2007 Alaska Tour
2nd Annual Journey to the Edge of the Continent
Anchorage to Prudhoe Bay
June 8, 2007 - June 22, 2007
This year’s Journey to the Edge of the Continent was a real adventure! We were pleased to share some saddle time with the honorable Dr. Gregory Frazier for the entire trip. Four riders were hearty enough to ride both stages of the tour. They even brought their own bikes all the way to our tour start location in Anchorage.
The weather during both stages of the tour was the best ever. And… there was plenty of adventure. The Petersville road was challenging and put some smiles on those new to dirt.
Riding on the Steese Highway was just as adventuresome. In Central, we got to ride some of the surrounding mining roads, one of which ended up in a snowball fight...in June! We had a chance to see Jack the Miner’s operation. He even washed some soil in front of us, and came out with gold! Riders enjoyed Circle City on the Yukon River and the old graveyard there. We even had a chance to enjoy the thermal hot springs in Central. Though they were officially closed, our local vintner, Nick Legg, brought his own case of special wine and paid our passage with Chardonnay.
The Dalton Highway up was in good condition. However, we always needed to keep a sharp eye for sloshy water sections. The caribou were out and about as we made the last leg of the trip to Prudhoe Bay.
We were sad to see the Stage One gang leave after so many miles of laughs and adventure, but we hope to see them again on a future tour.
The Stage Two crew were “thrown to the wolves” as the culture shock of arriving fresh from America to Deadhorse quickly set in. They rolled with the punches, and were talking like sourdoughs by
dinnertime.
Manley Hotsprings was a great time. One of our local pals took a group all around the Tanana area by boat, which included a ride around an old sawmill used during the gold rush days. Some of the go-getters got more than they expected when they went out to ride some of the old mining roads, and were ambushed by a thunderhead chucking hail the size of big marbles! They came back with wide eyes and tall tales. One of the riders summed up the experience:
“At first you are going down the road scared….then after a while, you are terrified!” Then went on to add: “I loved every minute of it!”
Our ride back to Anchorage was big fun. We stopped at Chatanika Lodge, with their impressive bar/restaurant, and then further south to Tangle River Inn. The weather, again, was superb, and everyone got to enjoy the breathtaking scenery of Isabel Pass, through the Alaska Range.
We ended our trip at Gracious House on the Denali Highway. They prepared a great meal for us, and even carried it up to our building, which was solely for our group. We watched videos that night of the trip and everyone had a good laugh.
I hope that all who participated in this tour had a memorable trip, and I certainly hope to see you on the road in the future. (Some of the riders have already decided to join us in South America!)
Regards,
Philip Freeman
Aerostich Tours
Stage 1:
Back Row, Left to Right: Jennifer Davenport, Rob (Guide), Marty Rodgers, James Christian, John Coonan, Janet Brennan, John Brennan, and Mike Fruciano
Front Row, Left to Right: Jeff (Guide), Tam Bui, Phil (Guide), Phil Turner, and Nick Legg
(Not pictured: Bob Davenport)
Stage 2:
Back Row, Left to right: David Malson, Nick Legg, Guy Gronniger, Tam Bui, James Christian, Dan Marchigiani, Thomas Tieri, John Coonan, Steve Becker, Jim Kiefus
Front Row, Left to right: Phil, Rob, and Jeff (Tour Guides)
2007 Alaska Tour Photo Gallery
To read more about our adventures, please visit Phil's blog at www.aerostichtours.com/blog/phil.
