Fatbiking With A Vagabond

I had the pleasure of going fatbiking with Glenn Charles for the day on the Stampede Trail, north of Denali National Park, Alaska.
Glenn rode his fatbike up from Anchorage and was literally stopped cold in his tracks by a 40 below cold snap when he got to Denali.
Before returning south, I drove down to spend a beautiful day fatbiking with a man who truly is living an incredible life outdoors.
Enjoy the photos.

Nat Geo Alaska-Yukon Expedition Video

National Geographic created a YouTube video of Andrew Skurka's presentation of his Alaska-Yukon Expedition at the National Geographic Society. Great presentation that provides a lot insight into this trip and one of its scale.

Skurka Stories and Photos & Final Denali Biking Video

You've got to check these out...
'Triple A': All Across the Gates
Guest Blog at Hiking in Finland
We were a Party Train on an Errand

And, the anticipated final cut of JR's Denali Park Road Biking Video is here!

Denali Spring Biking Trailer

A short trailer of the up & coming full-length mini-feature film of our annual spring bike ride on the Denali Park Road. This year on fat tires.
Filming by myself and J.R.
Video editing by J.R.

Long Overdue: Jan-Oct 2010

Too many photos to post here, so I put them on an online gallery.

Click here to see photos from adventures I've had so far in 2010.
It's been a fun time, as you'll see.

Packrafting Sampler

Here's just a sampler of what I've been up to lately. More to come, both bigger and faster.
Watch it below or on YouTube.

I've got the June bug

It's a good time to be in Alaska.

Since Memorial Day, I have been busy:
- biked over half the Denali Hwy & drove the rest
- driven the entire Dalton Hwy, past the Arctic Circle, through the Brooks Range & over Atigun Pass, the highest pass in Alaska, and across the entire North Slope/Coastal Plain
- packrafted a small creek in the Arctic
- taken the bus in Denali National Park to Eielson Visitor's Center, seen Mount McKinley on a clear day, saw a lynx, two wolves, over a dozen grizzlies, caribou, & moose, hiked on the Savage & Teklanika Rivers
- went up a still-frozen creek and did some small scale ice climbing, rappelling, and frozen waterfall exploring
- hiked the 27.5 mile Pinnell Mountain Trail in just over 15 hours
- identified nearly one hundred blooming wildflowers
- seen multiple new species of birds (on my life list)
- watched the sun set for less than an hour
- popped one blister on my big toe :)
- was in the office for 1 day out of 13
- scored 10 straight days off work in July
- and, most importantly, taken some awesome photos, which I'll get around to posting soon.

Early morning hiking on the Pinnell Mountain Trail

Early Season Pedaling in Denali

This whole biking thing has really taken over my life and mind, lately.  Constant modifications and additions to my bike, commuting to work, joyrides, and lots of hours spent working on it... it is consuming, yet a great thing at the same time because it gets me out and keeps me active.

Alaska Explorer and I went to Denali National Park and rode part of the Park Road on Easter.  Started at the Teklanika River Gate and went until the snow got too mushy on the way up Sable Pass.  Good first time in the park for me and first real ride of the season for Alaska Explorer.  Might have to return when the road crews get farther down the road...

I'm definitely on the way to figuring out how to most effectively carry the gear I need on my bike. Even since the WM100 trip, it's changed quite a bit, outside of my awesome frame bag.  I still hate backpacks when biking, not for the weight issue, but for ventilation. I hate getting a nasty, sweaty back when the rest of me is cold. The Dogwood Designs poagies keep my hands warm and are fantastic below 35º.

Plenty of trips for the summer were eyed up, as well.

...and some from Alaska Explorer:

Our matching frame bags made by Apocalypse Design in Fairbanks.