Hey KC_Sporty_Gal,

I see from your signature that you are planning a trip to the Arctic Circle. I hope you are not going alone. Have you done any research into the weather and required survival gear for the time of year that you will be travelling? I got close to the Arctic Circle once when I was in Alaska in December. We were there for business, but on the weekend, the Lieutenant I was travelling with decided it would be cool to go to the Arctic Circle so we could say we had been there. Along the way, we stopped at a pipeline pumping station on the off chance that we could see around. The security guard told us that there was no way unless we had cleared it in advance, and while talking with him, he asked what kind of survival gear we had. When we told him "none", he told us we were 200 miles north of where we should be without survival gear, food and water and that storms could and did develop rather quickly. I just wanted to bring that to your attention just in case you hadn't thought of that.

Enjoy the trip, it is beautiful up there.

bump bump...

Good advice ss,

Things have become too easy for us to get in over our heads and forget
how to be ready for any danger we might venture into.
The ol' pioneer spirit calls us to adventure but our 21st century mindset
overlooks the obvious challenge of nature's hazards.
I relish in challenge and danger but I prepare for the event and at all
times expect the unexpected events that may occur.

That guy from the computer magazine awhile back found out the hard way.

Prepare and be careful KC.

:tour

Erica is going with about 9 other folks.
They are well prepared for this trip.

It would be great if she had a cell phone with GPS and texted us along the way on her progress.....

I'd love to read a traveling log of the journey. <-----Hint, hint, hint ;)

Things have become too easy for us to get in over our heads and forget how to be ready for any danger we might venture into.

:tour
Amen to that! I can't tell you how many unprepared a$$holes we rescue at sea every summer because they have undertaken a 100-mile trip over open water with no supplies AT ALL believing that, since they own a battery-powered GPS, they are never likely to encounter trouble. No spare batteries, no second or third back-up unit, no VHF radio (always believing the cell phone will work 50 miles at sea... Duh! Seen a tower recently?!), no survival gear (including no spare WATER).

Sorry. Per peeve.

:doh

Erica is going with about 9 other folks.
They are well prepared for this trip.

Decman are you going on this trip? I see Erica's website has a "Decman" going?

I think she is well prepaired. I'm gonna be checking it ofter to see the progress. Jealous much???? I am!

Link to the trip site (http://www.xlrator.com/alaska/)

Decman was going until he had to bow out and has been very helpful in our planning. There is more information about my trip at http://www.xlrator.com/alaska

I will have cell service for sure in Anchorage and if one of you wants to be a designated poster I will be happy to call with an update. Plus I can call anytime I happen to have a signal on the phone. We will have a satellite phone but that will be for emergencies.

It would be great if she had a cell phone with GPS and texted us along the way on her progress.....

I'd love to read a traveling log of the journey. <-----Hint, hint, hint ;)

Yes as Red said I was planning to go but a few things happened lately
that I had to drop out. Bummer...:frownone

It will be a great trip for them, I will be with them in spirit.

Been to Alaska once but not on a bike.

Decman are you going on this trip? I see Erica's website has a "Decman" going?

Is WilliG going to make the trip ?? That would be an excellent adventure !!

Is WilliG going to make the trip ?? That would be an excellent adventure !!

Has anybody heard from the little guy lately?

I'll be one of KC Sporty Gas's riding partner's on this trip. I think we'll be plenty prepared. I'm pretty sure I'll have my computer with me, but probably won't have an internet connection except in the big cites. So posting will likely be spotty.

And hopefully WilleG can make it for the trip.

We drove to Prudehoe bay in 2004 in our truck. We didn't know you had to make arrangements in advance to actually get to the Arctic ocean so we ended up a few miles short. The road from Fairbanks to Prudehoe bay is a pretty good gravel road, but its just that, gravel. Lots of washboard and loose stuff, but it is very wide and well maintained for a gravel road in that part of the world. Flat tires are epidemic so take plenty of emergency supplies. We had a flat, and luckily had the tire fixed at Cold Foot, because a hundred miles later we had another. Its remote right out of Fairbanks, but the good animal viewing doesn't begin until you cross the Brooks range. Watch the work trucks as they pass you, they drive like a bat out of hell and sling gravel all over the place. We pulled over to the far right and stopped when they approached to save our windshield. The gravel did a job on my paint and I wouldn't drive my personal vehicle up there again. There are agencies that rent cars specifically for the trip. They come with two spares.