The great outdoors of Alaska

[Brauhausbier]

I just recently completed an epic 37 day motorcycle tour of Alaska from Oregon. This was my third tour to Alaska via motorcycle since 2001. My partner Dave and I both packed a 4 oz each of tobacco from Rich's Tobacco in Portland, OR. I went through my 4oz's of Alder Street relatively quickly the first 3 weeks and ending up smoking a bit of Dave's stash the last couple of weeks I ended up picking up some Captain Black in Haines for $13. Ouch! Smoking pipe tobacco while living off my motorcycle is my favorite time to smoke good tobacco. On our last day in Alaska before we got onto the ferry in Haines, AK to Bellingham, WA, I had a bad crash. My mate Dave came through and took good care of me and we both got out of Alaska with our bikes and limbs intact.


I introduced my mate Dave to Pipe smoking and picked him up a nice basket pipe at Rich's last summer.

Toward the end of our tour we spent a couple of amazing days out in McCarthy, AK at the southern end of the Wrangel-St. Elias National Park. We were down to our last beer and were determined to chill it down at a small lake at the toe of the Kennicott Glacier outside McCarthy. Best of all it was a fine Belgian Ale from my friend Dr. Fermento in Anchorage

We scurried down to the lake at the toe of the glacier while rocks on the other side would periodically drop and create spectacular splashes. Quite amazing!

My mate Dave with his Rich's Basket Special and Bill"s Blend from Rich's Tobacco. Beer ready for chilling in the ice cold lake:thumb

A few other shots in McCarthy/Kennicott area

 

[loneredtree]

Thanks Brau. Those are fantictic pictures of great scenery. Makes me want to go up there. Show some more please!

:cheers:

 

[Brauhausbier]

Thanks Brau. Those are fantictic pictures of great scenery. Makes me want to go up there. Show some more please!

:cheers:

Thanks so much IT!

I promise to post up a few more tomorrow.

I took around 1500 photos over 37 days.

If you have never made the trip up north to Alaska it's a must!

The summer in Alaska is like no where else! Cheers! BHB

 

[dshpipes]

Wow! What a trip! That sounds like an incredible voyage. I'm looking forward to more pics!

 

[Brauhausbier]

Wow! What a trip! That sounds like an incredible voyage. I'm looking forward to more pics!

Thanks for checking out my first thread on BoB!

I'm secretly working on those 30 posts needed for the trading group!

I'll get a few more pics up this afternoon hopefully!

I really am enjoying the BoB forum!

 

[Fishfuzz]

Welcome to the group! Pics are fantastic.

 

[Brauhausbier]

Welcome to the group! Pics are fantastic.

Thanks so much Fishfuzz!

I'm going to back up to near the beginning when we left Portland, OR on June 14th.

Our second day we motored up to Prince George, BC, about 750 miles from Portland. I've been part of another forum since 06' dedicated to adventure motorcycling - advrider.com. I found another ADV member named GISDood in Prince George where we all camped for the night. This is also where we picked up my other two friends coming from N. Idaho (Phil and Rob). Another solo rider named Joe from Minnesota was also camped here a day earlier and joined us on the ride north. The scenery started to improve on day three out to Hyder, AK just west off the southern end of the Cassiar Highway in NW BC.

Gisdoods Place in Prince George, BC

Bear Glacier on the Road to Hyder, AK off the southern end of the Cassiar.

We had some bad rain and elected to stay at the SeaAlaska Inn, in Hyder AK

We had some amazing weather the next day and headed north on the Cassiar

Phil from Priest Lake, ID on the Cassiar

Me checking out our first bush camp on the tour on the Northern Cassiar

I had no idea Phil smoked a pipe, and I think I neglected to ask him what kind a pipe he had and what tobacco. I was so pleased he brought a pipe along!

The following day we rode north to Watson Lake, Yukon. One of the most interesting collections up north is the Sign Forrest in Watson Lake. Over 70,000 signs from around the world are posted on poles in a park right off the Alcan Highway. Really amazing stuff!

The whole gang

 

[DrumsAndBeer]

Great pics. All I can add is that those photos represent what pipe smoking is all about for me. I always smoke outdoors. There's some sort of connectedness I feel when doing so. The better the scenery and the weather, the better the smoke. Camping and pipe smoking are truly kindred spirits.

 

[Boulder&Briar]

Wow! Those are some cool pics. I bet it's very humbling and I bet the pipe is that much more enjoyable with such scenery to ponder upon. Thanks for sharing the experience :cheers:

 

[Jers]

Fantastic photographs....and a trip to be envied!

Thanks for sharing

Jers

 

[Brauhausbier]

Great pics. All I can add is that those photos represent what pipe smoking is all about for me. I always smoke outdoors. There's some sort of connectedness I feel when doing so. The better the scenery and the weather, the better the smoke. Camping and pipe smoking are truly kindred spirits.

Thanks D&B! I absolutely love to smoke tobacco in a pipe when i'm camping, and better yet if there is a campfire! Long tours through amazing landscapes is what I live for!


And thank you too B&B and Jers!

Continuing...

After Watson Lake Yukon we had time to ride south east on the Alcan another 105 miles to the famous Liard Hot Springs in NW BC.

I has previously skipped this side trip on my two previous AK tours, but this was a great Hot Spring to soak the weary bones after a weeks long ride.

Bad rainy weather again..we elect to stay at the Liard Hot Spring Lodge. Basic lodgings but clean and hot water!

We crossed the Alcan to the other side and walked the 1/2 mile board walk through a steaming and amazing wet lands fed by the hot spring waters of Liard.

Joe from Minnesota

.

The incredible Liard Hot Springs. This is a huge natural hot spring pool and one of the of the largest I've ever seen. Go here if you ever drive to Alaska via the Alcan.