R1 Sjaak Polar Ice Ride (Official Thread)

[Midnightsun]

I saw Sjaak today just after he left the Alpine ice road and headed east on the Kuparuk road system. The 15 k wind as moving the trailer around a bit. I think he needs a windshield.

[AKDuc]

Satellite phone message on Friday:

"EXTREMELY HAPPY!
We made it to Nuiqsut!
But it was a struggle, fell twice and I am totally exhausted!
It is -27.4°F / -33°C as we go to sleep now.
Hope to get the axle for the sled and my other stuff tomorrow, so I can continue my trip on land!"


From Sat:
"Today we’ve put the sled on wheels behind the R1 and rode from Nuiqsut to Deadhorse.
Everything went okay!
Spontaneously I got invited at the MagTec Camp to stay overnight.
Tomorrow I’ll head south and if all goes well I’ll cross the Attigun Pass."

Sunday:
"This morning I left Deadhorse, I was only just on the Dalton Highway when the sled pulled my bike to the right.
Flat tire on the sled, I thought, but it turned out that the weld on the axle of the castor was broken, so that wheel was sitting crooked.
Division manager, Todd of the Deadhorse Magtec Camp told me that I could always call if anything was the matter.
So I did, and he took the sled back to his camp on a trailer.
Now everything is ready for the next attempt!"

[jgrooms]

Originally Posted by Midnightsun

I saw Sjaak today just after he left the Alpine ice road and headed east on the Kuparuk road system. The 15 k wind as moving the trailer around a bit. I think he needs a windshield.

Thanks for the update! Here's some perspective - found this on Google Maps - of the road to Prudhoe Bay. The caption read: "Westbound Drill Rig. This is a frozen wasteland for 9 months of the year."

[jgrooms]

[jgrooms]

After overcoming mechanical issues and working through problem in the sled design, Mother Nature shows who's in charge!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OMZEJ3hnZU4

[Midnightsun]

It looks like the Sjaak's sled was doubled up and pulled by the snowmachine. Was the bike able to pull the sled? I am interested in hearing the details. It looks the route has been altered. Has Sjaak abandoned the idea of traveling the ice to Canada? If so, my vote is that he will make it to Canada (via the road system).

[Solarmoose]

Originally Posted by Midnightsun

It looks like the Sjaak's sled was doubled up and pulled by the snowmachine. Was the bike able to pull the sled? I am interested in hearing the details. It looks the route has been altered. Has Sjaak abandoned the idea of traveling the ice to Canada? If so, my vote is that he will make it to Canada (via the road system).

He hired a snowmachine and guide for the run from Barrow to Nuiqsut across the wind blown snow over ice and land. I think he found that a motorcycle tire, even as specialized as he had was not enough surface area/traction to pull the sled. The snowmachine pulled Sjaak's sled and the guides sled. Details can be found on his facebook page, R1SjaakPolarIceRide. From Nuiqsut he was able to tow the trailer on a winter road to Deadhorse where he can link up with state maintained roads to points south. I have a bit of experience traveling by snowmachine in Alaska and the idea of towing heavy sled via a motocycle didn't seem plausible. None the less, he got it accomplished, overcame setbacks, survived typical cold weather, and made it to Deadhorse. No small feat. I'm impressed.

Does Sjaak have/need any logistical help in Fairbanks?

[jgrooms]

Originally Posted by Solarmoose

He hired a snowmachine and guide for the run from Barrow to Nuiqsut across the wind blown snow over ice and land. I think he found that a motorcycle tire, even as specialized as he had was not enough surface area/traction to pull the sled. The snowmachine pulled Sjaak's sled and the guides sled. Details can be found on his facebook page, R1SjaakPolarIceRide. From Nuiqsut he was able to tow the trailer on a winter road to Deadhorse where he can link up with state maintained roads to points south. I have a bit of experience traveling by snowmachine in Alaska and the idea of towing heavy sled via a motocycle didn't seem plausible. None the less, he got it accomplished, overcame setbacks, survived typical cold weather, and made it to Deadhorse. No small feat. I'm impressed.

Does Sjaak have/need any logistical help in Fairbanks?

Sjaak is in Fairbanks now. He will be in touch.

[jgrooms]

"At the foot of Attigun Pass on the Dalton Highway. It looks peacefull but is was hell on this side of the pass. Strong wind and minus 27 Celsius (-17 F). "

[WhicheverAnyWayCan]

Now that he is on the Dalton, do he really have to haul the sled? Why not just dump it and carry on toward South? Wouldn't that be a lot easier on him?

[FLARider1]

Originally Posted by WhicheverAnyWayCan

Now that he is on the Dalton, do he really have to haul the sled? Why not just dump it and carry on toward South? Wouldn't that be a lot easier on him?

might be because the sled has needed supplies and its his shelter. If he can't make it to next little town that sled will keep him safe and warm through the night. Remember its 250 miles from Deadhorse to Coldfoot and then another 250 miles to Fairbanks, and there ain't much in between. Many people that run the Dalton on bikes in the summer only run it in two chunks, stopping in Coldfoot on the way. I don't imagine he can cover many miles a day in winter conditions on the Dalton on a bike.

I would guess he will drag the sled for sometime until he gets to warmer and safer climate and terrain.

[WhicheverAnyWayCan]

Yes, that would be true.. Or because he is keeping his promise to the sponsor satisfying the prior agreement. There are obviously many different reason..

[jgrooms]

Originally Posted by WhicheverAnyWayCan

Yes, that would be true.. Or because he is keeping his promise to the sponsor satisfying the prior agreement. There are obviously many different reason..

As a supporter of Sjaak's dream to complete this unique route we've made no such demand. Can't speak for all on his team, but I'm guessing they feel the same. Sjaak in fact feels that keeping the R1, including the sled in it's Arctic setup, tells the visual story of his epic journey better than anything else. And of course he needs to get it home...

With that, when he gets to more hospitable territory and if the sled were to be in the way of making Key West, I'm sure he'd ditch it.

[tserts]

I don't think the weight of the sleigh is the problem, obviously the main issue here is carrying his massive, heavy balls on the bike. I think he should sleep with the lower part of his body outside the sleigh so that his balls could shrink into a manageable size and weight from the cold...

[jgrooms]

Originally Posted by tserts

I don't think the weight of the sleigh is the problem, obviously the main issue here is carrying his massive, heavy balls on the bike. I think he should sleep with the lower part of his body outside the sleigh so that his balls could shrink into a manageable size and weight from the cold...

This!