June 8 & 9 to Alaska

The trip to Alaska started about 7:30 am on June 8. It was a cool day with temperatures in the low 60's to upper 50's. At least it didn't rain. I went north on 75 hwy to Nebraska 2 then to I-29 which I took to I-90 in South Dakota. i do not like riding the super slab but wanted to be in Pierre, SD by about 5:30 which I was. I have a good friend that is the Director of Vehicles for South Dakota. Deb Hillmer and her husband Rex invited me to spend my first night on the road with them.

From Alaska day 1 & 2

Me & Deb

From Alaska day 1 & 2

Capitol of South Dakota just up the hill from Deb's.

From Alaska day 1 & 2

In 2003 I also went to Alaska and was attending a motor vehicle meeting in Rapid City that Deb was hosting and left from there to Alaska. I thought it was fitting to start my trip in South Dakota again. I was only off the bike about 2 minutes when Deb handed me a cold Bud Light. What a gal! We each drank a couple and she drove us east of Pierre to a great steakhouse where we had a couple of Buds and a great steak. About 40 Christian motorcycle riders also came to the steakhouse after we arrived. After we finished eating she drove to the Oahe Dam that is on the Missouri river.

From Alaska day 1 & 2

This dam backs up water about 250 miles and is about 200 feet deep at the dam.

From Alaska day 1 & 2

From Alaska day 1 & 2

There is a power generating station below the dam. Of course I didn’t have my camera. I stopped to take a picture in South Dakota and found out when I charged the battery the night before I left it in the charger and it was packed away. I did go out the next morning and take some pictures of the dam.

I woke up Tuesday morning to a light rain and 50 degrees, not the ideal start to a day. By the time I got everything packed up around 8 am it was no longer raining much. So I took off heading west on 14 -34 highway towards Sturgis.

From Alaska day 1 & 2

From Alaska day 1 & 2

This is a very desolate stretch of road. I ran across construction and the pavement ends. This will be practice for Alaska. I had to follow other cars and trucks behind a pilot car and one place it was very rutted and of course it had been raining so it was slick. I thought I might go down but made it through okay.

From Alaska day 1 & 2

From Alaska day 1 & 2

From Alaska day 1 & 2

From Alaska day 1 & 2

From Alaska day 1 & 2

I rode off and on in the rain and going over the mountains in Wyoming it got down to the low 40’s and there was lots of snow up there. From Sturgis I took I-90 to Buffalo, WY then took two lanes and I am staying at Greybull, WY tonight in a motel. Had to get warmed up.