That's too far on a 650cc...

[iridefar]

Reading the other trip reports has inspired me to finally sit down and write out a trip report for my trip to Yukon, Canada last year. The thing I heard most often when preparing for this trip was "That is too far to ride on a 650cc motorcycle". I knew that plenty of people did it on KLR's, though, so I only had to worry about running out of vacation time (work sucks). So, here is the report...


Saturday, May 28
Vicksburg, MS to Tulsa, OK

As I completed my final gear check, the sun was just starting to break the horizon. The quiet stillness of the morning was broken by the distinctive sound of the single-cylinder F650 coming to life…
Well, at least that was how I had envisioned the start of my trip. In actuality it started with the alarm going off at 4:00 AM. I set it that early to give me time to take care of some unfinished packing and trip preparations. After all, I had only been planning this trip for three months. A guy can only do so much.
When I finally got out of bed at 5:00 AM, I grabbed a shower and started finishing my preps for the trip. I had decided at some point the night before to have a nice “trip kickoff” breakfast with a friend at 6:30 AM. That would put me on the road a little before my 8:00 AM scheduled start. I ended up having a 7:00 AM breakfast at the local Waffle House and after repacking some of the things that I had diligently packed the week before, I was finally on the road by 9:30 AM.
The ride to Tulsa, OK was fairly uneventful. I choose to go through Arkansas up Highway 65. This is a route that I had ridden just a week earlier on a trip to Kansas City, MO. This is the two lane highway that I use to get from I-20 to I-40 in Little Rock, AR. As I turned west onto I-40 I was anticipating how well the BMW F650GS would do on the interstate. I had changed the rear sprocket on the bike to one that would be better suited for cruising down the interstate (45 tooth). The little 650cc bike did as well as I had hoped. Even with the extra load on the back, it seemed to be comfortable cruising along at 80mph
I arrived at the KOA campground in Tulsa, OK with plenty of daylight left to set up camp. This was my first night with the new camping gear.

http://www.iridefar.com/images/IMG_0504-web.JPG


Sunday, May 29
Tulsa, OK to Sioux Falls, SD

I learned this morning that those who choose to stay at campgrounds are not early risers. As I pulled out of the Tulsa KOA very few of the patrons were stirring. The Gold Wing riders that were camping across the dirt path from me were up and working on breakfast. These travelers were obviously experienced at this camping thing. As I was finishing the morning's packing, one of them was grating fresh cheese for their breakfast (which smelled great). I couldn’t help but think of the freshly grated cheese melted on top of scrambled eggs as I ate my fast food breakfast concoction.
I was greeted on the morning’s ride by bright, sunny weather. The temperatures were quiet warm but not hot; great conditions for riding. However, as I started to get further north, the temperatures started dropping rapidly. Once the sky became overcast the temperatures (and my mood) started dropping even faster. I had elected not to wear any of the heated gear since the weather was so nice in the morning. Being the stubborn ass that I have occasionally been accused of being, I did not want to stop and put the gear on. After all, the first rule of motorcycle adventure riding is “keep pushing forward”.

http://www.iridefar.com/images/goldwingers.JPG

[iridefar]

Monday, May 30
Sioux Falls, SD to Brandon, Manitoba

The day started out cold with overcast skies. Not exactly the morning I was hoping for. However, this was the day that I cross the border, so my spirits were up despite the weather. My first surprise of the day came when my fuel light came on indicating that I had only 1 gallon of fuel remaining. I had only ridden 137 miles at the point the light came on. Normally I would be able to ride between 180 and 190 miles before needed fuel. I was aware that as the temperature drops, so does my fuel economy, but I have never had it drop this low (an indication of how cold it was that morning). Immediately I became concerned that all of my tedious planning of gas stops along my route would be for naught. All of those stops were based (conservatively I thought) on getting 165 miles from each tank of gas. But there was nothing to be done about it at this point, so I looked up the next gas station on the GPS and pulled in to fill up.

I was fortunate to reach the border crossing with only two cars ahead of me. After answering the typical questions, I was asked to park the bike and come inside. Unlike my earlier experience crossing the border while on my journey to Nova Scotia, I was in and out of the customs office within 30 min.
Once across the border, I stopped at the Manitoba Visitor Center to exchange some money and take a picture in front of the Manitoba sign.
The visitor centers in Canada are great resources. While I was at the visitor center I looked into the available lodging options for the night in case I didn’t feel like continuing all of the way to Brandon, Manitoba. However, once I got back on the road I was revitalized. There is something about riding in a new place that makes you not notice being tired. It did not make me not notice the amount of bugs splattering all over my faceshield and bike, though. This place rivaled Louisiana during “love-bug” season!

Once I finally made it to Brandon, I found a motel to check into for the night. I was able to find one that had a patio door that opened up right to my parking spot. This made it much easier to unload my bike. The downside of staying at a hotel is that I had to unload everything off of the bike for the night. The last thing that I went to get off of the bike was my Garmin 276C GPS. The power cord is difficult to remove from the back of the unit, so I decided to take the unit out of its cradle to give me more leverage. This turned out to be my critical error. Once the power cord finally popped free, the GPS unit flew out of my hand. The unit bounced off of a couple of bike parts and got wedged between the rear brake pedal and the engine guard. While the unit did not hit the ground, it did land on the bike hard enough to crack the glass over the screen. My waterproof GPS unit was now not so waterproof. Oops

[iridefar]

Tuesday, May 31
Brandon, Manitoba to Battleford, Saskatchewan

An improvement in the weather lifted my spirits after the GPS incident. I got the bike loaded and headed out to find a store to get some supplies to repair the screen on my GPS unit. My plan was to find something to seal the cracked screen. I had to travel through town a bit, but I eventually located the Wal-Mart and found some silicone to make my repairs.
While I was in the parking lot working on the GPS, an older gentleman walked up and started asking me about my bike and my trip. Being from Germany, he said that he could not resist asking how I liked my BMW. He and I talked for a few minutes while I continued to make my repairs. My new German friend wished me luck and safe riding and I finished re-packing the bike. It was 10:30 AM when I got back on the road. It is amazing how one small decision (to take the GPS out of the cradle to unhook the cable) can result in a fairly significant change to the schedule.

I traveled up to the Yellowhead Highway (HWY 16) from Brandon. Traveling through along Highways 1 and 16 in Manitoba and Saskatchewan made me realize that I had planned my route through the Great Plains of Canada. Let me assure you that this area is very appropriately named. The road is extremely flat with miles of plains and farm land on each side. At times the scenery was so flat that I felt that if I looked hard enough I would be able to see Mt. Rushmore. However the ride through the Canadian flatlands seems to be more palatable than a similar ride through the flat areas of the United States. As I ride, it strikes me how much weight is put on the imaginary lines that cross the land. Earlier in the trip I could feel my mood get better and the excitement build the closer I got to the Canadian border. But the riding and the scenery changed very little. One would be hard pressed to tell whether this area was in Canada or in the Dakotas. But just the knowledge that I was now riding in a different country added a sense of excitement to the ride.

I reached Battleford, Saskatchewan around 7:30 PM. I arrived at the Eiling Kramer Campground only to find no one working at the check in shack. I rode around locating what appeared to be a good spot and started unloading the bike. Immediately I was surrounded by hundreds of massive mosquitoes. Living in Mississippi, I thought I had experienced large mosquitoes but these were larger than any I have every seen down south. I quickly dug through my gear to find the DEET.

I got my camp set up just as the girl returned to the check in shack. I went over and paid the small fee and used the payphone to call home. There is little to no cellular coverage in this area. Apparently the girl who works the check desk was cutting the grass when I arrived. It was now 8:30 PM and it was still light enough to cut grass. The days were obviously getting longer the further north I traveled. This gave me plenty of daylight to cook my dinner on the camp stove before settling in for the night. I was expecting rain based on the predictions, but thankfully got just a few drops that night.

http://www.iridefar.com/images/IMG_0530_web.jpg

[iridefar]

Wednesday, June 1
Battleford, Saskatchewan to Edmonton, Alberta

I got up early to get camp packed up and the bike loaded. My goal for the day was to get to the BMW shop in Edmonton, Alberta to get a tire change. I did not need new tires at this point, but it was time for my 6,000 miles service and I wanted to swap the mostly-street tires that came on my bike with some more dirt-oriented Continental TKC80 tires. I had called prior to leaving home to make arrangements with the dealership to have this work done. I was assured that shop would have the tires ready and could do the work that day as long as I got there before noon. This would not be a problem since I was only 240 miles away.

I made good time and arrived at the BMW dealership just after 10:00 AM. Unfortunately that was the last thing that would go right for me that day. Contrary to what I had been told, the service manager at the dealership told me that there was no way that they could do the service that day since the bike had to cool for 7 hours prior to doing the work. I was also told that they did not have the tires that I needed. So as I result I ended up spending two rainy days in a hotel in Edmonton with no transportation. Head Bang

[iridefar]

Friday, June 3
Edmonton, AB to Dawson Creek, BC

I picked my bike up Thursday afternoon with a new set of Metzler tires. As I was packing the gear onto the bike Friday morning, I noticed a pool of oil under the bike. Oh, great! This is all I need. My biggest fear was that I would have to deal with the local BMW shop again and it would cost me yet another wasted day. I did a quick inspection and decided that the shop had used the old oil from the bike to lubricate the chain. The oil that was on the ground was oil that had been thrown inside the chain guard and then dripped out onto the ground while the engine was warm. I ran into a couple of Harley riders in the parking lot and they were of the same opinion, so I set off on my way to Dawson Creek. After all, who knows more about oil under a bike than Harley riders? :)

I reached Dawson Creek with just enough daylight left to take the obligatory pictures of my bike in front of the “Alaska Highway” sign. This marked a major milestone of my trip. I had planned on camping in Dawson Creek, but it had been raining most of the day, so I opted for a hotel with high speed internet access so that I could update my web site. I also decided to go to the local Wal-Mart and get a small gas can to carry with me the rest of the trip (just in case).

http://www.iridefar.com/images/IMG_0562_web.JPG

[iridefar]

This is the actual GPS track from the trip north. I figured I should post this to help you visualize where I was.

http://www.iridefar.com/images/Trip-Log-Full-Map4.gif

[iridefar]

Saturday, June 4
Dawson Creek, BC to Muncho Lake, BC

The first 5 hours of this day’s riding was flat and uneventful. I got my first look at mountains 130 miles into the day’s ride. Prior to this point, it had been mostly flat land or riding between two walls of trees. There was occasional excitement caused by deer crossing the road in front of me. For a while I was thinking how I could be riding in Mississippi and would not know the difference since there are similar roads lined with tall pine trees. However, I reached Ft. Nelson and the ride became noticeably different. The mountains in this area are huge and beautiful. There were all of the things that make a ride great in my opinion. There were sweeping curves with multiple elevation changes. I saw several small groups of Stone Sheep and stopped to watch a moose eating on the side of the road. This is what I had imagined riding on the Alaska Highway would be like. The only down-side was discovering how dirt tires react to the metal grating bridges.

http://www.iridefar.com/images/IMG_0644-web.JPG

I had made reservations at the Northern Rockies Lodge in Muncho Lake. As soon as I pulled into the parking lot, I realized this place was much different from the other lodges and hotels that I had seen up this point. The Northern Rockies Lodge is owned/operated by Marianne and Urs Schildknecht. They purchased the lodge after coming to Canada from Switzerland in the 1980’s. I first saw this place in the Milepost magazine and read about it again in Neil Peart’s book, Ghost Rider. The lodge is basically a huge log cabin with several stand-alone cabins on the property. I got checked into a room in the main lodge and had a great dinner at the restaurant.

http://www.iridefar.com/images/IMG_0659-web.JPG

[iridefar]

Sunday, June 5
Muncho Lake, BC to Watson Lake, Yukon

I took off that morning headed up to Watson Lake and points north. But I was so impressed with the riding around Watson Lake, that I decided that another night at the Northern Rockies Lodge was worth the extra time and money. So I decided to turn around at the Signpost Forest and head back.

While getting gas for the ride back, I ran into a couple of fellow riders; one on a BMW 1150GS and one on an ST1100. We rode back towards Watson Lake together and had a great ride. On the way up to Watson Lake I had run into a herd of Bison roaming along the road.

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On the way back, we ran into a group of Stone Sheep and stopped to get some pics.

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[JayD]

Popcorn2

[iridefar]

Muncho Lake

http://www.iridefar.com/images/IMG_0733-web.JPG

Me just north of Muncho Lake

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[iridefar]

The Yukon sign...

http://www.iridefar.com/images/IMG_0673_web.jpg

and the Signpost Forest. I was not that impressed with this, but it was there, so...

http://www.iridefar.com/images/IMG_0676_web.jpg

[Juice]

Absolutely brilliant.......Nice job Man.

[nickatnite]

I want to go to Alaska now.....


Paging Ted Torres to the white courtesy phone...

Juice?

[nickatnite]

Tuesday, May 31
Brandon, Manitoba to Battleford, Saskatchewan


http://www.iridefar.com/images/IMG_0530_web.jpg

What bags do you have here and what set up is that on the rear? Those are the fuel canisters for cooking, right?

Tell me more about all of that. That is my next purchase..

[Ritten]

Amazing stuff Steve!!! I'm going to be tracing some of your ride in another 8 months on my way up to Deadhorse. You're really lighting that fire by sharing this adventure with us.....thanks man! The pictures are absolutely beautiful and I'm eagerly awaiting the rest of your report.

Popcorn2 Popcorn2

You mentioned that the shop didn't have the TKC's you ordered and you left with brand new Metzlers......are those Karoos on there?

[Fitty]

VERY nice!! Thanks for posting.

[Rocky]

Wow, I learn much from the travels of others.....Amazing pictures and report. Carry on.

[Drivin&Cryin]

Not.Worthy

[iridefar]

What bags do you have here and what set up is that on the rear? Those are the fuel canisters for cooking, right?

Tell me more about all of that. That is my next purchase..

These are the Touratech panniers with the fuel bottle carrier mounted on the back. The one on the right is supposed to be for oil, but I use it to carry water for cooking (just in case).

Really one fuel canister is plenty, but I wanted to have "emergency" gas for the bike. Both bottles together end up being 1/2 gal, so that may get you 20 extra miles in an emergency. It ain't much, but better than walking those 20 miles!

This is the stove I use:

http://www.iridefar.com/photogallery/whisperlite_intl.jpg

Because unleaded fuel burns so dirty, you need one with the shaker nozzle.

The fuel bottle mount requires you to drill through your case, but it is simple. You just have to get past drilling through something that you want to be watertight. I have had no problems with leaking, though. I am pretty sure my cases are still air-tight because when the temp drops at night they draw a slight vacuum.

Here is the link to the bottle holder:

http://www.touratech-usa.com/shop/show.lasso?SKU=070-0525&-session=touratech:EB8C937B5B7D071395ADAE0EF440B9C4


and for the oil canister holder:

http://www.touratech-usa.com/shop/show.lasso?SKU=070-0522&-session=touratech:EB8C937B5B7D071395ADAE0EF440B9C4

One great thing about the pannier system is it is not bike-specific. If I end up getting the 1200GS, I will just have to buy another mounting system. The cases will then be easy to swap between the 650 and 1200 Cool12 .

[iridefar]

Sunday, June 5 Continued
Watson Lake, Yukon back to Muncho Lake, BC

On the ride up to Watson Lake and then back to Muncho Lake I ran into a few of the infamous Alaska Highway construction zones. I must say that these are impressive. When they work on the road, they dig up the ENTIRE road for miles. So you get to ride some unexpected off-road track. Unfortunately you have to ride behind a construction truck, so I had a hard time keeping my speed up. I was surprised that the custom is to let any motorcycle move up to the front of the line so that the trucks do not sling mud and dirt on you. The flag-girl at the construction zone actually walked back to my place in line and told me to come up front and no one threatened to shoot at me. One other thing: it appeared that only young girls work as flag wavers in the construction zones. Every one that I drove through followed this rule.

http://www.iridefar.com/images/IMG_0663_web.jpg

[iridefar]

Monday, June 6
Muncho Lake, BC to Dawson Creek, BC

This is the part of the story where some people will say “Are you crazy?” and some will understand what I did. The goal of my trip when it began was to ride to Alaska. The extra day I had to spend in Edmonton cut my time short, so I had to make a decision. Keep heading north or take a detour. Several times during the trip people had asked me if I had ridden through or was going to ride through Jasper National Park. One rule I follow during these trips is: plan your trip in great detail and be prepared to abandon that plan at any time. So I abandoned my plan to ride to Alaska and headed out in search of Jasper National Park. This would turn out to be a great decision.

I cannot tell you how beautiful this part of the Alaska Highway is. For most of the ride you ride along a river. There are plenty of elevation changes and curves. And as a bonus, there is a plentiful supply of wildlife (mostly stone sheep). My timing must have been perfect because I only saw another vehicle (usually an RV) every couple of hours.

Along the ride back through the mountains I did run across another moose. I managed to ride along beside him for about 75 yards. He was not sure if he should be afraid of me, so he just trotted along the road until he finally decided to cut into the woods. Fortunately I had my helmet cam on during this part of the ride. I will eventually get some of that video posted.

As I was getting close to Dawson Creek, I saw a black bear playing in a field of flowers. I pulled the bike over, got off and pulled the camera out. As I was framing up the shot, I noticed that this was a juvenile bear. I lived in Northern Alberta for 3 years, so I have some experience with bears. It was at that moment that I felt common sense returning to my head. If this is a juvenile bear, where is the mother??? Needless to say, I pulled off two quick shots, stuffed the camera back in the case, and got back on the bike. I watched the bear for a few minutes, now comfortable that I could start the bike and escape if the mother bear appeared.

The rest of the road back to Dawson Creek is mostly straight, but not totally flat.

http://www.iridefar.com/images/IMG_0746_web.jpg

http://www.iridefar.com/images/IMG_0774_web.jpg

[iridefar]

You mentioned that the shop didn't have the TKC's you ordered and you left with brand new Metzlers......are those Karoos on there?

Yep. Those are Karoos. I was really impresssed with them, but I only got a little over 4K miles on them. I have the TKC's on there now, but haven't ridden much on the interstate with them. The Karoos were a little loud on the interstate but handled well in the wet stuff (for knobbies).

I should say that I am biased towards Metzler. I have put them on most of my bikes.

[weave]

Nice report steve,
How bout a mini review of tent/

[Flying Low]

wow. great report. please post more if you have the time.

[Shakey75]

Great report. Although it's not helping my as of now unattainable want of that bike.

[iridefar]

Nice report steve,
How bout a mini review of tent/

I am not sure if you could tell from the picture, but I use the Mountain Hardwear Light Wedge tent.

http://www.iridefar.com/photogallery/0108m.jpghttp://www.iridefar.com/photogallery/0108f.jpg

MH gear is expensive, but it is worth it in my opinion. I also use a MH sleeping bag.
http://www.iridefar.com/images/OU8348m.jpg

This tent is great for 1 person (2 person tent). It leaves enough room inside for your gear and your boots can go outside under the rain fly. I can set up this tent very quickly and have done so in the rain more than once.
It also packs very small. The poles are the only thing you have to find a place for (never pack your poles with your tent; hard stuff only goes with hard stuff). I have found they are the perfect size to go on top of a Touratech pannier.

You have to mess with the tent/fly combo to figure out the warmest set-up. I was in Calgary, AB in the freezing rain and got my flaps up too far trying to make sure the rain didn't get in. The cold air would run along the ground and then up into my tent. It was a good thing that my sleeping bag is rated for 15 F.

[ONE LOVE]

Great report. Thanks, now you got me wanting to go north.