Hopwood School Comes Through for The Ride to Alaska!

The Hopwood School of Lansdale, PA has come through to help the kids with Juvenile Arthritis by offering to donate the proceeds from a couple of fund-raising events at the School to the Ride.  The Hopwood School and Camp provides a unique experience for kids age 2 through kindergarten on a beautiful 8 acre facility in the Lansdale area.  With a wonderful,  dedicated staff; a “farm” type country setting and crisp, well-managed programs, you couldn’t ask for any thing better for your  child – I know, my daughter attends.   During the week of June 25th it looks like there will be about 175 “campers” participating in the two events: Treadathon and Penny Wars.  I have not been involved in these fundraisers in the past, so can’t offer too much detail. Here is what I know about the fundraisers so far.

I think that the Treadathon is pretty self-explanatory as the camp has two pools for the kids to use, but the Penny Wars may need a little explanation.The idea with Penny Wars is that the 2 camp groups, Middle ages 6-8 and Upper ages 9-12, collect change in their camp group container all week. Each penny in the container is a point but any silver or dollars count as a negative amount in the amount of the coin or dollar ( a dime is -10 points, a dollar is -100 points, etc.) What happens is each camp group puts the pennies in their container and the silver and dollars in the other camp group’s container. Usually the groups with the smaller negative amount wins. The prize is a special snack like ice cream sandwiches. Sounds a bit like the beginnings of a hedge fund, but all for a good cause.

About the time that the Penny Wars are getting started at Hopwood School, I will be leaving the comfort of my dorm room at University of Alaska Fairbanks and heading north for 500 miles of dirt roads to Prudhoe Bay.  If I can find an internet connection somewhere out there, I am going to try to connect via Skype or other means to show support for the activities back in Lansdale.  Might be a long shot though.  Between the 4 hour time difference and the nearly nonexistent internet connections in that part of the world, connecting will be tough. Before I leave in about 10 days, I hope to bring the bike to the school and talk to the kids about the ride and what I am trying to accomplish.  Maybe a bit of a challenge for a 3-yr old to digest, but the kids always love the bike.

In any case, a special thanks goes out to Heidi, Mary and all of those at the school who have offered to support the Ride to Alaska through these activities.  I am sure that if they could, each one of the over 300,000 kids in the US who have been impacted by the disease would offer their heartfelt thanks as well! Now, get those pennies ready; well,  better yet, make them dollars…

Packing for the ride… 2 weeks until departure

The time is here to shift from writing, planning and fundraising  to the ride and beginning the technical preparation.  All of the necessary gear for 34 days/14,000 miles on the road is here – next the packing.

Because I intend to camp as often as possible, with hotel stays only every 3rd or 4th night, a bit more gear is necessary to brave the elements.  Tent, sleeping bag, pad, cooking gear, food and similar equipment is necessary as well as a place to store all the stuff on the motorcycle.  To this load, add the myriad  of parts and tools that allow the rider to be self-sufficient in terms of  emergency repair and maintenance for the ride, and you have quite a bit to carry.  Maybe after the 3rd or 4th solo trip the list of gear would get a little smaller, but for my 1st solo ride, when in doubt I am bringing it along.

So, what does all the gear look like prior to loading?  Take a look below to see. This picture shows all of the stuff that I am taking with me, including the riding gear and helmet.  Think it will all fit?

Well, the picture below shows the bike with all of the gear loaded and ready to go.   This exercise is kind of critical to complete prior to the ride.  I was hoping to have the top box empty for the ride to use the space for food, quick storage access and the like, but I had to use it to get all of the gear on.  For those nights where a hotel  is available, I only have to grab the duffel and the rest of the gear stays in place.  For nights spent in the tent, a good bit of the gear needs to be unloaded and used.

I am sure there will be some last minute incidentals that I will add, but I should be in pretty good shape.  I am guessing that the bike and gear weigh a little over 650 lbs – but the bike handles well at this weight and has no trouble handling the highway – very comfortable.  The electronic suspension compensates well for the increased load.

For those interest in the details of the packing, I have included my packing checklist in pdf form HERE.

The next 2 weeks seem to be crammed with activities related to the ride, securing my consulting practice  while I am gone and of course, connecting with the family that I will be separate for about a month.  Will be harder than I originally thought…  As for blog posts, they might be a bit succinct over the next few weeks, until the ride starts.  Just not enough hours in the day.

Why Alaska? Sourtoe?

What is the attraction to Alaska?  What would motivate someone to hop on a motorcycle, spend 8-12 hours a day on it for 12 days to get to a  place, just to turn around and go back?  Is it the adventure, the scenery, the wildlife, the people (although it is only 1.264  folks per sq mile up there), the mosquitos?   What is it?

Well, I think it is a bit of all of the above; but surely, the people and the history of the place with all of its color, create a siren that is hard to resist.  As an example, while verifying a few reservations for the upcoming trip, I stumbled across an interesting tradition at the Downtown Hotel in Dawson City, Yukon Territory.  For those of you having trouble keeping up with my schedule and blathering

2010 D2D Riders – from ADV Riders

about the trip, Dawson is where the famous Summer Solstice Dust to Dawson gathering takes place – and yours truly plans to be there this year.  It looks like 150-200 riders will be converging on the “city” for a little fun and camaraderie before heading off on their respective adventures. Of course, there is much history associated with the Hotel and its current proprietor , but one of the more interesting traditions is the “Sourtoe Cocktail Club.”

The tradition involves having a “cocktail” at the Downtown Hotel, but with a bit of a twist…  The cocktail contains a severed appendage from some poor sucker, the sourtoe.  One must drink the cocktail, allowing the severed toe to touch your lips.  What does accomplishing this feat get you?  Absolutely nothing, except for bragging rights that you had been there, done that.  From the Sourtoe website:

“Established in 1973, the Sourtoe Cocktail has become a Dawson City tradition. The original rules were that the toe must be placed in a beer glass full of champagne, and that the toe must touch the drinker’s lips during the consumption of the alcohol before he or she can claim to be a true Sourtoer. The rules have changed in the past twenty-seven years. The Sourtoe can be had with any drink now (even ones that aren’t alcoholic), but one rule remains the same. The drinker’s lips must touch the toe. ” You can drink it fast, you can drink it slow– But the lips have gotta touch the toe.”

The Sourtoes are actual human toes that have been dehydrated and preserved in salt. Swallowing one is not suggested.”

Check out the details of the Sourtoe Tradition at the Downtown Hotel site.  I am sure to write a detailed post about the experience after I get there and receive my indoctrination to the club.  Should be about  June 21-22 or there about.  Hope I don’t swallow the damn thing…

Broke $4000!!!

Well, we are creeping up on the $25,000 goal.  We are now at about $4,100 in total contributions with about 3 weeks to go before departure.  Once the ride starts, I hope to see an increase in funding from all of the connections made along the way.  The current total does not include a couple of major corporate efforts that should be announced next week – well needed boost.  About 16.5 % of goal!

Reprint from the Alaska Journal (from Pottstown Mercury)

Here is the text from a recent article that was in the Pottstown Mercury and the Alaska Journal:

Pa. man motorcycling to Alaska for child illness

EILEEN FAUST,THE (POTTSTOWN) MERCURY

SCHWENKSVILLE, Pa. (AP) — Though the trip won’t be easy, Ted Danforth hopes his 12,000-mile, solo motorcycle ride to Alaska will make life a little easier for the 300,000 children in the U.S. diagnosed with juvenile arthritis.

Danforth, who is no stranger to adventure, is hoping to raise $25,000 for arthritis research while getting the chance to travel the country and see the state of Alaska for the first time. While his family has been affected by arthritis (“I’ve been sworn to secrecy as to who it is,” Danforth said in a recent interview), he said he is lucky no one he is related to has been afflicted with juvenile arthritis, commonly referred to as JA.

Juvenile arthritis is a blanket term referring to different chronic autoimmune and inflammatory illnesses afflicting children age 16 or younger, according to the Arthritis Foundation, which is handling the donations for Danforth’s ride (www.alaskaride.kintera.org).

Children with JA experience pain and inflammation in their joints, intestinal tract, skin, and even their eyes could be affected, according to the Arthritis Foundation. There is currently no known cause for most types of juvenile arthritis. Some children may experience symptoms for a few years or the rest of their life.

“I can’t help think about what it would be like to be a parent and see your child go through this — each day bringing new challenges to all of those activities that we take for granted,” said Danforth, a father of 25 years, in a press release.

If there is one thing Danforth doesn’t do is take life for granted. The former owner of Hidden River Outfitters operates HRO Adventures Inc. and previously kayaked the waters around Maine. He has also ridden on a motorcycle through Patagonia, but this upcoming ride, which will start on June 10, won’t be a “rich man’s trip,” like that one, said Danforth.

He’s expecting the solo ride to take him 21 days or more and he plans to cover between 800 and 1,000 miles a day for the first few days on his BMW dual-sport 1200 cc motorcycle.

“The first six or seven days, I’ll just be trying to get there” (to Alaska), he said. If he’s up to it, he’ll even ride all the way back. He plans to camp for most of the trip but may take advantage of several offers he’s received from other motorcycle riders, outdoorsmen and those who support his cause of raising money for arthritis research.

The most interesting accommodations offer he has received so far has been from a brothel museum, which was active in the Gold Rush days.

But he’ll be camping “about half the time. The disadvantage to camping is you have to pack and unpack,” which is time consuming and can be unpleasant if the weather turns ugly.

The problems Danforth expects to face on his trip will likely present themselves along desolate stretches of highway in the northernmost state as he rides 500 miles on a dirt road to Prudhoe Bay, his final destination. He’s done “everything I could do” to plan for contingencies such as mechanical problems with his bike and bad weather, even practicing changing the tires on his motorcycle.

The tires will only last 6,000 to 8,000 miles, so Danforth knows he will have to change them at least once on his trip, which is why he made sure to ship an extra set north in preparation. “The roads are so rough it’s not unusual to get a flat” in the north, he said.

“It’s not fun if it falls over,” Danforth said of dealing with the 650-pound motorcycle, especially since he may not see anyone for days on his trip.

“Though if there’s a problem, it’s not going to be the motorcycle, it’s going to be the rider,” he said jokingly.

Or a possible lack of gas. Once he reaches Alaska, it could be more than 200 miles between gas stations. Luckily he accounted for that since his bike, when full, can travel 350 miles.

But his biggest concern isn’t anything to do with his own abilities or the travel. “My biggest concern is kind of silly, but my biggest concern is Grizzly bears. I do not like bears,” he said.

Confidence and spirit boosts should be plenty on his journey, despite the obstacles, as he carries the signatures of arthritis stricken children on his bike. Danforth recently visited Camp Victory, a camp for children with chronic health problems in Millville, Pa., which offers a special camp for kids suffering from Juvenile Arthritis. Around 125 children signed his bike as a symbol of those Danforth aims to help with his fundraising ride, and those signatures will remind him that despite the troubles he may find himself in on the road, “they will be small compared to those faced every day by the 50 million adults and 300,000 kids affected by arthritis.”

Read more: http://www.alaskajournal.com/Alaska-Journal-of-Commerce/AJOC-April-29-2012/Pa-man-motorcycling-to-Alaska-for-child-illness/#ixzz1uyzWmLpH

3 Weeks to go!

After almost a year of planning, I am about 3 weeks from departure on this amazing adventure.  Things are getting incredibly busy with all of the last-minute details, trying to organize the professional and personal aspects of my life for a 30 day absence and responding to the inquiries that are now becoming a daily occurrence.

I have decided that I have done enough planning – probably enough for a trip twice as long and more complex.  Now it is time to let it flow, respond to the weather and opportunities and just enjoy the ride.  I kind of compare it to kayaking a big boat in the heavy surf and reaching a point where the wave has taken control;  you are simply riding along, relaxing and keeping the bow pointed in the right direction – enjoy the ride.  The more you try to control, the less you have…

Posts may be short and succinct from here on – limited time and have probably said it all – ad nauseam…  Still looking for about $150 to break $4000.  Have a fellow fund-raiser, Roger Hyde who has joined the Kintera  site to help out.  Roger, if you are out there, Thanks!  Drop me an e-mail.

Thanks to all who have contributed, supported and offered wishes for success!  Still hoping for a wave of funding before leaving, but we are on the other side and focused on the trip from here on.

At Hermy’s on Saturday, then off to AK in about 2 weeks!

Funding Approaches $4,000! $200 more!

As the departure date approaches, the donations appear to be increasing a bit.  We are still a long way from the $25,000 goal, but donations are coming in from all over the country including South Carolina, Michigan, Georgia and Alaska.  Slightly more than $200 in donations will get the total to $4,000, so, come on folks – get out those checkbooks and credit cards!  I still have hopes for a rush of donations during the ride with all of the radio, TV and other publicity.  My next fundraising event till be at Hermy’s BMW in Port Clinton, PA where we will have a table at the upcoming Spring Open House Saturday, May 19th, 9am-4pm. Stop in and say hello!

With about a month to go until take-off, my focus is going to be less toward fundraising and more the planning of the trip itself.  The route is pretty well set, but will be weather dependent.  I have formal commitments in Fargo and Bismarck, ND, Anchorage, Fairbanks and North Pole, AK; but, other than those, the schedule is pretty open.  I do have a few folks that I would like to see in Missoula, MT; Calgary, AB and Houston, BC; but those visits will depend on timing and ride progress.  Just hoping that folks won’t be offended if I don’t stop if timing just isn’t right or I am behind schedule.

Still have a bunch of minor unresolved issues including:

1. Riding Clothes – BMW vs. Aerostich Riding Suit? After my last 12 hr ride in heavy rain, my opinion of the Aerostich suit that I have come to rely on dropped down a few notches.  I got pretty wet and cold – although admittedly, I wasn’t well protected with the helmet shield up.  Haven’t tested the BMW Rallye Suit in heavy rain, but might be the way to go..
2. Electronics – Still need to work out some bugs in keeping all the electronic gear charged and functional.  More of an entertainment issue than technical, but hopefully the folks at Powerlet will help me out.  Need to keep the iPhone charged for music and communications!
3. Photo Gear – As I have mentioned in previous posts, capturing some of the scenery in high quality digital files is one of the 2ndary or tertiary goals of the ride (adventure, fundraising, photography).  I have been working with Owen Biddle of Lansdowne, PA over the last few months to hone the image capturing skills for this trip of a lifetime.  To do it right, lots of gear is needed and I need to be sure to have it accessible, yet  protected – two diametrically opposed objectives…  Once I get this all sorted – I’ll update the list of photo equipment in the “Gear” page of the blog.  If you are looking to develop some skills in this area, I strongly suggest contacting Owen for  some one-on-one time, no matter what your level.
   

   “Sally”

4. Loading the Bike –  I still haven’t optimized the loading of the bike, although whatever I come up with will probably change as the trip gets underway.  As usual, I am taking too much stuff and may well send much of it home from the road.  Between the camping gear and the emergency maintenance stuff, seems Sally (as my daughter has named the bike) is pretty well to capacity…
5. Helmet/Hearing Protection/Entertainment – This is not a major issue, but I still have not finalized the “system” for all of these issues.  Good hearing protection is critical for safety and comfort, but sort of eliminates the ability to have music in the helmet durring the ride.  Have tried a number of different systems, none seem to address all of the concerns.  I originally thought that the Schuberth helmet was the way to go, but, as mentioned in previous posts, not too thrilled with its performance on the last few rides.
6. Phone cards, bear spray/bangers, cash, SOPT GPS site, GPS routes, maps, etc… are all issues that may or may not get resolved before the ride, but can be handled on the way – when needed.
7. Work – My small environmental engineering company, TSD Environomics, Inc. allows me lots of freedom to pursue things like this ride.  However, the basis of this freedom is the understanding of most of my clients who are more or less involved in the ride and support it.  Technology allows me to coordinate from the road and short of a  few face-to-face visits, most work will continue without interruption.

ABOUT 30 DAYS TO GO!

North Dakota Welcome! Bearofobia?

Tom Trenbeath

As a result of the recent article in the BMW Motorcycle Owners Magazine, a fellow rider, Mr. Tom Trenbeath of Bismarck, ND dropped me an e-mail about getting a group together (The Retreads Motorcycle Club) in North Dakota to join me on my trip through the state. Of course, I was delighted and what started as a small group ride looks like it might turn into a radio/TV spot and even a few donations for the cause.  Tom and I have been in contact with the Arthritis Foundation’s North Dakota office and we are coordinating the event in Bismarck.  Tom was even good enough to invite me to stay at his place, clearly not knowing how much of a mess I make with gear, clothes, electronics and the weird hours I keep (updating blogs and such).  I had to decline the invitation,  knowing I would likely test Tom’s patience and good nature with my antics.

I hope to be landing in Fargo, ND on June 12 (weather permitting) and then on to Bismarck that afternoon/evening.  I’ll be staying over in Bismarck that night (at a hotel – your sanity is safe Tom) then joining up with a group or riders to head for the border early Wednesday morning.  Looks like we will have all kinds of bikes and folks from all backgrounds – all pulling for the Juvenile Arthritis cause.  Tom’s idea is to charge $10 per bike to ride along – of course you get a Ride to Alaska sticker.  Man, I sure hope I don’t fall over or something else embarrassing…  Kelly from the Arthritis Foundation is working on the radio coverage and other promotional stuff.  Have to hand it to Kelly – like most folks working in the non-profit sector, over-worked and under-paid, but always happy to help.  More on this as details develop.

Nice Article in the Pottstown Mercury (Fear of Bears?)

The web version of the Pottstown Mercury posted a nice article on the ride today and we got lots of interest.  HERE is a link to the article.  Was fun doing the interview and Eileen Faust showed a little spunk when she jumped on the back of the bike to shoot some video from the riders perspective.  Great support!  Thanks Eileen!  This post  in the Mercury site prompted the most traffic through this blog since its start.  Well over 100 hits today!

Riders Workshop

As a long-time, yet relatively low time rider, I have always been envious of the guys who seem to have the ability to sweep through turns and twisty highways with grace and subsequent speed.  I follow these guys like an old lady on a moped, slow and unsteady.  Was never quite sure how they accomplished this smoothness, so I signed-up for Jim Ford’s Rider’s Workshop a few weeks ago – determined to find out.

Five riders at varying skill levels met up at the Super 8 Motel in Thurmont, MD last week-end to begin the course.  I have to admit that I was probably one of the least skilled and most cautious.  I just didn’t relish a 650 lb motorcycle sliding on its side at 50 mph with me between it and a guardrail. Weather was cool and dry – but changed to cold and rainy by the end of the course.

True to his website propaganda, Jim took us through the paces on some very twisty and curvy roads of MD, VA and WV, totaling about 270 miles the 1st day.  Seasoned with a little of Jim’s armchair philosophy on Zen and the Art of Riding Smooth (and life in general), the rider’s stew covered issues such as:

• Posture and relaxation
• Appropriate engine rpm for optimum speed
• shifting, shifting, shifting – the right gear for the curve
• entering the proper track for the curve
• Situational Awareness – being ready for anything

After a stay in the Natural Bridge Hotel, the 2nd day was more of the same with a bit more emphasis on partitioning up the lanes, precision steering through the corners and putting it all together.  The day was cold (mid 40s) and raining.  Word had it that we were feeling the impact of a nor’easter somewhere off the east coast and everyone was a bit cold and wet inspite of the thousands of dollars in riding gear.  By early afternoon,  we took a well-earned break and warmed up with a little Turkish coffee complements of my new best friend Avner (actually everybody’s best friend while coffee was brewing), and a few Turkish delights to fill the void left by breakfast 4-5 hours earlier.  This really hit the spot and bolstered everyone’s spirits a bit.

In hope of avoiding boring those without an interest in technical riding, I won’t get into the details of the riding and instruction.  If you have an interest, I would strongly suggest that you check out Jim’s website – reached by clicking the logo:

The bottom line: A very  informative and well run course for riders at all levels.  I learned a lot about technique, my bike, safety and putting it all together.  All this said, the skill needs practice to master and that is what I intend to do.  However, I am a pragmatic rider, one who typically rides with a place to go, seldom riding for the sake of riding or practice.  In order to acquire the smoothness demonstrated by Jim and others in the course, lots of time is required.  This is not to say that the principles can not be applied to every turn you take – whether running to the corner store or riding to Alaska – precision riding is safer, faster and dramatically more fun…

After a quick lunch at about 3pm near Harrisonburg, VA,  we all headed our separate ways: some for home relatively nearby, some for hotels and me for my 4 hour slog back to Schwenksville.  The 4 hour drive turned into 6 and I got home at about 10pm in the driving wind and rain.  A very difficult ride, not due to weather, but  to the “fog proof” pin lock system of my Schuberth Helmet.  The visor fogged up in the 1st 50 miles and stayed almost opaque the rest of the ride home.  Half of the ride was done at highway speeds with the face shield up – not a pleasant experience…    From Schuberth’s website:  ”Guaranteed condensation-free thanks to its double glazing technology”  - Phooey!  Guess I had better test the guarantee policy of Schuberth with an e-mail or phone call.

Ala in all great week-end.  Improved skills and knowledge and one more chapter in the book of experience sure to be tested on the Ride to Alaska coming up in about 40 days!

New (and hopefully final) Schedule

With the recent additions to the agenda for the Ride to Alaska, I have modified the proposed schedule a bit.  Activities that have been added to the list include:

• Stop in Fargo and/or Bismarck, ND to promote the ride and garner support for Juvenile Arthritis
• Participation in the July 4th Parade in North Pole, AK prior to the Jingle Bell Run on July 7
• Participation in the Jingle Bell Run (5K) on July 7 (then heading home)

As noted in a previous post, the Jingle Bell event adds a week to the trip and sort of stretches the whole thing out to a more comfortable pace.  On the other hand, I am sure I will be yearning to get home to the family.  As my wife pointed out, when I undertake these crazy excursions, I am usually ready to head home within a week or 10 days of leaving – gonna be tough to make it almost 30 days…  I have advised all involved at the Arthritis Foundation of this trait of mine and all have been very understanding of potential changes in the schedule to accommodate it.

So, here is the revised schedule for the ride.  It is pretty set for now, only to be influenced by the weather, mechanical problems or the like.  Although the schedule looks pretty easy, distances are deceiving as on many of the roads in the Yukon and Alaska, 30-35 mph is a good estimate of speed due to conditions and traffic.  The total mileage is about the same, but is sure to go up.