Tag: Eielson AFB

Arctic Circle

Now, I am an early riser. But Brent is really an earlier riser. I turned over in bed and the clock said 5:13 am. Time to get up.

We were out the door and on the road early. It was an unbelievable day – warm with blue skies. We were off to the Arctic Circle and Wiseman for the night.

Gasoline

Gasoline is an issue going to Prudhoe Bay. We intended to get gas at Livengood. When we reached the town it said no services. What to do now?

We kept going and reached the start of the infamous Dalton Highway!

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Besides taking some photos we needed to figure out what to do about gas. We decided to press on to Yukon River. When I drove up to the town/building the sign said food but didn’t mention gas. As I drove by, all I saw was a white tank and no gas pumps. At the next stop, about 3 miles up the road, we stopped and the woman at the gift shop said there was gas at Yukon River. Back we went. Sure enough there was a pump there.

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The next stop for gasoline was Coldfoot. This is also the last chance for gasoline before Deadhorse. The gas has to last for 229 miles. Both Brent and I are carrying an extra gallon of gas.

Arctic Circle

Before the Arctic Circle we saw the first tundra. How cool.

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Just up the road was the Arctic Circle.

This was amazing. I have read about people reaching the circle and posing in from of the sign. I have dreamt that one day it would be me and now it is. Really surreal. I motorcycled to the Arctic Circle!

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Wiseman

After pinching myself, Brent and I took off for Coldfoot to get our last gas before reaching Deadhorse and the Arctic Ocean.Great scenery along the way.

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We decided to have a bite to eat in Coldfoot before heading to Wiseman just a few miles up the road. There and met a guy who just came down from Deadhorse. He warned about the road before Deadhorse that was under construction. He said the road consisted of huge rocks. It was there that Enrique crashed his bike. That will be the challenge tomorrow. Right now, however, it was time to get to Wiseman and the Borreal Lodge for the night.

Wiseman is an odd little town next to a beautiful river. The Boreal Lodge? Rustic and hot. No air conditioning in the Arctic. Go figure 🙂 Took me awhile to get to sleep. And of course it is light 24 hours a day.

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Route for July 14, 2016

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Living Loving Adventuring

Today was about meeting Brent Carroll from Livinglovingadventuring.com.

As I mentioned, we had made arrangements to do the Dalton Hwy up to Prudhoe Bay together. Partly to share costs by doubling up in rooms, and partly to have some security in case something goes wrong.

Dalton Highway

The Dalton Highway is purported to be one of the most dangerous highways in the world. Check out these articles among many others:

http://www.dangerousroads.org/north-america/usa/50-james-dalton-highway-usa.html
http://www.onlyinyourstate.com/alaska/james-dalton-highway-ak/
https://www.gapyear.com/articles/216021/the-22-most-deadly-highways-in-the-world
http://www.history.co.uk/shows/ice-road-truckers/articles/the-10-deadliest-roads-in-the-world

Starting the Day

In any case, we were meeting up this afternoon to stay at the Eielson Air Force Base. Brent is a US Navy Veteran and so he could get us into the Gold Rush Inn on the base for $30 US each.

First though it was laundry, packing up the motorcycle, and off to Starbucks. Starbucks should really pay me something for all the advertising I give them and for being such a loyal fan. So Starbucks, if you are listening 😉

After my morning coffee I went to the Air Force Base to meet Brent. After some paper work for a foreign national to enter the base, I was in. Off to the Gold Rush Inn.

It was actually pretty nice. A few beers, something to eat, and time to get to know each other.

Brent Carroll

Brent was in the Navy for 20 years, and then working as a civilian for the US Coast Guard for almost nine years years as an engineer, and finished his PhD. His Dad passed away when he was 51. That was enough motivation for him to realize life is too short.

Brent believes that the world is full of good, purposeful, and striving people, and that everything we hear distorts our world perspective in really negative ways. Riding a motorcycle is the purist form of therapy possible, and that you get to see the world while riding all the better. You get feelings, sensations, smells, and experiences riding a motorcycle you simply cannot get on a vacation or in a car.

Brent is on a 17-month motorcycle trip leaving from Virginia, to Newfoundland, cross Canada, up to Alaska, and then follow generally the Pan-American Highway in its entirety all the way south through Patagonia to the southern tip of South America. And then turn around and head back to Seattle.

As an engineer, Brent likes to attend to every detail. Now I use to be like this, but on this trip one of my themes in my adventure. is to plan not to have a plan ha ha ha. Huuuuuummmm potential problem? ha ha ha

Regardless, we are both authentic, and value adventure and people.

The Route for July 13, 2016 was Fairbanks to Eielson Air Force Base

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