Ducati Monster Forum

[***UPDATE***]

I've finally started uploading pictures! Part one of the write-up of my trip from Los Angeles to the Arctic Ocean is up here at my blog: http://thesunhaswings.blogspot.com/2012/11/one-dream.html (http://thesunhaswings.blogspot.com/2012/11/one-dream.html)

I'll be adding sections over the next few weeks (wish I could do it faster, but what with a new job starting it's hectic). I've divided the story into seven sections, so remember that the pictures you see here are only a fraction of what's to come.

And of course, thank you all for your support and encouragement  :). Without it, I don't think it would have been anything close to the amazing, life-changing adventure that it was.


But first, some of my favorite bike pictures from what I've currently uploaded (for the rest, click the link above):

(http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dPtFVx4e8bo/UKBE6oHqbgI/AAAAAAAAB1Q/4jsOIaTji-s/s1600/IMGP0178.JPG)
The first day, heading through the golden fields of Central California.


(http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bYn5mmIp3cI/UKBKame6bbI/AAAAAAAAB8U/lfE8VshRBIQ/s1600/IMGP3067.JPG)
On the way to Valdez, AK


(http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wIyCYbUBmCQ/UKBFzJtVMbI/AAAAAAAAB2Y/dq6htoNDtAo/s1600/IMGP2268.JPG)
On the Dalton Highway heading south, looking towards the Brooks Range, about 130 miles north of the Arctic Circle


(http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-M9UCC85AUd8/ULAyT3TeNEI/AAAAAAAACLs/8Pgv-eFlx0w/s1600/IMGP2881.jpg)
North of Valdez


(http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XopozyRy0Ic/UKBHkIPbZoI/AAAAAAAAB4w/OLd80WS4QNA/s1600/IMGP2526.JPG)
Portage Glacier, Kenai Peninsula


(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7qyxJuAqIaw/UKBGHj8nTSI/AAAAAAAAB20/RVEMgPTjS3Q/s1600/IMGP2285.JPG)
Rain over the tundra at Atigun Pass.


(http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XYX2BxAcFXQ/UKBJLuX7muI/AAAAAAAAB6o/4xvyKFof7F0/s1600/IMGP2820.JPG)
North of Valdez


(http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-D_c7eZkX_28/UKBG3uY7dkI/AAAAAAAAB3w/9MrzwKFW_rY/s1600/IMGP2380.JPG)
Look what the Dalton Highway did...


(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9Bmi8DngMes/UKBKvz9ed_I/AAAAAAAAB8w/UzARzDd06og/s1600/IMGP3141.JPG)
Kennecott Mines in Wrangell-St.Elias National Park










----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[***Below here is my original post***]

In three days I will be leaving LA for Alaska on a six-week trip. My ultimate destination is Deadhorse, right outside Prudhoe Bay on the shores of the Arctic Ocean.

I will be posting updates whenever I can here, and in more depth on my blog. Feel free to give me any suggestions or just any comments  :)

Meanwhile, I have three days to finish the final preparations + move out of my place + put all my earthly possessions in storage. Fun! ..... not...

(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gIUI03XXbGY/UCC9dt2BnSI/AAAAAAAABuE/g339FDWuxU0/s1600/Route+Image.jpg)
My planned route.



I've traveled pretty extensively through the Southwest on a number of trips over the past year. This will be the longest trip by far though. But here are some of my favorite pictures from the past year (click on the text to link to the picture):

Bonneville (http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BTP4djTTWXA/T7yJo2s4tPI/AAAAAAAABeE/ZSJDZb5klUE/s1600/DSC06136.JPG)

Canyonlands, Utah (http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xbekO6wn71U/UCC6bkE_zMI/AAAAAAAABtg/BjP7wxRtr1A/s1600/DSC04434+captioned.jpg)

Capitol Reef, Utah (http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TDjS1105m7M/UCC6cc9BFbI/AAAAAAAABtw/e8EEwCH9y-s/s1600/DSC02913+captioned.jpg)

Sunrise over the mountains overlooking Bonneville (http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qBuZy8nZBOA/T7yJTgGrmrI/AAAAAAAABdM/uL7jltnSpoE/s1600/DSC06044.JPG)

Near San Felipe, Baja California (http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6FcdQbzz1fY/T5SCk21lGpI/AAAAAAAABTw/SUxK6LVQs50/s1600/DSC05285.JPG)

Big Sur (http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mMBtw9ycZ6o/TnBOYc-y_lI/AAAAAAAAAdU/E0TI8K3ogVk/s1600/DSC03129.JPG)

Abandoned mine in Death Valley (http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KT3hbvkpT0k/UCC6b4JvMXI/AAAAAAAABto/on3-ZrvqihM/s1600/DSC06452+captioned.jpg)

Death Valley (http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-n1xTVJessmc/T8HsV41JwFI/AAAAAAAABhc/0yRmtnH48Mo/s1600/DSC06488.JPG)

Heated gear and spiked tires?

Best of luck with the trip Eric... [thumbsup]

Be sure to keep us posted...

Geoff... [coffee]

Good luck, i am in awe of your awesomeness.

A friend took the same trip back in the day on a Yamaha XS-650.

The only trouble he had was with headlight bulbs and lenses from the stones kicked up on the gravel sections of the Alaska highway.

Have fun.

Good Luck and keep the positive attitude!
 Looking forward to your pics.   [Dolph]

   [thumbsup] Have a great and safe trip, Eric

 [clap] [clap] [clap]

 [popcorn]

That will be an epic trip.
Be careful and have a great time.

Can't wait to see some pics

I envy you.....with the wife (although understanding) and job (maybe when I leave it) I already know there is almost no way I could pull one of those off ATM [laugh]

Looking forward to the updates.

Looks like an amazing trip!

If you need a place to camp/crash or whatever, we live near Mt. Hood in Oregon.

Looking forward to the updates!

Best of luck! [beer]

Best of luck on this trip! I loved looking at the pics from last time and I look forward to seeing and reading about this trip.

I really need keep fresh in my mind a saying from Warren Miller. "If you don't do it this year, you'll only be a year older when you do."

 [thumbsup] Safe Travels  [beer]

Thank you for Living the Dream, and I look forward to the pics & updates on your blog!  [beer]

Wow, that trip looks awesome. I was showing some co-workers and we're all in awe. It's certainly a dream of mine to one day ride up to Alaska, but I never considered traversing Alaska as well.

amazing  [thumbsup]
blog bookmarked

godspeed

 [bow_down]

i'm curious what tires you have chosen. don't forget your hole plugger and air pump.

hope you're planning to take the Prudhoe tour bus because we need pics of you dipping your toes!
ride well !  [thumbsup]

Good luck on your trip, you're in for one hell of a ride.
I work up in Deadhorse and have seen a few bikes make it up this summer, though they have all been enduro-esque bikes. No monsters yet. Keep in mind that the Dalton Hwy (Haul Rd) is maintained for tractors hauling big loads. There aren't many gas stations or places to crash for an evening. Definitely plan on bringing some extra fuel for the longer legs. It's gravel and this has been an exceptionally wet season so look forward to many pot holes that may sneak up on ya. Like DucPainter said, those tractors will fling lots of debris at you and rarely be looking out for motorcyclists, fortunately if you lose a headlight it wont be too critical this time of year as the sun doesn't set til close to midnight and even then it's just twilight til it comes back up. I'll be making the trip up to just south of Deadhorse from Anchorage tomorrow for a hunting trip. I'll be off the grid for roughly ten days, but when I get back I'll post the road conditions and quirks I notice.
Safe travels, guy.

Friend did similar round trip from the Philadelphia PA area on his BMW GS with nobbies....try to find out as much about road conditions/distances as you can as the tires that get you to Alaska will not be the best to use once in Alaska.

Good luck - lots of bug spray!

Thanks for all the input and encouragement, it wouldn't be quite the same without you guys  :).

As for the equipment details, I have a Pirelli Scorpion Trail on the rear and will probably change the front to the same when I reach Seattle. I used to run Bridgestone BT-023's which were worse for off the pavement. But they took me through the Carrizo Plain, Valley of the Gods, Monument Valley floor, and other places they weren't meant to go so I think I'm somewhat better prepared this time.

I also have a headlight stone guard and oil cooler guard installed so hopefully that'll take care of the rocks.

An auxiliary light (brighter than the stock headlight actually), Barkbusters hand guards, 2 gallon Rotopax fuel jug, and Ventura rack for extra luggage round out the rest.

My room looks like a tornado hit it and all of that needs to go in the moving truck Thursday morning. But important things first, stickers!

(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sXgnYjdjYCk/UCIaSCxUbtI/AAAAAAAABuY/xHwJry0aCVA/s1600/IMAG3658.jpg)

 +1 on priorities.  [laugh]

A trip that many of us wish we could do.  Be safe!

Best of luck and safe travels! Hope you've picked the right tires. You got a charger / accessory outlet?

Looking forward to living vicariously.

My thought exactly. Have a good ride. I hate my job more than ever......

This is nuts. Don't forget to bring spare parts!

Good luck!  [thumbsup] [thumbsup] I'd love to do that trip sometime.

A friend here rode to Prudhoe Bay on his supersport 800.  :o Your Monster should be just fine.  [beer]

(http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n258/JJGeo/9428_100503333307012_6836041_n.jpg)
(http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n258/JJGeo/9428_100503366640342_7479299_n.jpg)

+2  lol

Have fun, ride safe, would love to go with you.  [thumbsup]

As a long time Alaskan I'd like to add a few tips.  I don't see any problems with your plans except for the Dalton Highway section.  If the road is dry and recently been attended to, you will have no problem.  I suspect those were the conditions under which the SS was able to make the ride.  If it rains the surface will turn to snot and you will have major traction problems.  Continental now makes knobby TKC 80s for street bikes.  You might be able to get a set mounted in Fairbanks.  They will help if it is wet.  But if conditions are very wet, raining for several days, you may just have to wait it out.  If the road is in poor (meaning rough after a long rain) condition it will also beat you up.  You could hit a hole and damage your exhaust.  I'm not saying that you can't do it on your monster.  I rode the Alaskan dirt roads for years but never felt comfortable on them on my Monster.  I had a BMW F650 for the gravel.  For some local advice ADVrider has a local Alaskan section.  Lots of local riders there that can give you some great advice.

cheap headlight/anything painted/windscreen guard is to pick up some optically clear, self adhesive vinyl.  It will protect very well and its cheap (cheaper if you cut it out yourself).  Once trip is done peel it off and it will look like you never left LA. 

Hell of a trip, can't wait to follow along  [Dolph]

Left LA yesterday morning and reached SF last night. I am officially on the way!

(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zdZ9eip9uYg/UCaaNZAW4NI/AAAAAAAABu0/XurFFCICHm4/s1600/IMGP0202.JPG)
Somewhere in the golden fields of Monterey County.

And thanks for all the advice guys, I really appreciate it.

Looks awesome and looking forward to more pics.

Lots of supplies:)

if you need a place to crash in tacoma (seattle) Sunday  or Monday, just let me know.
253-208-5893
i also have a friend who just returned from Deadhorse two weeks ago. he may have up to date tips for accomodations, etc.

Happy to report that I reached Oregon today. Last night was kind of a trip. I left SF in the middle of the day, quite a bit later than I usually do (the cousin I stayed with is a huge foodie so we spent a while driving around to get brunch). Add to that the Saturday afternoon traffic on the Golden Gate Bridge and around Point Reyes meant that by nightfall I was only about 3 hours out of SF on Highway 1 on the coast. And what do you know, a few calls to lodgings around the area uncovered the unfortunate fact that every motel (and probably campground as well) within two hours was fully booked. By then it was nearly fully dark and visibility was extremely low due to the sea fog.

A little bit of luck intervened though, and I ended up being offered the back field of the Gualala Country Inn to camp. If anyone rolls around that way, be sure to thank the kind owners again for me  ;D

Today was: the rest of Highway 1 and the northern California coast, Avenue of the Giants, Redwood National Park, and one hour of Oregon. 362 miles in all. Totally exhausted but looking forward to Crater Lake tomorrow!

Loving this  [clap]



 [popcorn]

I'm wearing thermal gear and it's only 18 deg C here!
 [popcorn]

Looking forward to reading the whole trip Eric.

Man, you take the coolest trips.  [thumbsup]

Wow. Just wow

Give me a ring if you pass through Bellingham and need a break (Last city of any size before the border) 360-319-4153

Just sent Eric off from Mt Hood this morning, he's heading north again!

Just saw this thread now, so I'm late on wishing you safe travels. I thought your previous trips before were crazy. You top yourself every time.  :)

this is awesome, be safe and have fun  [thumbsup]

Just made the trip up and down the Dalton and part of the Richardson in a pickup. Expect some road construction along the way, but nothing serious. If the weather is decent for you then you'll have no issues. The last 300ish miles of the trip are all dirt and chipped gravel, so if it starts to rain be prepared for that. It's hunting season up there right now so watch out for the extra pickup traffic as well. Around Coldfoot (your last stop for gas) we saw 4 grizzlies spaced out over about 100 miles along the highway eating the berries. Keep in mind they are around when you stop to camp, just clean up your food trash and you shouldnt have any problems.
Good luck and take pictures!

Thank you Jess and Jacob  :)


Reached Seattle last night and gonna hang around the area until Friday when I hop on the ferry to Haines, AK. I'm gonna leave the vast expanse of British Columbia for the return trip.

Every day so far has been nonstop go from early morning till nearly dark, so it'll be good to rest up for a little bit. Managed to hit up Redwood, Crater Lake, Mount Rainier, and Olympic National Parks, not a bad way to come up the coast!

The friends I'm staying with in the Seattle area have all been astonished by the amount of stuff I have to take off the Monster every night and carry into their apartments (two giant soft saddlebags, a 40 liter dry bag, a 30+ liter rack bag, a tank bag, and a 2 gallon gas container). But as I tell them, I'm bringing my home into your home, so of course it's a lot of stuff  ;D

Here's a couple snaps I grabbed off my camera:

(http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-w3dF72sqW_Q/UCtFXjo25aI/AAAAAAAABwU/YWHO9p6DAsM/s1600/IMGP0301.JPG)
Northern California coast

(http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ek6Ok2I1g3M/UCtEOsJQdDI/AAAAAAAABvk/RXq_lkAe1s8/s1600/IMGP0803.JPG)
Near Mount Rainier

Not sure when I'll get a chance again to upload pictures mid-trip, but if I do they'll be here along with the ones I put up: http://thesunhaswings.blogspot.com/2012/08/moments.html (http://thesunhaswings.blogspot.com/2012/08/moments.html)

Thanks for all the encouragement and advice guys. If there's specific to- and don't-do's regarding bear safety when camping, and also lodgings at Coldfoot and Deadhorse, that'd be most excellent.

what caliber handgun do you have with you?...or perhaps a good 12 guage shotgun?

watch out for the locals up there!
http://news.yahoo.com/driver-swerves-avoid-moose-hits-bear-instead-123824946.html (http://news.yahoo.com/driver-swerves-avoid-moose-hits-bear-instead-123824946.html)

I'm loving your this post.  Sounds like my kind of trip.  I look forward to do something similar one day.

Good luck to ya, and looking forward to your next post.

And if no firearm?  What's next best?  Seriously.  I'm interested.....

I've brought my katana sword the last 2 times that I went camping. :) I have no firearms, so it really is the next best thing for me.

Just passed through Haines last week (on vacation in AK, but sadly sans bike).  I can't give any local advice since I was just a tourist but will say wow!  I'm not sure what we paid for that state, but whatever it was it was definitely worth it.

can't wait to see more photos... you have a great eye  [thumbsup]
i read a lot of grizzly bear safety articles before our trip to yellowstone in july
don't run from a griz unless you are certain you can reach safety before he reaches you

good luck and travel safe  [Dolph]

Best of luck on your trip. It seems like it will prove to be an awesome adventure. I wish I had the freedom that you have to make such a journey. Your picture chronicles are great, I cant wait to see the new pictures! Ride safe. God bless!!!

I am pleased to report that I've returned from Deadhorse/Prudhoe Bay to Fairbanks after nearly 1000 grueling miles on the Dalton Hwy!! All my gear and bike is wet and/or covered in mud, and the very idea of sleeping on a bed feels like a palace, but it was worth the hardship. More than worth it.

Around midday yesterday I found myself crossing the Atigun Pass in a rainstorm 120 miles north of the Arctic Circle, after having started the day on the shores of the Arctic Ocean. Could hardly believe it wasn't a dream, even now.

But yes, it was sunny the two days heading north from Fairbanks and wet the two days heading back, so I have a great load of pictures of the landscape in different views that i'll upload as soon as I find a computer.

Tomorrow to Denali, then southern Alaska. Onwards!

cant wait  [thumbsup]

And??? 

 [popcorn]

 [popcorn] How's the bike holding up?

Just be careful...

http://www.cnn.com/2012/08/25/us/alaska-bear-attack/index.html?hpt=hp_t2 (http://www.cnn.com/2012/08/25/us/alaska-bear-attack/index.html?hpt=hp_t2)

I finally located a computer in a public library in Juneau. It's agonizingly slow but I managed to upload a few pictures, and here they are as promised:

(http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6u_BK-II3SQ/UEPVIshEuaI/AAAAAAAABxs/nI44IFie4KM/s1600/IMGP2972.JPG)
On the road from Valdez

(http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OGkHKFoufQE/UEPVW-mKc4I/AAAAAAAABx4/NqXEAkLYugk/s1600/IMGP3063.JPG)
Between Valdez and Glennallen, AK

(http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5yxjhwamass/UEPVrpe2cpI/AAAAAAAAByA/MqyvUYWI2LQ/s1600/IMGP3151.JPG)
Abandoned Kennecott Copper Mine in Wrangell-St.Elias National Park


These three are all just from one day. Once I get home the rest will be ready, including the ones from the four days on the Dalton Highway. But home won't be for another three weeks though. I'll be taking the ferry from Juneau to Prince Rupert, BC, then heading to Jasper and Banff from there. Then I'll follow the Rockies down through Montana, Wyoming, and Colorado, and cut across the familiar deserts of the Southwest home.

Funny little story: Yesterday I rode from Beaver Creek, Yukon Territory to Haines, AK to catch the ferry to Juneau. It was about five hours, raining and the wind blowing hard and ferociously in gusts that threatened to make me swerve into the opposite lane. 40 miles from Haines my reserve light comes on. I'm already running late for the ferry so I thought I'd just ride conservatively and make it. At this point I'd only done 110 miles on the tank, and usually I can get to 140 or 150 before the reserve light (which goes on to show how bad the headwind was).

Wouldn't you know it, 30 miles later the little engine that could, couldn't anymore, and sputtered to a halt. I was 10 miles from town beside a creek swollen with rainwater. It was 4:40 already and I was supposed to check in at 4:30 for the 6:30 ferry. Even more retardedly, I left the spare 2-gallon fuel canister empty to save weight and because I didn't want to stow it separately on the ferry.

Making it seemed impossible at this point, and I resigned myself to just try to hitch a ride to town and at least get out of the rain. So I started to take the fuel canister off the back, and literally not ten seconds had passed before a red Prius appears from around the bend and stops and asks if I need help.

So before you know it, I was in the back seat of the Prius, no more than literally two minutes from the engine dying. The kind couple drove me to town to get gas AND back. And being locals, they drove the Prius around the wet twisty roads quite expertly fast. So I was delayed by only about 25 minutes, and by the time I got to the Haines ferry terminal the ferry was just (late) pulling into port.

The motorcycle gods were surely smiling on me that afternoon.

The "Fates" are with you.  ;D   I'm hoping that when you get home that you'll photo document the unloading process of you bike, with close ups, especially the front fender.   

Awesome  [thumbsup]

Good to hear you're doing well and in good spirit  [thumbsup]

I bow before you, you crazy moto-animal.  [bow_down] [clap] [Dolph]

Godspeed!

 [bow_down]

 [popcorn]

I'm not usually obnoxious about practicing the mantra (I hope), but I have a pretty good "loud pipes saves lives" story to add. This happened last week in Alberta.

Picture this: a windy mountain forest road leading away from Lake Maligne in Jasper National Park in the Canadian Rockies. It's dusk so I'm in a slight hurry to get out. I'm riding a bit fast given the fading light and the road (narrow, one lane in each direction, no shoulder) but still abiding by my rule of "just fast enough that my braking distance doesn't exceed how much of the road I can see."

I round a corner and up ahead there's the unmistakable silhouette of A BEAR about to cross the road.Now, he's still about 50 yards away so my mind has time to race through the outcomes: a) full on, tire-skidding emergency stop, which would put me about 10-15 yards short; b) a more gentle stop, which would put me just about face to face right next to him, or c) slow down and try to roll past.

Option A would be kind of dangerous and would result in me facing the cuddly animal, which is highly undesirable given that I have no reverse gear, no windshield, and the road is too narrow to make a quick U-turn should he decide to approach (it'd be like a slow 3 or 4 point turn. Hell, I'd probably drop the bike doing it in a panic). Option B would put me literally right next to a surprised (and not in a good way) bear. Option C wasn't too good either, since my previous experiences with animals told me that they were as likely to jump/skitter right under the front tire as to jump the other way. I didn't want a messy collision with a bear, for obvious reasons, but I had settled on option C given the alternatives (and all this happened in the blink of an eye).

But thank heavens the next sight I was greeted with was this: the bear hears me from that far out, looks up a bit, then darts out of the way back off the road ("dart" is the closest verb I can come up with to what he did, a combination jump/retreat, kinda like what you'd do if you stepped into the road to begin a jaywalk and then realized a 18-wheeler semi was bearing down on you). Smart creature!

So I knew he knew I was approaching, so I slowed and rolled past knowing he wouldn't get in my way. As i passed him, we were no more than 10 feet apart. I swear we had one of those moments... I looked at him, appreciative of his intelligence and fast reflexes, and he looked at me, slightly annoyed but curious at this loud speedy contraption. His look was... it's a bit like an old dog, the best way I could describe it is one of those droopy-faced dogs, almost sad, but mostly solemn and solitary and wise. It had a patch of lighter brown fur on its chest (which surprised me cuz I thought only Asian sun bears have that) but I looked it up later and he was most likely a black bear.

I stopped after passing him for a safe distance and looked back. There was an RV behind me approaching but the bear barely looked at it and ambled across the road like he was planning to. And of course the RV was slow enough to stop for him.

Yeah I slowed down a bit after that, but I rode on feeling like the biggest MONSTER in the woods. Even bears jump out of my way!

I still can't quite believe it. I'll tell my grandkids this story and they'll call me a lying foggy oldster full of tall tales. But it happened! It would have been a priceless helmet cam capture but sadly my budget didn't allow for a helmet cam.

PS. FYI I'm running udder-only (no cans) with an exhaust gasket that's not quite sealed (knocked the pipe loose again).

PPS. Saw another Monster for the first time in four weeks yesterday, in Yellowstone, black on red frame (so on the off chance you read this, let me know!). Didn't quite expect one there. Over the course of 8000 miles during this time I've only seen two other Ducs, both Multistradas. And about a couple hundred BMW's and thousands of Harleys (naturally). So yes, we are a rare breed out in the wild. 

Great story, well told  [clap]

I know you're enjoying your solo journey.  But you're not alone, a number of others are enjoying it with you  [thumbsup].

 [popcorn]

Have to agree with Steve it certainly is a great story... [thumbsup]

Definitely smarter than the average bear... ;) ;)

Geoff... [coffee]

I can bearly wait to hear more....    [popcorn]

Passed the 10,000 mile mark today! Bike had 31500 on it when I left home six weeks ago, odo is now at 41500. I'm on the home stretch now, passing through the Southwest, Monument Valley yesterday and Antelope Canyon today. Staying in Flagstaff tonight and gonna push on all the way to LA tomorrow. In Utah and here people ask me where I'm riding from, and when they hear the answer they invariably say "wow that's far"... but in my mind now it actually feels close to home to me.Everything is relative I guess.

The journey is a day away from the end but for some reason I keep thinking back to the first morning. Until that morning I hadn't tested out the new Givi saddlebags I got due to lack of time. So, already fully loaded, I tried securing them according to the instructions. The straps were supposed to go under the seat. But well, they got stuck in the seat locking mechanism when I put the seat back on. So I tried to unlock it again, but it was so stuck that I had to twist the key with such force that the key literally became warped. And didn't fit in the ignition anymore! I was already dressed in my full armor and suit, in a hurry to leave, and working up a sweat. I had a spare but it was supposed to be exactly that, a spare. I didn't want to leave on such a long trip with only one key. So I grabbed the toolbox and flattened the key again (with Jeremy Clarkson's favorite tool, a hammer), praying that it wouldn't be damaged. And somehow, it wasn't, and (thank god) I bungee'd the bags on, fired up, and left.

Then fifteen minutes later, three blocks away from the Santa Monica pier, in a quick attempted lane-splitting maneuver I sideswiped a bicyclist. Thankfully only the soft saddlebag touched him, and it happened at such low speed that both of us remained upright and completely unharmed. Nothing happened and we both went on our way, but it could easily have been a lot worse in such tight quarters, between cars.

That was six weeks ago. It was a very inauspicious beginning, but somehow I've remained all right this whole time. Funny how the closest the trip came to a disaster was the first morning, within walking distance of (what is now my former) home.

A lot has happened since then. I'll be coming back as a different person, changed in many ways I didn't expect. Through the West Coast, Alaska, the Rockies from British Columbia to Colorado, the Southwest... I'm almost home.

The first part of my picture-heavy post describing this entire journey is up! Check the first post in this thread for details.

I would be interested in hearing more about this in specific !!!  [thumbsup]

sounds like an awesome trip. thanks for sharing!

Wow, you are truly a hero in my eyes. That is so cool man. Reminds me of Into the Wild.

Eric,

Can't help but wonder if you have another trip planned for this year??

- Bob