"Spokeo.com" over the last 2 weeks and have observed several friends posting about it both on Twitter and on FaceBook.
Here's the main part of the email that seems somewhat consistent:
I decided to check out the site on Snopes and found they rated it as True. As Snopes describes it, Spokeo is a "Data Aggregator" that gathers personal information from multiple Public Websites and associates the data when it can. I had 8 entries personally that included my house value, physical address, etc. I did follow their instructions to remove my entries from their system, though I believe the entries probably still exist, but are now hidden from public view.
Although this did resolve things for Spokeo's database entries, it occurred to me that they cannot be the only ones aggregating data from across the Internet. To clarify, the data is already out there, all the did was gather it up into a single location making it more readily search-able. So, I asked myself, "How many more sites like this are out there?".
Very little effort put in resulted in this list of other sites aggregating personal information:
ZabaSearch
And also got me to The Consumerist editor Ben Popken's June 2010 article "Giant List Of Data Brokers To Opt Out Of". A very good start for a list if I do say so. At the bottom of his article, he even has a link to another Forum post, "Removing your personal information from the Internet, data brokers, marketers, etc". The list there is even longer with some additional links to "How To's" for removing more of your "Public Information".
For those of you with a great deal of concern for your own privacy and that of your family, it may be worthwhile to clear your information off as many of the sites in Ben's article as possible.
Here's the main part of the email that seems somewhat consistent:
I recently got notified of a site where people got information about me (including a picture of my house and what it was worth). In an age where identify theft is a daily occurrence, this site (Spokeo) is alarming.
To remove yourself, go to http://www.spokeo.com/ and do a search for your name, click on your name and copy the url of your data, then open up another web page and go to http://www.spokeo.com/priv acy and paste the url of your information into it. You have to put in your email address; once you get the email to remove, click on it and you are off of spokeo.
I decided to check out the site on Snopes and found they rated it as True. As Snopes describes it, Spokeo is a "Data Aggregator" that gathers personal information from multiple Public Websites and associates the data when it can. I had 8 entries personally that included my house value, physical address, etc. I did follow their instructions to remove my entries from their system, though I believe the entries probably still exist, but are now hidden from public view.
Although this did resolve things for Spokeo's database entries, it occurred to me that they cannot be the only ones aggregating data from across the Internet. To clarify, the data is already out there, all the did was gather it up into a single location making it more readily search-able. So, I asked myself, "How many more sites like this are out there?".
Very little effort put in resulted in this list of other sites aggregating personal information:
ZabaSearch
And also got me to The Consumerist editor Ben Popken's June 2010 article "Giant List Of Data Brokers To Opt Out Of". A very good start for a list if I do say so. At the bottom of his article, he even has a link to another Forum post, "Removing your personal information from the Internet, data brokers, marketers, etc". The list there is even longer with some additional links to "How To's" for removing more of your "Public Information".
For those of you with a great deal of concern for your own privacy and that of your family, it may be worthwhile to clear your information off as many of the sites in Ben's article as possible.
Thursday, July 15, 2010
My Own Personal Zen
My Boss Hoss Has a New Working Starter
Many of you following my blog are aware of the premature end to my trek to Anchorage, AK from Seattle, WA when the Starter failed on my Boss Hoss after going over the 100 miles of very bad road on this side of Haines Junction, YT. The bike did very well and held up long enough to return me to the US and Alaska, but she would run no farther.
That is, she would run no farther until today. A new starter arrived and seems to fit very well. She is a little noisy but I think some shims may resolve that. I'll run my MP Racing this weekend and have him take a listen and see what he says.
Well, I wanted to share the goods news, but it is time to change clothes and get out and do some riding! Pardon me while I indulge myself. See you Grizzly-nauts again real soon!
Many of you following my blog are aware of the premature end to my trek to Anchorage, AK from Seattle, WA when the Starter failed on my Boss Hoss after going over the 100 miles of very bad road on this side of Haines Junction, YT. The bike did very well and held up long enough to return me to the US and Alaska, but she would run no farther.
That is, she would run no farther until today. A new starter arrived and seems to fit very well. She is a little noisy but I think some shims may resolve that. I'll run my MP Racing this weekend and have him take a listen and see what he says.
Well, I wanted to share the goods news, but it is time to change clothes and get out and do some riding! Pardon me while I indulge myself. See you Grizzly-nauts again real soon!
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Riding up the Al-Can (A Motorcycle Trek to Alaska) Chapter 23
The Bike and I Arrive Home Last Night
As I posted, although the starter turned over and the Bendix seem to engage, it would not lock into the flywheel and turn the engine. I could see this through the inspection port, but was unable to see why. I even used a screwdriver to roll the engine an 1/8th of a turn or so to make sure there was not and issue with a broken tooth on the flywheel. When the bike would not start, I had called Paul and he was able to get George to come get me and the bike using Wayne's truck and trailer. (I think that was RC's trailer, but I'm not sure.) George arrived at Border City Lodge (about 4 miles this side of the US Customs station on the US side) at about 4:00 AM. We grabbed my stuff (we thought) and headed up to the Customs Station to get the bike where it overnighted. Wayne had sent a spare starter from his Boss Hoss along with George, but we thought it more prudent to load the bike on the trailer and use gas in one vehicle instead of both. (I did not know the exact cause of the problem anyway, so the time to replace the starter was a gamble I decided not to take. That would prove a good decision after I got home.)
The trailer has a full width gate and the parking lot had a nice downhill slope, so loading the bike was very easy for George and I. We got it strapped in and left for Border City to double check the straps and how it was riding. All looked good and we headed for Tok, AK, about 90 miles away.
At Tok we refueled and then I discovered I did not have my iPhone. We called the lodge and they confirmed they had it, but could not mail it as they have no mail service because they are too remote. George laughed, handed me the keys, and we started back to Border City. The first trip to Tok went very fast as we were earlier than the construction crews in the construction areas as well as ahead of the RV traffic. Not so much for this round trip to get the iPhone...
We lost about 4 hours making the trip, but when we returned to Tok and refueled again, we started South. George had driven all night to get to me, so I drove us home. For the most part, I concentrated on driving so he could nap. (He had ridden his bike to Anchorage from Seward to pick up the truck and was planning to ride back to Seward that night when we got back into town.) Once we were to Tok, we made pretty good time and maintained a steady pace.
The next refuel point was at Glennallen, AK. We finally had decent cell phone service, so we checked in with Wayne and Paul to let them know our status and ETA. I also called Nick, who I bought the bike from and he was very apologetic about the break down, I told him it was fine and the bike had been running great otherwise. Nick told me he had never ridden that far in a single trip and he was jealous. (He even posted a comment here saying he wanted the bike back. Sorry Nick, I am hooked!)
From Glennallen, the road was pretty smooth and once again we were on a good, steady pace. We passed several very cool views which I had seen a lot as the bike run to Eureka Lodge at Mile 128 on the Glenn Highway is a popular one and a lot of fun. Then we passed the Matanuska Glacier on our way to Chickaloon, AK and King Mountain Lodge, another popular bike destination.
We started looking for a car wash with spray wand to rinse off the bike from it's AlCan dust, mud, bugs, etc. Knowing I was going to need to pull the starter when we got home, the thought was it'd be easier if the bike was clean. We stopped in to the one on the North end of Eagle River and the bike got a much needed bath.
We pulled into Anchorage a little after 5:00 PM and I refueled the truck and we dropped the bike in my garage. George and I were meeting the guys for burgers after 6:00 PM so I had to work fast to get the bike fixed.
After pulling the seat and side cover off, I disconnected the battery and the wiring from the starter. I pulled the back bolt off and the starter fell free! As you can see here, the mounting block for the starter broke. Turns out one of those unexpected pot holes did more damage than I could have imagined.
For now, I'm unable to get a good grip on the bolt to get it out, so that's the next step toward getting the starter replaced and the bike running. There are a few other things to do as well, but all in all, the bike held up very well for such a long and rough trip. At least it didn't leave me stranded somewhere completely on my own and I was able to get the help I needed.
That'll close this chapter and serious of blogs Grizzly-nauts. I hope you enjoyed this adventure as much as I did. I'll post a blog when the bike is up and running, and am sure to blog about other things as well. Stay tuned!
As I posted, although the starter turned over and the Bendix seem to engage, it would not lock into the flywheel and turn the engine. I could see this through the inspection port, but was unable to see why. I even used a screwdriver to roll the engine an 1/8th of a turn or so to make sure there was not and issue with a broken tooth on the flywheel. When the bike would not start, I had called Paul and he was able to get George to come get me and the bike using Wayne's truck and trailer. (I think that was RC's trailer, but I'm not sure.) George arrived at Border City Lodge (about 4 miles this side of the US Customs station on the US side) at about 4:00 AM. We grabbed my stuff (we thought) and headed up to the Customs Station to get the bike where it overnighted. Wayne had sent a spare starter from his Boss Hoss along with George, but we thought it more prudent to load the bike on the trailer and use gas in one vehicle instead of both. (I did not know the exact cause of the problem anyway, so the time to replace the starter was a gamble I decided not to take. That would prove a good decision after I got home.)
The trailer has a full width gate and the parking lot had a nice downhill slope, so loading the bike was very easy for George and I. We got it strapped in and left for Border City to double check the straps and how it was riding. All looked good and we headed for Tok, AK, about 90 miles away.
At Tok we refueled and then I discovered I did not have my iPhone. We called the lodge and they confirmed they had it, but could not mail it as they have no mail service because they are too remote. George laughed, handed me the keys, and we started back to Border City. The first trip to Tok went very fast as we were earlier than the construction crews in the construction areas as well as ahead of the RV traffic. Not so much for this round trip to get the iPhone...
We lost about 4 hours making the trip, but when we returned to Tok and refueled again, we started South. George had driven all night to get to me, so I drove us home. For the most part, I concentrated on driving so he could nap. (He had ridden his bike to Anchorage from Seward to pick up the truck and was planning to ride back to Seward that night when we got back into town.) Once we were to Tok, we made pretty good time and maintained a steady pace.
The next refuel point was at Glennallen, AK. We finally had decent cell phone service, so we checked in with Wayne and Paul to let them know our status and ETA. I also called Nick, who I bought the bike from and he was very apologetic about the break down, I told him it was fine and the bike had been running great otherwise. Nick told me he had never ridden that far in a single trip and he was jealous. (He even posted a comment here saying he wanted the bike back. Sorry Nick, I am hooked!)
From Glennallen, the road was pretty smooth and once again we were on a good, steady pace. We passed several very cool views which I had seen a lot as the bike run to Eureka Lodge at Mile 128 on the Glenn Highway is a popular one and a lot of fun. Then we passed the Matanuska Glacier on our way to Chickaloon, AK and King Mountain Lodge, another popular bike destination.
We started looking for a car wash with spray wand to rinse off the bike from it's AlCan dust, mud, bugs, etc. Knowing I was going to need to pull the starter when we got home, the thought was it'd be easier if the bike was clean. We stopped in to the one on the North end of Eagle River and the bike got a much needed bath.
We pulled into Anchorage a little after 5:00 PM and I refueled the truck and we dropped the bike in my garage. George and I were meeting the guys for burgers after 6:00 PM so I had to work fast to get the bike fixed.
After pulling the seat and side cover off, I disconnected the battery and the wiring from the starter. I pulled the back bolt off and the starter fell free! As you can see here, the mounting block for the starter broke. Turns out one of those unexpected pot holes did more damage than I could have imagined.
For now, I'm unable to get a good grip on the bolt to get it out, so that's the next step toward getting the starter replaced and the bike running. There are a few other things to do as well, but all in all, the bike held up very well for such a long and rough trip. At least it didn't leave me stranded somewhere completely on my own and I was able to get the help I needed.
That'll close this chapter and serious of blogs Grizzly-nauts. I hope you enjoyed this adventure as much as I did. I'll post a blog when the bike is up and running, and am sure to blog about other things as well. Stay tuned!
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Riding up the Al-Can (A Motorcycle Trek to Alaska) Chapter 22
Day 4 - A Finish of Sorts
Today did not exactly end when, where, or how I planned or even hoped for. More on that later.
I woke up this AM in Whitehorse excited to see the forecast as well as see how close I was to Tok. I thought I'd make dinner there at the latest and start for Anchorage...
As I raced for Haines Junction, I was disappointed to find the roads difficult to make good time on between the pot holes and frost heaves. I did stop along the way and take pictures.
Apparently, I am an excellent bug killer!
It may be hard to see here, but the road was so full of pot holes and frost heaves it was hard to drive at all, much less drive fast!
Finally, I was back in the USA!
The bike has been running great so far!
5 minutes after this shot, as I pulled into US Customs for intake, I shut off the bike as usual.
I finished quickly and went to start the bike to an awful grinding sound! It was as if the starter turned but did not engage the flywheel! A few hours later, with no success getting it running, I called some friends for help and they're bringing a trailer.
For now, I'm holed up at the Border City Lodge for the night and we'll get the bike when they arrive in the AM... Good night Grizzly-nauts!
Here's more evidence of my bug killing prowess!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Today did not exactly end when, where, or how I planned or even hoped for. More on that later.
I woke up this AM in Whitehorse excited to see the forecast as well as see how close I was to Tok. I thought I'd make dinner there at the latest and start for Anchorage...
As I raced for Haines Junction, I was disappointed to find the roads difficult to make good time on between the pot holes and frost heaves. I did stop along the way and take pictures.
Apparently, I am an excellent bug killer!
It may be hard to see here, but the road was so full of pot holes and frost heaves it was hard to drive at all, much less drive fast!
Finally, I was back in the USA!
The bike has been running great so far!
5 minutes after this shot, as I pulled into US Customs for intake, I shut off the bike as usual.
I finished quickly and went to start the bike to an awful grinding sound! It was as if the starter turned but did not engage the flywheel! A few hours later, with no success getting it running, I called some friends for help and they're bringing a trailer.
For now, I'm holed up at the Border City Lodge for the night and we'll get the bike when they arrive in the AM... Good night Grizzly-nauts!
Here's more evidence of my bug killing prowess!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Location:Alcan Border,United States
Riding up the Al-Can (A Motorcycle Trek to Alaska) Chapter 21
Day 4-Welcone to the Yukon Territory
Or "Oh hai! This mornin' mah bike wuz clean. Sorry U mis'd it!"
I got up early, but had to wait to wash the bike. I figured the engine would run cooler with less mud, oil, and road salt all over it. Besides, the paint job likely appreciated the attention anyway! After the locals got me lost trying to get me to NAPA, I gave up, refueled, and got on the road headed toward Watson Lake, YT. I figured worse case, I could stop there, but thought Teslin, YT would be the most likely last stop for the day.
As I wound my way up the road toward Summit Lake, BC, I was nothing short of inspired.
One unfortunate observation was that only 25% of the small shops, gas stations, or lodges along the way were actually open and not boarded up and barricaded! It sure made planning fuel stops interesting and adventuresome!
As I was winding through the hills at a decent rate with a few other vehicles, the car in front suddenly slowed down and stopped. As I was stopping behind them, a black bear popped into view and approached the vehicle with me right behind them. I'm thinking photo op as he did not appear aggressive. As I reached for my iPhone, they sped off leaving me alone with the bear! He looked at me, decided to check me out, and approached me. I lost thought of the iPhone and popped into gear speeding away! I passed within a few feet if him on the way by and feel lucky he didn't choose to reach for me! All that and NO PHOTO!
I did get to chill with some caribou and saw stone sheep as well, but had no chance for sheep photo due to traffic.
As I approached Muncho Lake (The most expensive place on entire trip for food or gas!) there were signs warning to "Watch for Buffalo!" posted frequently! It was a gorgeous stretch of road!
I rode for an easy 15 miles or more and nothing. Not one Buffalo! I had all but decided this was some tourist joke everyone is in on that has ever driven the AlCan when this guy appeared!
I'm thinking, "Wow! This is one special Buffalo to get all this signage!". 5 miles later, I rode up on these guys...
So I guess there really are several Buffalo along here!
As I pulled into Watson Lake, I saw this Grizzly and figured he was far enough away and too interested in something there to be concerned with me.
In Watson Lake, YT seeing the sign forest is a must! Afterwards, food for me, fuel and oil for the bike, and then on to Teslin, YT!
I cannot emphasize enough how gorgeous the weather and view were all day long today. I've taken many more pics than are posted here and I'll dump them all into Flickr after I get home! I was not even 10 minutes out of Watson Lake when I saw this!
Gas became an issue as businesses were closing along the route for the night. The bike continues to be somewhat if an attraction which got me gas after they were closed at one stop for sure. Luckily, it was the last stop I needed to make it into Teslin.
As I approached Teslin, I saw one of those Scenic View camera signs at a Rest Stop overlooking Teslin. Thinking I was done for the day, I decided I had time for what looked to be a gorgeous shot. I'll let you decide for yourself.
Change in plans
I had intended to stop for the night in Teslin. Low and behold, but who should I run into but "Witness the End" on their return to Alaska from their tour!
Between them and a couple on a Harley all insisting how close Whitehorse was, the bright sun, and constant reminders of how short a trip it would be for me on my bike... Whitehorse bound I was!
The guys left 20 to 30 minutes ahead of me and I caught them just outside Whitehorse. I had to stop for fuel again as the distance was about 10 miles further than I could make it. They passed me as I was finishing and I caught them again. We went to MickeyD's after to eat and visit. I got a hotel and they jumped back on the road. (I'm old and need my sleep!) To be fair to the guys, the van had some issues and they were "Baby-ing" it home. It is always so cool to run into friends from home unexpectedly!
Well, the total for the day was over 615 miles! Longest day yet for mileage! That's more than enough for now Grizzly-nauts! Shut-eye time to prep for what may be a long day again tomorrow!
Posted Tuesday morning from Whitehorse in the Yukon Territory.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Or "Oh hai! This mornin' mah bike wuz clean. Sorry U mis'd it!"
I got up early, but had to wait to wash the bike. I figured the engine would run cooler with less mud, oil, and road salt all over it. Besides, the paint job likely appreciated the attention anyway! After the locals got me lost trying to get me to NAPA, I gave up, refueled, and got on the road headed toward Watson Lake, YT. I figured worse case, I could stop there, but thought Teslin, YT would be the most likely last stop for the day.
As I wound my way up the road toward Summit Lake, BC, I was nothing short of inspired.
One unfortunate observation was that only 25% of the small shops, gas stations, or lodges along the way were actually open and not boarded up and barricaded! It sure made planning fuel stops interesting and adventuresome!
As I was winding through the hills at a decent rate with a few other vehicles, the car in front suddenly slowed down and stopped. As I was stopping behind them, a black bear popped into view and approached the vehicle with me right behind them. I'm thinking photo op as he did not appear aggressive. As I reached for my iPhone, they sped off leaving me alone with the bear! He looked at me, decided to check me out, and approached me. I lost thought of the iPhone and popped into gear speeding away! I passed within a few feet if him on the way by and feel lucky he didn't choose to reach for me! All that and NO PHOTO!
I did get to chill with some caribou and saw stone sheep as well, but had no chance for sheep photo due to traffic.
As I approached Muncho Lake (The most expensive place on entire trip for food or gas!) there were signs warning to "Watch for Buffalo!" posted frequently! It was a gorgeous stretch of road!
I rode for an easy 15 miles or more and nothing. Not one Buffalo! I had all but decided this was some tourist joke everyone is in on that has ever driven the AlCan when this guy appeared!
I'm thinking, "Wow! This is one special Buffalo to get all this signage!". 5 miles later, I rode up on these guys...
So I guess there really are several Buffalo along here!
As I pulled into Watson Lake, I saw this Grizzly and figured he was far enough away and too interested in something there to be concerned with me.
In Watson Lake, YT seeing the sign forest is a must! Afterwards, food for me, fuel and oil for the bike, and then on to Teslin, YT!
I cannot emphasize enough how gorgeous the weather and view were all day long today. I've taken many more pics than are posted here and I'll dump them all into Flickr after I get home! I was not even 10 minutes out of Watson Lake when I saw this!
Gas became an issue as businesses were closing along the route for the night. The bike continues to be somewhat if an attraction which got me gas after they were closed at one stop for sure. Luckily, it was the last stop I needed to make it into Teslin.
As I approached Teslin, I saw one of those Scenic View camera signs at a Rest Stop overlooking Teslin. Thinking I was done for the day, I decided I had time for what looked to be a gorgeous shot. I'll let you decide for yourself.
Change in plans
I had intended to stop for the night in Teslin. Low and behold, but who should I run into but "Witness the End" on their return to Alaska from their tour!
Between them and a couple on a Harley all insisting how close Whitehorse was, the bright sun, and constant reminders of how short a trip it would be for me on my bike... Whitehorse bound I was!
The guys left 20 to 30 minutes ahead of me and I caught them just outside Whitehorse. I had to stop for fuel again as the distance was about 10 miles further than I could make it. They passed me as I was finishing and I caught them again. We went to MickeyD's after to eat and visit. I got a hotel and they jumped back on the road. (I'm old and need my sleep!) To be fair to the guys, the van had some issues and they were "Baby-ing" it home. It is always so cool to run into friends from home unexpectedly!
Well, the total for the day was over 615 miles! Longest day yet for mileage! That's more than enough for now Grizzly-nauts! Shut-eye time to prep for what may be a long day again tomorrow!
Posted Tuesday morning from Whitehorse in the Yukon Territory.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Location:Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, Canada
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