We began our Alaska 100 while in Seward and completed our rides while in Fairbanks.
Ready to start our Alaska miles. Riding our 49th state in the 49th state.
Our first ride in Fairbanks was on Fort Wainwright. We made an ice cream run and a tour of the post with Erik, Paul and Martha.
Ice Cream Ride
Paul, Diana, Martha and Lenny on an ice cream ride.Ahhh… the ice cream store.
Birch Hill Ski Area
Our next ride began at the Birch Hill Ski Area. This was a fun ride with beautiful views from Birch Hill all while still on post.
Got bikes?The whole gang is ready to ride. Paul, Helena, Erik, Inga and Diana. Note the kids are in shorts and T’s while I probably added a down vest. Long down hill and long up hill – on post near ski area.Near Birch Hill Ski AreaPaul, Helena and Inga patiently waiting for us to catch up.Lenny and Erik near Birch Hill.
Chena Lakes State Recreation Area
What an awesome ride for Paul and Martha. We rode 18.5 miles, which was the longest distance they had ever ridden. We are so blessed to be able to share this Alaska 100 with them.
Start of our ride at Chena Lakes State Recreation Area. Moose Creek Dam behind us.Erik and Martha riding on Moose Creek Dam.
Moose Creek Dam is part of the Chena River Lakes Flood Control Project which was built following the August 1967 Fairbanks Flood.
Coming down from dam into flood plane. Took gravel roads thru woods past lakes and ended at Chena River.Paul hiking his bike up onto dam. We found an easier way down.Lupine along trailI really like Alaska’s reminder for keeping kids safe around water. KIDS DON’T FLOAT!!Martha half through our 18.5 mile ride.Lenny, Paul, Erik and Martha near Chena River
Badger Road Bike Trail
Six of us riding on a cloudy day hoping to avoid the rain. Erik and the kids are determined to see we reach our 100 mile mark.
Banking those miles.Helena and IngaPaul kept things interesting taking the dirt path/ditch alongside the asphalt path.
Chena Lakes State Recreation Area
We returned to Chena Lakes to complete our 100 Alaska miles. There were many new areas for us to explore.
Big pile of bikes – ready for our final ride to reach 100 miles in Alaska.Inga and I putting in miles on our final day of riding.Inga, Helena, Erik, Paul and Lenny – Chena Lakes State Recreation AreaInga loves riding hands free.Life is good!! Only 1.5 miles to reach out Alaska 100.Thanks to Erik and our wonderful grandchildren we completed our Alaska 100. Martha was missing from the above picture. She road many of the 100miles with us.
Friday August 6th, Heather, Inga, Helena, Martha and I boarded the Alaska Railroad Coastal Classic for a 4 hour trip to Anchorage.
We traveled thru the Kenai Mountains viewing glaciers, beautiful forests and remote lakes. This was an unforgettable experience. We were able to just sit and enjoy this spectacular wilderness from our large picture windows.
Trail GlacierMore Trail GlacierGoing around curves we could see the engine.Majestic views around every bend
The conductor would slow down when there was something of interest to view. A narrator alerted passengers of moose, eagles, osprey and Dall sheep sightings
Spencer Glacier
Heading into Anchorage we had the Chugach Mountains on one side and the Kenai Mountains on the other.
Coastal Classic travels from Seward to Anchorage. The Denali Star travels from Anchorage to Fairbanks.
We arrived in Anchorage shortly after 10 PM. Our hotel, Anchorage Grand Hotel, was only a short walk from the train station. After a good nights sleep we were at the train depot at 7:15 AM to take the Denali Star to Fairbanks.
Erik, Lenny and Paul left Seward at 6 AM for the drive to Fairbanks. They would be taking the Seward Hwy to Anchorage and then the Glenn Hwy to Fairbanks. Our routes would intersect at several points.
Our 12 hour journey to Fairbanks took us through the Chugach Mountains near Anchorage, the Talkeetna Mountains and finally the Alaska Range in the Denali National Forest.We stopped in Talkeetna to unload passengers. It is the point from which most Denali climbing and flightseeing expeditions depart.
Erik, Lenny and Paul were in Talkeetna when we arrived. Guess where they were?
A bike shop, of course.North Shore Cyclery – we saw the guys waving at the train from here.Nenana River gorge near DenaliNenana RiverOur train car had a dome and the views were awesome.View from dome looking towards back of train. The low clouds made viewing Denali impossible.Bridge over Nenana River gorge. Our train passed below the bridge. The guys crossed the gorge on this bridge.
Once again the narrators were great at informing passengers when there was something of note to observe. There were sightings of moose, eagles, osprey and trumpeter swans.
Our arrival in Fairbanks. What an incredible journey. Alaska is, big and beautiful and we were blessed to see it’s magnificent beauty. God’s handiwork!!
We arrived in Anchorage on Monday August 2nd about 4:30pm. The views from the plane were beautiful.
View heading into Anchorage.
Erik, Inga and Paul met us at the airport to take us to Seward. Getting hugs from all of them was the best Alaska welcome! Seward is located at the northern end of Resurrection Bay a fjord in the Gulf of Alaska.
We stopped to look for Beluga whales along the Seward Highway en route to Seward.
Heather, Helena and Martha were waiting for us in Seward at the Mt. Marathon View rentals. We had another wonderful welcome to Alaska.
We stayed just a short walk from the small boat harbor and the mouth of the river where Erik and Paul went fishing.
Small boat harbor in Seward.
We spent 4 wonderful days in beautiful Seward. Every day was filled with new adventures – fishing, beachcombing, boat tour of Resurrection Bay, watching the fishing boats return to port in the evening, biking and more.
Erik with his King Salmon.Paul and Martha fishing.Erik cleaning his King Salmon with an audience.Paul helping to clean a silver salmon.
We took an exciting and informative Kenai Fjords Wildlife tour with a stop on Fox Island for lunch.
Beach on Fox Island – lots of heart shaped rocks for skipping. Erik, Heather, Inga, Helena and Paul and Martha.Our tour boat docked at Fox Island pier.Helena, Inga and Martha on wildlife tour.We saw puffins, eagles, mountain goats, a humpback whale, sea otters and sea lions as seen in picture.Martha became a Kenai National Park Jr Ranger.
The fishing boats would begin to come into the docks about 4:30 pm. We would would walk along the docks to see the huge number of halibut and salmon that had been caught.
Salmon on top and halibut on bottomHugh halibut weighed in at 85 pounds.
We rented bikes at Seward Bike Shop which is housed in an old train car. Lenny and I had fun riding the bike path along Resurrection Bay out to Lowell Point.
Ready to start our Alaska miles. Riding our 49th state in the 49th state.View of Resurrection Bay from bike bath. Pilings are what remain of docks after 1964 Good Friday tsunami. Dog sled at 0 mile marker of Historic Iditarod Trail. Long before the Iditarod was an international dog sled race it was a 2300 mile trail that began in Seward.
We went to Lowell Point at low tide beachcombing. Heather found a starfish, Paul searched for crabs. There was some beach glass to be found also.
Low tide at Lowell point – at high tide only the top of this rock is visible.Paul loved finding crabs under rocks at low tide on the beach at Lowell Point.Heather and girls at Lowell Point.Heather found this starfish on the beach. After a little”show and tell” she returned it to the water.Forest near Lowell Point
Olympic swimmer Lydia Jacoby, a Seward resident, won a gold and silver medal in Tokyo. She is the first Alaskan to win a gold medal in swimming. The town oganized a parade to celebrate her return from Tokyo.
Parade for olympic swimmer Lydia Jacoby Erik, Heather and family – flag flying in celebration of olympic swimmer Lydia Jacoby.
We spent a few hours one afternoon visiting the Alaska Sealife Center. We all enjoyed seeing the puffins fly under the water. There was a tide pool with every color and size of starfish imaginable.
Juvenile Puffin at Alaska Sealife Center, his name was Hans and he was very curious and loved being near people.Alaska Sealife Center – tide poolMoon starfish – while on Fox Island we saw a “smack”, which is a large group of thousands of starfish.There was even a skateboard park. Martha and Paul show off their skills.Fire weed gets it’s name because it is the first plant to grow after a fire. Erik and Inga climbed Mt. Marathon.
We loved Seward. The best part was having Erik, Heather and the kids sharing “their Alaska” with us.
We left Seward by train on Friday August 6th. More adventures to follow.
We spent a quiet night in Newport, Maine. After our ride yesterday and a long drive we were a bit slow getting going this morning but finally got on the road to Ellsworth, Maine to ride the Down East Trail.
Downeast Scenic Railroad passed the trail head while we were getting ready to ride. It followed the trail for a short distance.
The Down East Trail is named for its location in Down East Maine, dubbed by early Mariners for being “downwind” from more western ports such as Boston. Also, it’s one of the first trails to experience sunrise in the United States.
What can I say about this trail? Bad news first – it was loose gravel, sometimes big rocks, rutted, and washboarded. ROUGH!
Good news – there were some areas of smooth going, the scenery was pretty, the ATV riders were courteous and the deer flies didn’t carry us away.
One of the smooth areas. We saw several beaver dams.Beaver pondMarshlands
We passed through woods and marshlands. Wild flowers were still in bloom. We road 12 miles out of Ellsworth and it was pretty remote.
We are spending the night in Ellsworth and may try another section of the trail in the morning. Wish us luck!!
We spent yesterday afternoon driving from Lewes, Delaware to Morgantown, WV. The Walmart where we spent the night was so quiet we slept till after 7 AM. We only had a short distance to drive to the Mon River Trail access parking area.
Mon River Trail access parking.
It was a small parking lot but we were able to just fit in without blocking the area for others.
We we were looking forward to getting on the trail to finish our West Virginia 100 miles. The Mon River Rail-Trail system was recently selected to Rails-to-Trails Hall of Fame so our expectations were high.
Monongahela River is one of the few rivers in America that flows north.
We only experienced a small portion of the trail which follows the Monongahela River. The trail surface was crushed stone and in excellent condition and the river was in sight the entire time. I think scenic and peaceful best describes our ride.
Hildebrand Lock and DamBelow the Hildebrand Lock and Dam.
The Monongahela River is 130 miles long and is navigable via a series of locks and dams. Within the 10.5 miles from where we parked we were able to see 2 of the locks and dams.
Opekiska Lock and Dam – fences prevented us from getting too close.
We enjoyed the shade, the river views and the quiet beautiful forest. We even saw a couple deer.
Beautiful trail with views of the river.Reflections in a stream near the trail.
We didn’t see anyone on the trail on our ride out but on our return there were many bikers and a few walkers. We met several people in the parking area and enjoyed sharing thoughts on finding free RV overnight parking. They are electric bikers and RVers.
A wonderfully relaxing day for us as we have completed our 100 miles in West Virginia, Maryland and Delaware. Over 300 miles in 11 days of riding. We are only about 4 hours from home so that’s where we are headed! What an adventure!!
Kudos to Lenny, he cleaned and lubed our chains and sprockets everyday. Picture taken at Greenbrier River Trail trailhead in Caldwell, WV.
We left Lewisburg for the trailhead in Renick. Through no fault of our own (??) we missed a turn and crossed the river. The narrow road became narrower and narrower until it was only one lane. After several miles we turned around, with much difficulty, and headed back across the river. Amazing, there was the trail!
It was our good fortune (God’s blessing) that we crossed paths with Glen and Twyla Diehl. They happen to have a campsite on a lot near their home and offered it to us for a minimal fee. We had water and electric and use of their dump station. They are an interesting couple and have traveled all over the US in their RV. Renick is a small town and I think they own most of it.
View from our hillside campsite – trail and river just beyond trees. Remnants of Renick jail which was built in 1909. The bars are still standing.
After we were settled we headed north on the trail toward Beard which is the halfway point of the trail. The forest was beautiful, sometimes we could look right into it and other times it towered above us on cliffs over looking the trail.
Forest was beautiful. Cliffs along the trail.
About a mile from where we started there was a swinging wooden bridge. We would have loved walking over it but there were no trespassing signs. Also, when we stopped to take pictures we were swarmed with mosquitos.
Mile markers were freshly painted. Swinging bridge in background. Interesting wooden swing bridge along trail.
Six miles from where we started was the Droop Mountain Tunnel. Our favorite part of the ride. Traveling through the tunnel heading north you begin to see the light at the other end within a few yards of entering. It’s very different when entering traveling south. There are a few seconds when you are pedaling in total darkness. It’s a very unsettling feeling.
Droop Mountain Tunnel built in 1900. Near Mile Marker 31.Good view of large timbers at Droop Tunnel entrance.
The trail was not busy and we only saw 4 other bikers and a couple walkers. There are areas for camping and shelters along the way.
Water available near shelters and campsites.Shelters along the trail. We could have used this yesterday in the downpour. We traveled just north of Locust Creek to mile marker 38.Bridge across Locust Creek that ran below trail bridge.
This was a great trail. There was plenty of varied scenery to keep it interesting. The trail surface was constantly changing too, so we had to keep our eyes on the road.
Beautiful cliffs along trail.
The Greenbrier River Trail is a Hall of Fame Trail. I have been looking forward to riding this trail since we began this journey. The trail is 77 miles long and we rode almost all of the southern half between Beard and Caldwell. We hope to ride the northern end from Cass to Marlinton in the future.
We have completed 82 West Virginia miles. Tomorrow we are going to Maryland to begin our 100 there. We plan to complete our WV 100 on our way home from Maryland.
Lenny loves getting pictures with Dino’s view of the trail.
We had a really quiet night at Walmart in Summersville. It was nice to have access to satellite and watch some of the Tour de France while having breakfast.
Planned our route to Caldwell so we could avoid those narrow country roads. It gave us the chance to see the New River Gorge Bridge. We stopped at the visitors center which was closed but we were able to visit the viewing areas using a dramatic wooden walkway.
Awesome wooden staircase to viewing areas.Near top of walkway
The bridge reduced a 40-minute drive down narrow mountain roads to less then one minute.
New River Gorge Bridge completed in 1977. Beautiful views from walkway.Lowest viewing area, 168 stair steps from top.
Route 64 heading into Lewisburg/Caldwell area had some very steep grades. Views of mountains were awesome.
We went right to the trailhead in Caldwell. Lenny had some repairs to do on his bike and we wanted to ride a few miles to check out trail conditions. Also to be certain Lenny’s new axle and tune-up corrected his shifting issues.
My favorite bike mechanic. Greenbrier River Trail trailhead in Caldwell.
While eating lunch at the trailhead a bear ran across the road. It ran thru a field, looked very confused and went into a corn field. That’s our bear sighting for this trip, no more needed.
There had been a landslide in this area, near mile marker 13, a few years ago. There is a steep uphill and downhill here – otherwise it’s a bit of a downhill slope from Cass to Caldwell.
The few miles we planned turned into 13 out to mile marker 16. Lenny’s repairs to his bike were successful. Heading back it started to rain and then pour. We have ridden in rain before but never to this extreme.
Trail surface was single track at times.This was before the rain. Puddles and mud formed quickly. We attempted to ride in center of trail during downpour. Worked good for awhile. After the rain, the sun was out again.
We left Saybrook, Ohio about 2:30 yesterday afternoon, excited to be on the road in the motorhome once again. A quick stop at the West Virginia Welcome Center provided us with a cache of information.
We spent the night in Fairmont, WV at a Cracker Barrel. We enjoyed a carry out meal of yummy chicken pot pie and biscuits with honey. We were the only RV there for the night – it was especially quiet.
Getting to the trailhead in Shinnston was a real adventure. It was only 20 minutes away on a winding, narrow road with over hanging trees and utility poles right at the edge of the road. We were fortunate to escape with only a couple scratches. 😥 Oh, those country roads.
Interesting historicalmarker
West Fork River trail’s path was used by the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad to deliver coal. The trail was a mixture of asphalt, and crushed stone. At times it was a single track with some small areas of mud which we were able to avoid. It was a hot day, high 80’s, but we were in heavy shade most of the way.
Cliffs on one side river on the other.
Views of the river were mostly blocked by trees. That won’t be the case in a month or so. Some areas of the trail were already strewn with leaves.
Picturesque trail
There was very little traffic on the trail. We crossed a couple bridges but the Fork River Bridge was a highlight.
Fork River Bridge near Norway, WVMore bridge
We had planned on continuing another couple miles beyond the bridge but the trail rapidly deteriorated. The surface was large road gravel. A real pain to bike on.
End of trail for us. Trail got nasty really quick – large road gravel.
This was a great introduction to West Virginia biking for us. We put 30 miles toward our 100 today. Good to have the motorhome awaiting our return to the trailhead. Especially enjoyed getting right into the shower!!
Riding the Cog Railway was a wonderful adventure. We took the 10AM train and spent about an hour at the summit.
Near Base StationReady for our ascent. We had a beautiful clear day.View from our coach heading up the mountain. Traveling up the mountain Sherman Adams Visitor Center
Due to Covid restrictions only a limited number of visitors were permitted in the visitors center. We acquired a ticket online and welcomed the opportunity to get some hot chocolate and get out of the cold wind for a few minutes.
Tip Top House, an original summit hotel dating back to 1853.Cold and windy at the summit.Our coach awaits.Train at summit awaiting passengers.Leaving the summit we had a good view of the Engineer. Long way downThey estimated visibility to be about eighty miles.
We had beautiful clear skies. We could see Wild Cat Ski Resort where Lenny used to snow board while in New Hampshire on business. Tuckerman’s Ravine was also visible – Lenny climbed Tuckerman’s in the past. Good memories for him.
Water for steam engines. Waiting for a train headed for the summit.
Mt. Washington is home to the most extreme weather observatory on Earth. The only months of the year Mt Washington has not recorded a below zero temperature are June, July, August and September. The morning before we visited it was 32 degrees. The wind at the summit when we were there was 25 mph. We were on the observation deck for only a short time and the wind and cold was unbearable.
