My waterfront campground in Skagway was a short walk to the downtown area and an excellent brewhouse.
I considered the more expensive option of a satellite phone, but correctly assumed that I would not be away from cell coverage for more than a couple of days. With the tracking turned on, they also allow friends and family to follow your progress on their computers. And as I would learn, although I was not riding with someone, I was never really alone.Īs for the safety issue of riding solo, either a Spot or DeLorme inReach satellite communicator solves the issue of summoning emergency medical help or sending texts anywhere in the world. Traveling alone gives you the option of changing plans on the fly (as I would later do) without the possibility of the other person not wanting to do what you really want to. The consensus was that if you have a solid riding buddy who can go with you, then it might work otherwise, you’re better off alone. Pondering if I should ride with someone or go it alone, I talked to other riders with lots of experience. For more photos and dialogue on this epic trip, search YouTube for “Steves Alaska Adventure.” Although you must take a basic park service school bus into the park, it’s worth it to view the pristine wilderness and abundant wildlife. Denali National Park is majestic beyond description. Practicing for the big trip with a few smaller ones really helped my skills and planning. I became a regular at my local dealership, BMW Motorcycles of Ventura County, and went on several of its organized weekend campout rides. In the 18 months that followed, I read a number of books and watched videos about handling a big bike on- and off-road. It has qualities of both street bikes and dirt bikes, like a Jeep on two wheels. From two years prior to leaving on a 10,276-mile, 10-week Alaska journey until returning home, here’s a little of what I learned.Īfter taking a refresher MSF RiderCourse and test riding several bikes, I settled on a BMW R 1200 GS Adventure for the trip. Especially if you have just returned to motorcycling after a lapse of 28 years as I had.
If you’re not going on an organized tour, though, the reality requires some serious planning. Every adventurous motorcyclist dreams of riding to a far-off destination like Alaska on the spur of the moment just drop everything and take off for a month or a year.
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