BigLew55's UCC planning

BigLew55

Premier Member
IBR Finisher
#25
I was starting to get concerned about Glacier NP being open. I had a plan to go around it on the way up and through it on the way back, but it wasn't plan A. Going to the Sun Road just opened yesterday, so we're back to plan A!


I will finish setting up the bike this weekend, and it should be ready to point North by Monday. Then, it's just waiting for the clock to tick down until Friday. I talked to my friend this week, and it sounds like he's going to Fairbanks. He doesn't want to do the Haul Road, and I won't debate it with him. He can spend some time riding around Middle Alaska, and I'll meet back up with him and head for Florida.

I changed the link (accidently deleted the first one)...

https://spotwalla.com/embed.php?id=19a935b2e2a9b6022f&scale=on&zoom=default&refresh=no
 

Scott Parish

Premier Member
#28
No need to tell you; but take your time in Alaska. Plenty of great roads await where you will be able to make up the difference. Really looking forward to the ride report.
 

BigLew55

Premier Member
IBR Finisher
#29
No real ride report yet, but I did want to add a quick note that I completed the ride as planned, using one of my “cushion” days in Deadhorse, waiting out a cold front.

My friend did much of the ride with me, but wisely chose to skip the haul road. He also stayed in Florida as he has a house down there and planned on this.

I would encourage anyone considering riding the haul road on a HD touring bike to look into more suitable options. I’m not saying it can’t be done. It has been done by many over the years. I’m saying that road can be brutal in places. You will be riding near the edge of the bike’s capabilities. For those not accustomed to riding on gravel, you will be riding near the edge of your capabilities, too. Again, it can be done, but please don’t think it’s “just another road”. I don’t intend to sound like a martyr, but this is the opinion I formed on the ride and am sharing it as such.

I did the entire ride in 15 days, and the UCC in 7. I will have better stats in a later post. The Entire trip was 11,513 miles according to my GPS, with 5,552 of them attributed to the UCC.

That’s all I’m going to post for now, but I plan to put together a more in depth report over the next month or two.
 

BigLew55

Premier Member
IBR Finisher
#31
Well, I know I haven't posted my report yet, but it is almost done. I think it was over 10 pages the last time I looked. It has been a busy summer, and the fall doesn't look like it's going to be any quieter.

What I did finally get done is the application for certification. Hopefully, I remembered all the pertinent information.
 

BigLew55

Premier Member
IBR Finisher
#35
Ride Report

2018 Ultimate Coast to Coast

Bettendorf, Iowa to Prudhoe Bay, AK to Key West Florida and back to Bettendorf, Iowa

June 29th to July 15th, 2018

I have been planning this ride for about 10 years. I started riding IBA rides in ’04 but didn’t start riding the harder rides until I did a BBG in 2014. During this time, I’ve planned a lot of rides, both recreational and endurance, for future consideration. The UCC was among those. I would plan, evaluate and decide that I wasn’t ready for it. But I repeated that process several times over the years (along with the 50CC, 48/+ in 10, and others). In the autumn of 2016, I decided to budget and plan a 50CC as a spring ride and executed that in early May 2017. It went well. My ride report has been posted for details, but I had a great ride with few issues. At that point I started looking for what was “next”. It was part of my self-evaluation for application for the 2019 IBR as well. That decided, should I try the UCC or the 48 in 10?

I decided that I was going to try to do the UCC. After Sturgis ’18, I asked my few riding partners if they were interested. All three affirmed that they were interested, so I started a real plan. I laid it out for two weeks, as that constitutes a long time away from work for any of us. Any longer would have been difficult to accommodate. Using these guidelines, I laid out a plan for about 750 miles a day. I had to find suitable hotels, so it was usually a little more.

By spring, one of the riders had other commitments, and one opted out of the Northern section. He would join us for the Florida leg on the way through. It was down to me and another rider. The two of us have ridden a lot of miles together over the years, but rarely at Saddle Sore pace, and never full Iron Butt days. He had bike issues coming back from Sturgis last year and bought a house in Florida over the winter. He was fighting to get both squared away well into the spring. About two weeks before launch, he finally committed to going. In the meantime, I had been Google-scouting two plans; one for two of us, and one with me using my aux tank.
 

BigLew55

Premier Member
IBR Finisher
#36
Day 1 6/29/18

Bettendorf, Iowa to Oacoma, SD
Get Rolling
Leave after lunch
Dinner in Souix Falls, SD


Launch day finally came and we agreed to meet about 100 miles into the trip at a known dealership. We would have been doing about 2 hours of backtracking to meet at either house. We rode on to Oacoma, SD for the first night. It was damned hot and humid, but mostly uneventful.

Day 2 6/30/18

Prepare for Glacier

Oacoma, SD to Choteau, MT

The next morning, we got up to wet roads. We fueled up near the hotel and headed west. This would be a full day, riding to Chotaeu, MT for the night. The rain didn’t last long. It was nice to hit some two-lane north of Billings. We wouldn’t be on much more Interstate for about a week.

We stayed overnight at a hotel called the Stagecoach Inn. They seemed pretty accommodating for motorcyclists, with signs for cleaning rags. There was also some sort of pub on the premises, but I needed a shower, and had been abstaining from alcohol for this ride, as I have been for most demanding rides over the last several years.
 
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BigLew55

Premier Member
IBR Finisher
#37
Day 3 7/1/18

Choteau, MT to Grand Prairie, AB
Oh Canada
Glacier NC, MT
Portage border crossing
Calgary Rain Storm



We got up and enjoyed the free breakfast and then packed the bikes. We were about a tank of gas from Glacier Park. I had been hoping to ride the famous “Going to the Sun Road” on this trip. The status on the website had shown that it was closed for snow removal until about two weeks prior. It got to the point that I had two more plans for hitting it on my way back into the states. Alas, it changed and stayed open, giving us no issues.

Going through the park was nice, but it was cloudy and foggy. This caused the vistas to be a little less grandiose than we had hoped. It was still quite the view, and with watching the clouds roll up the mountain and envelope us in a small vortex made it kind of neat. The traffic was about what I had expected, meaning typical tourists stopping in the road for whatever whim took them. This makes me quite impatient, so the east gate was a welcome site. I’m sure I’ll be back, but I was glad to be on my way that day.

From there we rode north to the Carway border crossing. This was my first international crossing by vehicle, so I was a bit nervous. Thankfully, my sense of humor was appreciated by the agents, who asked me to come inside for further discussion. In the meantime, my friend made it through, and got to join us inside. They asked him the same questions as me, and then sent us on our way. I really think it was because I couldn’t recite my license plate number to them. That’s my story, anyway.

After that, we had our first experience with Canadian gas pumps. Apparently, they use something called litres (and kilometers) and when you use your credit card at the pump, you need a PIN. I never use a PIN with my card anymore, but I was lucky enough to guess what it was set to. Also, the sale was in Canadian dollars. I didn’t know the actual conversion rate, but I was pretty sure that the price was a bit more than it was in the states. Oh well, we’re not turning around here.

Speaking of gas stations, there were several on this trip where pay-at-the-pump was not an option. Luckily for us, most of our riding was during normal business hours. I don’t think we ran into a problem with timing, but it might have been an issue had I been on my solo plan pace.

We ran into some storms and quite an extended shower later that evening. My new AD1 light pants held out the water just fine all trip. My old FXRG coat worked great too, except for one day we’ll discuss later.
 
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BigLew55

Premier Member
IBR Finisher
#38
Day 4 7/2/18

Grand Prairie, AB to Continental Divide, YK
Gorgeous British Columbia
AK Highway, Dawson Creek
Rain
Continental Divide Hotel


The next morning, we got up and left in a light drizzle. We had breakfast in Dawson Creek, and got a picture of the famous Alaskan Highway sign. I don’t usually take may pictures, so this is a rare stop.

We ride on up through British Columbia, which is the kind of gorgeous riding that one loves to find. Mountains and valleys with scale and scope on an awe-inspiring scale. Most of the ride after lunch is like this. Toad River, Muncho Lake and Laird River are all incredibly beautiful. This is the best riding of the entire trip for me.

We end up at a place called the Continental Divide hotel. It’s a little off-putting at first, but in the need, it is really a true Iron Butt benchmark. The office is only open from 8 am to 8 pm. If you arrive or depart during the evening, you just leave cash and information in the room. This evening, we arrive in time to have a quick meal from their kitchen and in in the morning, we have a quick breakfast before leaving. The rooms are basic, but clean. It’s an old oil-rig dorm of some sort, with just enough room to do what needs to be done. The sunlight now comes through the window all night long. There is no more darkness for a few days.

I also must note here that this is where the road quality starts to diminish. They are still mostly paved today, but there are areas that are patched with chip seal and some heaves and bumps that are awaiting attention. It’s not bad yet, but that will change tomorrow.
 
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BigLew55

Premier Member
IBR Finisher
#39
Day 5 7/3/18

Continental Divide, YK to Fairbanks, AK
Back to SAE
AlCan Border Crossing
Road gets rough


Today is mostly uneventful. We have a scenic ride around Watson Lake, but the road is bad in some places. Road construction just means loose gravel and dust in most places. One nicety that is granted to riders up here is bypassing the line to wait for pilot cars. They just wave you to the front. This gives you the chance to ask the flagman for detail about the zone. They are happy to help, or just to chat with someone it seems.

We cross back into Alaska and ride on up to Fairbanks. After my previous experience with crossing agents, I employ a more businesslike approach. It seems to help, as the rest of the crossings are short conversations.

In one spot, shortly after crossing the border, the road gets rough enough that one of the trim pieces from my fairing comes off. It catches the wind up over the windshield and somehow, I catch it. We stop, and I throw it in my saddlebag to address later. My friend is not amused by the road conditions, so we slow down a bit for the rest of the ride in.

In Fairbanks, we check into the hotel and walk down the street to have dinner. Even though it is still light out, the restaurants are getting ready to close because it’s almost 10.

One other note, the gas pumps and speed limits make sense again.
 

BigLew55

Premier Member
IBR Finisher
#40
Day 6 7/4/18

Fairbanks, AK to Deadhorse, AK
Can I do a Saddle Sore on the haul road?
Haul Road
Coldfoot, AK
Chandler Pass
Atigun Pass
North Slope
Aurora Hotel
Auxiliary Tank Mounting Hardware

This is where it really gets interesting. Time to face the most challenging ride of my life. I know the haul road is mostly gravel. I grew up on unpaved roads and my first rides were all on gravel. Still, this will not be easy, and I do not take it lightly. But I do have to face it or turn back without even reaching the start of the UCC. Those are the options.

My friend opts to stay in Fairbanks until I get back. The weather looks decent for my ride up to Deadhorse. Did I mention how difficult it is to get good forecasts this far north? That will come into play this afternoon.

For now, I get up and have breakfast at the hotel. It’s included in the room price, and I figure eating anywhere else today will not be cheap. I fill up and make sure I have plenty in my belly for the long ride ahead.

I have 3 plans for today. Having these spelled out helps my friend in Fairbanks know what my expectations are so that he will have some idea of what’s going on even if I can’t communicate directly:

Plan A will be to ride to Deadhorse, stay overnight and return to Fairbanks the next day. This means everything went normally.

Plan B would be a pie-in-the-sky execution. If, by some miracle, I make it to Deadhorse in 10 or even 11 hours, check the weather, fuel up and turn around. I figure if everything is going well, I will just keep riding. I would need to be self-aware for energy levels or physical exhaustion. This would save me some hours and help keep the budget down because it isn’t cheap to stay the night in Deadhorse.

Plan C is the contingency plan. If weather is bad or I need extra recovery time from the ride up, this is what I have in place. It includes staying in Coldfoot, Deadhorse, or even the camp at the Yukon river.

So those are my plans. Now we’ll see which one gets called up. Heading north out of Fairbanks, the road is still paved but undulates frequently because of the severe frost heaves during the cold months (which is probably most of them). I stop at the turnoff for Elliot Highway and take a quick picture of the bike. The pace is going well. I also stop a little further up the road to take a picture of the bike with the Dalton Highway sign. By now the road is gravel with some patches of pavement. I can maintain about 50 MPH, so that is about perfect. I point my sights on the Yukon river bridge as my next real landmark. As I approach it, I confirm that there’s no need to stop and fuel. I have plenty in the main tank and a full aux tank still.

The next stop is Coldfoot. The road is about as I expected, with mostly gravel, and some sections of loose or rough surface and occasional bad sections needing attention. Before I get to Coldfoot, I open the valve and let the Aux tank drain into the main. I was going to be close on range, and I felt there was no need to push it, when it was so easy to just turn the valve and keep riding.

In Coldfoot, it’s pump the gas and then pay inside. I add over 6 gallons, so the aux tank is a good idea for me. I decide I don’t need to eat or rest, so it’s a quick-turn stop. There is some pavement before and after the camp, and it’s welcome, but doesn’t last long. The next area of note will be the Chandler and Atigun passes. These are about 4,500-5,000 ft, but at this latitude, it wouldn’t take much elevation to become very cold and there’s always the threat of frozen precipitation.

As I get closer to the passes, the sky clouds up and I start to get the occasional drop of rain. It isn’t until I’m on the shelf between the passes that it starts to rain lightly. This definitely raises the anxiety level significantly. I have no idea what is around the next corner, or over the next rise. A wet gravel road can be nearly as slick as ice. I know that Atigun pass will be steeper than Chandler. All I have are questions with the only answers boil down to Press On or Turn Around. The temperatures are falling too but haven’t dropped to dangerous levels yet.

As I head up the steep incline to Atigun, I’m scanning continuously for semis coming down, or from behind. The sign advising against stopping due to avalanche danger is not very comforting either. The rain is steady but not heavy yet. I regularly check the temperature display to confirm that it’s not dropping to freezing too quickly.

The road in this area is rough. Most of it from here on in to Deadhorse is washboard or potholed to the point that 30 MPH on my big Harley is plenty fast. Vigilant awareness of the road surface is a must, as frost heaves and other large hazards can sneak up on you quickly.

Eventually, I make it up and down Atigun pass. It was less dramatic than I feared, but still required my full attention to avoid road hazards and to maintain the appropriate speed, as it has a few areas with steeper inclines than most of us are used to experiencing. The rain has picked up a bit and the temperature keeps dropping ever so regularly. My hopes that it would recover once I came back down in elevation are dashed over the next half hour or so.

As I head down the valley, the road is now rain soaked and getting muddy. I finally stop to put on some heavier gloves, conceding thoughts of the temperature recovering. The wind is picking up. It is from my left rear flank, which is usually a welcome development. In this case, though, it is blowing my muddy road spray back up over my shoulder and making a mess of me and the bike. Anything exposed is now covered in whatever substances make up the road surface. My bottle of water now mocks me in its muddy cupholder on my handlebars.

I stop for every truck, oncoming or overtaking from the rear. They slow courteously, but still sling up dirty road spray from all 18 wheels. I consider stopping on the opposite shoulder, which would put me upwind, to avoid this treat, but figure it would only cause confusion, so I just turn my head and try to preserve my face shield.

I slog along like this for the rest of the trip north. I don’t recall encountering any wildlife during the day, but that isn’t a horrible thing when you’re on a motorcycle, 100 miles from phone service. Eventually, I start to see the structures near Prudhoe Bay. I’ve watched enough YouTube videos to know what to expect.

But, the roads taunt me. As you get out of the DOT maintained zone and into the commercially maintained area, it gets even worse. So now, I’m cold and getting tired, but I can only manage about 15 MPH. Any faster, and the washboards in the road would shake my bike to the point that I could easily lose control.

As I pull into the Aurora hotel, the marque greets me with a reassuring 35 degrees F. I park near the front entrance and head inside. Just inside the door, I put on my booties. They provide shoe covers that are mandatory to keep the constant trail of mud from outside from infiltrating the living quarters. I struggle to get them to stretch over my size 15 steel toe riding boots, but they relent.

I approach the desk and book a room for the night. It’s a princely sum of $160 but includes all I can eat from the dining area. It’s not like I’m going to go down the street to price check either. She recommends that I hurry as they are about to clean up dinner for the night. A hot meal after the long cold day sounds great, so I park the bike in a designated area and grab my gear.

Back into the room, I dump my gear on the floor and head to the dining facility in my riding pants and LDComfort shirt, along with my blue bootie covered boots. I go through the buffet line and fill my plate. It’s a bit awkward, as I am not familiar with the facility. I have to search for the cups and water dispenser, as well as track down the cart with silverware and napkins. Finally, I have all my mess kit assembled and find a table to relax and consume.

It is a good meal. Considering the environment in which I am in, it might even be great. I make sure I have a pass at the salad bar and try to my best attempt at a balanced plate, but really, I’m just trying to eat so I can get back to the room to shower. I take a banana and full cup of water back to the room.

I remove and hang my gear so that any wet areas can dry overnight. The left sleeve of my jacket is a bit damp. I suspect that the wind has somehow driven rain into it or allowed my sleeve to wick moisture. It is not bad, but I want it dry for the return trip.

Then it’s into the shower to warm up and clean off. Before the road got muddy today, it was a bit dusty. It is refreshing and finally I am ready to lay down for the night. I have sent a few texts so that the folks who are monitoring my progress know what I have in mind. I turn out the lights and hope to wake up to sunshine.