BY NORM MCELROY FOR INTERNATIONAL MOTORCYCLE ADVENTURERS WEBSITE.
MY FRIEND AND I STARED FROM LINCOLN PARK, MICHIGAN ON JUNE 23, 1986 FOR ALASKA. HE WAS RIDING A 1982 HONDA CX-500 TWIN V AND I WAS RIDING A HONDA XL-250, 1976 MODEL WITH A BIG LOAD OF GEAR INCLUDING 2 EXTRA TIRES.
THE FIRST DAY WE RODE FOR ALMOST 300 MILES. THE SECOND DAY SOMEWHAT LESS AS WE GOT RAINED OUT IN THE LATE AFTERNOON. ON THE 5TH DAY WE CROSSED THE CANADIAN BORDER FROM NORTH DAKOTA. WE WERE MAKING GOOD TIME AND HAD NO MECHANICAL TROUBLE EXCEPT MY BIKE WAS HARD TO START.
WE CONTINUED ON ACROSS CANADA ON GOOD ROADS AND NO PROBLEMS. WE CAMPED OUT IN TENTS WHEN THE WEATHER WAS GOOD AND SLEPT IN MOTELS WHEN IT WAS RAINING.
ON THE 8TH DAY WE ARRIVED IN DAWSON CREEK, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA AND THIS IS THE START OF THE ALASKA HIGHWAY. MOST OF THIS HIGHWAY IS PAVED BUT SOME OF IT IS DIRT. THE 2ND DAY ON THE ALASKA HIGHWAY WE STOPPED AT NOON BECAUSE OF RAIN AND SLIPPERY, MUDDY ROAD. THE NEXT DAY WAS FINE BUT IN THE AFTERNOON MY FRIEND HAD A FLAT TIRE ON HIS CX-500.
WE HAD SOME RAIN BUT NOT MUCH. SOME DIRT SECTIONS WERE DRY AND VERY DUSTY FROM TRAFFIC BUT THIS DID NOT LAST LONG.
ONE STATE PARK THAT WE CAMPED IN, THEY GAVE US A CAPE SITE NEXT TO A BIG BEAR TRAP, A METAL CAGE. THEY SAID IF YOU HEAR A LOT OF NOISE TONIGHT THAT THERE WOULD BE A BEAR CAUGHT N THE CAGE. I DID NOT SLEEP WELL THAT NIGHT.
ON DAY 13 WE ARRIVED AT WHITEHORSE IN THE YUKON AND MY FRIEND ANNOUNCED THAT HE WAS GOING BACK HOME. THE NEXT DAY HE HEADED WEST OVER THE MOUNTAINS TO THE COAST AND CAUGHT THE FERRY GOING SOUTH.
I WENT ON ALONE, NORTH TO DAWSON CITY AND THE FAMOUS GOLD MINING AREA OF 1898.
A NEW GRAVEL ROAD GOES NORTH TO INUVIK, 450 MILES FROM DAWSON CITY AND THIS GETS YOU WITHIN 70 MILES OF THE ARCTIC OCEAN. I TRAVELED THIS IN TWO DAYS, STAYED IN INUVIK FOR THREE DAYS, AND CAME BACK IN TWO DAYS. I HAD A FLAT TIRE ON THE WAY BACK, FROM A SHARP STONE THAT PUNCTURED MY REAR TIRE LIKE AN ARROWHEAD.
FROM DAWSON CITY I RODE OVER SOME RUGGED MOUNTAINS, CROSSED THE BORDER INTO ALASKA AND ARRIVED AT TOK JUNCTION.
THE NEXT AFTERNOON I WAS RIDING FROM TOK JUNCTION TO FAIRBANKS AND AN AREA WAS SO WINDY IT WAS BLOWING ME OFF THE ROAD. I HAD TO TURN AROUND AND GO BACK. SIX HOURS LATER IT WAS OK AND I HAD NO MORE PROBLEMS.
FROM FAIRBANKS TO ANKORAGE TOOK THREE DAYS BECAUSE OF RAIN AND A DAY TO DO SOME MAINTENANCE ON MY BIKE. THEN DOWN TO VALDEX, BACK TO TOK JUNCTION AND ALASKA WAS "IN THE BAG."
IN TWO DAYS I WAS BACK TO WHITEHORSE IN THE YUKON AND RESTED A DAY THERE. ON AUGUST 1, 1986, TWO DAYS LATER WHILE TRAVELING AT 45 MPH, I HIT SOME LOOSE GRAVEL NEAR THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE FRONT WHEEL SPUN AND LOCKED CROSSWISE AND I TOOK A VERY BAD FALL, OVER THE STEERING BARS AND ON TO THE PAVEMENT AND ALSO FRACTURING MY LEFT WRIST. A PASSING VAN STOPPED AND HELPED ME STRAIGHTEN THE TWISTED FRONT FORKS ENOUGH FOR ME TO RIDE TO THE NEXT STATION HOUSE ALONG THE ALASKAN HIGHWAY (12 MILES). LATER THAT DAY, FIRST A TRUCK DRIVER THEN A HIGHWAY POLICEMAN TOOK ME 160 MILES TO THE HOSPITAL AT FORT NELSON TO PUT A CAST ON MY LEFT ARM. THE CAST WAS TO REMAIN ON MY ARM FOR SIX WEEKS.
I RETURNED BY BUS TO MY EQUIPMENT AND STAYED FOR THREE WEEKS UNTIL A SMALL PICK-UP TRUCK AGREED TO TAKE ME AND MY EQUIPMENT BACK TO MICHIGAN.
THIS MAN WAS JUST STOPPING FOR GASOLINE AND WHEN HE HEARD MY STORY HE AGREEDED TO TAKE ME ALONG. HE HELPED ME OUT OF A BAD SITUATION BECAUSE IF I HAD STAYED THE FULL SIX WEEKS I COULD HAVE BEEN SNOWED IN.
I HAD TRAVELED ABOUT 6000 MILES ON THE MOTORCYCLE BEFORE THE ACCIDENT AND IT WAS SEVEN WEEKS BEFORE I ARRIVED BACK HOME IN LINCOLN PARK, AUGUST 24, 1986.
IT WAS A GREAT TRIP AND I HOPE TO DO IT AGAIN.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION ON ALASKA GO TO THE ALASKA PAGE.
OR RETURN TO MCELROY FOR HIS FURTHER ADVENTURES
OR TO INTERNATIONAL TRAVELLERS FOR OTHER MOTORCYCLISTS & ADVENTURES
OR GO TO HOMEPAGE FOR INTERNATIONAL MOTORCYCLE ADVENTURERS
AT http://www.rio.com/~tynda
15 Nov 96