Sounds of the hero coyote

Winter’s early grasp on Washington continues into Idaho and is even more prevalent as I climb into the mountains. Road signs along the high passes into Lewiston warn of icy conditions and suggest chains in snow. Today, my good fortune keeps the rain light and the temperature well above freezing. As I crest the hill over Lewiston, fog lingers and mists the road. I stop at the top to weigh my bike on the abando ... [full story]

Alliterative incidents in the life of Brian

Bike The bike feels neglected. The bike needs attention. The bike deserves a wash. These ideas bombard me while I munch cold cereal for breakfast. Maybe these feelings bind me to the bike in a brotherly bond. Maybe they remind me to not let the name BMW presume perfection or even maintenance-free use. I bought the bike new and still approach each ride with a look-over. Some days I surprise the bike with an unannoun ... [full story]

The maharaja of Spokane

That’s a big pumpkin. It’s not quite as large as that which won the Alaska State Fair blue ribbon last year, but it’s large enough at 84-pounds to qualify as an unlikely pumpkin to adorn the front stoop of a house at Halloween. Ryan smiles and turns the pretty side to face out. Brian and Sheryl want to carve it into a jack-o-lantern. A pumpkin this size could feed all of Spokane with a pie each! R ... [full story]

Mount Rainier and east to Spokane

The freeway out of Seattle to Tacoma catches me by surprise. Mid afternoon traffic on a Monday flows rather smoothly — in a mass and closeness I despise — but smoothly and without the kind of stress I experienced on my way into Seattle ten days ago. Following the signs to Puyallup and Highway 161, I keep to a rough route that delivers me to Eatonville and then east into Mount Rainier National Park. With ... [full story]

Ben and Matty stay awhile longer

This Thursday quickly becomes the least favorite day of their entire trip for Ben and Matty. Packed, ready to leave, and nearly riding down the road onward to Oregon and California, Ben learns he’s not only out of money but seriously worse than out of money — and by more than anyone cares to mention. I listened for weeks as Matty heckled Ben to check his finances. All the way through Canada and during o ... [full story]

Adventure, holiday, work, and play

The next few days in Seattle are full of adventure, holiday, work, and play. We finally rouse ourselves from bed the morning after Oktoberfest, and someone mentions breakfast at the 5-Spot. The wait outside is casual as Ben, Matty, and crew nurse hangovers with an air of glamor only well practiced drinkers possess. If I had half as much to drink as they, I’d be in bed, grouchy, and pissed. But Matty smiles hi ... [full story]

Beer, chicken, and Caroline

We start pre-gaming for the bar early in the evening. I head south from Broadway with Ben, Matty, Katie, Marie, and Jakob to their friend’s apartment. It’s a nice place, and it looks very new. The outside of the building shines with ambient light; beautifully tiled walkways lead us from the street to the front entry. Marie pushes a button on the call box, and moments later we’re walking into a lob ... [full story]

Mr. Sticky

The ordeal at the border put a big dent in the day’s schedule. As we ride into Washington, the sun looms threateningly low in the western sky. We stop at the Texaco to shake the nerves from our bodies and use a much needed toilet. To not look like a total mooch, I fuel my bike before asking the attendant for the key. A curious looking fellow of my own age, I don’t think he cares one way or the other. He ... [full story]

Bound by luck, good and bad

It must be six o’clock in the morning. I hear rustling from outside but only in one ear. I shake my head and bat the sleep from my eyes before remembering the ear plugs. One has fallen out, and now I hear noise from across camp in one ear and the dull noise of my own thoughts in the other. If I didn’t know Matty’s plan to leave early this morning, I might be concerned about wildlife. Still, I pull mys ... [full story]

Into the Canadian Rockies

The next morning, we rush to finish the last of our chores in Prince George. Matty leaves to recycle our engine oil and to finally change his tire. Ben has taken his rear brake caliper off and found uneven wearing in the pad. The caliper squeezes from only one side and has worn the outer pad nearly to metal. He’s caught the problem just in time to prevent damage to his disc, but we’re both quite stumped ... [full story]

Extended stay in Prince George

Tuesday morning, Ben and Matty leave for the Honda dealership while I stay behind to write and enjoy time with my own thoughts. Traveling alongside two other riders is very different from traveling alone. Where on one hand this arrangement offers companionship, security, and shared experiences, it also precludes me from relying completely on my own schedule and habits. We wake, ride, eat, and sleep in close company ... [full story]

Beautiful British Columbia

In the early hours of sunrise along the Stikine River, British Columbia comes to life, and I forget about my travels through Canada altogether. In half slumber, I put myself in memory’s shoes. A dense fog covers the ground and sky. I can’t see to make a bearing, but very clear sounds penetrate the thick air. Loud ship horns take turns bellowing ominous warnings of unseen proximity. I hear a deep and resonating ... [full story]

Running from the north country

I wake late to rising sunlight on the west side of my tent. That’s odd. Blocked on the east by a camper trailer, my tent glows from light reflected off the windows next door. The mess of early morning RV park noise floods my ears and slowly turns into individual recognizable sounds. Doors close, a diesel engine purrs, and squeaky screw jacks chirp as groups on both sides of me ready for the late morning checkout. ... [full story]

Dandy days in Dawson

I twist along the last US miles of the dusty ridge road after saying goodbye to Donna and Ronnie. Brown clouds of aerated road bellow behind oncoming cars. I picture myself in a wind tunnel and try willing a force field air foil ahead of me to cut through the dirt, but I just end up coughing and swallowing a mouthful of earth on the next breath. On the last turn before the border, I stop to embrace a few last momen ... [full story]

The ghosts of McCarthy to the top of the world

I fuel the bike at Three Bears Alaska and catch glimpse of my family’s home for sale sign at the intersection. Leaving was hard, but each mile I ride assures me that this is right and what I want to do. Somewhere on the road ahead, I’ll camp for the night, eat dinner, wake to eat breakfast, and ride on again. New sights, sounds, and smells await around each corner and with every mile. Strangers and I will cross ... [full story]

Goodbye for now

It’s exciting to be home again. Moreover, every ounce of sun that can fall from the sky is doing just that. What was an entire summer of rain is now just sun and sky. I lounge about the deck soaking in every bit of it and decide to extend my stay until next week. This weather makes riding awesome, yet it draws me in and makes me lethargic. Nothing gets done until the last minute when the sun shines! I’m packing ... [full story]

Seward bound… running from celebrity

I’m riding to the Kenai Peninsula for a Friday evening dinner cruise aboard the Chugach, a Kenai Fjords Tours boat that ferries hungry passengers to Fox Island near the mouth of Resurrection Bay for salmon and prime rib. I even starved myself with just a bowl of cereal for breakfast in anticipation of the bountiful meal. I’ve left early enough to make the 160 miles in four hours with time to spare before boardi ... [full story]

Raining fail at the fair

With not a day’s rest after returning from the Dalton Highway, I head to the Alaska State Fair with my family. Thursday is opening day, and we walk about the grounds enjoying the heavily discounted entry fee and catching free performances. Oversize pumpkins, squash, and cucumbers sit on display, thumbing their invisible vegetable noses at the world of starving children. Other, non-starving children run about and ... [full story]

A stinging desire for home

Two nights in one camp makes for a lazy camper and one heck of a mess. Everything from clothes to cooking gear lays strewn across the tent vestibule. If not for two entrances, I’d be sleeping in oats and cooking in down. It’s while boiling water for coffee that I glimpse my arch nemesis from the corner of my eye. Like in the Matrix movie, everything slows, steam bellows from the cook pot in slow motion swirls ... [full story]

Fairbanks and a day of vacation

If you haven’t slept with plugged ears in a crowded campground, then you likely haven’t missed a noon checkout deadline. I pluck the plugs from my ears and a roar of activity fills my head. Kids yell and scream, doors slam, and engines whine so loudly I’m disoriented for a moment. I wipe sleep from my eyes and nearly leap from bed at seeing the time. It’s 11 o’clock, and I have an hour to check out — ... [full story]