Distance: 76.3 milesAvg speed: 13.7 mphMax speed: 27.0 mphAscent: 1950 ftSaddle time: 05:35 I awoke multiple times throughout the night due to the periodic rains that were forecasted to come through the area. They weren’t super heavy but loud enough when hitting the rain fly to make me stir. I had the alarm set for sunrise (6:30AM) with the intention… Read more

Distance: 76.9 milesAvg speed: 15.1 mphMax speed: 26.6 mphAscent: 1467 ftSaddle time: 05:06 I awoke to the 6:30AM phone alarm and realized that I finally got a pretty good night’s rest! Stomach sleep at its best! It was barely light outside so I started packing up what I could see and that was my sleeping bag and air mattress. It… Read more

Distance: 76.3 milesAvg speed: 13.2 mphMax speed: 29.8 mphAscent: 2186 ftSaddle time: 05:47 Today was filled with many challenges both mechanical and mental. I was too pooped to write last night so I intend to revisit this and the other posts later. However, I figured it was nice to at least provide some photos with captions for now! I tossed… Read more

Distance: 34.2 milesAvg speed: 13.2 mphMax speed: 32.0 mphAscent: 1973 ftSaddle time: 02:35 I woke up to a cloudy but dry morning! Will be nice packing up a dry tent for once! I told Rick I’d meet him for coffee and breakfast around 8:30AM. So, I quickly packed up and headed to the common area. I was making my usual… Read more

Distance: 11.4 milesAvg speed: 13.0 mphMax speed: 29.1 mphAscent: 413 ftSaddle time: 00:53 I awoke around 7AM to the sound of rain hitting the fly. It’s an all to familiar sound here at Denali. It should clear up as the sun rises and heats up the air. So, I went back asleep til around 8:30. While gloomy it sounded like… Read more

Distance: 52.4 milesAvg speed: 8.3 mphMax speed: 26.9 mphAscent: 4844 ftSaddle time: 06:17 Beautiful Sunny Morning I had set my alarm for 6:00AM so that I could get an early start on the day. Unfortunately, I tossed and turned all night likely due to nerves about tomorrow’s ride. So, at 5:00AM I reset my alarm for 6:30AM in hopes I… Read more

I awoke to camper chatter and Parks crew clearing brush along the paths. It was 8:30AM and figured it was time to start the day. It seemed much warmer here than at igloo so changing into my camp clothes was much less painful. I headed to the food pantry to get my tooth brush and… Read more

Distance: 52.6 milesAvg speed: 7.0 mphMax speed: 23.2 mphAscent: 4043 ftSaddle time: 07:32 Cold Drizzly Morning It drizzled of and on throughout the night and finally let up around 7:00Am. It was extremely cold and I just wanted to stay in my bag but I knew better. I tore down camp and made my way to the common area to… Read more

Distance: 35.2 milesAvg speed: 8.4 mphMax speed: 24.7 mphAscent: 3020 ftSaddle time: 04:10 Thought I’d stay off with how my day ended. Despite the rain I still managed to to light one more campfire and use up my remaining wood. The warmth from the burning logs took the chill out of my bones and I nervously feel not fully knowing… Read more

Well, I am happy to report that the knit hat kept my head nice and toasty all night long! I was snug as a bug in a rug! I still tossed and turned a bit but at least my head stayed warm! Yay! Again, there was a light drizzle so decided to sit tight and… Read more

Hiking: 8.75 miles over 3hrs and 30mn I awoke to the titter tatter of rains drops hitting my rain fly. I peeled back my eye mask so I could take a peek through the tent portal. It looked gloomy and there was a definite chill in the air. It was around 8:30AM so I decided… Read more

Distance: 69.2 milesAvg speed: 13.6 mphMax speed: 30.9 mphAscent: 2328 ftSaddle time: 05:05 I awoke around 7:30 to what felt like a the middle of a Chicago winter. The forecast was for the upper 30s and I’d say they nailed it. I grabbed my clothes for the day and stuffed them in my sleeping bag so that my body heat… Read more

Distance: 56.0 milesAvg speed: 12.2 mphMax speed: 31.2 mphAscent: 3225 ftSaddle time: 04:34 I woke up before my 7:15 alarm. I felt anxious and nervous about this day 1 of riding. It’s been 4 years since I’ve done this so I had some doubt in my brain. I hit the gym 3+ times a week, play ice hockey on two… Read more

I woke up refreshed and ready to hit REI for some supplies. I needed to pick up stove fuel, bear spray and chain oil (expecting lots of rain). However, I noticed the night before that I underestimated the temperatures up here. I thought I would be able to layer a technical long sleeve tee, my… Read more

I went to bed late last night (3AM) packing up so I had that dazed and confused feeling when the alarm shook my brain at 6AM. Fortunately, I loaded the Xterra up (at 3AM) cause I knew it would be a bad idea to wait 3 hours when the alarm would go off. Good call!… Read more

‘North to the Future’ is the nickname given to Alaska in 1967 by Richard Peter. It is meant to signify Alaska as a land of promise. With a country so divided it is difficult sometimes for me to see the promising future depicted in that motto. Racism is rampant.  Global warming is accelerating faster than… Read more