AK Bagger,

I am thinking about riding from Pa. to Alaska next year in the end of July. Any advice for a trip that far north? How are the roads as far as condition up the AlCan?

 

Enlighten us southern dudes a bit. Just why do you live up there anyway, unless you were born there.

 

I live in Alaska because I'm in the United States Air Force. I've been stationed here for almost 12 years now. I did 18 years on active duty. Four years into my tour in Alaska, my unit went to an "Air National Guard Unit". So, I left active duty and joined the Alaska Air National Guard doing the same job in the same unit. I've got 26 years in so far. Before Alaska I was stationed in Florida for 10 years, Guam for 4 years before that and some time in Cheyenne Wyoming too. Grew-up riding and racing in Ohio.

Alaska is an awesome place to live, but it certainly isn't for everyone. The winters are long, cold and dark. You have to find "something" to do, or you'll get cabin fever quick. For me, it's snowboarding and snowmachines (snowmobiles, not snow-blowers! LOL!). The summers here usually make-up for the winters (although not the case this summer). From March into October you can ride. But peak weather in June-July might bring you a handful of days in the 70's. Other than that, high 60's are the norm (up North in Fairbanks it gets warmer ...80's). That might sound too damn cold for most of you guys, but when you live here you get used to it. All those heat problems you guys gripe about coming from your 07 and up Twin-cams... never experienced it up here. You almost never ride without a leather and chaps, and never get too hot.

I spend alot of time in the summer camping and offshore fishing too. Halibut, salmon and other indigenous fish... (check out my boat in "my garage").

I've seen more snow in Ohio winters, and colder temps in Wyoming winters. But those are only "isolated events" throughout the winter months. In Alaska, it starts in October and stays through March-April... It's a cumlative effect. Colder, darker, deeper!!

The bottom line is... you have to do some time here in Alaska to understand it, appreciate it and fall in love with it. Or, you'll hate it and head for the equator!

 

Theres probably Dudes around here that have made that trip more recently than I have and can give you better intel. However, the ALCAN is very "navigable", and pretty much 100% paved these days. There are "sections" of road that will be being repaired (both major and minor) that will dictate some slower, more cautious riding. Best advice I can give is layer your clothes, and... you can't spend enough money on good rain gear.

Hit me up when the time comes and I can give you more details for your time in Alaska.

 

I'm a former Alaskan with strong ties still to the state. I started riding while I was living in Sitka. I usually had two bikes, one street bike and one dual-sport enduro type. We rode those year round. Riding an overgrown dirt bike in the snow isn't much different to riding on dirt. Just colder.

Great place to live, but the winters will grind you down unless you've got something to keep yourself occupied with. Lots of guys hang around in the bars as their main hobby.

 

Yep, they have some great local beers here. Love to do an occasional "pub-crawl" on the Street Glide!

 

what is this thing snow that you people talk about? heard my dad talking about it once in the 50's...said it was like rain but frozen? do you put cardboard in front of your oil cooler like northern truckers do to their radiators? i would sure hate to see it snow and force me to wear long pants when playing golf in january!!

 

The last time is snowed really hard in Austin was back in 85. Still remember that day. We get ice once or twice a year, and a little dusting now and again that's usually gone by noon, but it's been 25 years since we had a good hard snow that stayed overnight. Shut down most of the state.

We have maybe 20 days of winter a year here, when it gets down below 40. But they are spread out between Dec - Feb, and there's usually plenty of good days between them. Of course the trade off is 2 months of triple degree weather, with no rain all summer.

My dad was in the Air Force, and we were stationed in Alaska for three years when I was a kid. I can still remember the brutal winters and have no desire to ever go through another. But I'd love to tour there some day, I bet there are some pretty spectacular rides up there.

 

Yeah... I don't think I will miss these long winters when I leave this place in a couple years. Probably going to end-up somewhere in Texas myself.

 

Now that just sucks :-(