As The Curtain Draws Closed

Kurt Hamby and Rich Kuechenmeister, after 28 days, have re-entered the borders of Florida. Now just hours before arriving home, the adventure comes to a close.

I want to take this opportunity to thank Kurt and Rich for allowing me to share in their adventure, its been fun.

I have taken great pleasure in creating and maintaining this blog, as well as tracking the two thru both conventional, and sometimes unconventional means.
____________________________________________________________________

Kurt procured a GPS tracking unit SPOT which facilitated most of the tracking, and all of what you, the friends and others have seen.
In addition there have been a couple of snags along the way with respect to communication and tracking...Lack of cellular service in Yukon Territory, limited echo response from SPOT on the Dalton Highway, etc.

The only serious issue along the way seemed to be a patch of muddy Dalton Highway where Rich executed a double lutz and landed in a ditch. Nothing seriously hurt though. Easily repaired with tape, bailing wire, and super glue!

As always weather has been a factor throughout the trip, bitter cold, stifling heat, and wind, which did little more than slow the two down.

______________________________________________________________


I want to thank all those who helped Kurt and Rich out along the route, both in front and behind the scenes.

Blackfoot Motorsports in Calgary all of the folks are great then and really made us feel at home with a special thanks to Jens Goermann who is the service manager and even brought out one of his techs to have him tell us the best roads to take on our trip from Calgary.

Artic Caribou Inn: Scott Bedford who took us on a tour of Deadhorse and made sure we got all the things we needed so we could hit the road the next day. He is in the picture with Rich of the Deadhorse sign.

Cycle Barn Lynnwood WA: Special Thanks to Kim Seely for taking care of my helmet and thanks to Bruce and Robin for thier help and of course a very speicial thanks to Dave Preston for greetign us in for service and to Marc Satterwhite for finding our tires for use.

DigitalGlobe Jeff Kerridge for providing use of their QuickBird satellite and some of the high resolution imagery.

National Weather Service Thanks to all those who helped with tracking OCONUS weather while the team was in Alaska. And for helping us with aerial spotting up and down the Dalton Highway.

____________________________________________________________________

"Surprise, Agression, Speed"

End transmission

The Road Home...Home Stretch

On what appears to be their last day on the road before home, they greet the sunrise as they put rubber to the road. Conditions are very favorable for the two, as they prepare to see what I-10 has to show them today.
Only 300 miles shy of the Florida state line, their 800 mile trip will be spent primarily traversing Florida's panhandle, no doubt helping to motivate them to press on, and bring closure to this 12,000 mile expedition.
Based on their current progress we are projecting a 9:00 pm EDT arrival time.

At 200 miles into the home stretch the team pulls into a Bay St Louis Mississippi favorite, the Gator's One Stop on Hwy 603 just off I-10. Fuel and a snack and they are off again...

Noontime brought them within 100 miles of the Florida border at Pensacola, go go go!

12:30pm EDT
As they arrive in Mobile Alabama, clear skies and 86 degrees, a light breeze off the Gulf of Mexico, they are but 500 miles from their final destination...home.

The Road Home...Louisiana

At 8:28 pm EDT Kurt and Rich left Texas behind and crossed into Louisiana.

740 miles and just over 12 hours behind them now, the intrepid riders have about 850 miles left before arriving back here in Orlando, FL.

Update 9:30 pm EDT:
After ripping up 800 miles of Interstate 10, its finally time to get some sleep. What better place than a Comfort Inn located in Jennings, LA.
With only 780 miles between them and home, we anticipate their arrival sometime Wednesday evening. It appears the weather will hold out for their final leg, with average temperatures across the entire route in the mid 80's.

Editors Note:
For those of you who may have missed some of the earlier comments, a wager between Mrs. Kuechenmeister and myself regarding when they would actually make it back...I would like to take this opportunity to concede.

The Road Home...1000 Miles To Go

5:18 pm EDT
The guys have broken the 1000 mile mark! After covering 600 miles today they have reached the town of Brookshire, TX. Where they will be stopping at the local truck stop on I-10 to eat, and refresh themselves.

With 999 miles to go from Brookshire, TX to Orlando, FL they may manage to prove me wrong and arrive back into Seminole County prior to Thursday which is only about 30 hours from now.
Update 6:00 pm EDT:
Gridlock! As the two approached Houston TX they were met with its infamous rush hour gridlock as shown in the images below...

The Road Home...Continues

Tuesday 27 May 8:00am EDT:
Kurt and Rich are burning up some more Texas highway as they leave out of Van Horn. So far average speeds are a bit over 60 mph as they race down I-10 towards San Antonio.
With temperatures already in the high 80's, and a predicted high of 98 degrees, the heat may play a factor in this leg of the trip. Staying hydrated will be the primary concern for both of them.

Update 1:30pm EDT:
As they rapidly approach San Antonio, TX. having already put 350 miles behind them today, the weather remains clear, and very hot pushing into the high 90's, and with humidity being in the 40% range it will feel like 100. A fuel and rest break in Kerrville, TX will afford them some relief for awhile.

Update 4:00 pm EDT:
At 3:00pm San Antonio was officially behind them, as they barrel towards Houston...already approaching the halfway mark between the two cities they have but 1100 miles to go.

The Road Home

They pulled out of Blythe California at 11:00am Eastern Daylight Time today, sprinting Eastbound. It appears they are only making average times prior to arriving in El Paso, TX.
More to come soon....

Update: 9:45pm EDT
650 miles behind them so far, after a quick meal at the Pilot Truck Stop in Anthony, Texas just North of El Paso, the two are burning up the interstate as they pass Fort Hancock, TX on I-10.

Update: 10:30pm EDT
Kurt and Rich appear to have pulled into beautiful Van Horn, Texas. It also appears they are paying a visit the the local Ramada Limited. I am sure they could use some rest, with 700 miles so far for the day.

Eastbound, Hammer Down

Sunday 25 May 2008:

As previously mentioned, 2pm EDT today Rich and Kurt left out of Carmel Valley, California on what appears to be a Cannonball Run back to Orlando, Florida.

The path from Carmel Valley, CA to Orlando, FL is approximately 2700 miles (across either I-40 or I-10) it is presumed at this time they will travel I-10 west to east. Considering average speeds, required stops, and existing construction on I-10 as reported by Arizona DOT it will take them 41 hours of total ride time. Add to that a couple nights of sleep, we should expect to see them arrive in Orlando sometime late Thursday or early Friday.

The weather appears to be in their favor across 90% of their route as of today.

Go n-éirí an bóthar leat..

Editorial Comment:
Will be interesting to see if they choose to take one of my favorite stretches of highway, I-40 from Barstow to Needles Calif. 144 miles of some of the flattest, and fastest Interstate in the U.S.
The run between Needles and Blythe, is another 96 miles of desolate road, which actually skirts an area dotted with Anasazi ruins, and home of some recent UFO sightings (Of course its the Editors opinion that the UFO's are actually sorties being run out of Edwards AFB and Twentynine Palms)

Update:
It seems the two are sticking to I-5 like glue and are going to skirt Los Angeles via the 210 Freeway to catch I-10

The Road Home -- Pacific States

At approximately 10:30pm EDT the team finally arrived at the Canadian | US border, entering at the border station in Sumas, Washington.

Thursday 22 May
A speedy run south garnered the team a 1am PDT arrival at the Best Western in Lynnwood Washington, after some rest they will be stopping at the Lynnwood Cycle Barn to get the bikes serviced.

Friday 23 May
Finishing up getting bikes serviced then its south to Carmel, Calif. to visit old friends. Kurt uploaded a bunch of new pictures for the album.
Update: After an arduous ride thru what came to be an deluge of cold rain Kurt and Rich have pulled into Medford Oregon for the night. A long hot shower at the top of the list I bet...

Saturday 24 May 9:00pm EDT
Rich and Kurt have reached their destination in Carmel Valley, California! Congrats!

Update Sunday 25 May 2:00pm EDT:
It appears they are on the move. Stay Tuned

The Road Home -- Canada

The arrival in Whitehorse, YT, Canada (12:45am EDT) marks the end of a long days ride from Fairbanks. It also presents a place to get some desperately needed rest, and a chance to get off the dark and treacherous road.

Monday, 19 May:
Headed out of Whitehorse around noon, 410 miles to a stop point at Dease Lake, BC, Canada (at what appears to be the Northway Motor Inn based on sat imagery).

Tuesday, 20 May:
11:15am EDT the team rolled out of Dease Lake, BC, Canada heading South toward Prince George, BC, Canada which is approx 600miles

Wednesday, 21 May:
1:00pm EDT after a good night at the Best Western in Prince George, BC, Canada Rich and Kurt put the gas to it and headed out for Vancouver. (As of 5:30pm EDT they were within 250miles of Vancouver...)

Homeward Bound

It appears Rich and Kurt are on the move again. The latest GPS tracking shows that at 12:30pm EDT the two moving south out of Fairbanks at a good clip. At their current direction of travel and rate of speed they should reach Tok Alaska in just under 3 hours, and the Canadian, Yukon Territory border in just under 4 hours.

Update: 3:30pm EDT
Arrival in Tok Alaska, a quick fuel stop and back on the road.

Update: 8:30pm EDT
So far they have 8 hours of road time behind them, nearly to Whitehorse, YT, Canada
I suspect thats where they will put in for the night, definately a meal stop. It is possible however they may push thru to Watson Lake which is but a few hours further. Fort St. John, BC, Canada will be the crossroads for the two, by crossroads I mean they will decide to either run south to Vancouver, or continue southeast to Edmonton...

A straight run back from Fort St. John, Canada to Orlando would carry them south thru the Dakotas and on into Missouri, across the Appalachians and on into Florida. A run of 3,300 mi – about a 6 day ride.
However....
If they decide to drop south into Vancouver and my suspicions are correct, they will run down the coast to Los Angeles or perhaps even San Diego and take Interstate 10 across which would add only a day and a half to their ride back. An estimated 4,500 mi – about an 8 day ride.
To drive down the coast and not stop in Vegas would be sacrilege imho...

Update: 9:45pm
It appears they may have succumb to the allure of the Talbot Arm Motel in Destruction Bay, for a meal.
After all who could resist this!

Update: 11:20pm
After a brief stop in Haines Junction they are on the move again, rapidly approaching Whitehorse (approx 90 min away), which appears to be a preferred place to rest for the night.

Saturday In Fairbanks

Today the teams efforts will be devoted to getting ready for the ride back. Packing up arctic wear, trinkets and souvenirs, and other excess gear will be shipped home to lighten the load.
A trip to the parts store and bikes will be serviced, proper repairs need to be made to Rich's bike as a result of his wild ride in the mud. A run to Kinko's as well, to upload photos for me to post.

Heading Back South...

Friday 16 May 2008

2:00pm EDT the team saddled back up and began the trek back south toward Coldfoot Camp.
The road south from Deadhorse to Coldfoot Camp has dried out considerably, with only patches of mud and wet.
I suspect that they will stop only briefly in Coldfoot Camp to eat before heading back to Fairbanks.

Update: 8:45pm EDT
After what appears to have been a grueling ride from Deadhorse to Coldfoot Camp, they arrived to refuel and refresh themselves.

Update: 10:30pm EDT
As I thought they have had their fill of Coldfoot Camp and are on the move to Fairbanks again. The 300 mile ride, will put them back in Fairbanks where they will get the bikes serviced and also get them ahead of the storms that are pressing in from the north.

Update: 0400am EDT Saturday 17 May 2008
After a grueling 6 hour ride down the Dalton Hwy from Coldfood Camp, the riders have arrived safely in Fairbanks, ready for some much needed rest. (Satellite imagery indicates they are at the Fairbanks Super 8 Motel)

They Have Arrived!

I dont have an exact time from GPS tracking (They will have a sales receipt that will be time stamped and serve as the official time) but they have arrived in Prudhoe Bay, Deadhorse, Alaska. Successfully completing the Iron Butt Ultimate Coast to Coast Challenge.

Update: Their official time of arrival was 1700hrs local time in Deadhorse Alaska. Kurt contacted me at 2230hrs EDT and notified me they will be staying in Deadhorse for the night.

Congratulations Rich and Kurt.

One of the Deadhorse local women excited to see them! She is the feature act at the Prudhoe Bay Gentlemens Club....

Coldfoot to Deadhorse v2

With some repairs done on Rich's bike (nothing some duct tape and JB Weld cant fix), and a little more rest the intrepid riders are once again on the road to Deadhorse.
They left Coldfoot Camp at about 10:00am Alaskan local time on the 250 mile trek north up the treacherous Dalton Hwy.
Road conditions have improved some since yesterday, the road dried out with the help of some slack in the rain, a little wind, and some sunlight.
I will be closely monitoring their progress via GPS and expect to receive some visual reports from aircraft in the area. Many local small aircraft follow the Dalton Hwy. while using visual flight rules (VFR), and use it as a reference. A general request of the several pilots who fly bush planes along that route has been made, and I look forward to messaging sent from them should they spot Rich and Kurt.

Update: They are still pressing forward, based on tracking they are averaging about 30 mph.

Update: Current tracking shows they are 225 miles north of Coldfoot Camp go go go!

Coldfoot to Deadhorse

Coldfoot Camp Cafe



The team headed out earlier today but only made it about 5 miles when they encountered a muddy section of road. I will remind you that the Dalton Hwy is not a paved road, but a high speed gravel road.
Rich in the lead, the two approached the muddy area of road. Once Rich got into the muddy section he lost traction and stability in the rear for a brief moment, it quickly gained traction and tossed the bike and rider over and into the ditch, Kurt nearly had the same fate but made it thru.
Rich sustained minor injuries amounting to bumps and bruises. His bike sustained minor damage as well, damage to the windscreen, mirrors, and blinkers...nothing some duct tape, JB Weld, bailing wire, and super glue cant fix.

They rode back to Coldfoot Camp to re-group and wait another night to allow the roads to dry up some more, and do some repairs before leaving out again in the morning.

Stay tuned for updates

Here are some pictures of what they were dealing with. Nothing but mud.

A Birds Eye View

GPS Tracking Link

Heres a view based on 3900 miles above the earth, not exactly a birds eye view, unless its a space bird.
This is the trip from start to present, Key West to Coldfoot Camp Alaska thus far.




Note the GPS beacon flags marking the route.

Arrival In Coldfoot Camp Alaska

Satellite imagery shows that the guys have arrived safely in Coldfoot Camp, AK. Some decent temperatures seems to have allowed them to make very good time.

The next leg of their run into Deadhorse is approx 260 miles, on a route that will take them over the Atigun Pass. Atigun Pass Summit Milepost 245
driving conditions are fair Current temperature 30 °, Wind speed 35 MPH

Nice And Summer Like!



Current Weather Report At The Time Of This Posting

58.5 °F / 14.7 °C
Mostly Cloudy
Humidity: 26%
Dew Point: 24 °F / -5 °C
Wind: 4.0 mph / 6.4 km/h / 1.8 m/s from the South
Wind Gust: 5.0 mph / 8.0 km/h
Pressure: 29.41 in / 995.8 hPa (Rising)
Visibility: 15.0 miles / 24.1 kilometers
Clouds:
Few 6000 ft / 1828 m
Scattered Clouds 9000 ft / 2743 m
Mostly Cloudy 20000 ft / 6096 m
(Above Ground Level)

Communications Advisory

For all you friends and family watching this blog, Kurt and Rich have moved into what I call Dark Territory.

There is no cellular signal coverage until they arrive back in Fairbanks Alaska. Although I am certain they will call out on the landline when they reach Coldfoot Camp, I will make sure to post any updated information as it comes in to me.
If you need to get an urgent or emergent message to either of them email me direct at David Phillips, I monitor that 24/7 as it goes to my blackberry.

David

Alaska DOT camera (Updates every few minutes) in Sagwon, half way between Coldfoot and Deadhorse Click Here

Up The Dalton Highway

Real Time GPS Tracking

Northward to Prudhoe Bay they go, travelling the Dalton Highway.
James W. Dalton Highway, usually Dalton Highway (Alaska Route 11) is a 414-mile (666 km) road in Alaska. It begins at the Elliott Highway, north of Fairbanks, and ends at Deadhorse near the Arctic Ocean and the Prudhoe Bay oil fields. Once called the North Slope Haul Road (a name by which it is still sometimes known), it was built as a supply road to support the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System in 1974.
They will be stopping in Coldfoot Alaska, most likely for the evening. A bustling place Coldfoot is, with a population of 15.
Coldfoot is basically a truck stop on the Dalton Highway from Fairbanks to Prudhoe Bay. It has a restaurant, and a small number of overnight accommodations (converted pipeline construction camp quarters). Bus tours along the highway typically take two days, and passengers spend the night here. The BLM, USFWS, and NPS jointly staff a small visitor center during the summer. The Coldfoot truck stop was founded by Iditarod champion Dick Mackey who started his operation by selling hamburgers out of a converted school bus. Truckers helped build the existing truck stop and cafe.

The town was originally a mining camp named "Slate Creek", and around 1900 got its present name when prospectors going up the nearby Koyukuk River would get "cold feet" and turn around. In 1902 Coldfoot had two roadhouses, two stores, seven saloons, and a gambling house. A post office operated from 1902 to 1912, then reopened in 1984.

Current Conditions further north of Coldfoot
James Dalton Highway: from Milepost 356 to Deadhorse Milepost 414
Drifting snow and fog
Current temperature 21 °, Wind speed 15 MPH


Mile 256 on the Dalton Highway, north of the Continental Divide in the Brooks Range.



How far to Starbucks?

Fairbanks Alaska: The Golden Heart City

The dauntless riders, Kurt and Rich have finally arrived in Fairbanks AK. I'm sure they are looking forward to a warm shower, cold beer, and a steak.
They arrive to enjoy temperatures in the high 50s and low 60s (I'm sure the locals are in shorts and t-shirts) and clear skies. Sunrise is at 4:32am and sunset at 11:00pm.

Their arrival in Fairbanks places them 575 miles south of Prudhoe Bay, Deadhorse, AK.
The weather in Prudhoe Bay as of 00:08 is just lovely...

21°F
Feels Like
5°F
Blowing Snow
Visibility 2.5 miles

Statue Of Fairbanks First Settlers