Breaking the ice in Alaska!
Posted: Sun May 30, 2010 7:20 pm
Okay, most of the ice is gone and I've already been commuting on the bike for about a month now, but I just had my first weekend ride for fun and thought I'd share with all of you!
I live in Alaska, which is both inhospitable toward motorcycles in winter, and quite possibly the single most sought-after destination for two-wheeled travelers on earth in the summer.
Yesterday I rode with two friends from Wasilla to Seward and back. The miles only amounted to about 360 round-trip, but what a ride it was! The weather was perfect - I mean, wear all your safety gear, and still ride-comfortable-perfect. THAT kind of weather. And when the weather is that good, you can focus more of your attention on the scenery. Scenery, you say? The Seward Highway is touted as one of the most scenic drives in the world. This was my third time on this route, but my first on two wheels. Needless to say, I will forever insist that motorcycles are the BEST way to travel this route!
It's incredible how much more you see, hear and even smell on a bike than you do in a cage.
For those of you who don't know me: I'm a 15 year veteran rider with somewhere near 100K miles under my belt. I'm a soldier in the US Army, currently stationed in Alaska. I'm never leaving. I have found my home. I currently ride a 1981 Honda CX 500 Custom that has less than 10K miles on the clock, including the 3K+ miles I've logged myself. I intend to pile on as many miles as humanly possible until it's time for the next steed. I love motorcycles, and given the choice between twoo wheels and four, I would choose two every time.
Enough of the typing, and on to the photography. My ride, and the scenery:
First, a pic of the bike that carries me around the Last Frontier:
And a group pic with my two riding partners - I'm on the right:
And finally, an example of the scenery that almost becomes boring in a place where views that make you pull-over around every corner are common. Alaska will spoil you for riding, if the scenery is what you're after.
I live in Alaska, which is both inhospitable toward motorcycles in winter, and quite possibly the single most sought-after destination for two-wheeled travelers on earth in the summer.
Yesterday I rode with two friends from Wasilla to Seward and back. The miles only amounted to about 360 round-trip, but what a ride it was! The weather was perfect - I mean, wear all your safety gear, and still ride-comfortable-perfect. THAT kind of weather. And when the weather is that good, you can focus more of your attention on the scenery. Scenery, you say? The Seward Highway is touted as one of the most scenic drives in the world. This was my third time on this route, but my first on two wheels. Needless to say, I will forever insist that motorcycles are the BEST way to travel this route!
It's incredible how much more you see, hear and even smell on a bike than you do in a cage.
For those of you who don't know me: I'm a 15 year veteran rider with somewhere near 100K miles under my belt. I'm a soldier in the US Army, currently stationed in Alaska. I'm never leaving. I have found my home. I currently ride a 1981 Honda CX 500 Custom that has less than 10K miles on the clock, including the 3K+ miles I've logged myself. I intend to pile on as many miles as humanly possible until it's time for the next steed. I love motorcycles, and given the choice between twoo wheels and four, I would choose two every time.
Enough of the typing, and on to the photography. My ride, and the scenery:
First, a pic of the bike that carries me around the Last Frontier:
And a group pic with my two riding partners - I'm on the right:
And finally, an example of the scenery that almost becomes boring in a place where views that make you pull-over around every corner are common. Alaska will spoil you for riding, if the scenery is what you're after.
I'll be shedding some of that bulk soon though, training to run a marathon. It's one of those bucket-list things, and I'm not getting any younger... 