BC Sport Bikes Forum banner

GREENBOY ( AKA STEVE ) Northern Adventure !!!!

28K views 283 replies 62 participants last post by  scooter 
#1 ·
Steve ( GreenBoy ) is Leaveing Tommorrow in the AM.On Another one of His Long distance Adventures, Last time it was across CANADA This time he is Going North :devillook
( Want's to make it to the ARCTIC CIRCLE ) He is on a KLR 650 :eek Just like last time he will be Checking in from Time to Time to up date us on His Progress and post up Pictures,
STEVE I wish you the Best of Luck and Have a Safe trip. :rider
 
#99 ·
Hey RiceRocket, This is Whitehorse

I don't really know the town, so I didn't know what to take pics of. Did you know that May, 2007 is Asian Heritage Month in Whitehorse? Mostly Japanese who were settling here early in the 20th century, and only a few Chinese in the beginning.

I couldn't resist the restaurant name, but I didn't eat there.

Crap, is everything expensive the farther north you go. I was buying apples @ $4.99/lb. and bananas @ $3.99/lb. in Whitehorse.
 
#104 ·
I've been following your thread and I must say thanks very much for sharing your experiences with all of us. I have flown over many of the destinations you are talking about, but never have I even considered getting there via a motorcycle! This is definitly different from the average sunday loop ride!!

I'm humbled by your ride "up North"!

Pete
 
#105 ·
Nice pics Steve - good to see the weather gods are smiling on you.

So, how is the bike holding up? How is tire wear - and has your gas mileage improved? I suppose you may do an oil change in Alaska - I imagine your only maintenance so far is the occasional chain adjustment?

I guess on those long straight stretches, you wish you had an extra 20 or 30 hp? If it wasn't for the scenery, I am sure boredom must be a factor - did you take an mp3 player with you?

From the looks of the road quality in the pics so far, it looks like to could have taken a sportbike so far?

Stay safe.
 
#108 ·
Thanks for the updates Steve... brings back memories of my (car) trip up to Whitehorse. We returned down the Cassiar Hwy to Stewart - I think you mentioned that you'd be heading back that way. It's such beautiful country. Did you stop at the Liard Hot Springs???

Looking forward to the next installment. Be safe.
 
#112 ·
Considering how good I've had it in the past few days, including today, it's hard to believe tomorrow I will be in rain, snow and mud as I approach Deadhorse/Prudhoe Bay. The town of Deadhorse is about 20 miles from Prudhoe Bay itself, which is an oilfield on the Arctic Ocean coast. The permanent population is less than 100, but there are a few thousand oilfield workers going through here all the time. And a few nutbar motorcyclists (I don't know any).

I called the Prudhoe Bay Hotel and the Cariboo Inn, and secured a room for 2 nights and a Memorial Day tour of the oilfield at Prudhoe Bay itself. I'm told can't actually go in the ocean though because of freezing and sh*t visibility. Usually all us stupid tourists go running into the ocean just for the sake of it. This could be anti-climatic but who cares, I'm here and I've got time on my hands. I'm sure you'd all do the same.

So today I am kicking back in Fairbanks and sort of mentally steeling myself for some pretty adverse riding tomorrow. Will go to church tonight too to ask someone to watch over me. The hotel staff at Deadhorse tell me it's 29F / 20F with windchill, and lots more mud than usual, but "it's getting better" :)eek ).

Here's a few snaps I took today of Fairbanks.

The first is city hall and the main police station. The second is the veteran's memorial park. Monday is Memorial Day in the USA in case you didn't know (I didn't).

The third and fourth are the church I found.
 
#113 ·
Fairbanks Street Scenes

Most of these pics I took are either on or just off Cushman Street, which is a main business district route. Not like Georgia and Burrard in Vancouver, but a hub all the same.

The first is a typical street scene.

The second and third are, I believe, the new and the old court houses (?). The old court house, if that's what it is, is combined with a post office.

The fourth is the Fairbanks fire station, or at least one of them. I wonder what these guys do in the winter when it's so cold that flames probably freeze?
 
#118 ·
Lunch at Dawson Creek, B.C.

The first pic is the Dawson Creek Safeway, with one of my healthier lunches. Getting ready to tackle the first part of the Alaska Highway, built by the Americans in the 1940's in a really short time, considering its length (to Fairbanks - ? - don't quote me).

The second pic is a typical tourist trophy pic, 2 minutes from the Safeway. I couldn't resist.

I'm pretty sure I took these on Monday May 21.
 
#119 ·
A Note to the Mods

Thanks for leaving this thread here. Machinist started it and I don't really know where it belongs.

The thread was started with the original intention of me keeping a few people I know on here, and not on BCSB, informed that I am still alive and breathing. And I didn't want to e-mail and call eleventy dozen people regularly. Now I've just turned it into a picture log, and am having fun with it.

There really isn't a sport bike angle to this thread, except maybe if you look at it from the perspective of someone making the trip (me), who is a sportbike rider at heart. I could have joined and posted up on many of the excellent dualsport or adventure rider forums out there. But I chose BCSB instead, because this is where all my riding buds hang out, and I'm not much of an adventure rider (or sportbike rider for that matter).

Steve
 
#121 ·
Thanks for leaving this thread here. Machinist started it and I don't really know where it belongs.

The thread was started with the original intention of me keeping a few people I know on here, and not on BCSB, informed that I am still alive and breathing. And I didn't want to e-mail and call eleventy dozen people regularly. Now I've just turned it into a picture log, and am having fun with it.

There really isn't a sport bike angle to this thread, except maybe if you look at it from the perspective of someone making the trip (me), who is a sportbike rider at heart. I could have joined and posted up on many of the excellent dualsport or adventure rider forums out there. But I chose BCSB instead, because this is where all my riding buds hang out, and I'm not much of an adventure rider (or sportbike rider for that matter).

Steve
Hey Steve....can you believe that I just found out a few days ago about this thread......duhhhh!!! I've been too busy working to even log on.
But what a pleasure to read your adventure and look at your great pictures. Specially the one of the lake just past Haines Junction......didn't it look just like the pictures I showed you but the mountains on mine were way more "snowy".
I'm so happy for you and so proud....yes ...proud....of your determination.!!! :bowdown Great challenge and great "endurance". I can't wait to hear about the ride to your final destination.
Whatch out for the "fn" truckers....they're all mentals..... :evil
Can't wait for your return and get to see more pictures and hear more stories...take care and be safe!! :thumbup
 
#122 ·
Linda!!!! I saw a small convoy of two huge trucks and two small pilot vehicles, got me thinking ...

Actually, the truckers at the stops have been pretty helpful, telling me what to expect up ahead on the road, when we've been travelling in opposite directions. When on the road though and I see one coming from behind I just get the heck outta the way, and so far all is good.

I'm off to Deadhorse tomorrow, giving myself 12 hours to cover about 800 km. The funny thing is it never seems to get dark out, it was still light out at midnight last night in Fairbanks. That means you can basically ride most hours of the day and the night. Weird stuff, really screws with your head at first.

I'm booked in at the Prudhoe Bay Hotel, and also for an oilfield/Arctic Ocean tour for Monday.

You were right. The area past (northwest) of Haines Junction, Yukon is un-freaking-believable, especially the Kluane National Park area.

____________


Here are some shots in Fairbanks this afternoon. Today's lesson is:

BATH + FRESH OIL & FILTER + 80 degrees F = ONE HAPPY KLR.

(Ask me again tomorrow).
 
#125 ·
Hey Steve, a fantastic adventure you've got going and thanks for the constant picture log updates.

So what kind of $$$ budget have you set aside to do a trip like this? Would be inspiration (and evaluation) for the rest of us that would consider something like this in the future...
 
#129 ·
Hey Steve, WOW! Thanks for posting up the photos. After viewing those I may just have to plan a trip up there some time. Weather looks like it has really been cooperating for you, hopefully you will continue to see sunshine at midnight. I love the fire station pic, those americans do build them right don't they? My station is the main one here and we are only a quarter that size.

Hope you continue to have a great trip, I'll continue enjoying reading of your adventure and seeing those midnight shots.

Drive safe, see ya when you get back,
Torch:thumbup
 
#195 ·
Hey Steve, WOW! Thanks for posting up the photos. After viewing those I may just have to plan a trip up there some time. Weather looks like it has really been cooperating for you, hopefully you will continue to see sunshine at midnight. I love the fire station pic, those americans do build them right don't they? My station is the main one here and we are only a quarter that size.
Hey Richard:

Here are two more Alaskan fire stations for you.

The first two are of a volunteer fire station in Ester, about 20 miles west of Fairbanks. I guess the volunteer stations don't get the same funding as the full city station in nearby Fairbanks. :p

The second two are in Willow (Willow Creek?), which is between Denali National Park and Anchorage.

Hope you enjoy.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top