WM100: Arctic Endurance

WM100: Arctic Endurance from Jeremiah Lafleur on Vimeo.

J.R. Lafleur's documentary on the White Mountains 100 Bike/Foot/Ski race in Interior Alaska, an event that both of us, and many other people in and around Fairbanks, Alaska, hold very near & dear to our hearts.

J.R. grew up in Fairbanks and is a long-time bike racer and my fellow co-owner of Far North Fatbikes, and I have done the course three times - once solo & self-supported, once racing the WM100 on my fatbike, and another time on fatbikes with my good friend, Brett Parks. I also volunteered for the race it's inaugural year, in 2010, so I have been involved with it, in some fashion, all three years of it's existence.

The White Mountains 100 is unarguably the best organized race in the state of Alaska, as you can probably well see from the video.

J.R. & I filmed the 2012 race using his Sony XA-10 video camera & Nikon D3100, via snowmachine.
I'm very happy with the results and his ability to put it all together in such a captivating story.

Check out his other work on his Vimeo page and follow my progress this March as I race on my fatbike.

I'm In... Again

Well, I got in. This time, a little more than 23 hours before the start of the race, like in 2011.

The White Mountains 100 is a bike/foot/ski race held in Interior Alaska in winter... well, late March, when the hospitable temperatures and sunlight have returned to the northern hemisphere, more or less to stay 'til fall.

I've done the route three times on my fatbike and twice on snowmachine.

2010 - Volunteered for the race, patrolling the course on snowmachine, looking for racers in need of assistance. The next week, having just purchased a new 29er with Snow Cat wheels, I went out and rode the course solo in 29 hrs.

2011 - 23 hrs before the race start, I got in, as someone had dropped out. I hadn't ridden 100 miles total, all winter, before the race. I finished 23rd, in 16 hrs 15 min, on my single-speed Pugsley.

2012 - Brett Parks & I rode the 100 mile route in two days as an overnight camping trip. Bitter cold and horrifically dry, abrasive snow. JR & I then filmed the race via a snowmachine and he made a documentary, which airs this winter at a film festival.

2013 - The first year in which I can actually train before doing the route/race. I'm happy to be in again. AND, I have gears now!

I'm excited. Now, I have a legit reason to ride bikes as much as possible. I needed a goal like this to get in tip-top shape.
Hopefully, you won't have to look far down the list to see my name in March.

The Return of the Prince: A Fatbike Crusade

The Crown Jester Jeremigha Lafleur, XVII of the North Hood & I, Sir Lord King Josh Spice, VIII of the Banks of Fairshire, went on a crusade to Anchorshireham, reuniting with Sir Lord Prince Jackson Attackus Gadamus, III of West Nomeingham, our fellow fat rider who has been living in his far off lands of western Alaska for the past year.
Us lads enjoyed our stay in Anchorshireham's finest quarters, owned by Captain Cook, himself, and reveled in our time with the Prince of West Nomeingham, brother to us crusading fatbikers of Fairshire & the North Hood. With fast trails & trusty, fat steeds, we traveled the coastal lands in search of glorious sunshine and its life-giving rays of joy.

We hope you enjoy the telling of our journey and share memories of reuniting with your own friends in far away places.


A tale from the voyages of Sir Lord Prince Jackson Attackus Gadamus III from Jeremiah Lafleur on Vimeo.

I should do a post in February

Well, I didn't die. The month-and-a-half long cold snap down to -57F at my cabin didn't kill me because I barely did anything outside the whole time. It almost killed me, though... mentally. I got 50 below in Fairbanks for my birthday and even colder where I live. Thanks, Mother Nature. I really appreciated it. Yeah.
Since it warmed up, I've battled to regain the desire to go outside and experience this thing they call 'fun.' I almost forgot what it was.

Skiing seemed like a reasonable idea during the cold snap and a few friends finally convinced me to go outside. It was worth it.

Then the outdoors editor for the local paper called me and asked some questions about fatbikes. I was featured in the story.

I put out Far North Fatbikes' third edition of our newsletter, The Fat & Happy.

Then, I got to head out into the great white world of Yukon-Charley Rivers National Preserve to co-manage the hospitality stop (photos) at Slaven's Roadhouse for the Yukon Quest International Sled Dog Race. The aurora gave me a nice goodbye the night before I left and then welcomed me the night I arrived at the historic roadhouse.

When I got back, my buddy Brett & I headed out into the White Mountains with our fatbikes and did the 100 mile loop in two days. It was a coarse reminder of how far 100 miles is and how out of shape we were from the cold snap.
The only thing I have to say, don't wear a backpack while biking. It kills ventilation.

My buddy, Jack, came into Anchorage from Nome, so J.R. & I went down to see him and ride fatbikes.
J.R. put together a video of the trip.

Our bud, Colby designed a sweet new logo for Far North Fatbikes.

I'm working on a trip report of the White Mountains biking trip, but decided I should probably do a post in February.
More to come soon, after I catch up on sleep and do a short bike trip this weekend... just a 40 mile day ride, no big deal :)

The Annual Chapter of Learning

2011 was personally not the most epic year of my life, but it stood out as one of the greatest years I can remember. 
Below is a list all the reasons why, but, truly, they are all the same reason it was such an absolutely amazing year for me:
I learned SO much!

January:
-After running a 29er on Snowcats for over a year, I listened to the choir and built a fatbike... and never looked back.
-I figured out how to stay warm enough, yet keep from sweating, while biking & bike-joring at 30 & 40 below.
-As it turns out, biking means happiness. This, I can verify.
-Finally got my Boundary Fur Sewing beaver & wolverine ruff put on my down parka.

February:
-Religiously following the mushers on the Yukon Quest actually taught me a lot of things about dog mushing.
-I purchased a sewing machine and then DID NOT learn how to use it. What I did learn is how intricate and temperamental they are.
-Learning to lead ice climbing made me a better climber.
-I made a proposition to rename the majority of the contiguous 48 states: Illohiowa, Nebransas, Calegon, Utada, New Mezona, Missiana, Washaho, Florgeama, Massicutt, Rhodaware, Caroginia, Tennestucky, Wisconigan, Minnekota, Wyotana, Texlahoma, and Maineshire. I would also like to add that Alaska should assume all western Canada's territories and provinces west of and including Sasquatch-chew-on. Why would anyone want None-of-it, a Labrador, OKbeck, and New-found-land, anyway?!?!
-Most importantly, I took a little girl down the road for a dogsled ride and was reminded of how wonderful it is to make a child smile.

March:
-Brett and I attempted to summit Mt McKinley in winter, but were forced to turn around due to hip-deep sugar snow (with snowshoes on). Oh yeah, and it was -35, we only had three days of food, and were burning through the white gas faster than planned. Fortunately, I learned a lot about clothing and winter gear.
-In 2010, I volunteered on the inaugural White Mountains 100 bike/ski/foot race and then biked the 100 mile course the following weekend, solo & unsupported. This year, I, for some reason, thought it was a good idea to sign up for the race and then waited to the bitter end to find out if I got in. I finished respectfully, having an awesome time riding the course with everyone.

April:
-For the first time publicly, I showed some of the photographs I've taken in the past five years.
-Not staying in touch with friends in the Lower 48 brought me back to Facebook after a long hiatus after joining in 2005.
-After buying an electric bass guitar, I taught myself how to play.
-Tough times reminded me to look back on good ones... real good ones.
-J.R. and I found out how cool biking the Denali Park Road over Easter is.

May:
-Apparently, drinking 37 different kinds of beer in 21 days is the only way I can gain weight.
-When I went to Wisconsin to see my parents for three weeks, I wrote this on Facebook: 'I left Alaska and there was an 800 acre wildfire within two miles of my cabin. I went to the great state of Missouri Misery and the deadliest tornado in America since 1953 hit right after I left. I traveled to Minnesota and then Minneapolis was hit by a tornado. I drove through La Crosse, Wisconsin and a tornado hit the next day. We just had tornado warnings and severe thunderstorms in Northeast Wisconsin. Maybe I should go back home to my cabin in Alaska... I'm glad I've missed it all.'
-If you let ice cream melt a little, it doesn't look like you ate so much.

June:
-My 'extended seasonal' position as a Park Ranger ended and I applied to get my job back. Fortunately, I did. I found out how lucky I am to have the job I do.
-Ken and I learned the real story of Chris McCandless by talking with many Healy locals and visiting the bus with open eyes and minds.
-After severely 'dislocating' my left knee for the 6th time in just over three years, the doctor told me I had, again, torn my MCL. Great news. After a few weeks of rest, I was pretty much back up and running again (literally).
-The Middle Fork of the Koyukuk was checked off my very long Alaskan Rivers To Float list. When my car's poorly-installed-by-the-original-owner security system was tripped and shut the car down, I learned that as complete of planning as I had done for the trip, there's always something unexpected that can happen.
-Firestarter has always interested me and I found out how to make my own.
-I woke up one morning to a huge hornet stinging me on the eyebrow. Good morning!
-Stoves had me wondering, so I did some math and figured what was efficient and light.

July:
-Creek crossing on a fatbike is a lot like managing eddy lines in a canoe.
-Research shows black bears are the most dangerous of all.
-No matter how bad things may be, I learned to always enjoy the view and take in what's good.
-Alaska Explorer & I started a fatbike rental business.
-Fatbikes are pretty awesome for exploring in summer, too, as I learned in the beauty of the season.
-Ken and I went backpacking in the Eastern Brooks Range and learned to never go up scree slopes. Being rim-rocked is not cool.
-While at work as a Park Ranger for the National Park Service, I wrote up a few documents and guides relating to backcountry travel in Alaska: Adventure Planning Guide, Backcountry Trip Plan, & Backcountry River Crossing. All can be viewed here, along with other great stuff.

August:
-I learned how to be an adventure photographer when Ed Plumb, Ann Farris, and I hiked and packrafted 94 miles through the Alaska Range in three days. It was an adventure I had been planning for over two years. Over two 5,000 foot passes in driving rain, snow line moving down the hillsides overnight, 6 mph glacial current, and running two Class III holes without a PFD and in a packraft with no spray deck. Awesome Alaskan weekend with good friends and my DSLR in hand at all times.
-In contrast to our March adventure, my buddy Brett and I learned that some places are best visited under the cover of snow after hiking 60 miles of tussocks, brush, and unstable boulders. We also drank the best water of our lives, which was rivaled by the meltwater I drank the following month on the Matanuska Glacier.
-I learned how to build and maintain bikes after figuring out I never use trekking poles.
-My 'Learning Experience' video was a big hit on Roman Dial's website and on YouTube.
-I found a crazy link about sailing stones - rocks that move on their own!

September:
-In a 5 1/2 month span, this blog had 7,500 page views. I was thrilled at reaching so many. I hope they all learned something, too.
-The fatbike business kicked off when a few of us went fatbiking in Wrangell-St Elias National Park for a long weekend.
-I designed a website for Amanda's Boundary Fur Sewing business which specializes in fur products for extreme cold weather adventures.
-Andrew Skurka stopped in Fairbanks and gave his Alaska-Yukon Expedition presentation.
-With the Coal Wood Glitter video and write-up, I took third place in DaveC's trip report contest and won a sweet backpack.
-Someone downstates asked me about fatbikes and possibly building one. I shared my thoughts.
-With a few things learned and some thoughts still lingering, I revisited the stove debate.
-For the second year in a row, my dad walked out into the woods, shot a buck with his bow while hunting on the ground, and dragged it out by himself. Something to be proud of even without his much disabled leg. I'm proud of him.
-I watched the Alaskan version of Dancing With The Stars while laying in my sleeping bag at night, watching the aurora sweep across the star-filled sky as I fell asleep.
-Having learned time-lapse photography, I figured I was ready to graduate to stop-motion, which I experimented with on a glacier. I learned very quickly what not to do, but got a decent result, nonetheless. Please watch it in HD.

October:
-Chuck Testa forever redefined what comes to mind when I hear the word 'nope.'
-My buddy Nick taught me how to hunt and quarter caribou. I taught him how to cold weather camp. It was the best trip ever. Literally.
-On the same trip, I put everything I knew to test on how to use canister stoves in cold weather. The finer points are what I learned.
-I mustered up the courage to do my first free-solo climb on ice and this year's first ascent of the Fox Creek waterfall.
-After doing some research, I found out everyone should leave their guns at home and just use bear spray.
-I learned the truth about plate tectonics.
-Girthy Thursdays became a popular event with the local fatbikers. We explore new trails every week.

November:
-Published the inaugural Fat & Happy Newsletter for Far North Fatbikes, J.R. & I's fatbike rental business.
-Sharing is wonderful and I hope my writing on a new fatbike tire, warm hands in cold weather, and clothing for winter biking was good, too.
-Brett & I had yet another failed winter trip, this time due to whiteout conditions.
-There were a few things learned while fatbike camping at 25 below.
-Fairbanks had an average temperature of -30.1 Fahrenheit from November 15-21. It was not only the coldest week during the month of November since 1930, but Fairbanks was also the coldest city in the world for most of the month. The temperature at my cabin never rose above -30F for over two weeks, and possibly more.
-I became the most frost-covered I have yet to experience on a 17 mile round-trip walk to town one night. I was bored in my cabin and needed to get outside. The cold weather had me cooped up indoors far too long, so I decided to walk to the store and get some ice cream, as I was fresh out. Dressed in wool from head to toe to fight the 25 below temperature, I traveled 17 miles in just under 6 hours! Here's what I wrote on Facebook when I returned at one o'clock in the morning:

'Just because I was walking the streets of Fairbanks at 10 pm, dressed in wool head to toe and my army surplus mukluks because it was 25 below, doesn't mean I'm homeless, so stop looking at me like that. Maybe my car wasn't plugged in and I just walked 8.5 miles to town because I really wanted some ice cream. Besides, honey maple nut tastes better petroleum-free.'

-It was -49F while biking to work one morning.

December:

-Put out the second edition of the Fat & Happy.
-A continual project, I figured out how to reduce my Alaskan summer basepack weight to under 10 lbs. A huge personal achievement. 
-I gave a public presentation at Goldstream Sports on Being Prepared: Misadventures in the Alaska Backcountry. It was my first in years and not only reminded me how fun they are, but also how much work goes into it.
-I moved out of my dry cabin to my friend's place 3/4 of a mile up the hill. I moved partially by dog team and now have better accommodations for them and myself.
-Mushing this month has taught me a lot about traveling with dogs.
-Fatbike rentals picked up some and J.R. & I continue to learn about operating a business.
-Immediately after publishing this post, I went out dog mushing and learned you can never have too much snowhook. I was supposed to be taking the dogs out for a run, not me!
-We all shared our thoughts about the right shelter for every condition. A perfect way to cap off the year's education and one of the most productive discussions I've had all year.
-And I heard the best quote of 2011 from this year's Heisman Trophy winner:

'The hotter the heat, the harder the steel. No pressure, no diamonds.'

This blog started 2011 at 2,000 page views and closes out the year at 18,000. Thank you. That is exactly why it still exists.

An even bigger thank you goes out to everyone who made this year what it was. So many incredible conversations and experiences with faces both new and old. Many memories were made with friends I hadn't seen in years.

2011 was a good year. I can only hope for 2012 to be even close to as good.

First Ascent of Fox Creek 2011: Waterfall Ice

J.R. & I headed down to the Alaska Range last Sunday for an ascent of Fox Creek. Our intentions were to get on it as early in the season as possible and although it was very well formed last year at this point, this fall has been a bit warmer, so we were a bit skeptical.
I got hammered by the waterfall when I traversed across it, but ended up staying dry thanks to the last minute decision to bring rain gear, just in case. Good thing.
Here's J.R.'s take on our very short micro-adventure...


Fox Creek from Jeremiah Lafleur on Vimeo.
A early fall climb up Fox Creek Alaska.  One would call "waterfall" climbing not Ice Climbing. Temperature was in the low thirties without a cloud in the sky.

It's been quite the week...

Although I've been failing to get water for over a week now, I have been super busy & productive, after a nine day stint of hunting, hauling, & processing five caribou, which put every other aspect of life on hold.
(I have a dry cabin, so I have a bunch of five-gallon jugs I take into town and fill them up at the local water station. A quarter gets me about 15 gallons. I'm down to my last two liters, since everything is frozen outside and I can't use summer rainwater for watering my dogs.)

To the post office tomorrow go a pair of skis, bindings, & boots for Sir Lord Prince Jackson Gadamus, III in Nome. He's hard-pressed to find some good ones way out there in Nome, so I looked and found exactly what I recommended he get and exactly what I told him he'd never find used at a good price. Ha. Go figure.
I sold Colby a sweet pair of backcountry skis I scored in hopes of passing them on to a friend looking for some.
Took a much-needed day off work to sleep in and wax my own brand-new used backcountry skis. Awesome. Best decision of the week.
Then, I laughed hysterically, after finally going to the grocery store from perusing my cupboards and finding nothing delectable:



I bike-jored six dogs (two at a time) a total of twenty miles, starting their winter snow runs.
Brushed snow off my car almost every day!!!
Ate delicious caribou dinners with friends a few times.
Enjoyed the warmth from a huge bonfire on a cold, clear winter night with some cold, dark winter beers.
Helped some other friends with a few projects of their own.
Thought of and started planning the biggest solo trip I'll have done so far in life (if all works out - skiing 120 mi off-trail in 6 days).

Re-geared my single speed fatbike and then rode it a bunch on the new snow, which is becoming almost ski-able as I write this.
Worked on continually gear-testing a sweet soft shell jacket (now unfortunately discontinued and hence the reason I got it at half-off price) to do a video review for the local outdoor gear store.
Put some time into the fatbike rental business, as our season is just about to be in full-swing!

And, the real highlight of the week:
For the second year in a row, I snagged the first ascent of the year on Fox Creek, a frozen waterfall in the Alaska Range.
This year, it was barely frozen and I decided to free solo it - climb without ropes or any protection - a way to challenge myself in climbing and put huge emphasis on learning how to properly climb ice in all conditions. Pretty thin ice in spots, with the waterfall still falling in full force, which I traversed across in my climb, getting blasted by falling water like standing in a YMCA shower that is spraying ice cold water.
Fortunately, JR got it all on film, which I'm hoping to post soon, along with more pictures of all the adventures of this crazy past week.

Thanks for tuning in. More to come soon, but for now, here is the best packrafting video ever created:
From Luc Mehl, in Alaska, 2011.



Yes, those 70 balloons are filled with helium, and yes, Paul Schauer packrafted down all that BACKWARDS just to make this video.
Brilliant idea. Cheers to creativity at its finest.

Wrangells Fatbiking Photos by Photographer Colby Wright

Beautiful fatbiking photos from the Far North Fatbikes trip to Wrangell-St Elias National Park.
All images by Colby Wright.

Thanks for the wonderful photographs, Colby!

Building the Fleet

Surly Pugsley fatbike rentals will begin by, if not before, the first snowfall of 2011.
Check out all the details at Far North Fatbikes.

Oh, Snow, how I miss you. Please come back soon...

I own a business!

Far North Fatbikes

Alaska Explorer & I are partners in the first fatbike rental business north of the Alaska Range!

Alaska Explorer is a professional bike mechanic, cross-country & downhill mountain bike racer, and accomplished Alaskan winter traveler, having been born in Alaska and living here most of his life.
I've guided various forms of backcountry wilderness trips, have tons of Alaskan backcountry experience, managed an outdoor gear rental & tripping business for the University of Wisconsin, and have ridden and raced hundreds of miles in Alaska on dirt and snow.

Look for our Alaskan-built fatbikes to arrive soon.
In the meantime, join our Fat Friends Club, oogle at photos & video from past adventures, and check out our upcoming Rides & Trips.

Give us a call to take a fatty out for a roll.
www.farnorthfatbikes.com or check us out on Facebook!

Get fat with us!

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.