New bike, new trip, same Road Hermit

The Road Hermit is officially back. I'm sure you've all been weeping, crying and begging for my return. I've been on trips to Iceland, Ireland, Cambodia, Mexico and plenty of other places. But I'll just focus on the next upcoming trip, and not try to cover the last 2 years of traveling. So I'm just going to jump right back into it!

I am going to be doing the Trans-American Trail, known as the TAT, in a few weeks. The TAT is 5500 miles of trails and back roads that cross the country. It's usually driven East to West, but will be doing it backwards West to East, and up the East coast to Vermont. My badass girlfriend Rachel will be doing it with me. I will be on a 2002 Honda XR650L and she will be on a 1999 KTM LC4 640. We're planning on taking approximately 4 weeks to do the trip. We'll be starting in Oregon and going right to the best part of the trail, like the mountain passes and forests of Colorado and Utah.

2002 Honda XR 650L- stock suspension with more fluid in front forks and stiffened preload. Running stock front sprocket and few more teeth on the rear. Mefo explorer front tire and Heideneau K60 rear tire. Aftermarket plastics to eliminate weight and size, including a CRF450 rear fender and XR600 side panels, Baja Designs headlight with upgraded LED bulb, 4 gallon gas tank, shaved stock seat with maddog seat pad. The rear has a Motion Pro taillight setup with upgraded LED bulb, and all four blinkers are LED. Upgraded IMS footpegs, fully ceramic coated and wrapped exhaust with a Supertrapp muffler. I've put an exhaust guard and exhaust tip on it, to protect gear and body parts from damage. It has the usual carb mods, better air filter and drilled plastics with air pods. The bar setup has fatty bars, setback bar clamps, Cycra handguards, powermadd double take mirrors and a Ram XGrip mount. I've replaced the dash with a custom piece of aluminum with a Trail Tech Endurance II gauge, a twin usb charging port with built in voltmeter. I've also mounted LED light bar above the front fender. For luggage, I've got a pair of horn saddlebags and a Wolfman enduro tank bag on the front, with Green Chili Adventure Gear Scramble Rack and Bag Snake kits holding on two 20 liter dry bags and a Wolfman Rollie bag on the bag. I've mounted a 1.5 liter spare fuel bottle via Wolfman bottle holster to the Rollie bag. I also have a small fender bag on the rear, with all tools for roadside repairs.

Gear- Because this will be an ultralight type setup, this list is quite small, especially compared to previous trips on the mighty KLR.

1- 0 degree sleeping quilt
2- Big Agnes Q Core SLX sleeping pad
3- Black Diamond headlamp & lantern
4- Sea to Summit folding bowl, long spork, lighter, pocket knife, pocket rocket stove, fuel canister
5- 2X Gopro, digital camera, Sena headset, Galaxy S9, Anker powerbank, all charging cords
6- 1 1/2 lb hatchet (strapped to handlebars)
7- Ten feet black paracord
8- Toiletries

3 t-shirts, 2 underwear, 1 long sleeve, 1 pair pants, 1 pair shorts, 3 socks, 1 puffy jacket (excluding clothing worn when leaving)
3 layer Joe Rocket riding jacket, 2 layer Joe Rocket riding pants, Forma Adventure boots, 2 pairs gloves (cold & warm), helmet, Klim goggles

Tools-
Adjustable wrench, sockets 8-16mm w/ socket wrench and extension, philips/flat screwdriver, alligator pliers, valve stem tool, Slime air compressor, extra front tube, 2x tire spoons, chain lube, spare headlight bulb, oil filter, 1/2 quart extra oil, allen head set, length of electrical wire, electrical tape, zipties, JB Weld, hose clamps, spare master link.

Rachel will be carrying the Pocket Rocket camp stove but i will have the canister of Isobutane fuel. I won't go through the list of her packing and gear list, as it is her first time traveling long distance via motorcycle. She is however sporting Giant Loop pannier bags and duffle bag with a 1 gallon Rotopax and Green Chili Adventure Gear straps.

Below are some pictures of the Honda with gear laid out, gear packed up, and lastly gear loaded onto the bike. While it looks like a lot, this is actually a very lightweight and minimalist setup, especially compared to many bike travelers.

Not pictured is the Wolfman bottle holster and fuel bottle, Forma Adventure riding boots and the change of clothes i will be wearing while riding- pants, shirt, etc.

Top left is clothing that goes in the Wolfman bag, with a couple small food related things. 

Middle top is one soft bag with tent, extra oil and room for food and jacket/pants liner.

 Middle bottom is other soft bag with sleeping bag, sleeping pad, chain lube and puffy jacket. 

Top right is riding gear. 

Bottom right is tank paniers, consisting of small things you want access to throughout the day. Bottom left is tools that go in the rear fender bag. 

The Green Chili Adventure Gear straps and soft rack make it extremely easy to attach or detach this gear in several minutes.

 I specifically made the Wolfman bag tall so i would have a backrest. Yes the tank bags do touch my knees, but are full of soft things and doesn't bother me at all. 

We leave in about two weeks for this grand adventure. I will try to post regular updates on my Facebook and Instagram. Stay tuned, we shall see what situations and beauties arise! Till the next time my friends~

A layover in Massachusetts and an overhaul on the bike.

I've been spending the last few weeks in Massachusetts, doing a full rebuild on the motorcycle while visiting family, doing some overdue maintenance on the Jeep and purchasing new toys and gear for the future. I'll be heading north to Vermont just in time for a camping trip with all my friends at an abandoned military base. It's been fantastic having no time restraints or requirements, no responsibilities. And having a bed for myself at night, a foreign thing to me! I'm surprised by how excited I am to see my friends, as well as my cabin in the hills. While I know I won't be there long, before the road calls to me, I know I will enjoy the hell out of my time there.

Im my two weeks here, I've already purchased a custom, modified Yamaha Raptor 690 four wheeler, a 2007 Honda CRF250R, a 2009 Orion 125cc pitbike and a DJI Phantom drone to future shots of my travels. I've also completely rebuilt the KLR; the only thing I didn't touch was the crankcase and the rear suspension (both already upgraded previously).

I replaced both tires with new rubber, most importantly the great Heindeau K-60, a beast of a tire with excellent longevity and traction both on and off road. Next was the front suspension, which did already have progressive springs that I had installed previously. I flushed and changed the fluid to a 20 weight oil and replaced the shock covers with Moose Racing Fork skins, a much cleaner and slicker look.
 I upgraded all the lights on the bike as well. I replaced the headlights with a Cyclops LED kit, which made a profound difference. I lined the taillight housing with reflective tape. I also installed a second set of driving lights, some very powerful LED cubes. I redid all my wiring for all the lights, as well as my charging ports, which I installed a third one of, and all new switches. New LED dash bulbs from SuperbrightLEDs.com, which was a super great upgrade. A voltmeter on the dash to keep on eye on everything, including the brand new battery I put in. Some fresh decals of the world I would soon see made the bike look a little more the part.

I repacked my Big Gun Evo R exhaust and did a terrible job at it, putting in a new exhaust gasket at the same time. I bolted on 1 1/2" inch handlebar risers, which had a great feel to them. I replaced the brake reservoir bolts with upgraded steel from Eagle Mike, as well as a new Iridium spark plug.
Digging deeper into the motor, I installed a 685 big bore kit, and found a damaged camshaft and cam journal, which I sent out and had machined at a great company in California that I would highly recommend - Engine Dynamics. While I was inside, I advanced the timing a notch, known as the "MC Mod" and threw on a new Uni air filter.  A complete valve job from them as well put the motor in excellent shape, and better then when it came off the factory floor. Please, don't ask how much all this cost.

At this time, I have to throw the valve cover on in the morning, load it all up and drive the 4 hours north to the cabin, where good times and mountains await. The radio is full of Taylor Swift, I've got gummies and ice tea waiting for the ride and I've got somewhere to be. It feels great to have travels and adventures ahead of me, instead of more society and cities. It's been far too long since I've slept on a mountain top or gotten lost among some back road. My excitement for the future can only be expressed by my actions, for they are beyond words. I mean, I'm saving gummies- something big is about to happen!
Until the next time my friends.
Road.

Block Island

I’m sitting in the upstairs room of the empty library, surrounded by my plethora of charging electronics, the cool air conditioning washing over me. Outside, the rain drums gently on the window panes. My stomach is full from the classic eggs, toast and sausage breakfast I just had at the local diner, surrounded by my new found friends from all over the world. An ex marine from New York, working to afford a ring for his new fiancee, the Serbian girl with the horrible luck working at the grocery store, the private investors worker from an Ivy league college visiting family. It makes me think of my strange life and my time here on Block Island, a tiny tourist-attracting island off the coast of Rhode Island. I’ve stayed on this rock in the middle of the ocean for longer then i have any one place for almost 3 years- going on 3 months now. It has been so very strange, full of all new experiences and sights, but I’m thankful that to have witnessed them all. As Calvin’s father always said, “It builds character.”

I came here April 30th, with my Jeep loaded full of gear, clothing and boxed food as if i was planning on outlasting the British. Originally I was to work at a very busy restaurant called The Oar, as a waiter. Against the very nature of my soul, i decided to give it a try because it was supposed to be a very high paying job. I was given a small room for the mere price of 150$ a week, and began serving islanders and travelers their overpriced wines, calamari and sushi. For almost 6 weeks I outlasted the very torture of my being, as I maneuvered the ways of working in what i came to think of as “The People Industry”, because clearly these people came first. I procured two more jobs as well, and started working 90 hours a week, with midnight beach runs under the stars. I biked the circumference of the 11 mile wide island more times then i can remember, exploring the hidden bluffs and finding pick up basketball games on the rare half days off. I lost some of the “road weight” i had gained over the last 6 months, back into top physical shape between the constant working and little food intake.

But eventually the ugliness of the industry unloaded on me and i decided to get away from The Oar. I lost my provided housing, along with its tear rendering rent price. I moved my other two jobs into full time, consisting of days as a landscaper and stone worker, nights as security and salesman at the local sport shop. Down to 75 hours a week, it made living out of my Jeep a little easier tho still plenty interesting. After finishing a couple $50,000 driveways and patios, my life settled into what could almost be called a routine (a terrible concept). Working 13 hours every day between the two jobs and finding different places to park the Jeep to sleep every night, each day was still plenty interesting. I gained the title “Official Vagrant # 28” by the local police force, though somehow always managed to never have any instances with them, besides getting a warning about riding wheelies on a dirt bike through town. My bank account started to grow healthy, and I set a date for myself to escape the island, to head north to the land of tall trees and green mountains. I missed the sound of silence, the feel of my bike beneath me, the freedom of no requirements. But i knew the money I was saving would guarantee my lack of worries for quite a while and took the onslaught of social madness. Slowly new friendly faces found their way into my life, and i enjoyed the island life as much as I could. I ordered new motorcycle parts and had them shipped to my cabin, in preparation for the overhaul I would be giving the bike when I got back. I shipped money to a friend and had him buy a snowmobile I found online for sale, to have as a toy for the cabin whenever I returned in the winter. On the occasional day off I perfected my basketball skills, swam in the ocean, planned future adventures and watched the sunset over the ocean.

That is where i find myself now, with a month of Block Island life still before me, thousands of dollars to come and the open road beckoning to me like a winding trail through a flower rich meadow. Soon the rain will die down, and I will journey back out among the flower pattern shirts, rental mopeds and screaming children, past the maze of bicyclists and ice cream shops to a quiet job site where I’ll finish installing a patio.  Having not slept in a bed  in 5 weeks,  nor climbed a mountain in  3 months , life is still always an adventure. Looking at the experience from afar, I remember the small things that left such large memories in m mind. The 12 year old boy named Hector who i swear is one of the best basketball players of his age I’ll ever meet. The feeling when i found one of the glass globes, small orbs hidden on the island that many people search years for and never find. The seagull that just loved eating trail mix out of my hand on the beach. The startled jump of the deer in the road a couple feet from the front of my bicycle in the darkness of dusk. The amazing flavor of the 99 cent doughnuts from the docks. The hum of the crickets when sleeping in my hammock on the porch of an abandoned cabin. The terrible, blistering heat on my back as i laid thousands of paver stones in a driveway for the owner of Buffalo Wild Wings. The stranger that took his picture with me after playing 4 hours of basketball with me, having heard some of my crazy stories of life on the road. Puppies in my jeep, pretty girls smiling, the whirl of bicycle tires on pavement, the sight of a moonlit beach with wave crashing upon each other. So many small things that left an impression on my mind, some to be forgotten and some to ponder. Soon enough I will be on that ferry, moving onto my next adventure with all the world before me, and I can only wonder where I will wind up next. Until next time my friends, Road Hermit signing off.

“Do not go gently into that good night.
 Rage, rage
 Against the dying of the light.”

Dylan Thomas

I'm back!

Greetings, from down the road to those of you who continue to follow my adventures! I know it has been a very long time since I posted on my blog, and while I have been busy, it still isn't a good enough excuse! I've been back and forth across the country another time or two since I was last here, including a bus trip to Colorado, a train ride to New York and a road trip to Tennessee. I've sold my other toys including a BMW motorcycle and old Skidoo snowmobile, to makes things easier. Rather then try to catch up on all that, I will try to just keep my blog-writing game on point from here on. 

Currently, I'm writing this in northern Vermont. Im currently working for a farm installing cow mats in cow stalls, earning a few bucks and helping an old friend. In a few days, I'm heading to New York again, for another job. After that, i'm flying to Iceland for two and a half weeks of backpacking and exploring, so stay tuned! I've spent most of the winter stockpiling bike parts at my cabin in Vt, and have been trying to spend my free time when not traveling (nearly mute) throwing them on. Below is a list of how that is going, in complete. When I am finished upgrading I will do a sufficient write up on that process, but in the meantime- enjoy, fellow greasemonkeys!

2013 KLR 650 LIST 

Done by PO

Brake reservoir cover

Handguards

Zero gravity ST windshield

Tusk adventure racks & boxes

Front fork brace

Rizoma mirrors

Seat concepts seat

Moose racing footpegs

Big gun EVO R slip on exhaust

Done by me

Center stand

Ricochet skidplate 

Progressive front suspension

Subframe bolts upgrade

Master cylinder bolts upgrade

Lower dash w/ two charging ports

Handwarmers

KLX needle kit

Largest rear spring

Seahorse top case

UFO front fender

Moose racing front fender bag

Spot light driving lights

Headlight guard

Wolfman tank pannier bags

Wolfman bottle holsters

Crossbar pad

Agri-supply tool tubes

Remove license plate bracket/move plate

LED running light above taillight

LED guage bulbs

Ram X grip cell phone holder

Gas tank bag w/ map pouch

Magnetic oil plug

Doohickey

Uni air filter

Replaced brake pads @ 18,500 miles (plenty left)

IMS 6.6 tank

To do - 

685 kit!

Mount Rotopax

Stainless steel brakeline

Swap front and rear tires

Thermobob, thermostat bypass

Mount new set of driving lights

Change front suspension fluid

Re-pack exhaust

Fish Camp- Working as a set netter in Kasilof, Alaska for a summer.

Another hard day in the office

A cool wind blows through the trees, coming off the murky water of the glacier fed Matanuska River. There is a chill in the air, and the sun hides behind clouds that threaten rain. Sitting on the porch of the Nova River Runners cabin, I hear people murmuring inside about which dry suit will fit and how to avoid the biggest rocks when paddling. I smile at the vast difference of water experiences I’ve had in the last three months.
　　I had been working in Anchorage, trying to get some hunk of junk Chrysler to start when I first heard from Robby Williams. My hands covered in grease, oil and blood (some probably not even my own, this car had been abandoned in Anchorage for a month), I answered my phone with a grunt, still half wondering which one of the dumpsters hid the dude that was going to knife me and steal the 35$ I had in my wallet. The friendly voice on the other end introduced himself, and I forced myself to concentrate. A quick two minutes on the phone, and I was happy to realize I had just landed what sounded like a great job working on the ocean as a fisherman. The fun part was that I had 2 days to get to Kenai, with whatever I needed for 6 weeks of work. My outfit of camping gear and clothes were 2 1/2 hours north in Glacier View, where my girlfriend worked as a photographer for a rafting & hiking company. My new job, promising a shack of my own on the beach and three warm meals a day, was 3 hours south. I looked down at the dented, leaking vehicle and smiled. Where there’s a will, there’s a way! An hour later I pulled the car into the owners driveway, with a new battery, fuses and zip-tied license plate installed, and about half full of fluids- the other half led a meandering trail back to the apartment complex where I had found this beast. I pocketed a few hundred dollars from the last few days of handyman work I had been doing for the friendly native family, hopped on my trusty, albeit dirty and loud, KLR, and headed north to pack up my gear. Stuffing my panniers and bags full for a job I knew very little about, I set out the next evening for the Kenai Peninsula. One moose accident, two sketchy gas station fill ups and 5 hours of hand numbing riding later, I pulled onto a small dirt driveway surrounded by stacks of nets, bright buoys and old trucks in hip tall grass.

　　I walked down the hand-cut stairs to find a small, cozy shack with warm light spilling out onto the grass, the sound of crashing waves on the beach in the distance. A humming woman was taking biscuits out of a small oven, the smell overwhelming my dull senses. I walked up to the door, and the clunk of my boots made her turn. She smiled, a genuine smile going up to her eyes - “You must be Travis! Come in, come in. You must be freezing.” I opened the door, and the warmth of the electric heater combined with the tantalizing aromas of bacon, french toast and biscuits almost brought tears of joy to my face. This was the wife of my new boss, Kris, and she was a fantastic, caring woman who made the best camp food this side of the Mississippi. I swear it.

The famous cook shack, home of many great meals

Kris and I talked about my trip in, and the general way of living on the beach at fish camp, while I waited for Robby and the others to come in from the water. We were still among small trees and bushes in the cook shack, so I couldn’t see the water or any of living shacks. After about 15 minutes the troops came in, and I got to meet my family for the next 6 weeks. Robby was tall, thin man with hair graying at the corners and a smile always ready to pop up his face. His glasses and classic derby hat made him look like the classic fisherman, and he did indeed love to fish. When we would begin to pull in heavy loads of fish, he would get excited and let out a whoop like a kid on Christmas morning, opening the present he’d been wanting the most.

Robby in his element- on the water among fishermen

His son in law, Kyle, was gym teacher turned athletic director, and had the look of a gym body and full smile that probably made all the highschool girls giggle. It was his 7th year working with Robby, having married his daughter 2 years ago. Mike was the perfect picture of a hard working fisherman, with a bushy beard and happy-go-lucky attitude. Mike and I would wind up making an especially great friendship, and were the only two who stayed on the beach during fishing season. Wes was a 16 year old who was also fishing salmon for the first time; he was a little strange and had mood swings equivalent to a 14 year old girl. He was fun to work around for the most part tho, and usually made you laugh with his strangeness. A few weeks after I started working, two other kids came to work at fish camp. Tanner was Robby’s nephew, and he brought along his girlfriend Taylor. Besides that, occasionally friends would stop by to visit, and overall really made the camp a friendly place.

Fish camp in the natural

It took me a few days to get the entire way of set netting down, but it was really pretty simple work, and I came to enjoy it. I’d only ever been on the ocean twice before, and never with such involvement. I’ve always appreciated hard work, and set netting offered that, while also allowing plenty of downtime. There was always a positive, fun setting both on the beach and on the water, which was what made fish camp such a great memory and awesome experience. The craziest part of it all was the complete disintegration of the concept of time. We lived, ate, worked, and slept by the tide. Working by headlamps in screaming winds and 6 foot seas was a great part of the adventure of fish camp.

Always serious at fish camp

　　A quick overrun of how set netting works, in lamens terms. We operated out of two small boats. We would load up both boats with nets, consisting of “corks” or small buoys, and leads. Various larger buoys, ropes (lines from a fisherman, don’t ever make the mistake of calling them ropes in front of one) and an extra gas tank finished it up. Bring the boats, individually, to the waters edge and pull them out to deeper water by hand via a “line” attached from shore to a large buoy out to sea. Once deep enough, crank the motor till she catches and head out to the first of 12 sites.Three people working to a boat, or four with the big boss on board, would tie two ends of a net to a buoy, after pulling in 40 yards of soaking wet, slimy line. The other boat would do the same to another buoy, a hundred feet away. At the hand signal, both boats would haul ass directly at each other. As this happened, both boats would have a man letting out line by hand as they went. Soon, the first boat would pitch what they had left and veer out of the way just in time for the second boat to grab the line pitched from the first and haul it into the boat. Immediately, everyone on board would work as quickly as possible to tie the two lines together, before all slack came out of the line and it was pulled out of the boat from the powerful strength of the unseen underwater current. If the crew wasn’t successful, the third crew member would tie in an emergency line when he saw it was getting close. If that failed as well, both boats would gather in the lines and nets, and try again. This was done 12 times, once for each fishing site, which each costed a small fortune to originally purchase.

A boat full of nets ready to be set

           After all nets were set, the boats split up to search for “lead overs”, which were when the net was somehow tangled and needed to be fixed to properly catch fish. Then the boats would wait on the water for an amount of time varying from 5 minutes to 2 hours before turning the nets. At different times of the day, the tide would change direction, and to speed up the process of the nets turning to match, they would be tied to the boats and slowly dragged to face the proper way. After 12 turns, one for each net, one boat would moor at a buoy and its crew would hop into the second boat, which would then beach, like the troops of Normandy minus the gunfire. Everyone would walk up the ramshackle buildings that made up fish camp, strip off their fish gear and tromp on up to the cook shack for a delicious breakfast. Now I should note that this meal would be breakfast, regardless of what time we got in- 8 in the morning or 2 in the afternoon, the first meal was breakfast. Fantastic! Then depending on the tide schedule, there might be time for a cat nap or a movie, before heading out and picking nets in the two boats. Individual boats would motor up to the nets, pull one end of them in, and effectively pull down the net, stripping salmon, flounders, halibut, jellyfish, small sharks, sticks and the occasional octopus from it. Heading back in laden with salmon- the rest got thrown back to the water- the fish would be tossed into large crates with some ice to be taken to the buying station several miles down the road in the back of a truck. By then it was usually time for lunch, consisting of more amazing food made by Kris.

       Another small break if we were lucky, then back out on the boats, this time to pick fish, then pull nets. Stacking nets in a boat full of fish in giant, freezing waves was always interesting. Eventually the boats would make their way to shore, and for the next few hours everyone would be un-stacking and re-stacking nets, chucking fish, washing boats and refilling gas tanks. Off to the buying station your daily catch would go, as you limped your way up to the cook shack to eat more promisingly delicious food. Eventually you would take off your boots, shin full of fish blood and sea water, crawl into bed and lick your most recent wounds. All the while smiling at what you had done that day.

Everyone with some prized Salmon

There was plenty more to be done at fish camp, more then I feel I could even write about. But its strange, because the work was only half the story. The great people I worked with, the beauty of living on the beach (effectively by myself) for almost 2 months, the great road trips I would take on my time off. One day when i had a free space of 36 hours, I rode to Seward, Alaska. On the way back I took a goat trail leading up to a very old mine, with a challenging climb and breath taking sights. Another time I drove to Homer and took a nap on the Spit (a famous beach area) watching wind windsurfers. Tho the “nap” turned into a 6 hour doze, I still managed to wake up in time to go have dinner with a friend. Other days, on time off I would spend it siting with Robby and his family. Watching news on the TV was a strange eye opener- you never hear about whats happening in the world when you live on a motorcycle! They were truly great people, welcoming me into their home without hesitation. With warm showers, wi-fi, and a refrigerator waiting to be plundered, the Williams were some of the most friendly and open people I had met on my travels yet. I even stripped my bike down in their garage and painted it (black, of course).

　　Over the course of my time at fish camp, I made some great friends. I had a great time learning all sorts of things relating to fishing, and the ocean. Witnessing the setting sun over the ocean, covered in fish blood and bits of jellyfish was for some reason very peaceful, like the peace you can only get when seeing something beautiful after working hard all day. There was always a good smile on my face every day, and I was thankful for what life had presented me. It was without a doubt one of the best summers I have ever had, and really added a lot to my adventure in Alaska. I was surprised to find myself so content for such an extended amount of time without a real batch of riding. The time on the beach was so unlike a job that it was easy to think of it as simply helping out friends or family. I‘ll always remember the time I spent as an Alaskan set-netter as a truly awesome time. On the final day, I packed up my sleeping bag and closed the door to my shack, glancing out over the beach and whispering under my breath “So long my friend”.

The beach was always displaying more beauty every chance it had

Climbing the Crown Point Mine Trail

Climbing the Crown Point Mine Trail

The Crown Point Mine trail is off of the Seward Highway, just after Moose Pass, in the southern part of mainland Alaska, on the left heading towards the beautiful town of Seward. I actually found out about it by randomly coming across a really great page for offroading, specifically for dual sport motorcycles, dirtbikes, quads and UTV’s. This is the website. It was on the way to Seward, which I had decided to visit, so I decided to give it a try. I had no idea how crazy of a trail it was, or how rewarding and spectacular the view would be at the top. It was easily one of the most beautiful places I had ever been, and almost certainly the best “why not” adventure I had experience on my bike yet.

I departed fish camp in Kasilof late, around 5 pm. It was a 2 hour ride to Seward and I had to fish at 7AM the next day, but Rome didnt get built in a day, and I didn’t get to where I was by taking the safe way. So after throwing some gas in the black pig and turning up the Taylor Swift in my headphones, I headed out on the road. A Friday night had the roads not exactly empty, but after making it through the town of Soldotna, the traffic petered off and I had the gorgeous afternoon sun all to myself. An hour and a half of windy roads between snow capped mountains, glacial rivers and cliff faces, I pulled onto the Seward Highway, also known as route 9. Another 30 minutes of riding saw me into Seward, where the temperature dropped and the population grew. A small, beautiful, bustling town on coast full of campers, tourists, vacationers and fisherman, it was a sight to take in. Surrounded by enormous, gorgeous mountains all around and the sea buffeting the rocks in the inlet, I could see why many considered this place a must see. There is a small gravel road that leads you out of the busier part of town and takes you along the water, farther out to the true “end of the road”. Here lays a small campground and few dozen vacation homes, with a half empty beach and a seemingly never-ending view of mountains and water.

 I took in the sounds of kids laughing, gulls crying and waves crashing for a little while, then u-turned it back out of town, down the gravel past waterfalls and fishing boats and Subaru's from Washington, onto the Seward highway. I stopped at a strange gas station/grocery store for a Snickers bar and gas and headed for Moose Pass. I decided there was enough time still to try the mine road, I knew I’d be riding in the dark either way at this point (it was already almost 8 oclock in the evening.) It was getting dark nowadays around 10 pm, so a little time in the dark couldn’t hurt right?

I found the turn off to the trail, initially bumping you over some rail road tracks and past half a dozen ramshackle houses. A small kid gave me a hollow stare as i buzzed by, then went back to his Tonka’s. A split in the road with an old wooden sign pointed me left. The trail was obvious, with hard pack and rock, but certainly not big enough for a jeep or truck, and I feel that even a side by side would have real trouble, especially higher up. The thick undergrowth on both sides of the trail was a wall of green, and more often then not, bumped or scratched on my jacket and hand guards as I went. It started out relatively flat, with a few stream crossings and even some wooden planks thrown over some of the more muddy places. After a couple turns and dips, the trail started to climb, and climb it did. Once the uphill started, it continued for the next half hour. Eventually I passed out of the deep dark forest, and the switchbacks turned to rocks and gravel. One side of the trail was a steep, foreboding drop off to the woods far below and all the rest was a giant grassy field, with patches of boulders from the peaks still far above my head. After a while, the view began to distract me from the bike- it was beyond beautiful. The inlet from Seward shone in the distance like a sparkling diamond, and from it trailed the Kasilof River. And everywhere, both sides of the river, stretching to the clouds, were mountains. True, jaw dropping mountains, with the sun falling through the passes and streaming across the meadow that guided me up the trail. Not a sole in sight, no signs of humanity or society, except this tiny, distinct trail that wound its way up as far as I could see. Sometimes a rock would kick my back tire out, and for the smallest second you would imagine bumping off the trail, to an almost certain death thousands of feet to flat ground.

The soothing rumble of the bike beneath me guided me up farther. After what seemed hours, the trail came to an abrupt stop in front of a monstrous cavern. The imprints in the gravel split, but both ended a 100 feet from the bike, where it just became part of the long slope down the rocky wall. I could see a goat path leading on from there, but there was absolutely no chance a bike could make it. I parked the bike, took off my helmet and just stared. I was around 7/8ths of the way to the summit, the rest only obtainable by my own two feet. The cavern before me must have been the result of the mining. Deep down in the depths, no sun reached and there was a patch of snow covering the wall. A small river flowed out of the mountain, presumably from the very mines that had been the result of so much work. Behind me were some twisted remnants of wood and steel with a large cable leading out of it and following the trail back down. All that showed there was anyone else that ever even be here before.

A crumble of rocks to my left brought me out of my daze, and I turned to see a Marmot scrambling across the steep rock face. I couldn’t help but smile at this point, and as I turned back to my bike, my smile grew. The gorgeous, heart stopping view framed my bike, the very machine that had carried me almost 10,000 miles across the country. The sun peeked through the mountains as it set, blowing up the sky with the brightest shades of orange, red and pink. I was living the life I had always told myself to find. I was in quite possibly the most magical place I had ever been. This is what I had set out on this trip to find.

I sighed. I knew I had to leave this amazing place. Work in less then 10 hours, and another 2 hours on the road. Good thing I loved the open road. I saddled up, awakened the old mule and headed back down the trail. The trail was just as steep as I remembered coming up, and I kept it in first, tapping on my brakes so as not to burn them out in the last place I’d ever want to loose the ability to stop. After what seemed an age, I entered shrubbery, trees, and eventually flat ground (never felt so thankful for such a thing). I turned onto the deserted two lane highway, leaving a whispering trail of dust and memories. I tilted my head up to the sky, taking in the mountain I had just climbed with the bike through the failing light. I nodded my goodbye inside my helmet, turned on my fog lights, and set the tires for camp. A good day in my book.

Product review- ICS (Instant Combat Shelter) tent

Product review-
ICS(Instant Combat Shelter) tent

This tent has been across the USA and set up in a more diverse range of environments then I can probably name. While its a little heavy at around 6 1/2 lbs, a lot for a single person tent, it is extremely good quality and has never let me down.

The strengths of this tent are extensive and important. First of all, and what I consider the most important, it is very waterproof. I’ve set this tent up in monsoons, swamps and even snowstorms across the country. It was very important to me to know that no matter what, I had a shelter that was going to keep me dry through whatever weather I encountered. The rainfly on this tent is very strong, and blocks whatever hits the tent. The zippers are also waterproof, as well as the walls and flooring. I was never cold in this tent either, I feel it stops wind from blowing through very well. This tent is actually a blackout tent, meaning with everything set up on it, you can have a light or lantern on inside and not be able to see any light coming through from the outside.

It is a very easy quick tent to setup, and was always a breeze to do even at night when I could hardly feel my hands, or see them. The fact that it clips to the tent with buckles made setup much easier and smoother. I came to appreciate the large vestibule the rainfly formed in the back, roomy enough to fit both my Tusk panniers, riding gear and tank bag. This can be accessed from the outside through a zipper, or from inside the tent via a zippered window as well. Inside, the tent fits one person very well, and I have squeezed into it with my girlfriend and I, tho it was a tight fit and shes very small. (5’2: 110lbs). My height of 6’2” didn’t make my head or feet touch the ends, another good fit. It also packs up pretty well, rolling the tent and rainfly around the three sets of poles.

Other small pluses for this tent was its unique and cool shape, its camouflage and its terrific price for a truly strong and weatherproof shelter. I rarely set it up without the rainfly, but the mesh at the top allows a good view to the sky at night as well.

The negative aspects for this shelter is a much smaller list. The only part that ever let down was when a tent pole snapped, the male end breaking off in one of the female rods. Besides that, it is somewhat heavy for a single person tent. Lastly, because of the one “face” that is very square, if the wind hits this, it can shake the tent pretty well.

The ICS was a good buy for my trip across the country on a motorcycle. I would recommend it for anyone doing a similar trip, but for someone looking more for hiking and backpacking, it may be too heavy for your criteria. It is a very strong, roomy tent for one person traveling anywhere and can be relied upon to keep you dry and warm in the 3 seasons. It can certainly withstand the elements! And helps you blend in to hide from those pesky park rangers.

Product review- Sea to Summit 35 Liter hydraulic dry bags

Product review-
Sea to Summit 35 Liter hydraulic dry bags

I purchased two of these dry bags for their large size, and reviews of strength and durability. I also like the fact that they each have 4 tie down loops, making them very easy to mount to the top of my panniers, or strap to my hiking backpack. With the roll-top closures, its practically a guaranteed waterproof seal. The buckles have replaceable metal pins, in the rare even that they break. The overall quality of these dry bags are superb, and what I have come to find from most Sea to Summit equipment. The 35 liter is the perfect size to fit on top of my motorcycle panniers, and for a backrest or top duffel bag, they offer bigger sizes in the hydraulic series, which I believe are all strong enough to resist abrasion or holes from abrasion, rocks, and whatever else you run into. I certainly feel that this is true.

Driving over Bighorn Pass, WY

On my bike, I put my clothes in these bags, usually in another compression bag to make the most of the space. On my mountaineering backpack, it straps perfectly where the tent or sleeping bag is meant to go, and is often what i put in it. My large sleeping bag, bivy and a small blanket will all fit in them. When I was working at a fishing camp in Alaska, I would often toss my tablet in one and bring it out on the boat, to watch a movie while we waited for the tide to turn. I feel the price of these is also quite reasonable, for their quality. I would absolutely recommend these to anyone interested in keeping their gear or clothes dry in the outdoors, as these can apply to almost any activity and will be sure to hold up to whatever you put them through.

Hiking New Hampshire

Bike gear list

Mnt Ranier sleeping bag - good for-20 degrees.

Military Goretex bivy, adds 10 degrees of warmth to sleeping system

Thermarest NeoAir XTherm air sleeping pad

Improved Combat Shelter (ICS) tent

Explorer Ultralite Asym Zip Hennesey Hammock w/ snakeskins

15’ by 15’ dark green tarp

100ft of Paracord

Small hatchet

Kukri Machete w/ sheath

Survival knife w/sawback, hollow handle, hard sheath, throwing knife, slingshot, compass, paracord handle

Schrade SCH001 locking pocket knife

Gerber Paraframe locking pocket knife

Luci Lantern- inflatable solar waterproof lantern

The Slacker camping stool

(2) HydroFlask 32OZ wide mouth insulated water bottle

Black Diamond Icon headlamp & extra batteries (AA)

Princeton Tec headlamp & extra batteries (AAA)

Ozark Trail rechargeable LED Flashlight

20 glowsticks, varying sizes & colors

(2) GearTie twisties

Small orienteering compass

Small pair binoculars

Diamond knife sharpener

Thermarest patch-it kit, extra buckles & tent rip sealant

Bugnet hat

Pyle watch [Altimeter, Barometer, timer, compass]

Anker 14W Dual-port Solar charger

Anker 16000mAH external battery 

Samsung Galaxy S3 w/ Lifeproof case & charger

FIIO X1 Mp3 player w/ 128 GB sd card, cord & case

Goal Zero Rock Out speaker case & cord

HP EliteBook 8440P laptop, with Pelican laptop case, extra extended battery & charger

{Kingsoft Writer, GoPro software, VLC Media player, Cyberlink Powerdirect 12, Google Earth, Garmin Express software}

WD My Passport Ultra 2 TB external hard drive & cord

(2) GoPro H3+, w/ cases, sticky mounts, pole, chest mount, head mount, suction mount, floaty,  helmet strap, (3) sd cards 

Garmin eTrex 20 handheld GPS

Nikon Coolpix- AW110- Waterproof digital camera w/ GPS, world maps, wifi

Chatterbox helmet communicator & cord

(3) pair earbuds

Sumo Jetboil, w/ pot lock, utensil kit, stabilizer, cup, 3 Isobutane fuel canisters (8 OZ & 16 OZ)

MSR Flex Skillet

5 BIC lighters

5 small boxes of waterproof matches & waterproof match container

Sea to Summit AlphaLight Long Spork, for eating out of MRE bags

Sea to Summit Xbowl

Sea to Summit Xplate

Several plastic sporks

Several Scotchbrite pads, for cleaning dishes

2 containers of mixed spices (GSI Spice Missile container)

Sawyer mini water filtration system

Outdoors Etekcity mini camping stove (cheap spare)

(2) Bottle of Multi-Vitamins

Toothbrush, container, toothpaste, toilet paper, mouthwash

Shampoo, body wash, soap, container, deodorant, tick twister, comb

(3) Sea to Summit Ultra-Sil View dry bags

(2) Sea to Summit Hydraulic dry bags

Sea to Summit compression dry sack

Sea to Summit clear stopper dry bag

Sea to Summit dry back pack

Outdoor Products lightweight dry sack

Random stuff sack w/ drawstring for dirty clothes

Fischer running fanny pack w/ water bottle

(2) Ratchet straps

(3) Adjustable bungee cords

(2) Adjustable buckle straps

(2) Master locks

Ortlieb waterproof tank bag

(2) large Wolfman Rolie side tank panniers

(2) Tusk Adventure racks & panniers

Seahorse SE-630 case

(2) Wolfman bottle holster

(4) Rok Pack straps

Ricochet Skidplate

SW-Motech crashbars

Tusk front fender bag

Tusk handlebar mitts

Tusk crossbar pad

Seat Concepts seat

Rizoma mirrors

Titanium levers

Carbon fiber hand guards

Zero Gravity ST windshield

EM Superbrace

Acerbis front fender

Moose Racing front pegs

Moose Racing rear master cylinder guard

Happy Trails center stand

Magnetic drain plug

Ram X-grip

Big Gun Evo R exhaust

Happy Trails dashboard

Headlight guard/shield

Pair of 10w driving lights

Subframe bolt upgrade kit

(2) AgriSupply tool tubes

Eibach 500lb rear spring

Happy Trails progressive fork springs

Top Gun extended foot lever

Extended headlight guard

Doohickey upgrade kit

2 1/2 gallon spare no-spill gas tank

12” LED extra taillight  (bottom of top box)

Heated handgrips

Cut side stand 3/4”

Removed license plate bracket; mounted to rear fender

Fly Racing Trekker dual sport helmet 

Jilbo Snow Tiger photochomic goggles

100% motorsports tinted goggles

Fly Racing Terra Trek III jacket

Triple lined riding pants

Danner waterproof boots

Pair Icon PDX waterproof gauntlets

Columbia trekking pants

6 athletic style t-shirts

3 athletic style long sleeve shirts

3 sweatshirts

1 windbreaker jacket

6 pair underwear

2 pair Carhart padded work pants, 2 pair normal Carhart work pants, 1 pair blue jeans

Frog Togg rain jacket & rain pant

Body Glove 3T max water shoes

6 pairs black Hind hydrasocks. 2 pairs Darn Tough socks, 1 pair Goretex socks

Life Is Good baseball cap

2 cold weather hats

2 pairs sunglasses

2 sets long underwear/long johns

2 pair athletic shorts

1 pair glove/mitten conversions, 1 pair warm weather gloves, 1 pair fleece lined gloves

1 pair Keene hiking shoes

Stock Kawasaki tool bag

JB Weld

Assorted wrenches

Socket wrench & assorted sockets, extensions

Zip ties

Electrical tape

Superglue

Allen head set

Spare bolts for plastics

Blue Loctite

Pliers

Wire strippers

1 Quart of oil