Day 15

We are blessed with another beautiful sunny day to go find Jerry, the 78 year old top Goldwing mechanic. We flounder around in Sterling and Soldotna until we find the shop we had seen from the road day before yesterday. The area has changed the house numbering but the phone book I check still has to old number, a peat moss distributor. After some prodding, a phone call is made and directions obtained. Although we get the street number, it is not remembered long enough to take advantage of out technology. I do my best and Bruce uses dead reckoning to get is on spot without trouble.

Jerry is a nice fellow with a well equipped shop and years of experience. A lucky find. But, the bad news is that the wheel bearings are gone. So much for the word from on high – now she laaaaughs!! But, it get worse. After pulling the tire off and removing the dust seals, it's obvious that the left (I think) side has completely deteriorated. It IS amazing he didn't go hurtling off the cliffs on The Top of the World Highway!!. It is so bad, that what is left can not be knocked out and it must be cut out. A Honda dealer would not have been authorized or cared enough to do this work despite that it would add 2 hours to their bill. They would want to sell Bruce a new wheel, bigger bucks, but I doubt they would have had it in stock. So, we would have been stranded for 3-5 days waiting for a shipment. Thank god for Jerry. What a guy. Within 3 hours he has the old bearings out and new ones in and we are back on the road. His fee? $154. I helped with the work – holding the tire steady and stuff and Bruce provided a substantial tip with both surprised and gratified Jerry. Even so, it was cheap at twice the price.

The ride back to Anchorage provide another mountain shot that I had been waiting for. The light had left me a little but it was now or never so, I pulled over to my pre-selected spot and shot. Certainly good enough for what I need to share with friends and family. It is posted here.

We move on toward Tok (pronounced “toke”) which has us backtracking north on I A1 to where it joins I A3 to Fairbanks where we came down. We are on new highway that begins as a beautiful little country road with overhanging poplars and firs and begins to wind up into the mountains. It goes quickly, the temperature drops and we find ourselves maneuvering tight switchbacks and twisties higher and higher into sharp, craggy peaks … big ones. We go up and up and the view is simply indescribable. And then, right in front of us … a dieing glacier. She's a bit pitiful but her past rage and determination are in evidence all around the valley walls. And, she is still beautiful in her last days. I have a feeling she will return, stronger than ever and maybe in the not so distant future is the cooling continues.

Since we have lost time with repairs, we decide to push on to Glennallen, where we will pick up the I A2 to Tok. It will mean an 8:30 arrival to a location that may not have any facilities. Somehow, we make it by 7:30 and there is a lovely lodge that has a room. Some times she loves me and sometimes she just laaaaughs. The last 10 miles are dominate by a straight road aimed at a huge mountain that seams to raise alone from the plain. I am transfixed and it's very lucky a moose didn't want onto the road. I couldn't take my eyes off that miles long allee of trees bordering the tarmac rifling us at this behemoth. Incredible!

Note: We saw many Bald Eagles and a moose I n addition to the glacier.
Note: Because the wheels are wider on the new Wings, there are two bearings on each side.
Note: Increasing the darkside tire pressure to 32 psi makes devouring the twisties impossible and part of the fun of our final road is lost. I'll drop it to 30 or 28 and then back to 26 if the reliable and consistent “grab” does not return.
Note: It surprises me what a small change in tire pressure can do to your competitive edge. I'll bet Joel knew this, but probably doesn't care, from his NASCAR involvement.
Note: Except for the depressing run from Tok to Fairbanks, Alaska is awe inspiring. The north is a big disappointment but the south is incredible almost without exception.