The Mobius Trip

[250senuf]

WOW!
Should maybe post in LONG LONELY HIGHWAY too (a bigger one)

[DR. Rock]

well. This is going to be a longer stop than we'd anticipated. I looked around for something to prop up the bike, and then I remembered...

The Trail Stand™!



I'd carried it all Mobius-5 and we didn't have a single opportunity to use it. I gotta say, it kicks ass. The best part is that when you get a flat, you don't have to tax a single neuron or waste a single second figuring out how to lift the bike and hold it up. You can go right into worrying about other things, like:

"can I patch this?"



or, "I hope my spare tube hasn't gotten a hole rubbed in it"



or "thank goodness I triple-wrapped my tube of rubber cement, 'cause, damn, those things are always busting open in my patch kit, and for once, maybe I can patch a tube, 'cause this is a totally patchable flat."

[DR. Rock]

LDF heroically trudged back through the killer bee swarm to the gas station, and then to the truck stop / auto shop and resourcefully procured a new tube of rubber cement, while I prepped the tube for patching, and reflected on how many tubes of rubber cement have met their demise in various bicycle and motorcycle patch kits in my custody over the years.

It has to be hundreds. This is the Achilles heel of my tool kit. If anyone has any suggestions, I'm all ears.

New tube in hand, the repair went smoothly,



and Blueberry was all pumped up and ready to roll in a Jiffy™.

[DR. Rock]

where we planned on picking up provisions,



first stop:

[DR. Rock]

came out of the saloon and we chatted... when he heard where we were heading, he told us that he'd heard that the Taylor highway was closed... we'd heard it was open, but who knew? We'd figure it out tomorrow.

The weather looked OK, so rather than stay in a motel in Tok, we toodled down the road to the Tok river recreation area and camped,



in what had to have been the most mosquito-infested area I've ever endured.



I didn't even want to take off my riding gear it was so bad. Every time you'd lift the head net to take a bite of our otherwise delicious brats,



(I know they look nasty, but they were really tasty) 20 or 30 mosquitoes would fly in and start sucking blood from every surface and orifice.

We bagged on a campfire, shared our extra brats with the italian couple in the next site over, and crawled in the tent, salvaging whatever few remaining red cells the beasts had left us.

[DR. Rock]

Click below for larger versions:

[DR. Rock]

I'm not attaching daily .GPX files of our tracks, 'cause there are so few roads up this way that it's no mystery what route we took. If anyone actually wants tracks, just sent a PM and I'll email 'em.

[Sourjon]

Simply awesome pics!
Don't know how you do it. I went to North Carolina for four days this weekend and took all of 10 pics and they all sucked!

John

[sallydog]

Originally Posted by DR. Rock

This is the Achilles heel of my tool kit. If anyone has any suggestions, I'm all ears.

i use a pill container (3 patches) and the baby glue tube (taped shut), which i refill from the big tube every 3 flats (or aquire new with new patches).

Originally Posted by DR. Rock

in what had to have been the most mosquito-infested area I've ever endured.

you weren't at Cromag 08

[DRRambler]

Originally Posted by DR. Rock

in what had to have been the most mosquito-infested area I've ever endured.

That campsite looks familiar...a great little spot. Fortunately no bugs for us.



You were so lucky to see those giant ant hills, a rare sight.

[Lil' Steve]

Originally Posted by DR. Rock

I love this shot. That G11 does the scenery justice.

Originally Posted by DR. Rock

This is the Achilles heel of my tool kit. If anyone has any suggestions, I'm all ears.

New tube in hand, the repair went smoothly,

While not specifically intended for motorcycles, I've successfully repaired small punctures with Slime Skabs pre-glued patches. I wouldnt solely depend on them for field repairs, but could be an asset in a back up role. As with most things, preparation is key.... after scuffing, an alcohol swab or similar is great for getting the surface ready for adhesion.

[DR. Rock]

We wasted no time breaking camp and escaping the mosquito swarm. We had a bunch of pavement to endure 'till we got to Chicken.



"...there was a bee in her sock, and she forgot to check for scorpions..."

[DR. Rock]

we neglected to read the flashing electric sign , but these didn't sound too promising either.



The "port gate closed when customs is closed" sign ended up factoring in to what happens later.

[DR. Rock]

cleared up nicely,



and the views are really stupendous.

the 67 miles pass quickly, and before we know it, we're in Chicken.



OK, I guess one of us read the flashing yellow sign.

[DR. Rock]

Chicken has a pretty weird vibe normally. And with the road closed, it was even weirder. At the lower settlement, by the creek and the bridge where we first pulled in, the construction workers and state inspectors had set up a command center and were staging heavy equipment to get across the creek.

Because the bridge was too small to tolerate the loads, they were unloading the equipment, driving it over the creek shallows right near where we'd set up our tent, and then reload it onto the flatbed.



There were a handful of stranded travelers at the lower settlement, and everyone trying to gleen intel from whoever was wandering around wearing an orange vest and a hardhat.

Up the hill, there are two other settlements, one that is near the dredge, a little more upscale, and seems to cater to the rockhound crowd. And the one furthest up the hill that seems to attract colorful locals and other characters. Our short tour of Chicken ended there at the bar, which drew us in like a magnet, and we took some photos along the way.

At the lower camp: