Cantwell, Denali, and Fairbanks
It was 42 degrees when I got up this morning. I was cold last night until I threw a jacket on top of the sleeping bag. One good thing was that I wasn’t bothered by the wind. The tent site had a knee wall around it to block the wind.
The sky was cloudy and the mountains were covered in low-hanging clouds. It was certain I wasn’t going to get to see Mt. Denali today. I did visit the park Visitors’ Center. They have excellent educational displays. Since only about 30% of visitors get to see Denali, the emphasis at the park is on wildlife, history, and conservation. There are tours available, but I didn’t feel like spending all day on a bus and not get to see the mountain.
The weather improved as I headed north, but it continued to be overcast. This is a picture of the valley near Fairbanks.
I spent the afternoon changing the oil in my bike. I brought along spare oil filers and a funnel. I bought oil at the Harley dealer and a drain pan at Autozone. The Autozone manager let me change the oil in the parking lot and Harley took the waste oil. I saved a ton of money as the Harley dealer’s shop rate was $125/hour and the bike had to be clean before they would work on it. They would have charged to do the cleaning at their shop rate. Nuts to that. If I wash the bike before I get home, there won’t be any proof that I went to Alaska.
I’m taking a break in the trip. I’m in a dorm room at the University of Alaska for a couple of nights. It’s nice to have a bed and not so nice to have no heat. They turn off the boilers for the summer. The rate is great – $40 per night.
It’s raining tonight. Not much chance for me to go to the Arctic Circle. It will be too muddy.
Travel Conversations
I had a couple of conversations with other motorcyclists today. I asked a couple on an Ultra Classic pulling a trailer if we were having fun yet. (She seemed a bit glum. They just had a new front tire installed.) His response was, “We had fun about 5 days ago. Since then it’s been boring.” I understand there is an element of sameness in the vegetation in the valleys, but I just cannot be bored by the vistas and changing weather.
I also talked with a couple staying here at the University. They are riding 2-up on a Suzuki V-Strom 1000. They went to the Arctic Circle last Saturday. It hadn’t rained and the road was not too bad. They broke down on the way back and had to be towed. Since the dealer was closed Sunday and it was going to take some time to find the problem and fix it, they rented a car and went to every free museum in town. The problem with the bike turned out to be a bad relay and now it’s fixed. They leave in the morning. Again, it’s interesting to see how travelers respond to adversity.
Boring? Maybe they need to get back to the big city and bright lights? Through the ADV forum, I chatted with a rider who was stationed in Fairbanks. He gave me some suggestions on food:
“On the way out of Fairbanks towards the Haul Road stop at the Hilltop Truck Stop, but only if you’re hungry. Their breakfasts are ALASKA BIG, their pies are amazing, and you will be fed well, on a reasonable price. Places to eat in Fairbanks abound: Sourdough Restaurant or Family Restaurant for breakfast, Chowder House for build-your-our-sandwich, Pad Thai on College Road for genuine Thai food, Falafel on College Road (open only in summer, next door to Pad Thai) for Palestinian food, Azucar for Puerto Rican and Caribbean. I could write a whole thread on great places to eat there! Fairbanks is a small city or a large town, depends on how you look at it, you have 80% of what you need in a city, without the traffic jam and head aches of city living. Check out the Silvergulch Brewery, the northernmost brewery in the USA, their beer, steaks and burgers are great, they have very nice outdoor sitting area during the summer. There is also Porky’s BBQ, self-entitled “The Northernmost Southern Barbecue In The World”… my mouth is watering. On a warm day if you feel lazy you can just rent a tire tube and float down the Chena River, or rent a boat and go fish there too.”
Regarding the Arctic Circle, don’t dismiss reaching it in the rain unless your experience says no. You can ride to the start of the Dalton and get a photo of the sign there. Ride a bit down the Dalton and see how it feels on your bike. At least you can say you rode the Dalton! Ride it until you feel like you’re not safe, then turn around and go back – or find yourself at the A.C. sign. The biggest challenge is the range of your Road Glide. Gas up at the Hilltop Truck stop. It’s an hour ride out of Fairbanks just to get to the start of the Dalton. It’s roughly 200 miles from Fairbanks to the A.C. sign. It’s another hour from the A.C. sign to Coldfoot (closest gas station from the sign). Short story, you don’t have the range to get to the A.C. sign and back on one tank of gas. Get a gas can and strap it to your bike, and lighten the load as much as possible.
Silver Gulch brewery was really nice. Great atmosphere and superb beers. I would make that a must experience, if you’re a beer guy.
I believe there is also gas at the Yukon River. I’ve been carrying a gallon of gas in my saddle bag since Tucumcari.
Oh, if you want to warm up and relax your body, go to the Chena hot springs. Easy ride out of Fairbanks.
You made it!!!! CONGRATS!!!!