During July, I inaugurated my Thorn Nomad bicycling from Deadhorse (Prudhoe Bay) to Fairbanks, Alaska. The bulk of the first 400 miles of the ride are gravel, dirt, mud, mosquitoes... and, did I mention mosquitoes? The bugs were as large as hummingbirds and worked in teams to pull up the back of my shirt so others could perform a transfusion!!! By the end of each day, I felt like I was at least a pint low. Likewise, when eating freeze dried meals, I gave up on extracting mosquitoes from each spoonful. I rationalized that a bit of extra protein couldn't hurt!
Although it can be done faster, I rode for 11 days and rested for two for a total of 13 days traveling. Of the 11 days, it raining about nine! At the end of day three and beginning of day four, there was at least three inches of mud to ride through. It was an absolute nightmare. Thankfully, much of the road had a firmer surface. The temperatures ranged from 44 degrees F up to 54 degrees F. Much of the ride was north of the Arctic Circle so there was no need for a flashlight. The sun never set.
After biking on the flat tundra for 60 to 65 miles, the hills begin. Although there were some reasonably flat places along the road, most of it was as wrinkled as the Ozarks (southern Missouri) with very steep grades that were equally challenging to climb and to descend. Atigun Pass will let you know what you are made of. At 60 years old, I discovered I still have some true grit in my gut... and in my legs.
A great facet of this journey through 500 miles of wilderness (essentially only two places to get a room and a meal along the highway - Coldfoot and Yukon Camp) were the people I met. I encountered a handful of bikers, a Japanese walker with a rickshaw carrying 100 kg of supplies by foot, a runner from Warsaw who was built like a horse, and even a Neanderthal (a German from the Neander Valley who prided himself on being a Neanderthal and the fact was - he looked the part!!!).
If anybody is considering biking the Dalton, there are lots of blogs containing information about biking the "Haul Road" (aka Kamikaze Trail among the truckers who drive it). I'm happy to answer any questions regarding that 500 mile adventure. I'm back in my office in Anchorage riding my desk. I tell people that I'd recommend the trip to anybody... I don't like!!!
Truth is, I find myself fantasizing about going back to the Fairbanks Train Station where I ended my ride and pedaling south toward Tierra del Fuego. I've completed 500 miles. I only have 16,500 miles to go!!!
And, for what it is worth, the Nomad worked like a charm. Not one problem with anything mechanical. The only issue was the reliability of the motor - ME!!!
