6-30-08, 10:00 am: Well, I finally found access to the interwebs here in Delta Junction. There is a huge mothership storm cloud to the south of me so I'm waiting here to see what happens. At least I am warm and dry. I've decided to stay as warm/dry as I can since my experience on Saturday. On Saturday I biked 120+ miles from Denali NP to Fairbanks, most of it in a downpour and in 45-50 degree temperatures. I wouldn't have been wetter if I jumped in a swimming pool. On the bright side, I didn't need to take a shower for a few more days 'cause I just dumped a little soap on my helmet and let the water streaming off my front tire just slowly trickle down my body, washing every part of it with the soap and finishing with a nice 3-hour long rinse. And, I didn't need to stop for water 'cause I could do the same and open my mouth to get a fountain of water from my front tire whenever I was thirsty!
Luckily I found a nice little roadside restaurant halfway through my ride and had a burger and sat with a Canadian dude doing the same thing as me, biking across Alaska in the rain. He was coming from the opposite direction so he gave me some insight into what to expect over towards the Tok area. Camped Saturday night in the center of Fairbanks in a little state park.
Yesterday I biked ~100 miles from Fairbanks to Delta Junction. Last night I shared a campsite with a bunch of Irish lads. They are biking from Prudhoe Bay down to Tierra del Fuego in Argentina over 8-9 months. They just graduated from college and the 7 of them wanted a trip to remember. What a great time to do such a trip! They cooked me a delicious dinner last night with beer; a better meal than I even make at home!
Right now I've almost earned my 500-Mile patch (I'm at 460 miles). The plan right now is to cut back on mileage to around 60-65 per day. My plan is to go to Glennallen (get there tomorrow night) then to Valdez on Thursday night. Back to Glennallen on Saturday night and then the last three days make it back to Anchorage. I'm in the mountains now so no more of the flat riding; it's going to be tough but I'll only be traveling 60 miles per day and can relax and enjoy the area a bit more. If I calculated everything correctly, by the time I arrive in Anchorage I will have earned a 1000-Mile patch! (Actually 1028 miles.)
Luckily I found a nice little roadside restaurant halfway through my ride and had a burger and sat with a Canadian dude doing the same thing as me, biking across Alaska in the rain. He was coming from the opposite direction so he gave me some insight into what to expect over towards the Tok area. Camped Saturday night in the center of Fairbanks in a little state park.
Yesterday I biked ~100 miles from Fairbanks to Delta Junction. Last night I shared a campsite with a bunch of Irish lads. They are biking from Prudhoe Bay down to Tierra del Fuego in Argentina over 8-9 months. They just graduated from college and the 7 of them wanted a trip to remember. What a great time to do such a trip! They cooked me a delicious dinner last night with beer; a better meal than I even make at home!
Right now I've almost earned my 500-Mile patch (I'm at 460 miles). The plan right now is to cut back on mileage to around 60-65 per day. My plan is to go to Glennallen (get there tomorrow night) then to Valdez on Thursday night. Back to Glennallen on Saturday night and then the last three days make it back to Anchorage. I'm in the mountains now so no more of the flat riding; it's going to be tough but I'll only be traveling 60 miles per day and can relax and enjoy the area a bit more. If I calculated everything correctly, by the time I arrive in Anchorage I will have earned a 1000-Mile patch! (Actually 1028 miles.)
Oh, Happy 11 year Anniversary (on Saturday), Dana and Curtis!!
Here are a few miscellaneous photos from the road:
The camp towel on the seat - a recipe to end rear end pain (sort of).
The Nanana River by Denali NP.
Entrance to Denali NP. I had to stop for about an hour or so to remove my ammunitions from my weapons.
Me on a clear day, that's Denali in the background.
An old "igloo" hotel that is now boarded up and run down.
I love to see these signs! (But they are usually proceeded by a huge uphill!)
Self portrait
Can't miss an opportunity for a Nestle Tollhouse Ice Cream sandwich!
4 comments:
Dang, you are gonna be in ridiculous biking shape when you get back. We should consider skipping the Breck race altogether and you could crush the field in the CTR!
Hope you stay dry for the next few days. 90F and sunny in Boulder.
Chuck...I think you've earned more than one ice cream sandwich! Nice work man. I have informed the race director for the AR series that you will be towing 80 lbs of bricks on your B.O.B. for the next couple of races just to even out the field.
Charlie,
I just read your blog, and am enjoying your humor. And enjoying your trip, because I am somewhat familiar with the area that you are in.
Largely because of you I had the good fortune to meet your great-uncle Max, who is truly a great guy. He struck up a conversation with me in Wolf Creek, MT, when he say my bicycle, pointing out that his great-nephew, you, were bicycling in Alaska.
I am an old out-of-shape guy, meandering across the country from Seaside, Oregon to Brooklyn, NY. When Max found out that I was headed for Great Falls yesterday, he had a friend of his arrange for a super-reduced rate at a good motel. Then, today, he leant be a car so that I could go sight-seeing here!
I hope you are as lucky with the people you meet as I have been.
Note: My blog is www.walt-fatmanonabike@blogspot.com
Among the several typos in the commment I just sent, the only important one is that my blog address should read ".blogspot.com" and not "@blogspot.com"
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