It's the Remembrance Day long weekend (at lest for us Canadians) and I'd purposely left the 'summary' post for a while to allow me to get a bit of distance and reflect as it was such a different tip from what I normally do.
You may say "So why this weekend Bjorn?" And that's a fair question since it's been several months since I've returned from the North.
First, the insurance is off all the bikes now and I miss riding already.
Second, because it's the kind of foggy, soggy November day you think of when you think "We(s)t coast in November".
And finally, Michelle asked me the other day "So are you riding to the Arctic Ocean next summer?" as I started a new contract for work that is scheduled to end early in July 2020.
Which makes a guy think, you know?! But I don't think I'll be heading North again next year. Not because I didn't enjoy it, but because it wouldn't be anything like this trip, and I'd always be comparing it and the second time is never as amazing and new. It's pales in comparison. I'm less driven by the need to reach the 'target location' than by the desire to have new and memorable experiences.
So what would I do the same or what would I do different (in case someone's stumbled across this post and is thinking of heading North):
What worked / didn't work:
- The bike: Having a comfortable, reliable bike that's suitable for 90% of the conditions you'll encounter on this trip is important. I know people do it on 250's and for the last few hundred kilometers that would probably be great, but the other 8,000 km it wouldn't. The SuperT was great except for the deep slimy mud, and frankly I'm not sure anything would have done much better given the amount of riding I've done in those conditions.
Heated grips are a major plus, wouldn't want to go without on this kind of trip
Comfortable seat (mine's aftermarket) is a plus.
Tires: I ran the Heidenau K60 up front and would pick it again for pretty much any trip, paired with a Motoz Tractionator GPS. Which did very well and for trips with significant offroad I would pick it again. And I'd choose it over the Mitas E07 as well (I've had 4 of them in different version FWIW).
A note on tire pressure: I ran the front as recommended (36 psi I think) and the rear I started at 42 psi, which is the recommended max by Yamaha for a loaded bike. I found the Tractionator to ride a bit too stiff even with all the gear on the bike. So I let it drop a bit, 38 - 39 psi seemed to be a sweet spot.
Spare gas: I picked up a canister off AliExpress that performed perfect. Except for the day on the Dempster it was empty, the bike has plenty of range for most kind of riding. For trips in the lower 48 I'm not sure I'd bother bringing it.
Aside: A friend of mine did the Dempster in his Dodge Ram a month or so later and the stories he told were ... well it was a rough year for the road at times
- The gear: First, heated vest / jacket. I was wearing my heated vest most of the time and ran it some portion most days. And the days I didn't I was too cold and would have been better off having it
Next, my Khatmandu suit by First Gear: besides the pant-cuff being to open and causing me to drop the bike, the suit did great. No problems with it. Note that I carried a separate rain-suit and wore the rain jacket over-top of my suit during the downpour on the Dempster. Definitely worth bringing. Though I never used the pants.
Protection: On 'real' offroad type rides I typically wear a 661 pressure suite, but it doesn't work well with a heated vest. Instead I purchased the D3O back protector that first into the suit and while it's heavy it allows good airflow and layering underneath.
I need better gloves, the ones I bought before the trip didn't fit perfectly. So lesson there: Don't bring brand new items on a trip
My rain gloves ended up leaking after 5 hours of rain, which isn't bad, but they probably need to be replaced.
Helmet - having a comfortable helmet is key. It ended up fogging up pretty badly during the Dempster ride, but otherwise the Shoei RF-SR did great.
Tent - Mountainsmith Morrison 2 person - easy to setup and tear down with enough space inside to store key gear at night. Super happy with it and I may buy the new version with an improved fly ... though likely I'll use this until it wears out. It packs reasonably small.
Sleeping Pad - Klymit Insulated Static V Luxe - it doesn't pack up nearly as small as my other Klumit pad, but man, having a large and warm pad makes camping work. Not for mid-summer trips where it's warm, but when it gets to just above freezing at night, highly recommend a warm pad.
Non-cotton layers - most of what I had on the trip was wool, polar fleece, microfiber, including underwear. Nothing is changing there on future trips.
Rear bag - I used a fairly cheap 65 liter bag purchased off Amazon (DryTek?) which has a re-enforced base and was one of the best luggage buys I've made in a while. Never leaked and has been on the back for multiple trips.
- Camping vs. Hoteling:
Having camping gear is key. If I'd truly gotten stuck on the Dempster for a few days (like other people did) it would have made the difference between only being miserable and being in real trouble.
I always struggle with the camping vs hotel decisions, when I'm riding and the days are long and very hot or very cold, I often want a real bed, so I drag camping gear along and don't use it as much as "I think I should". For me, being rested is more important than money.
Having data was great as in places like Whitehorse and Smithers I hopped on google maps and searched hotels and found B&B's / Guesthouses that worked great and cost less than a regular hotel... and which lead to meeting interesting people
- Solo vs. with other riders:
The highlight of my trip were the people I met along the way, some of which I ended up riding with. If I was riding alone the entire time it would have been OK, but nowhere near as fun. A lot of people think having someone else along makes you safer, but it can also make things much worse if you need to bail someone out after they do something stupid. And in most truly remote locations, I find people look out for each other much more than in urban centers. YMMV.
- Satellite communications (InReach for me)
Being able to message Michelle, even just to send a pre-formatted message with location and the fact that I was OK made a big difference for both her and I. I wouldn't want to be carrying a Sat-phone, but this was a good investment and I'll be using it on future solo trips where I will be outside of cell coverage.
- Dealing with long boring stretches
Let's be honest, much of the riding up North is dull, even it it can be amazing scenery. No fun twisties to be had for days. So I listen to music or podcasts to help me stay alert and make the kilometers drag on less.
Cel with Spotify premium - so I can download music and podcasts
Airplane mode - so I use less battery, I often went 2 days between charging
Noise blocking comfortable headphones - Shure 215's for me, YMMV. No bluetooth or other things that use battery when I don't want it.
- Not having premium gas (i.e. octane booster)
"Ain't nobody got time for that!" A.K.A. I ran 91 Oct when I could, and when it wasn't available whatever was at the pump. My bike didn't explode. Yours might, so make sure you have a plan for what to do when you can only get 87 Oct
- Mental attitude
I think it's important to figure out up front how you want to approach being bored, sore, tired or not being able to reach that destination you wanted to. But man, I had an amazing trip without getting to my "top 2 goals" and probably have a better story to tell because of it
One of the podcasts I listened to a fair bit on my travels is Steve Rinella's Meateater and he talks about two kinds of fun, the kind where you immediately get what you want ... and then promptly forget about it, and the kind where you are miserable in the moment, but it becomes fun upon reflection. That's the kind you hang onto for a long time.
This morning I was reading the latest National Geographic Travel magazine - Adventure Edition and the words of the editor struck a cord, so I'm going to close with them:
You may say "So why this weekend Bjorn?" And that's a fair question since it's been several months since I've returned from the North.
First, the insurance is off all the bikes now and I miss riding already.
Second, because it's the kind of foggy, soggy November day you think of when you think "We(s)t coast in November".
And finally, Michelle asked me the other day "So are you riding to the Arctic Ocean next summer?" as I started a new contract for work that is scheduled to end early in July 2020.
Which makes a guy think, you know?! But I don't think I'll be heading North again next year. Not because I didn't enjoy it, but because it wouldn't be anything like this trip, and I'd always be comparing it and the second time is never as amazing and new. It's pales in comparison. I'm less driven by the need to reach the 'target location' than by the desire to have new and memorable experiences.
So what would I do the same or what would I do different (in case someone's stumbled across this post and is thinking of heading North):
What worked / didn't work:
- The bike: Having a comfortable, reliable bike that's suitable for 90% of the conditions you'll encounter on this trip is important. I know people do it on 250's and for the last few hundred kilometers that would probably be great, but the other 8,000 km it wouldn't. The SuperT was great except for the deep slimy mud, and frankly I'm not sure anything would have done much better given the amount of riding I've done in those conditions.
Heated grips are a major plus, wouldn't want to go without on this kind of trip
Comfortable seat (mine's aftermarket) is a plus.
Tires: I ran the Heidenau K60 up front and would pick it again for pretty much any trip, paired with a Motoz Tractionator GPS. Which did very well and for trips with significant offroad I would pick it again. And I'd choose it over the Mitas E07 as well (I've had 4 of them in different version FWIW).
A note on tire pressure: I ran the front as recommended (36 psi I think) and the rear I started at 42 psi, which is the recommended max by Yamaha for a loaded bike. I found the Tractionator to ride a bit too stiff even with all the gear on the bike. So I let it drop a bit, 38 - 39 psi seemed to be a sweet spot.
Spare gas: I picked up a canister off AliExpress that performed perfect. Except for the day on the Dempster it was empty, the bike has plenty of range for most kind of riding. For trips in the lower 48 I'm not sure I'd bother bringing it.
Aside: A friend of mine did the Dempster in his Dodge Ram a month or so later and the stories he told were ... well it was a rough year for the road at times
- The gear: First, heated vest / jacket. I was wearing my heated vest most of the time and ran it some portion most days. And the days I didn't I was too cold and would have been better off having it
Next, my Khatmandu suit by First Gear: besides the pant-cuff being to open and causing me to drop the bike, the suit did great. No problems with it. Note that I carried a separate rain-suit and wore the rain jacket over-top of my suit during the downpour on the Dempster. Definitely worth bringing. Though I never used the pants.
Protection: On 'real' offroad type rides I typically wear a 661 pressure suite, but it doesn't work well with a heated vest. Instead I purchased the D3O back protector that first into the suit and while it's heavy it allows good airflow and layering underneath.
I need better gloves, the ones I bought before the trip didn't fit perfectly. So lesson there: Don't bring brand new items on a trip
My rain gloves ended up leaking after 5 hours of rain, which isn't bad, but they probably need to be replaced.
Helmet - having a comfortable helmet is key. It ended up fogging up pretty badly during the Dempster ride, but otherwise the Shoei RF-SR did great.
Tent - Mountainsmith Morrison 2 person - easy to setup and tear down with enough space inside to store key gear at night. Super happy with it and I may buy the new version with an improved fly ... though likely I'll use this until it wears out. It packs reasonably small.
Sleeping Pad - Klymit Insulated Static V Luxe - it doesn't pack up nearly as small as my other Klumit pad, but man, having a large and warm pad makes camping work. Not for mid-summer trips where it's warm, but when it gets to just above freezing at night, highly recommend a warm pad.
Non-cotton layers - most of what I had on the trip was wool, polar fleece, microfiber, including underwear. Nothing is changing there on future trips.
Rear bag - I used a fairly cheap 65 liter bag purchased off Amazon (DryTek?) which has a re-enforced base and was one of the best luggage buys I've made in a while. Never leaked and has been on the back for multiple trips.
- Camping vs. Hoteling:
Having camping gear is key. If I'd truly gotten stuck on the Dempster for a few days (like other people did) it would have made the difference between only being miserable and being in real trouble.
I always struggle with the camping vs hotel decisions, when I'm riding and the days are long and very hot or very cold, I often want a real bed, so I drag camping gear along and don't use it as much as "I think I should". For me, being rested is more important than money.
Having data was great as in places like Whitehorse and Smithers I hopped on google maps and searched hotels and found B&B's / Guesthouses that worked great and cost less than a regular hotel... and which lead to meeting interesting people
- Solo vs. with other riders:
The highlight of my trip were the people I met along the way, some of which I ended up riding with. If I was riding alone the entire time it would have been OK, but nowhere near as fun. A lot of people think having someone else along makes you safer, but it can also make things much worse if you need to bail someone out after they do something stupid. And in most truly remote locations, I find people look out for each other much more than in urban centers. YMMV.
- Satellite communications (InReach for me)
Being able to message Michelle, even just to send a pre-formatted message with location and the fact that I was OK made a big difference for both her and I. I wouldn't want to be carrying a Sat-phone, but this was a good investment and I'll be using it on future solo trips where I will be outside of cell coverage.
- Dealing with long boring stretches
Let's be honest, much of the riding up North is dull, even it it can be amazing scenery. No fun twisties to be had for days. So I listen to music or podcasts to help me stay alert and make the kilometers drag on less.
Cel with Spotify premium - so I can download music and podcasts
Airplane mode - so I use less battery, I often went 2 days between charging
Noise blocking comfortable headphones - Shure 215's for me, YMMV. No bluetooth or other things that use battery when I don't want it.
- Not having premium gas (i.e. octane booster)
"Ain't nobody got time for that!" A.K.A. I ran 91 Oct when I could, and when it wasn't available whatever was at the pump. My bike didn't explode. Yours might, so make sure you have a plan for what to do when you can only get 87 Oct
- Mental attitude
I think it's important to figure out up front how you want to approach being bored, sore, tired or not being able to reach that destination you wanted to. But man, I had an amazing trip without getting to my "top 2 goals" and probably have a better story to tell because of it
One of the podcasts I listened to a fair bit on my travels is Steve Rinella's Meateater and he talks about two kinds of fun, the kind where you immediately get what you want ... and then promptly forget about it, and the kind where you are miserable in the moment, but it becomes fun upon reflection. That's the kind you hang onto for a long time.
This morning I was reading the latest National Geographic Travel magazine - Adventure Edition and the words of the editor struck a cord, so I'm going to close with them:
Adventure is about what comes next. It's about starting something new and not worrying so much about how it will end. In travel, adventure summons some of our finest qualities: courage, craftiness, dogged determination. It also calls forth those magical traits - optimism, humor, a flair for improvisation - that are indispensable in the face of the unknown and unknowable thing that hasn't yet happened.
-- George W. Stone, Editor in Chief, Nat Geo Travel
-- George W. Stone, Editor in Chief, Nat Geo Travel