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Published: June 24th 2017
Alaska-49th State
The U.S. purchased Alaska from the Russian Empire on March 30, 1867, for $7.2 million dollars, which translates to about $.02 cents per acre! It was organized as a “territory” on May 11, 1912 and was officially admitted as our 49th state on January 3, 1959. It is the largest state by area but is the 3rd least populous and most sparsely populated of the 50 United States.Thanks for reading my blog and going along on this journey...
One week from today (July 1, 2017) we begin our epic adventure to Deadhorse, AK and the frigid Arctic Ocean. If you have recently “subscribed” to my travel blog, welcome. I am glad you are along for the ride, whether to explore new areas via the Internet or you are planning a motorcycle or car ride to our 49
th state sometime in the future. I have received many emails and comments regarding the route, timeframe, planning and what we did to our BMW R1200 GS bikes to get ready for this journey. I will try and answer many of your questions as we progress north 4,000 miles to the Arctic Ocean.
You will notice that I like to study and research areas that we will travel through and tell you about them via the blog. For example, the U.S. purchased Alaska from the Russian Empire on March 30, 1867, for $7.2 million dollars, which translates to about $.02 cents per acre! It was organized as a “territory” on May 11, 1912 and was officially admitted as our 49
th state on January 3, 1959. It
Route to Alaska
The Bismarck Tribune did a story on our ride to Alaska. is the largest state by area but is the 3
rd least populous and most sparsely populated of the 50 United States.
Accompanying me on this trip is my brother Jody Keller from Denver. A welder by trade, he has lived in the Denver area for over 30 years. Jody was a Harley rider for most of those years as well but caught the long distance adventure bug after reading and watching his older brother take motorcycle trips to Alaska, Hudson Bay, Nova Scotia and all around the United States. He purchased his Beemer just for this trip and has been getting it ready this past year.
Also along on the ride is Rusty Romans from Bismarck. Rusty and I served in the ND Army National Guard. I got to really know him after visiting his combat unit in Iraq. We have been friends ever since. He is a quiet kind of guy but very brilliant and analyzes almost everything…a good trait to have as we head north and need to make decisions as a group whenever adversity will come our way. He also has a Harley but loves his Beemer for the freedom it gives him to be
Rob Keller
Completing an Iron Butt Association 1,000 mile ride. on the road and camp along the way. One thing I like about Rusty is that we have to have our cup of “java” every morning. Not a bad way to start the day. As a side note, Rusty and I are planning a ride in Ecuador in February to celebrate his retirement from the U.S. Army.
And that leaves me. I am 65 years old and retired from the U.S. Army in 2008 after 26 great years serving this great country. I started riding motorcycles late in life, which is attributed to raising two children and all the expenses that go along with that venture. I now have five wonderful grandchildren and a wife that allows me the freedom to “head out on the highway…” This is my third BMW and I absolutely love the bike and its ability to go the “long distance” and take me on side roads that look inviting.
The BMW R1200 GS is a water-cooled long distance, around the world bike. It you want to see one in action watch the 2004 Netflix series “Long Way Around”. It’s a documentary series (7 episodes) that follows actors Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman on
Jody Keller
The trip to Alaska has been on his "bucket list" for a long time. a BMW motorcycle trip around the world. The two friends traveled through such places as Siberia, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, and Alaska, before finally ending the journey in New York. Check out their website at
https://www.longwayround.com Here’s a little bit about the bikes we ride…
The R1200 is extremely comfortable. Despite the intimidating stance and size, it’s really quite manageable. I am 5’ 9” and ride with the seat in the low position and I feel very at home on the bike. After spending some time on the bike I added some handlebar risers and tilted the bars up a lot higher which reduces fatigue and also allows me to stand up on the pegs when riding in dirt or gravel.
They come equipped with ESA (Electronic Suspension Adjustment), which is just plain cool. While stationary, with the push of a button, I can switch between settings for one rider, rider + luggage, or two riders. I can also adjust between soft, normal or hard.
The riding modes are another German engineering feat and something I use often. Our R100GS have all the modes, which are: Rain Road, Dynamic, Enduro and Enduro Pro. When I first got the
Rusty Romans
Rusty just completed a 1,000 mile Iron Butt Association ride. Looking great Rusty! bike I was in Road mode most of the time. After getting comfortable, I moved into Dynamic for everyday riding. This mode has a quick throttle response, which lets the front wheel lift off the ground just for a second, before the computer kicks in and lets you know you need to stop having so much fun!
We have 5 gallons gas tanks with the exception of Rusty who rides the GS1200 Adventure, which is a beefed up version. His gas tanks hold over 8 gallons of gas which comes in handy in the far north with fewer petrol stations. We will carry extra gas along the way though.
I also put Michelin Anakee Wild knobby tires on the bike. They will defiantly help with the 500-mile gravel road from Fairbanks to Prudhoe Bay.
Now that you have a description of our bikes the best part comes in just a few days. I have planned this ride for about two years and here we are down to just hours before departing.
I know some are following this blog and will have questions so please hit the “comment” button and ask away. I promise to get back to you along the route. And those of you who have taken this trip please recommend stops along the way.
Blessings to you all.
Rob
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Tom Buffington
non-member comment
alaska bound
This trip is on my bucket list. Will be following as you roll. US Army '89-92