It’s widely agreed that the Pan American Highway begins in a town called Deadhorse near Prudhoe Bay, which was where we had arranged to ride to next. We had landed in Fairbanks on the 26th and settled into a B&B where we spent a couple of days to recover from the Alaskan Highway and plan the trip to Deadhorse.

Deadhorse is 798KM from Fairbanks and the town is a support camp for the Prudhoe Bay Oilfields. In 1969 oil was discovered in Prudhoe Bay, but the only way in was to sail through the frozen Arctic Ocean, so in 1974 the 'Haul Road' as it's known, was built from Livengood, 80miles north of Fairbanks and runs 414 miles north to a new town called Deadhorse. The road was made from locally quarried gravel and was built in only five months. From 1974 to 1977 the road was used as a support road for the Alaskan Pipeline which runs all the way to Valdez in the south. The road remains in use as a supply line to Deadhorse and until 1981 it was used as private road by the oil companies to facilitate the oilfields. In 1981 the Alaskan Govt. took control of the road and access was given to the public to Disaster creek some 211 miles up the road. The road was also renamed the 'James Dalton Highway' but is still widely known by the Truck Drivers who use it as the 'Haul Road' In 1994 the rest of the road was opened to the public and you can now travel all the way to Deadhorse.

The stories about the road were legendary. Wildlife was abundant; we would have to contend with Bears, Lynx, Wolverine, Wolves, Foxes and angry Moose. Because of the extreme temperature range the road couldn’t be paved so we were facing a 1500KM round trip on a gravel road. Deep wind filled valleys, dangerous mountain passes, broken roads and speeding truckers who didn’t slow or stop as they were being paid by the job and would at best shower you with rocks as they passed and at worst would drive you off the road. The road was to be deep rutted mud in places and there would be no shelter for hundreds of miles along the way. We would have no cell phone cover and would need to carry extra petrol on our bikes. Punctures and falls were to be part of the ride. Everyone that we spoke to had a story to tell, nobody had a good word to say about the road.

To prep for the journey we packed our bikes with our camping gear, fuel canisters and some emergency food and water. We checked over the bolts on our luggage and left the bulk of our kit under the stairs of the B&B we were staying in. When we asked for advice we were told the biggest vehicle had the right of way and we should try not to get in the way! As we left Fairbanks in the rain it occurred to me that we didn’t even have a radio to call for help if something went wrong.

The first 135KM from Fairbanks to Livengood was all paved twisty mountain roads and in spite of the rain it was a good brisk spin through the clouds and forest winding our way through the mountains to. Just beyond the turnoff to Livengood was the James Dalton Highway and a mud soaked track beckoned. As we turned into the mud the rear wheel of my GS spun as it searched for grip.

As we crossed the hills the road improved to a hard packed wide mud road with lots of wide sweepers with huge drop-offs as well as steep climbs and drops. 224KM up the road and we come to the Yukon River and the first significant camp. A long and badly damaged wooden bridge leads across the river to the camp where we stop for lunch and fuel. We joke with the waitress about the labeling on the fuel pumps and how easy it would be to fill your bike with Diesel. After lunch the rain has cleared and we head on out on roads in good condition which had a little bit of gravel on patches but for the most part were quick and open with very little traffic. The scenery is fantastic; in 2004 lightning strikes caused forest fires which destroyed 4.4 million square acres of forest. The burn sites are now covered with new plants and the colours are striking. We make our way to the Arctic Circle where we pose for photographs beside the sign. The weather is remarkably good, it’s rather like a nice spring day in Wicklow, and I wonder if we are really anywhere near the Arctic Circle. Farther up the road we come to the infamous Gobblers Knob where we get our first look at the imposing Brooks Range.

Next stop is the Coldfoot Inn and Truck Stop. While we are both quite tired at this point, we’ve traveled 415KM today, we agree that the going hasn’t been nearly as tough as we thought it would be and we dismiss the stories we’ve heard about the road. We meet one of the Truckers who joins us for coffee and regales us with stories of the road and the adventures that he has had on it. We get something to eat and reaching for the green handle on the unmarked pump I fill my bike to the brim and travel another 10KM up the road to Marion Creek campsite where we bed down for the night. The campsite is set in shaded trees with a tent platform to camp on and all the firewood we could burn.

We wake the following morning and break camp. Maeve is on her bike with the engine idling and waiting to go when I hit the starter on mine and it cuts out immediately. I hit the starter again with the same result, and again, and again. Suddenly it dawns on me, the green pump is for Diesel in Alaska and I’ve filled my bike from it instead of the black unleaded pump. We’re halfway up the Dalton Highway and I’ve f**ked my bike! I’m going to have to get it recovered and brought to the nearest BMW dealer, over 1500KM away. We won’t be getting to Deadhorse, the trip is ruined and it’s all down to me.

Then I remember talking to one of the people in BMW several years ago and him telling me that the R1200GS would run on low octane fuel. To make a long story short we tipped the bike over and poured all of the Diesel out of it and filled the tank from the petrol cans. After a couple of attempts the bike started, sounded terrible, belched smoke and smelled awful but started to run. Hats off to BMW; your bike is brilliant.

Filled with what can only be described as sheer elation we headed back to Coldfoot to refill the fuel cans where we met Mike and Todd from LA and Florida respectively. Mike is a Desert racer who spends a lot of time in Baja and Todd is a novice having only recently got his licence and Mike is bringing him on his first adventure! The four of us decide to go another 30KM up the road to the historic town of Wiseman for breakfast. Wiseman is a town that predates the road and was only accessible by trail until the road was built. The guesthouse is called Igloo number eight and is run by a Bavarian woman who moved here from Munich 15 years ago; however we’ve missed breakfast so we press on past the Sukapak Mountain and the last trees this far north. As we approach the Atigun pass I can finally feel it getting a little bit colder.

The Atigun pass cuts through the 7000 foot Brooks Mountain Range and rises to over 4500 feet over a two mile climb. This is where the real fun starts. We’ve now traveled 525KM from Fairbanks and the climb is a mud bath, having been soaked in calcium chloride, a solution used to dry the road out after it has been graded, as part of the ongoing maintenance of this road. For us that means up to four inches of slick mud on a hill with a 12% grade over two miles. We fishtail our way up to the top of the hill where we see the view. To describe it as breathtaking is a poor understatement. As we look down from the pass northern Alaska is spread out in front of us, snow capped mountains are all around us and the oil pipeline and road snake away to the horizon. Our reprieve is broken by a 22 wheeler gunning its way up the hill, flinging mud in its wake. We proceed down the hill with caution letting our gears dictate the speed we travel at, noting the guard rail and its many dents and breaks all the way down the hill.

After traveling 575KM we reach Galbraith Lake where I overtake a slow moving truck. As I pull in front of it there’s a loud bang from the back of my bike and the rear wheel locks up. The bike slides to a halt (thankfully I’ve managed to stay upright) and I dismount. I presume that I’ve got a puncture or a blow out but I’m surprised to see that the rear mudguard has come off and my luggage system is leaning to one side as I’ve lost a number of bolts. Maeve and I adjust the luggage as best as possible and I remove the remains of the mud guard from the back wheel before we move on. We proceed over the brilliantly titled ‘Oil Spill Hill’ and as we go down the other side we catch up with Mike and Todd who are amusing themselves watching the trucks running up and over the hill. Mike has some spare bolts in his pack and we repair the luggage and move on towards Deadhorse.

We are about 30KM from Deadhorse and very tired. I realize that we have passed the point of no return and we must get to the end of the road to re-fuel. The weather has changed and we now have a dense freezing fog surrounding us. The road surface has changed to deep gravel which keeps pulling our front wheels and it’s a real effort to keep going when out of the fog appears a sign’ ‘Deadhorse City Limits’.

We ride into the ‘town’ which is little more than a collection of basic industrial units and find the Prudhoe Bay Hotel. Our receptionist, Debbie charges us $90 each for a dorm style room with shared toilets and showers which are immaculate. We also learn that our fee includes food as well as lodgings and there is a car parts store beside the fuel station. We eat our fill and retire for some much needed sleep. We’ve traveled 797KM from Fairbanks and tomorrow we have to turn around and go back the way we’ve come. It’s going to be a long day.

Pictures will follow.Sorry about the delay. Maeve broke the laptop.

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