Hatcher Pass Ride over 9-7-14

Two of my friends, Dom and Richard  got involved in the Ural international rally day for

2014 on 9-6-14

Well there are not that many BMW sidecar rigs in Alaska so I decided to take the Raven for a ride across Hatcher Pass

Link to Hatcher Pass 9-7-14

Such a beautiful day Denali was even out, picture taken from Willow Ak. 

I was hoping the RV would move but they were having lunch

A little closer to the Hatcher Pass Cut off

This is one of the better rides in the south central area

This is a picture of some Fireweed that I took during a ride to Homer Ak. last year. Most folks have heard the story that when the Fireweed reaches the top, there are about six more weeks before the snow starts to fall.

Well after they reach the top and the fall weather catches up they really become fireweed

Still have some time left

Great fun exploring around 

Road starts a slow steady climb. it's hard to believe  that you ascend 6,639 ' of elevation during this ride

But the views are worth it

Hundreds of Alaskans out enjoying the day berry picking

Looking back where I'm coming from,  on the left hand side of this part of the road there is a 1,000 ft drop off

Still haven't gone over the top yet

We crossed over the pass and on the way down to the Palmer side

Pulled over to take some pictures

I was really surprised to see this monster behind me

These last two pictures were taken up at Summit Lake about a week ago. I wasn't able to find a place to park this time because of all the people parked and watching this sport.  

It was a beautiful day

Spending some time with a fellow traveler

Mike Saunders and his Ruckus 

Richard, a friend of mine and fellow sidecar driver mentioned to me that like to meet this fellow.

 I sent him a personal message via the ADV forum and extended him an invite to some Alaska hospitality. and he graciously accepted. We spent a couple of fun days together Visiting the local areas, Hatcher Pass, And Eklutna village and lake

Hatcher Pass

The bunk houses

Mike and Sharon

Picture from Superintendents building

Mike in a Tram Car

Mike, Mark, Sharon and the Ruckus

Our next stop was to the Eklutna Village

Please visit the link

Eklutna Spirit House Link


Some of the graves in this cemetery go back to 1899 The houses are built over the graves to give the spirit a place to stay until it decides to leave this earth. If the families believe that the spirit is still on this earth they keep up the maintenance on the  houses


This building was amazing because it was made of steel and powder coated. It was made for his wife and he passed two years later

He made his wife a beautiful house. She was Russian Orthodox and he was a Jew. This house will last a long time

A spirit house where the spirit probably moved on

It was great meeting someone that has so much exuberance for life

And ask you all to visit his Blog I really believe you'll enjoy it


Link to Mikes Blog

DMC Sidecars and Mount Rainier

The next stop was going to be DMC Sidecars.

 In 2009 I purchased a brand new BMW1200 GS after watching, that great movie "Long Way Around" I thought, I would love to be able to travel that way. Which is probably a little ambitious for a guy that had just turned 66 years young. But I pressed forward and set the GS to be a full blown touring outfit. Asked Sharon if she wanted to cruise up to Hatcher Pass with me. The ride went well and I envisioned us out there touring all of North America. But Sharon quashed that vision by telling me she didn't enjoy the ride mainly because she couldn't see anything

 In the fall of 2010, I was still trying to figure out a way to get Sharon to go riding with me. And I was reading a lot about sidecars on the internet, I found that a lot of folks in Europe have put sidecars on just about every type of bike there is. I talked to a friend of mine who lives in Gulkana Alaska who had a sidecar that he would put on and off his KLR. And asked him what he thought about putting a sidecar on a GS. There are two companies in the US that actually manufacture sidecars. One on the east coast and the other on the west coast, and being in the Alaska I called DMC up and put my order in. They said they could ship it up and the deal was set.

Since installing the sidecar we've put on on about 12,000 miles together.

My Sidecar build Link

I never would have thought that Google Maps would have recognized the grocery outlet in Emunclaw Wa. but it does. As you can see from the map, the route to DMC sidecars cuts through a real rural area in Washington. I just put the address into my GPS and it took me to the front door 

Finally Sunshine

Me and Jay, The owner of DMC Sidecars

Shop Area

DMC's new Expedition Model Sidecar

Another view of the new model

This ice cream sidecar is attached to a motor scooter is going to California

This two place unit is going to South America

Next stop was Mount Rainier

We left Emunclaw and started our trip to the mountain, In the town of Buckley we stopped and got some gas and stretched my legs a bit. In talking to the woman in the station we found that Rainier actually had two visitor centers one on the north side, called Sunrise, and a higher one on the south side, called Paradise   

Mount Rainier Visitors Centers Link

Loved riding thru the Cascades 

Kathy and Bruce our intrepid partners in this adventure

Rainier in the Background

Mt. St. Helens in the background

Sharon in the drivers seat

The Cascades are Beautiful

Moving on Guys follow along