Hell On Wheels

We woke up to drizzle in Coldfoot Camp and fog still hanging thick. The guys worked on checking out their bikes, adjusting and lubing their chains, and a general once over.

This was left on our door. The Germans left their mark. LOL We had talked and joked the evening before with these guys.

We met this couple from Austria with two adorable little girls. They were camping out front and just having a blast on their trip. They were both riding BMWs, but his had a sidecar to haul the girls. So cool!

After a second shower of rain, we finally got to leave around noon to head for Prudhoe Bay. Between the smoke and fog, things were off to a rough start. Little did we know that it would only get worse as the day went on. About 10 miles from Coldfoot, the rain stopped and roads were dry.

Dirt, mud, and gravel were the theme of the day. Brutal and nothing like anything the guys have done before. It's a good thing that it was so foggy as that kept our eyes on the road watching for potholes and loose gravel. The guys both had yard sales - Steve lost his jumpers that he brought to start Joe's bike in the cold and Joe lost his sneakers. Joe's carb is giving him fits and Steve has figured out that his chirp is the belt slipping on his generator and not his heads sucking air.

Right before we started up Atigun Pass, the Alaskan DOH was grading the road and putting down the calcium chloride on the road. Yuck!!! About five miles of four inches of slime had me all over and clutching the bars with a death grip. I about washed out twice but saved it. Once we got over the pass the last 107 miles were in fog so thick it left you wet and cold. There could have been anything along the road and you would never have seen it.

We made it in to Prudhoe Bay about 9:30 pm, cold, wet and tired. Because of the fog and smoke, no flights had been able to get in or out of Prudhoe, so rooms were slim to none. A queen room at The Aurora or one single room and one bunk bed room at Brooks Camp. Since I wasn't climbing into the top bunk, Joe stayed at Brooks Camp and we went back to the Aurora and took the last room they had.

Prudhoe Bay! We made it! Yes!