Epilogue

Well, it's over, but my body hasn't caught on yet. I'm sitting on a plane winging my way back to Jeff and Ozzie and Oklahoma, but my leg muscles are restless and twitchy, requiring lots of stretching. The weekend after I return, I will be competing in the local Senior Olympics 15- and 25-mile bicycle races. After all of this rugged Alaskan terrain, I feel confident that I will do well. In fact, I'll probably feel like a wind-blown feather without the weight of my rack pack and BOB.

This bicycle tour set a record: it was the first of the three long tours I've pedaled that I've actually completed. The Mississippi River Ride with America by Bicycle ended in Natchez, MS, three days short of New Orleans, when Hurricane Georges blew in. Jess's and my Vancouver to San Francisco ride ended early when Jess crashed and injured her shoulder and elbow on Leggett Hill just north of Fort Bragg, CA. Because we were both aware of this penchant for incomplete tours, we practically held our breaths on the final day. We kept admonishing each other to ride safely because we didn't want to "wake up dead." (Actually, that phrase began with the camp stove. Every time we'd light the little camp stove indoors, I'd say to Jess: "Open the window. I don't want to wake up dead.")

So, we rode safely and we did it. We had a wonderful and memorable time on this our sixth mutha/dauta adventure. We got along very well, with far less bickering and testiness than on our Pacific Coast bicycle tour. (Except on the last day when, with half a bottle of celebratory champagne in each of us, we both insisted that we knew the correct direction to turn the pedals to get them off. Finally called Scott, and he settled it once and for all and sent us into one of our laughing jags when the job was accomplished and the tensions drained.) We ate good food, made good friends, and relaxed into a comfortable on-the-road cycling/camping routine. We succeeded in turning our tour into an active vacation in which we visited friends, ate out, camped, rafted, fished, kayaked, and cycled. But, in addition to cycling, we hitchhiked with some interested and interesting people, took the Alaska Scenic Railroad from Denali to Talkeetna, and took a ferry across beautiful Prince William Sound. And, in addition to camping, we stayed with fire service contacts, in motels, and in a commercial cabin, a BLM cabin, and a B & B.

Basically, we encountered very few problems, mechanical or otherwise. I dropped 13 pounds and now think that the reason for some of my exhaustion was inadequate intake of both fluids and food at times. I became dehydrated on our first leg across the Chugach Mountains to Cooper Landing. Looking back, I realize that I climbed Thompson Pass on a breakfast of an English muffin and marmalade and a "lunch" of four tiny squares of party rye with cream cheese. I should have known better.

Here's a few interesting facts re the ride:

• We had three flats. My BOB and Jess's back and front bike tires.
• I lost one of the pins that holds the BOB to the rear hub, but had a spare, so tied it and the original to the hitch so they wouldn't get lost.
• Jessica's BOB bag was a lemon, and literally fell apart. Two of it's straps pulled out before she even reached the San Francisco airport, and all but two of the remaining six went within the first week. Her bag also was ripped when she claimed it at the airport. She must have pulled an extra pound of duct tape on the ride.
• My rear spokes lost their tension and were rubbing and clicking on each other, though the wheel remained true. A bike store in Soldtna fixed them and aired up my tires.
• I was on the road for 28 days, yet aired my tires only three times-this because with the little hand pump it is difficult for me to pump 125 pounds into each tire, and I sometimes lose more than I gain when trying to do so. I also traveled over lots of gravel roads and dirty, gravelly shoulders, but my new Armadillo's got no flats.
• We experienced temperatures ranging from 87°F (Fairbanks, 7/18) to 32°F (Fielding Lake 8/12 & Salcha River, 8/15).
• All told, we had about 1 week of rain out of four, and only two days (between Willow Creek and Palmer, and the day we were on the ferry to Valdez) when it rained all day. Most our the rain was between Whittier and Fairbanks.
• We hitchhiked three times to make up extra days spent in Homer and Valdez: From Ninilchik to Soldatna, from Cooper Creek to Portage, and from Glenallen to Fielding Lake.
• We camped 16 nights, stayed in a BLM cabin 1 night, stayed with fire service people 5 nights, and stayed 6 nights in a motel or B & B, including our first and last nights in Fairbanks.
• We saw no roadside moose or bears, but did see roadside sandhill cranes, ptarmigan, many bald eagles, two peregrine falcons, lots of ground squirrels, lots of ravens, crows, and magpies, and one porcupine. We also heard wolves near Keystone Canyon when Jess stopped to fix a flat. And we heard owls at several of our campsites.

Some of you readers may be interested in the details of our tour--our planned itinerary and the food, clothing, and gear we took—so here are those data.

BICYCLES

Susan rode a Litespeed Blue Ridge touring bicycle and pulled a BOB trailer equipped with a dry bag. Her bike carried a rear rack and rack bag, also.

Jessica rode a Trek 8500 mountain bike with Rolf wheels and slick tires and also pulled a BOB trailer equipped with a dry bag. In addition, her bike carried a handlebar bag.

On our last tour, Jess bought a back fender, and on this tour she ended up buying a front fender. Neither worked well to keep her clean and dry. I had touring fenders on my bike, plus the back rack, and this set up was much more effective in keeping bike splashed water and grit off me and my gear.

BIKE TOOLS/EQUIPMENT

· 1 Spare Tube for BOB

· 3 Spare Tubes for Bike

· 1 Spare Cotter Pin for BOB

· 1 Lightweight Tire Gauge

· 1 Footed Master Blaster Bike Pump w/ Small Gauge

· 2 Multipurpose Tools (1 each)

· CO2 Dispenser/1 CO2Cartridge (can't take these on the plane must buy after)

· 1 Chain Tool

· 2 Tire Irons

· 1 Instant & 1 Regular Patch Kits

· 1 Chain Oil w/ Electrical Tape Wound Around It

· 1 Pkg 12 Mechanic's Scrubs

· 1 Pkg Spare Nuts & Bolts
· 1 Roll of Duct Tape

 TENTING GEAR

On our last tour, we both slept in Jess's tiny tent. This time, we thought it would be nice to take two tents. However, this "great" idea lasted only until Denali National Park, when we shipped a lot of "extra" stuff back to our motel, including Jess's tent.

· 2 Sierra Design Clip CD Tents/Flys (sent the smaller one back to the motel)

· 9 Tent Stakes (sent a handful of extras back to the motel)

· 1 Tent Footprint (cut from a piece of "emergency tent" lightweight plastic)

· 1 Large Piece Lightweight Plastic (to cover/protect the bicycles)

· 1 Full-Sized Rain Tarp (Jess carried this under her BOB bag. We used it only once.)

· 2 Sleeping Bags

· 2 Thermarest Pads

· 2 Thermarest Pillows

· 1 Chair Frame for Converting Thermarest Pad to Seat (this was Jess's and I've got to get one; it's great)

· 2 Lengths of Lightweight Cord (for clothesline and tarp)

· 4 Wooden & 3 Plastic Clothespins

· 1 Lightweight Tent Lantern (sent back to motel)

· 1 Small Flashlight (sent back to motel)
· 2 Head Lamps (sent one back to motel; One of these was Jess's b'day present to me. They're great for freeing up one's hands when cooking, etc. and also great for reading before falling asleep. But, it was light nearly all night, so we didn't need so many lights.)

FOOD

I was in charge of food and cooking pots/utensils etc. I packed the following foods (times two) in separate Ziploc baggies for each. All could be reconstituted simply by adding water. At the end of the trip, we had only 2 chili and one couscous left, so the planning was nearly "right on."

· 1 Vegetable Curry Ramen Noodles

· 1 Cantonese Rice

· 1 Tex-Mex Rice & Beans

· 2 Cajun Rice & Beans

· 2 Jamaican Rice & Beans

· 2 Curry Rice & Beans

· 2 Cha-Cha Chili

· 1 Creamy Thai Noodles

· 1 Spicy Thai Noodles

· 1 Lentil Curry Couscous

· 2 Cheddar & Broccoli Stuffed Potatoes

· 2 White Cheddar Mashed Potatoes

· 1 Three-Cheese Risotto (this was our favorite and we wished we'd brought more)

· 2 lg - Macaroni & Cheese

· 2 lg - Noodles Parmesan Alfredo

· 1 lg pkt Dried Milk

· 24 Coffee Singles (coffee in individual bags like teabags)

· 1 doz. Instant Oatmeal (various flavors)
· 1 doz. Fat-free Hot Chocolate/ Herbal Teas 

COOKWARE & UTENSILS

· 1 Two-Quart MSR Pot & Lid

· 2 Small Metal Plates/Shallow Bowls (we used for lids)

· 2 Salad-Plate-Sized Heavy Plastic Plates

· 2 Deep, Plastic "Soup" Bowls

· 1 Teflon-Lined Small Frying Pan (sent back to motel)

· 1 Small, One-Quart Pot (sent back to motel)

· 1 Lightweight Pot Handle

· 1 Small Spatula

· 1 Single-Burner Coleman Multi-Fuel Stove

· 1 Plastic Shoebox (for storing foods eaten on the road)

· 2 Lexan Fork & Spoon Sets

· 2 Swiss Army Knives (sent Susan's back to motel; she missed it)

· 1 Lg Lexan Spoon

· 1 Lighter/2 Packs Waterproof Matches

· 1 Hotpad (sent back to motel & used Jess' bandanas)

· 2 Plastic Insulated Mugs w/ Lids

· 1 MSR Quart Fuel Bottle/Spout
· 1 Square Plastic Storage Container (served same purpose as shoebox; we carried them on top of our BOB bags)

CLOTHING

· 3 Bike Shorts

· 1 Sleeveless Jersey

· 1 Short-Sleeved Jersey

· 1 Pair Goretex Rain Pants

· 1 Goretex Rain Jacket

· 4 Sports Bras

· 1 Set Silk Long Underwear

· 3 Pair Regular Undies

· 5 Pair of Socks (three cycling & two noncycling)

· 1 Pair Polartec Foot Warmers/Socks

· 1 Polartec Cap

· 1 Pair Black Long After-Cycling Pants

· 1 Lightweight, Stretch, Hooded Sweatshirt

· 1 Polartec Vest

· 1 Cycling, Mesh-Backed, Screaming Yellow Vest

· 1 Cycling, Screaming Yellow, Long-Sleeved Windbreaker

· 2 Pair Cycling Gloves

· 1 Pair Marmot Fingered Glove Liners

· 1 Pair Sidi Cycling Shoes
· 1 Pair Teva Spider Water Shoes w/ Insoles

TOILETRIES (Each)

· 1 Moisturizing Lotion

· 1 Soap
· 1 Shampoo
· 1 Conditioner
· 1 Toothbrush
· 1 Toothpaste
· 1 Deodorant
· 1 Astringent & Cotton Balls
· 1 Comb/Brush
· 1 Small Sewing Kit
· 1 Small First Aid Kit
· 1 Spray Bug Repellent
· 1 Avon Skin So Soft Body Lotion & Bug Repellent
· 1 Razor
· 1 Tweezers/Cotton Swabs
· 1 Wet Wipes
· 1 Lipstick (Jess always laughed when I put it on in the middle of the wilderness. Shows my age, I guess, but it also protected my lips against sun and wind)

ODDS & ENDS

· 2 Small SLR Cameras

· 1 Pocketmail Composer (Mini E-Mail Computer) w/ Integral Address Book

· 2 Two-Mile Walkie-Talkies (These were very useful and wonderful to have)

· 1 Walkman & 7 or 8 Music/Book Tapes (Jess carried these in her handlebar bag)

· 1 Batch of Spare Batteries (for computer, Jess's Walkman, my toothbrush, walkie-talkies; we probably had three pounds of batteries between us, just kidding)

· 1 Pair Mini-Binoculars (Jess left her full- sized pair at the motel in her bike box)

· 1 Bird Field Guide (Sent this home in Homer)

· 1 Group Writing Paper/Pens & Stamps etc.

· 1 Reading Glasses & Case

· 2 Wallets: Money, Credit Cards, Travelers' Checks, Airline/Ferry/Charter/Shuttle Tickets, Insurance info, etc.
· 6 Mosquito Coils

RESOURCES

Bell's Alaska Travel Guide www.bellsalaska.com/alaska.htm Bell's was my most often used resource. I used both the book (which my husband gave to me for my birthday) and the website (which is merely the book in e-form). Bell's Alaska provides a mile-by mile guide to Alaska's major highways, including the Parks, Glenn, Seward, Sterling, and Richardson that we traveled. It is geared toward RV camping, but you just can't beat it's mile-by-mile descriptions of roadside Alaska.

The MILEPOST  www.themilepost.com Another Bell's-like book but much larger and not as user friendly on the Net. I saw many tourists carting this book around, however. The MILEPOST 2002 edition, is advertised as the "Bible" for travelers who wish to adventure to Alaska, Yukon Territory, British Columbia, Alberta & Northwest Territories. Like Bell's, it features mile-by-mile highway logs, and in addition, 30 major routes, 60 side trips, 100 maps, sightseeing, wildlife viewing, camping, fishing, accommodations, Alaska State and B.C. Ferry schedules and more. It also includes a FREE 21"x 31" pull-out, "Plan-A-Trip Map." Because it was a large-format book and much to heavy to take with me, I looked up info on its website, instead.John Mosley's Touring Cyclist's Hospitality Directory Jess and I used this list when we cycle toured the Pacific Coast, too. Through it we met the cycling couple we stayed with on our first night in Vancouver. It didn't pan out for Alaska, however. There were three cyclists willing to share their homes in Fairbanks, but all three of them lived 10 miles out of town. Other Alaskan cyclists offering hospitality were also too far off our route or we already had a fire service offer of hospitality in their towns or locales.

Roger Gravel's International Warm Showers Cyclist's Hospitality List This cycling hospitality list is international, but it does have a list of U.S. cycling hosts, by state, also. I combed both this and the TCHD list for names of hosts along our route in AK.

Portage/Whittier/Valdez www.dot.state.ak.uswww.akferry.com/pages/reservate.html These sites contained essential information about the tunnel from Portage to Whittier and also the Alaska Marine Highway System though which I learned ferry schedules and fares and reserved our passage from Whittier to Valdez. We were charged only $9 for our bicycles, plus the regular passenger fare. Cars and trucks are charged a great deal more.

BLM Cabin www.nps.gov.aplic/cabins/index.htmlhttps://nutmeg.state.ak.us/ixpress/dnr/parks/index.dml I used these websites to reserve our Fielding Lake Bureau of Land Management (BLM) cabin. I would have reserved other BLM cabins, but by the time I discovered this wonderful resource, nearly all cabins had been reserved for every day of the summer and fall. It was a mere fluke that we'd be in Fielding Lake on one of two days when this cabin was not reserved. Next time. . .I'll plan and reserve earlier. The cabin was very cozy and wonderful and cost only $15 per night. Most of them rent right through the winter for hunters, hikers, snowmobilers, etc. too.

Car-Tripping Website www.familytravelguides.com/articles/alaska/campak.html This site was marginally useful. It was geared more toward car-tripping and family camping in Alaska, but did contain some useful information about climate, gear, clothing, health and safety, etc.

Alaska Touring Cyclists' Website ww.xs4all.nl/~pvroekel/alaska/re_alaska.htm My all-time favorite Alaska touring cyclists' website. This by a Dutch couple, Paul VanRoekel and Anja de Graaf, who in 2000 toured part of the route Jessica and I would take.

Map Website www.dnr.state.ak.us/parks/aspbro/statemap.htm This was a great website showing maps and amenities at all of Alaska's state parks by region. I could check to see whether there were toilet facilities and potable water at the park, etc. In fact in many areas of the state the water is yellowish, smells bad, and tastes like iron. Sweet tasting drinking water must be shipped in from Clear and other areas around the state.

Map Software www.expedia.comhttp://terraserver.homeadvisor.msn.com/default.aspx Both of these are map programs that I used to determine approximate distances and to get an idea of the topography for the day's ride.

Misc Website Software www.delorme.com Delorme's Topo USA To create the daily maps.www.panavue.com To stitch individual photographs into panorama views.