Day 10

The Aurora Hotel that I stayed in at Deadhorse was fantastic, far better than Coldfoot Camp and much more reasonably priced too. After a good breakfast I packed up my things ready to face the challenge of the Dalton Highway once more. After yesterdays tough ride I was a bit apprehensive, especially as it seemed to have rained all night and was still raining in the morning.

The gravel road was very slushy making the ride even more difficult than the day before, I spent a lot of the time standing on the pegs which seemed a better way of riding on the rough and slushy roads, but none of the other motorcyclists I saw were doing this. Each to their own I guess.

Unfortunately, the bike had several issues on the way back and at one point I thought, hell what am I going to do now!

Eventually the weather brightened up enough to encourage me to stop and take some photos.

Day 9

The day started of very damp with mist and low clouds, so I wasn't expecting to see such good views.
For the first 35 miles or so the road surface was paved and in excellent condition, then it changed to a gravel road only this time it was rougher than the gravel roads going up to Coldfoot. As the ride progressed it got wetter making the riding more tricky, especially in the road works areas.

I eventually got to Deadhorse and breathed a sigh of relief.

The R80ST looking dirty.

Day 8

Today I started to ride the very road that this trip was planned on, the James W. Dalton Highway, usually referred to as the Dalton Highway, or as locals call it, the Haul Road.
It begins at the Elliot Highway, north of Fairbanks, (Alaska) and ends at Deadhorse near the Arctic Ocean and the Prudhoe Bay oil fields.

I started riding from Leo's house in Fairbanks to Coldfoot where I stayed at the outrageously priced Coldfoot Camp.
The road was part paved and part gravel which made it an interesting ride with terrific scenery, although it was easier than I expected.

On the way to Coldfoot I also crossed the Arctic Circle.

 



Day 7

Today is a rest day. Well a rest from riding.
I still have to unpack that wet and dirty tent to clean and dry it out plus check over the bike.

 

Checked valve clearances and found the exhaust valves closed up a bit.

Stayed another night at Leo's and got some more route planning done.

Day 6

So after staying the night at Dry Creek campground, I again woke to the sound of rain.
But unlike yesterday where we had our tents on a  grass pitch at the Harley campground, today our tents were on dirt with pine needles and this made for a very messy tent that was now soaking wet and dirty so it just got shoved into the stuff sack as quick as possible. This camping lark is not as much fun as I thought, think I might be a fair weather camper!

The ride back to Fairbanks was a very wet and cold ride but eventually we got to Leo's house where he very kindly said I could stay until I was ready to head further north.

Day 5

I awoke to the sound of rain on my tent at the Harley campground. Not what I wanted to hear.
We packed up our tents and planned the route for that day going north towards Fairbanks but planned to divert off to see the Matanuska Glacier.

Day 4

Last night at the Homer Spit campground I met Leo, another motorcyclist who had ridden all the way from Fairbanks to Homer in one day by himself on a Kawasaki Vulcan S cruiser style bike.
We decided to ride north together and stopped at Anchorage where the Harley Davidson dealer lets motorcyclists camp for free on some land near their shop. Perfect!