Colorado to the Arctic Ocean and back down to Panama, Earthroamer/BMW GSA

[trailsurfer]

Welcome to my first trip report. Over the next 3 months I am going to travel from Colorado to Alaska in a Earthroamer LT,

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6072/6119303724_ce8ecd1b99.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/43682982@N05/6119303724/)


and then back down to Colorado where I will switch to my BMW 1200 GSA,

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6073/6118790481_3e68768060.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/43682982@N05/6118790481/)


and ride to Panama!

The trip begins this week with the drive to Bellingham, Washington, where we will get on the ferry for the 3 day trip through the inside passage to Skagway.

[Christian P.]

Wow, sounds like an awesome plan.

Keep us updated on your trip!

[trailsurfer]

Wow, sounds like an awesome plan.

Keep us updated on your trip!

I will be finishing the trip at Panama Passage in November. Hope you are still there when I arrive.

[trailsurfer]

A few shakedown trips this summer to prepare for the journey.

Coral Pink Sand Dunes

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The GS taking a nap outside Zion

[img]http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6192/6122851708_7b9a338c83.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/43682982@N05/6122851708/)
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[trailsurfer]

Made it to Washington tonight. I get on the ferry to Skagway tomorrow. Pictures to follow tomorrow night.

One downside is I just paid $4.45 a gallon for diesel in Washington.

[fisher205]

One downside is I just paid $4.45 a gallon for diesel in Washington.

It's not going to get any better.

[trailsurfer]

Pics and update coming soon. Almost 0 Internet over the last few days. Took the ferry from Bellingham to Skagway. Have travelled the Top of the Wolrd Highway, spent the night camping along the Yukon river outside of Dawson City.

Tonight we are outside of Delta Junction and headed to Denali tomorrow on the Denali Highway. We have been told that the Caribou are everywhere along the road and the Brown Bears are waiting for them to head south along the road. Should be a great day.

Pics and more stories on Sunday when we get to Fairbanks.

[LandCruiserPhil]

Sounds like a great trip!

[mervifwdc]

Sounds great!

[trailsurfer]

I am jumping to the end of this post, Denali!



[img]http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6199/6161800462_0f376f68a5.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/43682982@N05/6161800462/)

First things first,

Caught the ferry from Bellingham to Skagway on Friday, September 9.

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I had a fantastic 3 day trip through the inside passage. Lots of whale sightings and beautiful scenery.

[img]http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6151/6161224781_3169eec929.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/43682982@N05/6161224781/)

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[SOAZ]

Wow Mike! You've been busy I see!

Have fun!

I look forward to more pics. :Wow1:

[EuroJoe]

:lurk:

[Creature]

Looks like a great trip, subscribing!

[trailsurfer]

Full update with pictures coming tomorrow when I have (hopefully) a better internet connection. Update to include: Top of the World Highway, Denali, and the Kenai peninsula.

Currently outside of Jasper, AB.

[ujoint]

Epic! Thanks for sharing.

[trailsurfer]

Sorry for the delay in the update!


Finally in the Yukon!


[img]http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6080/6161233805_24b27825df.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/43682982@N05/6161233805/)

[trailsurfer]

Crossing the Yukon River!

[img]http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6168/6161770878_3041f54afa.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/43682982@N05/6161770878/)

[trailsurfer]

Top of the World Highway.


[img]http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6087/6161239655_5dede82d63.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/43682982@N05/6161239655/)

[trailsurfer]

Coming back into the USA from the Yukon on the Top of the World Highway. Fantastic road with almost no other traffic.


http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6151/6161776756_e123318df2.jpg ("[url=http://www.flickr.com/photos/43682982@N05/6161776756/)



One of the things that struck me the most about how far North we have gone was that the satellite dishes at the border were pointed straight at the horizon, not towards the sky.

[trailsurfer]

Coming into the infamous town of chicken.


[img]http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6201/6161243017_1788c9dcb2.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/43682982@N05/6161243017/)

[trailsurfer]

First shot of the pipeline. I didn't realize that we would see quite a bit of this amazing feat of engineering throughout the trip.


[img]http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6084/6161780348_e1fcd1cb26.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/43682982@N05/6161780348/)

[trailsurfer]

On our way to Denali from Delta Junction.


[img]http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6199/6161782848_8b8187ef77.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/43682982@N05/6161782848/)

[trailsurfer]

Spectacular scenery.

[img]http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6195/6161784412_8d49481d64.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/43682982@N05/6161784412/)

[trailsurfer]

One of the things I didn't realize about Alaska was the scale of the endless beauty.


[img]http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6188/6161251975_6dd37b4a2e.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/43682982@N05/6161251975/)

[trailsurfer]

Denali Highway.


[img]http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6065/6161254741_476fa011eb.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/43682982@N05/6161254741/)

[iRagedoYou]

Great pics man... simply amazing. I look forward to your stories and pictures.

[trailsurfer]

More Pics and stories coming tomorrow. Alaska was fantastic and now comes Central America!


I have met countless world travelers that are overlanding in everything from an old Subaru, to a custom Opel Van, to a German hitchhiking in Cortez, CO today.

[trailsurfer]

Ok, I have been way to slow on keeping this thread up to date. But I am going to get this thread going again!

More from the Denali Highway

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[trailsurfer]

Still more from Denali Highway


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[trailsurfer]

At last, Denali!


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[trailsurfer]

We were fortunate to be able to camp 30 miles down the main road in Denali National Park. We were able to drive 15 miles past the last checkpoint to access our camping spot. Without this camping permit, you are only able to drive 15 miles into the park before they make you turn around.

We met this overlander from Switzerland. He is on the road for a year. He shipped his custom made van from Europe to the Nova Scotia and will travel all over North America. He has already kayaked 300 + miles of the Yukon river on his own! His van is an Opel and he built out the interior. Really a neat guy and a very nice overlanding van.

http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6074/6161259715_5a4c213386.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/43682982@N05/6161259715/)
[/url] by (http://www.flickr.com/photos/43682982@N05/6161259715/), on Flickr

http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6151/6161796628_e994cee5fb.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/43682982@N05/6161796628/)
by [url=http://www.flickr.com/people/43682982@N05/] (http://www.flickr.com/photos/43682982@N05/6161796628/), on Flickr

[trailsurfer]

Just outside the park, I met another overlander. He is from Slovenia and is on a 3 year trip around the world. His daily budget for everything except fuel is $5.00 per day. He has been on the road for almost 2 years, and he has yet to stay in a hotel. He camps 95% of the time, or stays with a host family if possible.

He plans on visiting me in Colorado in January, yes he knows there will be snow, but he has chains for his tires and loves riding in the snow!!!!

http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6044/6380156519_46816e9b72.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/43682982@N05/6380156519/)
[/url] by [url=http://www.flickr.com/people/43682982@N05/] (http://www.flickr.com/photos/43682982@N05/6380156519/), on Flickr

[trailsurfer]

After spending a couple of days in Fairbanks, I made my way down to the Kenai Peninsula. This was my favorite part of Alaska. I spent two nights in Homer and two nights in Seward.

View from my camping spot in Homer.

http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6037/6380156575_619a7f5f7d.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/43682982@N05/6380156575/)
by [url=http://www.flickr.com/people/43682982@N05, on Flickr

[trailsurfer]

Then it was off to Seward where I took a Glacier sight seeing cruise in the Kenai Fjords National Park.

Camping spot in Seward

http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6043/6380156677_4b462b00bd.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/43682982@N05/6380156677/)
[url=http://www.flickr.com/photos/43682982@N05/6380156745/]http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6101/6380156745_4491f4ceb9.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/43682982@N05/6380156677/


View from camping spot

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[trailsurfer]

A few sea lions enjoying the nice sunny weather.

[img]http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6238/6380156767_58f227f178.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/43682982@N05/6380156767/)
[url=http://www.flickr.com/photos/43682982@N05/6380156767/