| In the spring of 2002 while talking to some of my | | | | had to cross some mountain passes I decided to |
| riding buddies the subject of the ABC's of Touring | | | | stay the night because of fear of ice on the roads |
| came up. The ABC's of Touring is a contest | | | | thanks to an early cold snap. Everything went great |
| sponsored by HOG, the Harley Owners Group where | | | | the next day and I made it part way into British |
| you take pictures of your motorcycle in front of a | | | | Columbia where I stopped and spoke to a friend who |
| state or county sign, a HOG rally banner or other | | | | warned me to watch for the bears, moose and |
| event specified, all with a current issue of HOG Tales | | | | caribou as I headed off for the Alaskan Highway. |
| in the photo for proof. | | | | The next evening right before I made it to the |
| We talked about how it would be nice to get into | | | | highway I started seeing snow and I heard on the |
| the list of the ten runners-up because we didn't think | | | | radio that they had 18 inches in the area just 48 |
| we could actually place in the top 3 spots; one of the | | | | hours prior. I talked to a trucker at a fuel stop when |
| guys had met the rider who posted 166 points a few | | | | I got to the highway and he said that the roads |
| years earlier, during the Route 66 tour when it came | | | | were clear but that the gas stations don't stay open |
| through town, and that seemed like an unreachable | | | | late. He was just a little wrong on the gas; |
| goal at the time. | | | | sometimes they just close for the season. This made |
| Someone else mentioned that it wasn't often that | | | | for the second time I had to beg for gas on this trip |
| anybody got that many points, and after checking | | | | so at the next town I bought those 2 gas cans I |
| Hog Tales for the previous year's list we saw that | | | | mentioned. |
| the runners-up list looked reachable, so off we went. | | | | They're continuing to make the highway better and |
| My friends and I had several trips planned through | | | | better but luckily it wasn't raining while I was there |
| out that year and we figured we would just start | | | | because their idea of working on the road is to just |
| seeing how many points we could accumulate. One | | | | tear out all of the pavement and start from scratch; |
| trip led to another and before I knew it I had made | | | | the soft dirt I road on would have been impassable in |
| it to 47 states and made it into 3rd place, and my | | | | the rain. But even with all the construction delays and |
| friend Warren got to 7th. | | | | the begging for gas I finally made it to Alaska, but |
| After the list of winners was published in 2003 I | | | | since I was now over a day and a half behind |
| thought about how much fun I'd had seeing the | | | | schedule all I saw of Alaska on this trip was the |
| country and all of the places I'd never been that I | | | | state sign when I got to the border. It was pitch |
| decided I was going to make a plan for 2004 and | | | | black, the temps were falling and it was spitting a |
| see just how many more new places I could visit. | | | | light mist so I decided to take my picture and get |
| And being a bit competitive, I decided to see if I | | | | headed back south just in case Mother Nature |
| could match that 166 point total that at the time I | | | | changed her mind and got nasty. |
| thought was the best that had ever been turned in. I | | | | My next bit of fun was when I headed up the 60 |
| found out later that two people in the 1990's turned | | | | mile stretch of highway to get to the Northwest |
| in 172. | | | | Territory with about an hour of daylight left so I |
| I realized that the big difference between a lot of | | | | thought I might at least get to see it in the light. But |
| points and something really impressive like the 3 point | | | | maps lie; what was supposed to be pavement |
| totals above had to be the state HOG rallies. So | | | | turning to gravel at the Territory line instead became |
| when the January issue of Hog Tales came out I sat | | | | gravel, and narrow, just 15 miles into the road. So |
| down and started planning everything around when | | | | now I'm watching for wildlife and trying to make it |
| the rallies were. Using Microsoft's MapPoint software | | | | safely down this less than stellar road. I did finally get |
| and the list of rallies from Hog Tales and then | | | | to see the Moose everyone talks about being |
| coordinating with the rally details in the HOG | | | | abundant in the area and thankfully he only wanted |
| members' area on the website I came up with what | | | | to run along side the road and not in it. And I also |
| looked like a workable plan. With 4, 5 and 6 rallies all | | | | got to see a bear cub by the side but another thank |
| scheduled on the same weekends I knew it would | | | | you to his mom for not showing up. Needless to say |
| be a challenge, but it just meant there would be a | | | | I didn't get to see the Territory in the light and the |
| few weekends of hard riding. From Memorial Day until | | | | trip back was now compounded by having to ride |
| Sturgis weekend in August there were over 25 rallies | | | | that fun road in the dark, but at least the wildlife |
| and a lot of miles to cover. | | | | stayed away on the trip back to the main highway. |
| My first ride was to the Louisiana State HOG Rally on | | | | In all the thousands of miles I don't think I've ever |
| April 1st where I took my first picture, what a cool | | | | been so glad to see concrete. |
| way to spend April Fools Day. The last picture I took | | | | The rest of the trip, except for the now sparse |
| was in University City, Missouri, real close to home, | | | | construction issues was pretty uneventful, but I did |
| on the 11th of December, when I realized that | | | | find out that Kansas is not alone when it comes to |
| through all the trips crossing most of North America I | | | | wide expanses of nothing to see. Alberta and |
| hadn't bothered to stop and get that U city. Fitting I | | | | Saskatchewan bore a strange resemblance to |
| guess since that's what they call it in the St. Louis | | | | Dorothy and Toto's home state. |
| area. | | | | If you ever want a chance to see a wide variety of |
| Eight and a half months, 66,000 miles, 6 back tires, 7 | | | | critters on one trip then I would recommend riding |
| cases of oil, and a ton of beautiful scenery, and the | | | | the Alaskan Highway; I was chased by a coyote, |
| quest was finished. There were a few failures along | | | | counted 3 bears, 1 moose, 4 caribou, more deer than |
| the way; I never did find that danged X county, and | | | | I could count, and farmer Brown even let his goats |
| I didn't make it to quite as many rallies as I planned, | | | | and pigs wander out to see me at the highways |
| and I didn't make it past 166, but getting that note | | | | edge, and this doesn't account for all of those nice |
| telling me congratulations for the most points made | | | | glowing eyes in the dark that I couldn't quite decide |
| for a great ending. | | | | what they belonged to. And although I was |
| I started riding in 1971, and although I didn't have a | | | | disappointed not to see any bald eagles while I was |
| Harley at the time, like some of my friends, I really | | | | crossing the Yukon on the way to Alaska, I was |
| enjoyed being out in the wind. Our trips for a couple | | | | rewarded right before I crossed back into the states |
| of hundred miles can't compare with the thousands | | | | at International Falls Minnesota with a spectacular |
| I've ridden on the Harley Dyna for the 2002 ABC's | | | | sight; a fairly large bald eagle launched from a tree |
| and the 2003 Ultra Classic that saw most of North | | | | very close to the highway and as I passed he turned |
| America in this years ABC's. | | | | to look and see what startled him. I guess it was just |
| The longest and most adventurous trip this year was | | | | a welcome home look. |
| riding the Alaska Highway. I left home with several | | | | I would like to thank all of the State HOG Rally |
| gear bags and an extra tire strapped to the top of | | | | organizers and chapter workers that helped me when |
| my tour pack. When I got home almost 8,000 miles | | | | I needed assistance with getting pictures of the rally |
| later the tire was gone but I had acquired two extra | | | | banners and there were quite a few who held up a |
| gas cans. | | | | banner in the dark or brought out a banner to replace |
| The plan was to leave St. Louis on the 17th of Sept. | | | | a missing one. |
| and head for the Oregon State Rally before making | | | | I'd also like to thank my better half, Mary for the |
| my way to Alaska. If you ever get to ride US 20 | | | | support to finish this little quest of mine. |
| across Oregon it's a beautiful ride, but make sure you | | | | And lastly, but most importantly, I would like to thank |
| keep your tank topped off, you never know when | | | | the troops stationed around the world that provide |
| you're going to ride into a little one horse town and | | | | the freedom for myself and all of my friends who |
| be told they sold out of gas yesterday. Many thanks | | | | love to ride our Harley's to the far corners of this |
| to the cowboy with an extra gas can. I made it to | | | | country, just for the fun of riding. |
| the rally in Bend, right before it finished, but since I | | | | |