2012 Inuvik Summer Solstice Tour - Arrive in Inuvik 2012 Jun 20

[Proudman]

The time has come for me to start the annual planning of the "2012 Inuvik Summer Solstice Tour".
Those who know me know that the annual part, for various good reasons, has been the planning, not the ride.
But this year is a go, come Hell or high water. OK, high water or fires may delay things, but only if the RCMP have closed the roads!
Summer Solstice is on 2012 June 20th. There is a three festival that would be worth taking in.
I am willing to be flexible to accommodate my fellow travellers.
I will be the coordinator and have already done some of the ground work.
What we have at this time is many, many options. The only option not on the table is staying home.
There are a lot of side trips once we are north of 60 which we can also discuss.
I envision the ride starting in the LMD, heading north from there, and just picking up members as it grows.
The important thing is to let me know as soon as you can then we can firm up dates and plans.
I'm OK with going on my own, it's just less work and I would miss the camaraderie.
So PM me, call me, or stop me on the street, to tell me you are coming and you will be part of the decision making.
Also contact me if you have any questions, comments, or suggestions. Especially, suggestions.
I would add that the trip will be an awesome adventure to north of the Arctic Circle, but that's too obvious.

Greg Proudman
(250) 635-2937

[skidmark43]

Thanks for organizing this & extending the warm invitation to everyone on DSBC.

Need to start on my excuses now for not showing up at work... An epic event / natural wonder with local knowledge / experience such as yours is very very tempting.

[bchunter]

Right on. That will be a great trip but it does not line up with my work leave. You guys will have lots of fun. Make sure you take lots of pics to share with us.

[Buck]

Sounds great!
Planning a ride up the Dempster two weeks before and then will attend D2D. Might connect with you somewhere along the way.

[drbike]

Well, were going, not sure of the itinerary but sidekick Jo and the Dr will be going to the QCI then onto Inuvik, sadly we will be too late for the D2D. It was fun the last time I went. We lucked out and managed to do D2D and National Aboriginal Day in Inuvik it too was fine, if they still have it try to make it work.

Sure wish Jo and I could go with you folks but school gets in the way. If there are any stragglers out there and want company on a relaxed trip likely we will hit some of the top spots including Watson, Whitehorse, Inuvik, Dawson, Ross River, Carmack, Tok, Telegraph Creek, perhaps Prudoe I would like to see Fairbanks and other Alaskan spots this time around. The last time we did a short ferry from Haines to Skagway, and it was sort of fun. On the way home Telegraph Creek and Hyder if at all possible. There is so much to see and we only have a month or a tad more but thats all we can manage this year. The QCI part we may not do, kind of depending.

By the way Jo and the old guy are going on hacks this time.

Jo and I will be leaving around the end of June and need to be in Vancouver by the 3rd of August.

[Chuck]

This trip is definitely on my bucket list but unfortunately for me, the timing won't work out this year. Have kids in school, so can't go anywhere before the end of June.

[gryphon51]

This is a trip I long to take, sadly my oldest daughter is getting married this June2 .... what date do you leave in order to get there for the 20th??

[drbike]

Our trip leaving end of June beginning of July is a for sure thing surprisingly things are developing rather quickly... a little blurb on CURD the home of 3 wheeled adventure types has got things going a little there is a bit more info posted there
http://www.curdforum.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=2192

It looks like we will be seeing the Proudman and his posse on their return or along some loop on the road.

[Proudman]

This is a trip I long to take, sadly my oldest daughter is getting married this June2 .... what date do you leave in order to get there for the 20th??

It depends. IF we travelled around 500 km or 6 hours a day, then five days from Terrace. For most days we can travel more or less, depending on the riders.
According to Map Source, it's 1,338 km from Surrey to here. By car, that's two days but I don't know about by bike. Depending on who's coming we could meet you at Kitwanga to head North on the Cassiar Highway. I don't know if you've been up this way before, but I would recommend that you consider coming through Terrace and we go up Highway 113 to take in the Nisga'a Memorial Lava Bed Park: http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/bcparks/exp...arkpgs/nisgaa/
I'm thinking that 500 km would leave us a little time for sightseeing on the way up, but leave side trips for on the way back.

[CANADIAN BACON]

Well, were going, not sure of the itinerary but sidekick Jo and the Dr will be going to the QCI then onto Inuvik, sadly we will be too late for the D2D. It was fun the last time I went. We lucked out and managed to do D2D and National Aboriginal Day in Inuvik it too was fine, if they still have it try to make it work.

Sure wish Jo and I could go with you folks but school gets in the way. If there are any stragglers out there and want company on a relaxed trip likely we will hit some of the top spots including Watson, Whitehorse, Inuvik, Dawson, Ross River, Carmack, Tok, Telegraph Creek, perhaps Prudoe I would like to see Fairbanks and other Alaskan spots this time around. The last time we did a short ferry from Haines to Skagway, and it was sort of fun. On the way home Telegraph Creek and Hyder if at all possible. There is so much to see and we only have a month or a tad more but thats all we can manage this year. The QCI part we may not do, kind of depending.

By the way Jo and the old guy are going on hacks this time.

Jo and I will be leaving around the end of June and need to be in Vancouver by the 3rd of August.

HOWDY Dr:
Thanks for the call the other day.
Will try to organize a ride from this end. It looks like it will be me and my "Eye Guy".
I'll be riding the same machine I took last time and the "EG" has a mint 650/V.S.
Life got in the way last year so Iam looking forward to another fine trip.
I still haven't got the CDT ride figured but next year and then maybe S/A.
I'll tell my EG to log on to this site and sing along
ALL THE BEST.

[drbike]

HOWDY Dr:
Thanks for the call the other day.
Will try to organize a ride from this end. It looks like it will be me and my "Eye Guy".
I'll be riding the same machine I took last time and the "EG" has a mint 650/V.S.
Life got in the way last year so Iam looking forward to another fine trip.
I still haven't got the CDT ride figured but next year and then maybe S/A.
I'll tell my EG to log on to this site and sing along
ALL THE BEST.

Tooth guy, eye guy an old guy and the kid sounds like a clan in the making. More young folk would be swell, more ladies, more old farts the more the merrier.

So it looks like we have the making of 2 flocks heading north

Group A leaving from around Terrace sometime before the long day Greg is the organizing force.

Group B the better group is leaving/passing around Terrace near the first week of July. Original plan is a short visit to the QCI prior to heading North No organization bring a credit card, tires, and a sense of humor and join in.

Now Mr. Canadian Bacon man by the CDT do you mean the continental divide trip?

[CANADIAN BACON]

Tooth guy, eye guy an old guy and the kid sounds like a clan in the making. More young folk would be swell, more ladies, more old farts the more the merrier.

So it looks like we have the making of 2 flocks heading north

Group A leaving from around Terrace sometime before the long day Greg is the organizing force.

Group B the better group is leaving/passing around Terrace near the first week of July. Original plan is a short visit to the QCI prior to heading North No organization bring a credit card, tires, and a sense of humor and join in.

Now Mr. Canadian Bacon man by the CDT do you mean the continental divide trip?

HOWDY Dr.
CDT is the Divide Trail.
I know you/all know it like the back of your hand but I would like to follow it down to N/M.
Checking my calendar it appears I will be racing in Washougal Wa. on the 7 of July and in Alberta Aug 4/5
That means I won't be leaving here until the 10/11 and have to be back around the end of July. I haven't been able to contact the "Eye Guy" lately but it's early yet and nothing is written in stone.
Are you/all taking two sidecar machines this trip?
Iam curious how those things cross the Teslin Bridge. That bridge is a nightmare.
The grate is at least 3" wide. Just wide enough to grab your front tire so as the steering goes south. Lots of body English gets you across.
Anyway thanks for the reply.
I'll post more later, soon I know more about dates.
Time to put on the feed bag.

[drbike]

On the two wheel machines you just let it wiggle and go on the 3 wheeled rigs its no big deal at all the wiggles seem to balance each other out. Or at least I think so I have not been over that bridge on a rig yet but have crossed a pile of those open grate types on previous trips. I saw the effects of a bad fall on that bridge poor guy spent 4-5 weeks getting healed enough to ride home and sell his bike. He would have sold you a real nice bike with a few scratches on one side for a plane ticket home I am sure.

Your leaving on the 10-11 may work out good might be able to meet up in Whitehorse keep in touch.

Yes we are going to pilot two rigs so we have loads of room for stuff, may even take a big ass dog with us...most likely not but who knows.

I have done the CDT in parts and in whole a total of 3 times its nice but not really much planning required. The southern most part is easy riding but super nice to see. Its so different than what we are used to up here. It rained a shit-load on our last time through and the road turned to stuff that looked kind of like the glue they have in Sask.. The NM and Texas sections were good. We were involved in a big flash flood and got free meals for a few days in Hatch NM. Did a little emergency response stuff and generally made a pile of memories.

Now Canadain Bacon, I do like the way you sort of roll stuff out....what are you racing?

[CANADIAN BACON]

HOWDY Dr:
I talked with the "Eye Guy" and he's pumped about the trip.
Iam pleased the dates will work out for most everyone concerned.
I have an idea about taking the #4 from Watson Lake to Carmacks.
Dempster, Chicken, Deadhorse.
Visit Skagway through Whitehorse on the return trip.
We should cross paths somewhere along the way.
How hard is it to miss two hacks, one with a dog dressed in a helmet and goggles.
Iam going to try the Old Time M/X curcuit this year. I'll ride the northern races and end up down in Glen Helen about the middle of October. I have a 125 YZ I bought a while back but haven't been able to find the time to compete.
It's sort of a follow the leader thing but it's fun.
I can't think fast enough to cross the Teslin Bridge at more than 30MPH. What say you.
I'll keep in touch.

[Kitimat KLR]

Has this thread gone dead?

[drbike]

Not any more, I suspect it was just resting, you gave it a kick and it is alive once again. How is the Varadero doing? I bet you it would look good with the Olgive Mountains in the background.

[Kitimat KLR]

Not any more, I suspect it was just resting, you gave it a kick and it is alive once again. How is the Varadero doing? I bet you it would look good with the Olgive Mountains in the background.

Apart from good hard packed dirt neither of us like the rougher stuff.....(both of us are too big & heavy)...but some folks put knobbies on and go for it!
However, it is almost all that one could wish for in a road bike...power, handling, comfort...
It has just been replaced by the VFR 1200 Crosstourer after being in production since 1999...later models having FI and ABS.

[blocker]

Going to Hanes from Hanes Junction and taking the ferry to Skagway is also posible and interesting if you are interested in not going over the same ground.
We did that 2 years ago at this time of year.
blocker

[Proudman]

Well here I am, at the Dempster turnoff near Dawson, YT.
I had planned on overnighting at Tombstone territorial park but I ran out of energy.
That, and a thunderstorm is forcast.

[Proudman]

BTW, in case it's not obvious, I'm running late.
Where's everyone else?

[bchunter]

Don't know about the rest, but I am right here

Take lots of pics and post them up after. Would love to make it there one day. To many things to do and work just gets in the way.

[drbike]

Howdy Greg...I have had a great time this year, major grief and stuff all at the last minute. Major stuff to do but I got all packed up about 5 minutes ago. Its now 12:39 am, its been a looooong day.

One of my riding partners takes a look at the weather forecast and decides south is the way to go, sorry Greg. I really did want to do the trip again this year. I think the TAT is waiting for me or maybe Mexico. Passport and visa is all I really need but dam this year its computers, cameras, chip readers and cell phones, chargers and other electronic stuff. Over the years I have packed on the weight and so has my luggage LOL.

If any of you are interested we have a big sidecar rally in Idaho this year the 19th of July I think. http://www.sidecar.com/rally.asp

[Proudman]

Well I am in Dease Lake, headed for home.
I have tried to post several times but have not been able to log in. I don't think that this forum likes my tablet. My thumbs are too big for this cellphone so I will post details when I get home.
It was awesome!