Where are they right now?
Real Time GPS Tracking of Kurt and Rich
Note: Sorry I didnt post this sooner it was giving me some problems linking thru this blog site. David
Friday, May 9, 2008
Pikes Peak
Pikes Peak is a mountain in the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains, 10 miles (16 km) west of Colorado Springs, Colorado, in El Paso County. It is named for Zebulon Pike, an explorer who led an expedition to the southern Colorado area in 1806. At 14,110 feet (4,301 m), it is one of Colorado's 54 fourteeners. Drivers race up the mountain in a famous annual race called the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. An upper portion of Pikes Peak is a federally designated National Historic Landmark
Why They Are Doing It
Iron Butt Ultimate Coast to Coast Challenge
© 2001, Iron Butt Association, Chicago, Illinois
Please respect our intellectual property rights. Do not distribute this document, or portions therein, without the written permission of the Iron Butt Association. The Ultimate Coast to Coast Challenge is a trademark of the Iron Butt Association.
Last Revision: April 25, 2008 - always check that these are the current rules before starting your ride! Note: The Iron Butt Association web site always has the current rules.
WHAT'S REQUIRED:
Your ride needs to be completely documented (steps outlined below) and cross North America from Key West, Florida to Deadhorse, Alaska (also known as Prudhoe Bay, Alaska) in 30 days or less. The ride can be completed in either direction; Alaska to Florida OR Florida to Alaska
It is possible to complete both the SaddleSore 1000 and Bun-Burner 1500 during the Ultimate Coast to Coast Challenge. Should you complete both the Ultimate Coast to Coast, SaddleSore 1000 and/or Bun-Burner 1500 rides and want certificates for them, there is a short description of what you must do to claim those awards as well near the end of this document.
WARNING: Due to the tragedy in New York City on 9/11/2001, there has been renewed talk of closing the road to Deadhorse. You should check to insure the road is open to the public before attempting this ride. Additionally, this ride will take you to the far-north. You can expect snowy conditions EVERY MONTH of the year. The only practical times to plan this ride is July and August. Even then, you may face snow storms, road construction and endless miles of impassable road. Additionally, in Canada and Alaska you are dealing with more wildlife than in the rest of North America. You should be prepared for encounters with bears, moose and other large animals that will cross your path.
NOTE: If you are carrying large fuels cells, you still MUST stop at least once every 400 miles to obtain a gas receipt.
NOTE: These rules serve as a guideline. When you are on the road, concentrate on finishing the ride without an accident. If you lose one receipt, we can generally reconstruct your claim without a problem. For example, do not backtrack just to obtain a missing gas receipt!
PREPARATION FOR THE START (assumes Key West start):
You MUST take a picture of you AND YOUR motorcycle in front of a Key West landmark. For example, a "Welcome to Key West, Florida' sign or the large concrete marker on the south-west side of the island proclaming you have reached the southern most point of the United States.
Find at least one police officer, firefighter, judge, notary public or authorized Iron Butt Association member willing to sign your witness form (sample attached). You may fill out the witness section with the Police Station/Fire House address. Ask the officer to supply his badge number and note it on the witness form. Should you be unable to find a willing police officer (please note that to date, this is rarely a problem - it is easier than it sounds) or you wish to start your ride from a motorcycle dealership, the Iron Butt Association will gladly accept the signature of any two dealership employees. If that is not possible, you will have to find at least three (3) independent eye-witnesses.
Fill up your gas tank and obtain a computer printed gas receipt with a legible date and time stamp.
* * THE COMPUTER TIME STAMP WILL BE YOUR OFFICIAL STARTING TIME * *
The following log entries and completed witness forms are mandatory:
1. Log entries must be made at each gas stop. A log entry includes the following information; DATE, TIME, TIME ZONE, LOCATION (i.e. Yuma, AZ) and ODOMETER reading. A receipt must accompany each log book entry. All gas receipts must be readable and it is vital that we can read the date, city, state and number of gallons purchased. If the city is not pre-printed, ask the clerk to include a mailing address or contact phone number.
2. Log entries must be made at each stop longer than 10 minutes (for example a rest stop). Each entry must include the start time and ending time. Meals are considered rest stops - don't forget to obtain a restaurant receipt.
3. If your route includes any toll roads or bridges, you must obtain a dated receipt and make a log entry.
When you reach Deadhorse, Alaska, if possible, obtain a computer-printed gas receipt with a legible date and time stamp. Also, obtain the business phone number (usually just asking for a business card of the gas station will take care of this requirement).
* * THE COMPUTER TIME STAMP BE YOUR OFFICIAL ENDING TIME * *
If a computer receipt is not available (afterall, Deadhorse is really nothing but a few trailers!), we will accept time stamps from any Deadhorse, Alaska business.
After you get the gas receipt, find at least two (2) independent eye-witnesses OR one police officer, firefighter, judge, notary public or authorized Iron Butt Association member willing to sign your witness form (sample attached). Please note that Deadhorse/Prudhoe Bay has very few actual residents. Most people live in other areas, and work several weeks on and off. Make sure you get an address of a witness where they can get mail several weeks after you submit your ride documentation.
You MUST take a picture of you AND YOUR motorcycle in front of a Deadhorse/Prudhoe Bay landmark. For example, the "Prudhoe Bay Inn" sign or the Deadhorse airport sign on one of the hangers.
Who Is Rich!!??
I've always wanted to go to Alaska and noticed that the Iron Butt Association sanctions an "extreme" ride from Key West Florida to Prudhoe Bay Alaska, to be completed within a thirty day time period. As an established member of the Iron Butt Association (IBA), I found my excuse to go to Alaska and get a Certificate for the feat. I had planned to do it on my own, (which didn't make my wife Kay too happy!) and then Kurt heard me talk about it. He wanted in. He even went out and bought the same Triumph Tiger I had and we started planning. That was about a year ago. 1 May we started from Key West and are well into making the trip happen.
The ride from Key West to Colorado Strings was pretty straight forward, Key West to Orlando, final load out, and then to Little Rock. Had to stop short of our destination due to hazardous weather, in the form of tornados and lightening storms. Discresion being the better part of valor, we lost about 5 hours and a free nights lodging at Kurt's brother's house in Little Rock. We stopped in for lunch the next day and continued on. Route 40 across Oklahoma and Texas was flat, straight and boring but a constant 30 MPH cross wind kept the ride challenging. We took some back roads through New Mexico to hook up to Route 25. Lot's of cattle, interesting rocks, and more flatness. Colorado and the mountains are a welcome respite.
Today (5 May) we took a planned rest day on the trip. We planned on Colorado Springs as the place since we both know it and really like some of the resturants here. After a good night sleep and some maintenance and reorganization of our equipment, we headed out to Pike's Peak for a relaxing little tour to the top. Figured it would be a good way to see some sights and work on some dirt road riding skills. Simply stated the scenery is breath-taking and the ride was a hoot. The Triumph Tigers ran up the mountain without hesitation and the performance at altitude, (14000 feet) was excellent, never missing a beat. Attached are some of the pictures. Weather was a "Brisk" 30 Degrees at the summit, and the wind non-stop. It is a great ride not to be missed.
Tomorrow we are off to the Little Big Horn and Montana. The next day we will be in Calgary for another maintenence day and to get some new tires at Blackfoot Triumph. Hope to have some new adventures to talk about then.
Rich
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