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STEVE ( AKA GREENBOY ) Big adventure # 3 )

24K views 183 replies 44 participants last post by  greenboy 
#1 ·
Two years ago we followed him across Canada and Last year All the way up to Dead Horse in the Arctic Circle , On Saturday he is off to new level of Hard Core Rideing :evilgrin
** DEMPSTER HWY to INUVIC ** :eek
I made him a send off BBQ last night and gave the KLR a good looking over a few others are following him over the Duffy tomorrow in the AM then he heads NORTH on his own for another adventure , STEVE will be checking in from time to time on this thread ,
So stay tuned for more great pictures and stories , Good Luck Steve and i hope all goes Well :tredmill
 
#104 ·
They're by Oxford Sports. I found them at Burnaby Kawasaki. Material is good and stiff but the velcro sewing was weak and I had them re-stiched at a shoe/leather repair shop. I am waiting to see how they perform in the rain and cold cold. They actually work well on any long rides when temps are below 10 Celsius, as the wind chill catches up on you without them. I'm not sure if I'd use them on anything but a dualsport with handguards though, otherwise they might be flapping around all over the place.
 
#105 ·
Invuvik Isn't Going to Happen This Time Around

I went to Yukon Honda today to get shod with new Conti TKC80's when the tire guy there told me he'd been thinking about my trip since I spoke to him yesterday.

The long story short version is that we found out today the Dempster Highway is closed at two ferry crossings at least, north of Eagle Plains. The ice jams have yet to break and that won't be happening for the next week or two.

Not sure what to do next. I'm not going back to Alaska because I was there last year, and I didn't expect to cross the border so I didn't bring my passport.

Maybe I'll just go to Starbucks and pose (there's one here in Whitehorse).

Hmmm ... what to do.
 
#108 ·
Navigate the ice Steve... or, why don't you just head up there & maybe the ice will have broken by the time you get there.

Funny, where I'm at right now the ice makes it easier for the people to get to their destinations. When the ice breaks it means that they have to go across the land - takes longer with all of the bays and land masses, and glaciers (not to mention the stranded snowmobiles). :)

You have a DS Steve - just take it across the ice.

Steve, you will be happy to know that it's snowing here (again? still?).
 
#110 ·
Tough....:blindside

Hurry and get back down here, Steve.
We're headed to the North End of Vancouver Island on a 3 day dualsport trip on Friday morning. Gold River to Malcolm Island.

Mark
 
#111 ·
Dawson !!

Had a phone call this evening from Steve , He is in DAWSON CITY , There is not much for Computer / Internet up there so he will not be checking in for several day's , He say's the roads in town are dirt and the sidewaks are made of wood, just like a Clint Eastwood Movie :devillook Tomorrow ( FRIDAY ) He is going to attempt the DEMPSTER HWY, His biggest challange will be getting over two river crossing's , He has recieved mixed reports , Some say that there is TOO much ice on the river for the ferry's to operate others say the ferry's are operateing despite the ice, It's approx 850 Km's from Dawson to Inuvic , with one stop in between a town called EAGLE PLAIN'S , they say they have a stable population of ** 8 People ** Gas station / motel / bar / resturant :eek the rest is pure wilderness with very little traffic , He picked up a gallon jug today to carry exrta gas just in case , If he does not make it to Inuvic he will double back and then probably head to Yellow Knife, If i hear anything more i will post it up .:tredmill
 
#114 ·
Hey Steve! Lookin good buddy! Was gonna pm you to go for a ride this wkend but I see u you traded in the Zx6r for a...dirtbike. LOL! Be safe and hope to hook up for a ride when you get back! PS- Please tell me you weren't inspired by the story "Into the Wild!!!' LOL! Take care, ride safe rubber side down!
 
#122 ·
PS- Please tell me you weren't inspired by the story "Into the Wild!!!' LOL! Take care, ride safe rubber side down!

Nope. I went to Prudhoe Bay, Alaska last year, before I ever heard of that movie which coincidentally I saw. I am sticking to the highways, as divesting myself of all wordly possessions only to die of starvation alone in the woods just isn't my thing.

For the record, I have also never seen Around the World or whatever it's called with those two BMW moviestars, although everytime I mention an Arctic trip that always comes up. I also tried reading the Zen of Motorcycling but never got past the first 75 pages.

I basically make up my own stuff as I go along, and rarely do I listen to good advice no matter how well-intentioned. Like taking this trip for instance :laughing

_____


Anyhow, per Machinist's update above (thanks, Chris), my plans have been sullied by two frozen river crossings just south of Inuvik. There are ferries that take you across but the river flows are still jammed with ice and so No Go, brothers and sisters.

Yesterday I rode the Dempster Highway in excellent fair weather from Kilometre 0 to about 410 km north which is the Arctic Circle junction. The highway is, uhhh, long and unpredictable to say the least: lots of broken pavement, gravel, calcium chloride, dirt, crap, you name it, wet to dry and back to wet again and then repeat cycle. The shale actually ate small chunks of my brand new Conti TKC80's and there was a large wood splinter in one of the knobs. Almost zero other vehicular traffic.

So I made it to about 200 km south of my intended destination. Inuvik will have to wait for another trip. I can't wait another (up to) 2 weeks for the ice jams to break.

In comparing the Dempster Highway (Dawson City, Yukon to Inuvik) to the Dalton Highway (Fairbanks, Alaska to Prudhoe Bay), I have to say that the weather makes all the difference. The Dempster was daunting yes, but I did not have to face the rain, snow, sleet, fog, frozen fog, endless stretches of wet calcium chloride and other assorted goodies as when I passed along the Dalton.

I would not say the Dempster is easier, only that weather conditions for me were more favourable.

There being no contest I cannot declare a winner. I may have fewer stories to tell this time around, but sometimes no event is a good event. Earlier in the trip I was with a fellow who fell off his bike and fractured an ankle - it's incredible how that affected me by basically ridding me of any remaining bravado I may have had left in me by then. Respect all roads no matter where you are is all I can say.
 
#123 ·
Dawson City, Yukon

Two nights ago I stayed in Dawson City, the last relic of civilization before Inuvik. The next town is Eagle Plains, 370 km to the north, population 8.

Dawson City is part heritage site with lots of old buildings with placards explaining what they are, part tourist mecca, and part bad Spaghetti western movie set. There are virtually no paved streets, and most sidewalks are made out of wood. The few locals I spoke to were friendly, people would say Hi to me in the street, and I got the feeling that more than a few of them (young-ish population) have escaped here from something or somewhere ... ?

Cool place :thumbup
 
#124 ·
Klondike Highway, From Whitehorse to Dawson City

Pardon the chronological lack of Ordnung, but there it is.

These scenes were from a couple of days ago. Twisties, Yukon style.

First pic is getting new tires in Whitehorse. Two thumbs up for Jon at Yukon Honda. Whoa is stuff expensive up here but great service.
 
#127 ·
Carmacks, Yukon

Speaking of Carmacks.

Any of you thinking of setting up shop dealing drugs there, you may want to reconsider and hang on to that day job.

Don't let the two enforcers at the bottom fool you. They may look like a couple of leg humpers, but the interrogation/sniffing sessions are known to be pretty intense. They let me pass however without incident after I gave them a piece of my pepperoni stick to share.
 
#128 ·
More Wildlife Along the Dempster HIghway

OK, I have no idea what that animal is in the first frame. He looked like a moose or elk with a huge head but no antlers (?). Really big animal.

The further north I went the more porcupines I encountered. Many had yellow quills and stood by the side of the road cheering travellers on.

Last animal in the bottom frame I recognize from the Dalton Highway, known as Dustus Kickupis Brown Outien Fucdown Igo. Very few of them on the highway this time luckily.
 
#129 ·
More Dawson City, Yukon Street Scenes

I don't know what I liked about this place, but I just did.

I imagine in the summer when it gets really busy it must have a different side to it, but right now it's quiet and laid back. Good seafood chowder and sourdough toast at Sourdough Joe's Restaurant. The river runs parallel to one of the city's main streets, but you have to walk up to the **** to see it.
 
#130 ·
Good to see the pictures Steve. I'm glad you made it at least to the Arctic Circle. I'm disappointed in the lack of snow where you considering that I'm stuck in it right now. :) The only things that are moving here are 4x4's, old beaten up trucks, ATV's and snowmobiles... oh, and the form in the picture!!

Good to see Dawson City hasn't changed since I was there in 1996.

Where are you headed now??
 
#132 ·
So Nancy, would that be the local limousine service?

Nope, no snow this time around. I'm a bit disappointed myself, no wait ... relieved? Getting stuck in the snow is great to talk about after the fact, but it sucks when it's actually happening. Like I said, no event is sometimes a good event.
 
#131 ·
More Random Shots Along the Dempster from Yesterday May 23, 2008

OK, the road isn't terribly sexy. If you think the Duffy has pavement "issues" ... at least it has pavement. This is not sportbike territory at all, as is probably obvious by now. The straights are long and the curves are huge sweepers with frequently changing road surfaces beneath your tires. There are no hairpins or tight technical stuff at all.

It's a road though everyone should try, given it's sheer length and changeability. When normal pavement does appear again, ie. none on the Dempster itself after the first few km's, you think you've been jettisoned onto a polished, smooth race track.
 
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