# The mountain bike version of "Into the Wild" - Seriously



## Bearbait (Jan 14, 2004)

"How many days of food do you have?" asked the Denali National park Service backcountry permit form. Dylan gave a wry smile and wrote the number 5 in the blank, my stomach groned at the thought as I think about the 2 days packed in my frame bag. Maybe our plan is a bit ambitious, but that's how a good trip usually starts.

Our plan was to join two methods of travel, the mountain bike and the 4 lb inflatable packraft (www.alpackaraft.com) packrafts are little known to the rest of the world, but have been used for decades by Alaskan adventurers to float remote rivers and access areas without all the weight and hassle of bigger kayaks and rafts. New Alpackas are light, durable and have opened up many new backcountry travel possibilities, including far flung mountain bike routes involving rivers...

So back to the real plan, bike 56 miles of the gravel Denali park road, over Sable and Polychrome passes, then hit the Toklat River, strap our bikes to the packrafts and float it north out of the Alaska Range into the interior to the confluence of the East Fork. From there we would attempt to find the remains of the famed "Stampede trail" an old mining road blazed back in the 1930' but more recently popularized by the death of Christoper Mc Candless and the "Into the Wild" book and film. We'd take the trail and ride it back to the highway, and close the loop. 2 days, no problem, this is going to be fun!

Starting on the Denali Park Road:









Kellie at mile 50, cresting Polychrome pass, a bit of clouds and rain, but no big deal. Mt McKinley is back there somewhere&#8230;









We biked the road with a bit of urgency, we got a late 2:00 pm start and we were hoping to float the river that night. We descended Polychrome sometime around 8:00pm and hit the Toklat river which gave some fun gravel bar riding, it was nice to be off the road and heading into the unknown.









We quickly decided that rather than hassle and get wet with the boats and just get wet again, that we'd make an early camp and hit the river in the morning, we were all kinda tired anyway.

Dylan's dinner - give the man cookie dough and cheese and he'll go many hundreds of miles.









Rain all night gave way to a bluebird morning, we were stoked:









Rigging the rafts, none of us had done this before so there was a bit of trial and error involved&#8230;









Finally we hit the river, being a big braided mess there were fun sections like this but mixed in with lots of grounding out on shallow gravel bars and walking in the 34 degree glacier water. Typical packrafting really.









Passing by Mt. Sheldon, named after Alaska's famous bush pilot that pioneered glacier landings in support of mountaineering expeditions.









Down stream travel was pretty good, but since we opted to go light, we left the drysuits at home, shaking the cold that creeps in from splashing, walking and sitting in glacier river water is hard to break. And a real effort must be made to keep hypothermia at bay. Here is one of our several "get out and run" stops with thunderclouds looming&#8230;









Past more shelf ice&#8230;









We were now in the interior and had picked up several other major rivers which quickened the travel as the river grew. After 12+ hours on the river, and chilled to the bone we hit the East fork confluence, took out and quickly built a bon fire with numb limbs to warm up and dry out. fire = life..









So there we were, quite remote with lots of uncertainties of what lay ahead and pretty understimated on food, the weather was perfect however and we were all eager to get back on our bikes the next morning.
Dylan finds some shelf ice to ride (it was pretty slushy..)









One of the many, many river crossings traveling up the east fork gravel bars:









Here is when things start to get fussy, there was no sign of the stampede trail, and the map we brought didn't have much else to show, we just generally knew we needed to get off the river and contour around a ridgeline that we could barely see from the river bed. It was hard to leave the relative ease of travel on the river and dive head first into the bushwack, but that's what needed to happen. The compass came out, pedals & bar ends removed and weight transferred to backpacks for easier pushing. 









After an hour we broke out of the forrest and into a huge tussuk field, The visability was great, but pushing bikes through the million mounds of grass was Type B fun for sure.









We noticed what we thought was the Stampeede trail road bed cutting up the hillside far in the distance, so we made a b-line towards that&#8230;









Once we wre on it though it really was evident that it was built in the 1930's and not used since! Alder schwackfest!









The trail was so faint it simply disappeared at times, re-claimed by nature. We kept pushing on up the ridgeline, knowing that somewhere distant was the Sashana River, site of the bus, and it would be a decent trail from there.
Looking back at the tussock plain we left behind









The food situation was gnawing, mentally pushing through wilderness like this, going on a king size snickers all day for 12 hours and having only a cliff bar to go is tougher mentally than it is physically. After a few more hours we reached a point where we could see the Sashana River valley far in the distance. We will go there...









Having a definite landmark to march too made things a bit easier and lifted the uncertainties a bit. Hours more of pushing and sidehilling through tussocks and mosquitos brough dusk and we hit the Sashana River at about midnight. Nice when it dosent get dark isn't it?









Some of the many wolf and bear tracks we passed:









The temps dropped into the low 40's on the river and we all in go-mode but feeling the last 15+ hours of effort on very limited food. It got hard to stay warm&#8230; them Kellie stops " do you smell smoke?" the moment it came out of her mouth I smelt it too. Someone was having a campfire. A few more bends up the river and an obvious ATV trail headed straight uphill - the first sign of a real and used trail yet. A short push uphill and there it was - fire, people and the Fairbanks 142 Bus.









The warmth of the fire was rejuvenating and the other campers there gave us some rammen and granola bars. They seemed pretty amazed that we came out from the other end of the trail with bikes. We decided to just crash by the fire for the night and ride out the full length of the Stampeede trail in the morning.

It was quite Ironic, given the history about the buss and the "Into the Wild" story, that here we were, having our own adventure, out of food. It all added to the meaning of the place.
The next day was great, nice to be back riding our bikes again after rafting and pushing them all this way. The trail was better than we had expected, sometimes at least:

















Reaching the Teklanika River, a big one, this is the river that McCandless could not cross when he tried to hike out to get food. I could imagine how much higher it would be later in the year when the glaciers are melting.









The bikes were holding up pretty good given the abuse, until this, it was on the spindle for me for the final 25 miles.









What the hell is that?








A few hours later we were back in tourist land at the Denali park entrance mowing down burittos and ice cream..

Lots more to tell, incredible trip! with two bonus days!




Untitled from Eric Parsons on Vimeo.


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## langford (May 7, 2004)

Awesome!!!!!


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## ahathaway (May 1, 2008)

Amazing! That was one epic Epic.


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## Brian06 (Jul 12, 2006)

absolutely inspirational trip... was that the same bus that McCandless stayed in?


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## Anchorless (May 15, 2008)

Holy s--t, dude.

 

This is seriously the most amazing thing I've seen. I am in pure envy right now.


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## grungePoodle (Jul 3, 2007)

WOW!!!!! Absolutely incredible what y'all did. Dang. Rigid singlespeed no less. That is 400% coolness. You need to have that printed into a coffee table book.

I've read that book 3 times, long before the movie came out. Pretty cool to see it done with bikes. And to see it photographed, since no photos of McCandless and his journey were ever published, except a few self portraits.

Thanks for sharing.


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## chuky (Apr 3, 2005)

Y'all weren't exactly flying 3 mistakes high, but it looks like fun was had. Nice route - that is how I would want to see Alaska.


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## vitale232 (Jun 13, 2007)

Just wow.


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## mikesee (Aug 25, 2003)

Classic adventure Eric. LOL on the 'what's that' pic and expressions.

You never responded to my suggestion about a certain island circumnav. I'm waiting...

MC


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## crisillo (Jul 3, 2004)

wow...super Epic!

thanks for sharing...awesome landscape and pics! :thumbsup:


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## Bikinfoolferlife (Feb 3, 2004)

Crazy! Congratulations and thanks for the report and pics!


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## alizbee (Aug 25, 2005)

Just.... Wow! Amazing ambition, and an incredible adventure.

Those little rafts just sent my mind down the Colorado and some possibilities here.


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## Jaydude (Apr 1, 2006)

*I love It*

Talk about the true spirit of adventure.

Just when I think I have seen it all....... Go figure oars strapped to an MTB!


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## O3EP (Jul 11, 2007)

Wicked. That's a true adventure. Great photos!


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## mikedeber (May 10, 2006)

That's great, congrats and thanks for posting!


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## Enduroblood (Nov 13, 2007)

Wow. That is awesome guys. Really really awesome, I am extremely jealous.


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## crager34 (Feb 23, 2005)

If anyone wants to know the meaning of EPIC.... they will after reading this.

Thanks for sharing.


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## nico2me (Feb 9, 2007)

That just redefined the word " epic ". Thanks.


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## T_E (Jan 8, 2008)

'Into the Wild' it is.Really cool.


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## cartographer (Jun 20, 2006)

Thanks for sharing your adventure.


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## anthony.delorenzo (Aug 17, 2006)

Wow... That is totally awesome. That bushwhack is unbelievable.


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## JeffSpicoli (Jan 8, 2008)

"Epic" is an understatement......Inspirational and truly a journey to remember. Good stuff!!


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## aword4you (Jul 25, 2005)

Awesome RR!! Always enjoy yours. Thanks for sharing the words and photos.


For those that enjoyed this RR, check out his story from Bolivia! I think it was recently printed in... Dirt Rag? as well.


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## Krein (Jul 3, 2004)

Eric,

Love it! You've taken things to another level, opening up possibilities for traveling by/with bikes. I'm intrigued, floored by the adventure of this trip and in awe.

Pretty gutsy to try the first bike-packraft on an unknown route and with unknown trail conditions ahead.

Thanks for sharing the story and pics. Made for a great read!


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## gustavej (May 3, 2008)

Wow, nice adventure, nice writeup and photos!

It's pretty neat to see the bus, if not a little bit eerie.


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## Gatorback (Oct 9, 2007)

I consider myself pretty damn adventurous, but that trip puts you beyond me on the adventure scale. Congratulations on a great trip.


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## ionsmuse (Jul 14, 2005)

Any gear-geekage you might be inclined to share would I'm sure be appreciated. 

Thanks again.


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## mtnbkrid (Jan 30, 2004)

That is an amazing trip. How many grizzlies did you see? I can not imagine hike a bike through the tussocks. I fought wildfire up in Alaska years ago, and can appreciate the effort you guys went through. Good job, and thanks for the write up.


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## Bearbait (Jan 14, 2004)

We all had different bike setups, 2 rigid karate monkeys, Dylan's singlespeed with just a cassette, mine had gears. I used the frame and seat bags I make and sell, Dylan opted to strap have stuff on his handle bars or pack, Kellie did both with a seatpost rack since her paddle is a 2 section not a 4 section. For the push we all had most of the gear on our backpacks...
Shelter an old BD megamid, its outdated weight wise but what I have.
Kellie brought a jetboil and one canister
Dryer lint mixed with vaselene for firestarter.
neoprene socks or sealskins for the feet.
butter.
photocopy from the state gazateer map..

what else?

no real wildlife, though hundreds of big bear and wolf prints
some caribou at the beginning though.

yes the Tussocks of 08' we were calling it. 1 mile per hour if you're lucky.


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## thebigred67 (Mar 29, 2005)

Mt McKinley is named after one of my relatives. That sounds like a great trip!!!


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## Three Phase (May 15, 2006)

Thats pretty cool, looks like you had a real memorable time.... but please tell me you didnt burn all your money, id, ss card, etc..


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## HotBlack (Feb 9, 2008)

Hot damn and hallelujah. 

Gorgeous.


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## Hollis (Dec 19, 2003)

wow...uh...wow


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## Bula (Sep 20, 2004)

*What they said*

Ditto for all the accolades. But admit it - you guys are certifiable ... and for all of us reading, that's a good thing. :thumbsup:


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## 40hills (Apr 24, 2006)

You have got to be kidding me... the coincidence of this post is amazing. I watched that movie for the first time EVER the past 2 nights... and I NEVER watch movies more than once. I liked it so much I ordered the book (and soundtrack) today. And here you are posting this thread. Freaking amazing.

I really felt bad for McCandless. What evidence of him was left in the bus? Anything? Did he carve stuff in the wood like in the movie?

Finally, how the heck (and when) did that bus get there??


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## The Understater (May 6, 2007)

40hills said:


> I really felt bad for McCandless. What evidence of him was left in the bus? Anything? Did he carve stuff in the wood like in the movie?


As I recall from the book (read it about 10 years ago), he wrote "Jack London is God" or something very similar in the bus. I'd love to know if that was correct... and still there.
The book was fantastic. John Krakauer had some pretty hairy adventures himself, and relates them in the book.

b.


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## Camshaft213 (Feb 16, 2008)

holy shiiiiiiiiiit. unbelievable. threads like this make me feel like a 3 year old that hasnt even learned to ride a bike yet.


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## Hip (Feb 11, 2008)

Amazing adventure. Thanks for sharing!!!!!!


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## JeffSkisMontana (Sep 7, 2003)

*errrrr..........Mega Epic......*

What a great story and challenge. Nice going. Your crew is hardcore. Inspiring me to push it a bit harder. Thanks for sharing the adventure. Ride On!


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## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

Now that's an adventure! Really cool way to have your own epic adventure in that same area.


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## Bearbait (Jan 14, 2004)

yes the bus itself has a bit of a mystical air to it, felt strange to be inside it for sure. There was a guest book of sorts that was left there many years ago and has some pretty powerful writing in it on how Chris's story had an impact on people that made the pilgramage to visit the site. Like McCandless's family, Krakauer and many others. I didnt linger too long so cant comment on the wood carvings and such.

The buss was towed in on a skid by some Yutan company in the 60's to serve as a shelter of sorts to activity in the area, two other busses were brought in as well but I don't know if they are still out there or not.

I still need to see the movie too...


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## daveIT (Jan 6, 2004)

Sweetness. I love reading about your adventures and seeing your pics / slideshows. Keep it up Eric!


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## Nat (Dec 30, 2003)

Wow...no, WOW!

I'm thoroughly amazed. And kind of terrified even.


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## CEB (Mar 17, 2005)

Krazy Kool...... No room for a spin fishing rod, a couple of Mepps and Roostertails, a quick protein break with the big fire? Then again, there may not be fish anywhere........

.......o.k., back to reality.


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## rippling over canyons (Jun 11, 2004)

Passion at its finest! Thanks for sharing your adventure with us.


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## Nut! (Nov 2, 2007)

That's just truly incredible.


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## azepicriderandrunner (Feb 8, 2008)

I am speechless.


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## hollisimo (Jul 25, 2006)

Great stuff there. Have read the book twice but have never seen photos, thanks for that too. Glad you all made it home in one piece.


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## Ze_Zaskar (Jan 3, 2008)

Best report ever here on Mtbr


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## Gatorback (Oct 9, 2007)

40hills said:


> I really felt bad for McCandless. What evidence of him was left in the bus? Anything? Did he carve stuff in the wood like in the movie?


I thought he carved "Alex Supertramp" and some other stuff as well, as least according to my memory of Krakauer's book (which is non-fiction and an attempt at an accurate historical account). Maybe the other stuff was just in his journal?


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## Redmon (Jan 12, 2004)

Have to agree with what everyone else said. I just dont have the guts to do something like that but its still awesome to live the tale through someone elses experiences. By the way, I rented and watched the movie tonight>>>>>>>>AWESOME!


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## mbmb65 (Jan 13, 2004)

Great trip, story, and pictures!


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## Rev Bubba (Jan 16, 2004)

*Thanks*

I can't add much to what has already been said other than to express my thanks for sharing this with all of us.


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## sodak (Oct 10, 2006)

Amazing story and pics! Truley EPIC.


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## jjrowley (Jun 5, 2008)

Bill and Ted's excellent journey has nothing on this!


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## nachomc (Apr 26, 2006)

This is awesome. Nice thread!


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## Haroow (Mar 10, 2004)

Tougher in Alaska for sure.. Excellent write up and Pics.. I always wondered if excessive daylight causes craziness... :thumbsup:


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## Alumni (Mar 2, 2007)

Amazing, inspirational, heart stopping, gut wrenching.

Thank you thank you thank you for sharing.

Have read the book and seen the movie twice adding your story and pictures to the collection of memories.

AWESOME!


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## carbuncle (Dec 9, 2005)

Great write-up, there's a kind of biking that I rarely consider. Nice shots of the countryside, too! Brings back memories of many backpacking adventures over the years.


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## extrmtao (Mar 27, 2006)

Very nice, I hope you called everything by its right name.


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## Bearbait (Jan 14, 2004)

video clip posted


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## sean salach (Sep 15, 2007)

Bearbait said:


> video clip posted


psst- make it a public video.


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## Exodus11 (Aug 21, 2007)

wow!


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## Lev (Oct 12, 2004)

Biker Supertramps  Sick!!!!!!!


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## teleken (Jul 22, 2005)

WOW! You freakin' Alaskans are freakin' tough.


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## jet9n8 (May 1, 2008)

We need a new forum category for these people.....maybe...."psychotic"...ha. That was amazing! You people are quite the adventurers. Is there any other way to get to the bus other than that if you just have a bike and boat? Wow!


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## crakkillsdaily (Apr 10, 2008)

DAMN!!!!!!!! that is awsome you guy are really stupid, and must be carrying some brass. that was the coolest thing i've ever seen in my life i want to do it


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## Kellie (Jun 12, 2008)

It turned out to be a pretty sweet trip really . . . lots of unknowns, but it's amazing where 2 wheels and a boat can take you. If I had to do it over again, I don't think I'd do the XC day in bike shoes though :nono:

Here's a few more pics . . .

A nicely packed bike  









Bearbait on the road









Scenic road heading toward Polychrome Pass









Packing . . . wtf?









Ready to see how the packrafting would go :mrgreen: 









I guess the scenery was okay


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## 69erSycip (May 5, 2008)

Bearbait said:


> video clip posted


When I get up there, you are not taking me on any trips that end up with no food. I will eat you first even if I am a vegetarian.

Respond to my email beyotch

Colin


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## cteampride (Jan 19, 2008)

That is incredible. A true inspiration to new and experienced riders alike. Its nice to see someone really take on adventure on a scale like this - thats what its all about. The history in the area adds to it. 

Great documentary. Those pictures are top notch. You could turn that into an article for magazines or something. :thumbsup:


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## LeeL (Jan 12, 2004)

kellie - bearbait. How do you handle traffic through grizzly habitat? I've usually had bearspray in a handlebar bag and bangers. What works for you?


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## tamen00 (Mar 10, 2004)

Freaking fantasic write up and adventure!!!


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## Mike T. (Dec 30, 2003)

Awesome picture story guys. I've followed the story of McCandless for years ever since mtbr poster AK Ken (mid Alaska, near Denali NP and his wife works in the park) put me on to the Krakauer book. I've traced the bus location on my AK topo map and Google Earth.

Then the move "Into the Wild" came out recently and of course I had to see that, although I knew it was a sensationalized version of the truth - whatever that is. The movie was ok though (if not a bit long) and Eddie Vedder's music was great. The CD plays in my car.

Of course you guys got to the bus the hard way! Don't ya know that Alaska is merciless on those who make the slightest mistake?  McCandless found that out too.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_McCandless


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## Ka_Jun (Oct 1, 2007)

Dang...*clapping* that looks like a whole lot of fun!


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## crazylax42 (Jan 17, 2007)

my name is envy...


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## rockcrusher (Aug 28, 2003)

well done. I say well done!


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## jckid (Dec 13, 2006)

I'm totally inspired now! I happen to have an Alpacka raft myself, and I've always wanted to go to Alaska. Someday I'd like to have an adventure like that! :thumbsup:


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## Redmon (Jan 12, 2004)

Thought I would post this link to an article I read after watching Into The Wild.http://208.109.242.142/archives/archives/documentb965.html Glad you guys made your way through your journey safely.


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## MrMountainHop (Oct 20, 2005)

Incredible. Wow.

That's a good article, too (from the previous post).


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## su.ling~ (May 23, 2006)

Crazy, yet oh so awesome! Love it!


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## nagatahawk (Jun 20, 2007)

kellie, please contact national geo or any one of the mt. bike or adventure magezines to have your story and pics published!! 

I thought my 4 hour ride, after i took the wrong turn, was epic. My usual 1hr ride locally in SoCal turned into a DDD black diamond push the bike adventure. I consumed 100 oz water. I thought that was scarey. "I am not worthy!" heh!


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## Boon Fly (Mar 3, 2004)

*Hard Core*

That is the essence of hard core - really, really impressive. You will never forget that trip, what an epic. :thumbsup:


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## commutergrl (Sep 3, 2007)

amaaazing! 

You should post it on advrider.com (adventure rider). I can't think of a bigger adventure.

c


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## LeeL (Jan 12, 2004)

advrider.com is a motorcycle forum - what relevance is that?


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## jkkfam89 (Jan 2, 2007)

Now I know what I will do on my 2 week vacation next year, great job


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## yoyoma (Mar 13, 2004)

Awesome! I remember when there was a story in Bike Magazine many years ago (shortly after the I read 'Into the Wild') about a very similar trip. These guys only had truck inner tubes for floatation and used their bikes as the frame to hold them together. I recall they had a really non-PC caption on the photo of the bus, something like "Alaskan Jenny Craig Center" or something.... Props!


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## Bearbait (Jan 14, 2004)

What those guys did in the bike mag article was awesome, they really suffered. Their inner tube rafts exploded and they bushwacked for days with their bikes. classic.
Dylan had a copy of it on the drive up but I didnt read it before hand because I didnt want to scare myself.


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## icegeek (Feb 16, 2004)

OK, I'll say it too: wow. And thanks.


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## washedup (Jan 2, 2006)

I would like to think of myself as "adventurous" but after reading this post, everything I have done is child's play. Possibly the best post ever on MTBR. I been caught up in some hairy situations concerning food and weather and it can be hard to keep it together mentally. On one such night, low on food and still pedalling at eleven at night in the dark, one dude lost it and and began screaming that he was going slit our throats. We laughed and kept a few feet away from him. This has to be entire new level of mental suffering being so far out. Congrats on a great adventure and I enjoyed the photos and write up. Keep up the good work.


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## GreenBonty (Feb 11, 2004)

Amazing trip


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## ionsmuse (Jul 14, 2005)

washedup said:


> . On one such night, low on food and still pedalling at eleven at night in the dark, one dude lost it and and began screaming that he was going slit our throats. We laughed and kept a few feet away from him. This has to be entire new level of mental suffering being so far out.




Classic.


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## Ska (Jan 12, 2004)

I just woke up, got out of bed and read that. All I want to do now is go back to sleep after I have something to eat! 

Awesome read! I felt like I was there with you guys. Thanks for that.

Ska! (off to get something to eat)


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## bstiff (Jul 21, 2004)

Outstanding.


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## Ska (Jan 12, 2004)

oh yeah I just remembered!

Congrats too on getting your _salty_ write-up added to the latest issue of Dirt Rag. That's too cool. I would die if anything I wrote got printed like that. Epic stuff, man.

Thanks again for taking the time to post these threads. They're always way rad.

Photo from bearbait's other epic adventure thread.


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## Gumshoe (May 1, 2008)

My hat is off to you...amazing.


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## and_woox (Mar 13, 2007)

Beautiful scenary.


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## jasevr4 (Feb 23, 2005)

Incredible. I wish I was capable of taking something like this on. Congratulations!


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## YOUR HONOR (Jan 30, 2004)

awesome...


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## scralatchtica824 (May 6, 2008)

awesome haha. really ironic you found that bus just like in the movie


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## cr45h (Jan 13, 2007)

epic


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## Andy Bloot (Jun 16, 2008)

Your awesome epic has wound up on a little mountain bike site on the other side of the world.
We are the NoBMoB from the Northern beaches of Sydney Australia :thumbsup: 
You have plenty of fans over here now. Bloody great journey. :thumbsup: :thumbsup:


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## c0b2a (Jun 15, 2008)

that sounds like a blast


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## rkj__ (Feb 29, 2004)

This post is just dripping with passion. Thank you for your contribution.


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## DIRTJUNKIE (Oct 18, 2000)

What an incredible adventure and one that I am certainly jealous of. Did you happen upon any warning signs like this? They would have been posted at some of the trail heads.

*This warning coming from several recent fatalities in our national parks.

Warning:
The National Park Rangers are advising hiker's & biker's in Glacier National Park and other Rocky Mountain parks to be alert for bears and take extra precautions to avoid an encounter.
They advise park visitors to wear little bells on their clothes so they make noise when hiking & biking. The bell noise allows bears to hear them coming from a distance and not be startled by a hiker or biker accidentally sneaking up on them. This might cause a bear to charge.
Visitors should also carry a pepper spray can just in case a bear is encountered. Spraying the pepper into the air will irritate the bear's sensitive nose and it will run away.
It is also a good idea to keep an eye out for fresh bear scat [droppings] so you have an idea if bears are in the area. People should be able to recognize the difference between black bear and grizzly bear scat.
Black bear droppings are smaller and often contain berries, leaves, and possibly bits of fur. Grizzly bear droppings tend to contain small bells, bike parts and smell like pepper.*


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## Kellie (Jun 12, 2008)

DIRTJUNKIE said:


> What an incredible adventure and one that I am certainly jealous of. Did you happen upon any warning signs like this? They would have been posted at some of the trail heads.
> 
> *This warning coming from several recent fatalities in our national parks.
> 
> ...


Denali NP makes you watch a video and listen to lecture prior to obtaining a backcountry permit. They discuss bear safety in that process. Bear attacks in Denali are rare, however . . . I think they are more common in Glacier/Yosemite where human interaction is more common. We did carry pepper spray and called out when in brushy areas. Much of our travel, however, was in open terrain where startling a bear is much less likely. We also had a bear canister for our food.


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## gustavej (May 3, 2008)

You know... I read the posting, checked out the profile, and something clicked when I saw the profile photo. I thought to myself, "that photo looks like something I'd read recently in a Dirt Rag mag article." I navigated the link in the signature and noticed right away another familiar photo.

Indeed, it seems to be so.  Dirt Rag issue #135, "Feeling Salty" article. I enjoyed that as well. Good stuff!


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## brado1 (Oct 5, 2004)

Awesome! great post! thanks for sharing


surprised hasn't been moved to the Vacation Forum


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## TxTrekRider (Jun 15, 2008)

Great Story, 
After reading this I think like most of us it stirs up that adventurous spirit deep inside of us that many of us have repressed as we settle into a daily routine of our "grown up life".
While your trip to you guys may be just another adventure I hope that i can find the courage if you will to truly step off the beaten path and make a lasting memory and create a wonderful story that will inspire others as I tell it like you did.

Thanks


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## ebxtreme (Jan 6, 2004)

*Wow!!!!*

Killer adventure and an incredible post. Those rafts are way cool.

Many thanks......

Cheers,
EB


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## DIRTJUNKIE (Oct 18, 2000)

*
Warning:
The National Park Rangers are advising hiker's & biker's in Glacier National Park and other Rocky Mountain parks to be alert for bears and take extra precautions to avoid an encounter.
They advise park visitors to wear little bells on their clothes so they make noise when hiking & biking. The bell noise allows bears to hear them coming from a distance and not be startled by a hiker or biker accidentally sneaking up on them. This might cause a bear to charge.
Visitors should also carry a pepper spray can just in case a bear is encountered. Spraying the pepper into the air will irritate the bear's sensitive nose and it will run away.
It is also a good idea to keep an eye out for fresh bear scat [droppings] so you have an idea if bears are in the area. People should be able to recognize the difference between black bear and grizzly bear scat.
Black bear droppings are smaller and often contain berries, leaves, and possibly bits of fur. Grizzly bear droppings tend to contain small bells, bike parts and smell like pepper*



Kellie said:


> Denali NP makes you watch a video and listen to lecture prior to obtaining a backcountry permit. They discuss bear safety in that process. Bear attacks in Denali are rare, however . . . I think they are more common in Glacier/Yosemite where human interaction is more common. We did carry pepper spray and called out when in brushy areas. Much of our travel, however, was in open terrain where startling a bear is much less likely. We also had a bear canister for our food.


For some reason I don't think you read the *"entire warning". *Please do so, you may find that towards the end there is some information that they don't discuss in the videos you are referring to. A very helpful tool in staying safe in the wilderness is learning to read "scat".


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## Kellie (Jun 12, 2008)

DIRTJUNKIE said:


> For some reason I don't think you read the *"entire warning". *Please do so, you may find that towards the end there is some information that they don't discuss in the videos you are referring to. A very helpful tool in staying safe in the wilderness is learning to read "scat".


I read the warning but interpreted your question too literally. That's the common joke . . . 
"how do you tell grizzley scat"
"it's the one with the bear bells in it"


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## Sticky Fingers (Jun 20, 2008)

That looked like a pretty epic adventure. Nice pictures. Where was all this?


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## ls1geezer (Jun 4, 2008)

WOW.......Extremly inspirational.
Thank you indeed.


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## reklar (Jan 28, 2004)

Bearbait said:


> Dylan's dinner - give the man cookie dough and cheese and he'll go many hundreds of miles.


Seriously--what is he eating there?


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## Bearbait (Jan 14, 2004)

no really, its Cookie dough 
Seriously, I'm a convert, you can pack wayyy more calories into a zip lock using cookie dough than any other food. tons of butter, oats, brown sugar is the base then go from there just leave out the eggs of course.

Just got done with an 11 day trip where we brought 20lbs of it for 3 people, you never get tired of it too, keeps you warm. If you're trying to eat 5000 calories a day there is no better way to do it! works good in alaska where it dosent get to hot and you have to worry about rancid butter.

oh and for all the bear comments, they really dont like people, just tents and therma-rests. Leave those out and you're garanteed to get them shreaded. really. more on that later.


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## happy_ending (May 1, 2007)

kick.ass.


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## bergbryce (Jul 2, 2006)

Eric man, stop making me feel like such a wuss. 
This looks amazing. Way to get after it :thumbsup:


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## Pluto Pilot (Feb 20, 2004)

Simply put, this is the coolest thing I've ever seen on mtbr.com. Really, really fine work. Thanks for the inspiration. I've been kind of floating (heh heh) this idea for October to ride the Koko Trail from Loma to Dewey Bridge, Packrafting from Dewey Bridge to Moab, ride from Moab to the 24 Hour course and then do the 24 Hours of Moab. It was always sort of a fantasy, but this shows it's possible. 

OK, time to hike up to some alpine lake and give the packraft a whirl. Got it last year up the Soggy Bottom and have not used it yet. It's time.

Thanks again.


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## PAmtbiker (Feb 2, 2005)

Wow man... wow...


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## Rubber Soul (Mar 27, 2008)

That needs to be back on top! What an amazing trip.


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## dsjc (May 14, 2007)

That's the epic level of epic - insane good ! And will probably be one of the best memories of your lives. Thanks for sharing with us.


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## nagatahawk (Jun 20, 2007)

I was so inspired by the epic adventure and following the raves of a couple of post I rented In to the Wild. Big mistake, this was a very sad story about a naive young man who because he overcame his intitial adventures thought he could conquer the Yukon. I'm sorry I rented it. I guess my lust for adventure wained after sustaining a life threatening mt. bike accident. I pass the adventure baton to everyone else here on the forum. 

I probably will have an different outlook after I heal completely and get back on the bike.


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## Colonel Flagg (Jan 7, 2006)

Effing amazing!
Post more pics!


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## Uzzi (Oct 28, 2003)

Great adventure! Great post!


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## brianthebiker (Nov 1, 2005)

Simply Beyond Epic!


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## brianthebiker (Nov 1, 2005)

How were you able to be in such a remote area, using such physical exertion with so little food? One trek I was on in Peru I went 8 hours trekking with no food and I thought I was going to pass out. Could not imagine doing that on a Clif bar and then not even being able to look forward to a meal later that night. Mentally draining.....for me at least. 

Alaskans must be made of tougher stuff.


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## parkmeister (Feb 2, 2004)

*Fairbanks 142*

Thanks for sharing your incredible adventure. You Alaskans are amazing.

I read 'Into the Wild' many years ago and resisted seeing the movie cuz you know, the books are always way better. Well I just watched the DVD from Netflix and it blew me away. Best movie I've seen in a long, long time. So then I did a search on MTBR and discovered your trip report. And now I'm at a loss for words but I echo all the previous kudos and comments. I am both humbled and inspired.

Thanks again for a wonderful trip report.

See ya,

gary

Rest In Peace Chris


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## 2WD (Mar 11, 2007)

.......wow.......


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## Phil306 (Jun 4, 2008)

That looks like a awe inspiring experience.
Thanks for the photos.


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## roadfix (Oct 7, 2008)

Excellent!


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## Fat Bob (Mar 5, 2004)

parkmeister said:


> Thanks for sharing your incredible adventure. You Alaskans are amazing.
> 
> I read 'Into the Wild' many years ago and resisted seeing the movie cuz you know, the books are always way better. Well I just watched the DVD from Netflix and it blew me away. Best movie I've seen in a long, long time. So then I did a search on MTBR and discovered your trip report. And now I'm at a loss for words but I echo all the previous kudos and comments. I am both humbled and inspired.
> 
> ...


I went to school with his sister, such a sad loss for the family, so easily could have been avoided.


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## bmxer72 (May 20, 2006)

Omg :crazy:


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## GoGoGordo (Jul 16, 2006)

*****IN!!!!!!
I'm sooooooo jealous. :thumbsup:


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## Jessep (Dec 1, 2004)

thanks


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## 2DMaxLST (Oct 25, 2008)

Ok I scanned the first few post, awesome pics, are you for real?? Is that the bus from the movie??


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## C. Alshus (Jun 29, 2004)

Wow! Thanks for sharing.:thumbsup:


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## retro-newb (Aug 20, 2008)

i dont even deserve to post on this thead...trying to come up with words ugg 

you three are amazing ill stop at wow and thanks for sharing.


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## CraigCreekRider (Apr 12, 2007)

Wow. What a great adventure. Thanks for sharing!


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## velocipus (Apr 27, 2005)

inspiring, amazing, ballsy, just effin' WOW!
I'm ordering a packraft today!


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## HotBlack (Feb 9, 2008)

Great to see this thread again. This one just doesn't seem to get old no matter how many times I see it. Nice videos on vimeo too, guys.


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## sean salach (Sep 15, 2007)

the trip eric and dylan took after this one is even better:

http://lostcoastbike.blogspot.com/


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## Funrover (Oct 4, 2006)

HELL YEAH........ FRIGGEN SWEET..... I am totally amazed when I see this... WAY TO GO!!!


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## islander (Jan 21, 2004)

*thanks for sharing*

thanks for telling it like it is. No sugar coating, just stubborness, a big push and rewarding landscapes. I bet those burritos were the best ever...

Look forward to hearing and seeing more of the same here in Passion!


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## bman23525 (May 1, 2007)

i think the word here is epic.


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## ionsmuse (Jul 14, 2005)

Bump.


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## meltingfeather (May 3, 2007)

wow :thumbsup:


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## Clay (Jun 8, 2005)

Floating with bikes to get from point A to point B brings whole new meaning to the term "shuttle."

Great adventure!


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## Maadjurguer (Mar 22, 2008)

Thanks for the share.....I've really been thinking of the alpaca's combined with the bike for some great loops here in my own state.


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## washedup (Jan 2, 2006)

ionsmuse said:


> Bump.


good call


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## ionsmuse (Jul 14, 2005)

Maadjurguer said:


> Thanks for the share.....I've really been thinking of the alpaca's combined with the bike for some great loops here in my own state.


Get one. They're at least as cool as mountain bikes and BC skis.


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## matthewalan8 (Jun 25, 2010)

Amazing epic.

On a sad note...this was just reported 11 hours ago...

Swiss woman drowns near 'Into the Wild' site


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## dynamitedread (Nov 29, 2009)

Fantastic stuff. I'm only just getting into the adventure /bikepacking thing. Anyone intrested in this sort of stuff should check out bikepacking.net .
Me and my mate Steve are setting off on are next trip in couple of weeks.We'll be heading to South Australia for some desert riding,mmm sand. We have to carry at least 10lt(338 oz i think) of water each.Still were not in you league yet. Great reading hope you update some more of your adventures. Be lucky


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## Mike Aswell (Sep 1, 2009)

Amazing. :thumbsup:


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## rlb81 (Aug 18, 2008)

Redmon said:


> Thought I would post this link to an article I read after watching Into The Wild.http://208.109.242.142/archives/archives/documentb965.html Glad you guys made your way through your journey safely.


Anyone know what this article is? The link is dead.

Pretty cool write up and awesome trip!


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## CWPspeed3 (Aug 13, 2010)

great pictures and just wow, thats one hell of a trip


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## crux (Jan 10, 2004)

Started reading this thread then noticed the date. Thanks for dusting it off. It was a good read and the photos are alright as well I guess.


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## Funrover (Oct 4, 2006)

WOW!!! This is just plain awesome, thank you so much for this.


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## JEM2 (Feb 25, 2010)

thats it!! close the forum!... nothing will top that! you guys are NUTS!! congrats.
JEM


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## lidarman (Jan 12, 2004)

Totally amazing.

This is the most amazing thing I have read on here since I have_ read_ on here.

It's inspiring...and crazy in one thought.


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## split.therapy (Apr 27, 2008)

WOW! BRAVO! Congratulations, that was a truly epic adventure.


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## singlesprocket (Jun 9, 2004)

nice! those pack rafts are cool. can anyone recomewnd a seller?


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## NashVis (Jun 19, 2009)

Shut down MTBR.com. There is no need to continue posting anything after this epic thread. We have a clear winner here.


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## ionsmuse (Jul 14, 2005)

singlesprocket said:


> nice! those pack rafts are cool. can anyone recomewnd a seller?


alpackaraft.com


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## radiocraig (May 28, 2010)

NashVis said:


> Shut down MTBR.com. There is no need to continue posting anything after this epic thread. We have a clear winner here.


+1

that looks amazing and i hope someday to have half the adventure you all did. thank you for sharing


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## GregB406 (Dec 19, 2005)

I agree with what everyone else has said. Fantastic adventure.

Something bugs me though. From the looks of the pictures, everyones feet must have been soaking wet the entire time. Can anyone shed any light on this?


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## nickav21 (Dec 25, 2009)

holy cow, i really shouldn't have seen this thread. i could literally quit my job right now and do that. baaaaad temptations.....


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## ionsmuse (Jul 14, 2005)

Wet feet really aren't a big deal. Wear light neoprene socks and keep moving (and wear dry socks to bed) and you're all set.

C'mon people, it's a crime against the world that this thread has fewer views than the shallow and misogynistic "hot biker chicks" thread.


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## BlackCanoeDog (Jul 26, 2003)

ionsmuse said:


> Wet feet really aren't a big deal. Wear light neoprene socks and keep moving (and wear dry socks to bed) and you're all set.
> 
> C'mon people, it's a crime against the world that this thread has fewer views than the shallow and misogynistic "hot biker chicks" thread.


Nice to see this thread again! Actually this thread is running neck to neck with a thread on E. Canada forum about somebody paying $0.50 for zipties!!! ATM, 'zipties' thread is 4 pages and ahead by one!!


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## byknuts (Aug 9, 2008)

ionsmuse said:


> C'mon people, it's a crime against the world that this thread has fewer views than the shallow and misogynistic "hot biker chicks" thread.


this thread's been completely unnnoticed for 23 months until 4 days ago.
considering that, I think it's view quota is doing luvverly!

:thumbsup: 
relax, read through again, enjoy...


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## WTF-IDK (Feb 23, 2009)

:eekster: Wow


That looks fun.


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## griplimited (Feb 19, 2010)

Amazing! Absolutely love it.

Not trying to sound cliche, but Into the Wild was an eye opener for me beyond the scope of cities.


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## jibmaster (Sep 28, 2006)

SWEET! Why didn't I notice this thread before?
That is one huge jib - in more ways than one... 
Nice job!


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## motobutane (Sep 23, 2008)

It was good to see this thread bumped back up.I remember reading this right after I joined MTBR and I thought WOW....is this what we are gonna do?


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## pointerDixie214 (Feb 10, 2009)

Awesome. That's all I got.


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## Rod (Oct 17, 2007)

Alumni said:


> Amazing, inspirational, heart stopping, gut wrenching.
> 
> Thank you thank you thank you for sharing.
> 
> ...


I couldn't have said it better. Thanks a lot for sharing. I had no idea those rafts existed.


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## kingbozo (Jan 31, 2004)

Wow, just wow. Looks like you exceeded your photobucket bandwidth limit-the first batch of pictures aren't showing anymore.


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## spitfire (Jul 20, 2004)

I can't view the photos for some reason.


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## Bearbait (Jan 14, 2004)

GregB406 said:


> I agree with what everyone else has said. Fantastic adventure.
> 
> Something bugs me though. From the looks of the pictures, everyones feet must have been soaking wet the entire time. Can anyone shed any light on this?


yes that's correct, they were. 
thanks for all the comments everyone. This feels like a long time ago now.


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## rydbyk (Oct 13, 2009)

*just when i though i was special*

for snow camping one night in my car, you all had to go and do that. wtf. no really...that was fricken awesome. props to you all and thanks!:thumbsup:

inspiring to say the least. i always thought it would be neat to visit that bus... i hear there are other buses just like it along that span. is that true?


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## rockerc (Nov 22, 2010)

Just saw this. Fantastic. When I was looking over the pictures and description, I could sense that a great deal more was not said. We can only imagine the true story of the depths of reserve being called upon to get through this. Thank the Stars we are reading about a successful trip, and not another tragedy in a newspaper or in the news. 
Thank you for the inspiration. Without pushing limits there is little progression.


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## rushman3 (Jan 24, 2009)

Only in Alaska, is a trip like yours something that people just do. Like it was a regular every day adventure..very cool.

Man, I miss living and exploring in Alaska


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## Aaron D (Dec 14, 2005)

truly awesome !

:thumbsup:


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## watkinscapital (Sep 14, 2010)

Thank you for the post! It was good to venture out for a bit. Awesome adventure!


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## XCR STU (Jan 17, 2010)

wow what an amazing trip. i would never do it, due to time, age ,cost. but dam glad to watch you 3 do it. freaking amazing and this is what mtbing is all about.


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## thorkild (Jul 22, 2008)

Glad to see this thread back up top! Very cool trip guys. I helped develop the original Alpacka Raft and am still a part owner in the business, so its great to see the boats getting publicity over here. Check out the surly website and you should be able to find some very cool trips on the SE Alaska coast using pugsleys and alpackas. We've got a lot on our plate right now, but we may try to work to work on some bike specific modifications to the boats in the future.


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## keke (Jul 21, 2008)

This is LEGEN (wait for it) DAAARYYY!!!


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## GDubT (Apr 13, 2010)

Awesome!! That kicks ass!


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## Arby (Sep 2, 2004)

Hell yeah!


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## BetterRide (Apr 6, 2004)

Incredible adventure! Thanks for taking the time to share.


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## ionsmuse (Jul 14, 2005)

Good reading on a crappy, rainy winter day.


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## DFYFZX (Jun 19, 2009)

Bearbait said:


> "How many days of food do you have?" asked the Denali National park Service backcountry permit form. Dylan gave a wry smile and wrote the number 5 in the blank, my stomach groned at the thought as I think about the 2 days packed in my frame bag. Maybe our plan is a bit ambitious, but that's how a good trip usually starts.
> 
> Our plan was to join two methods of travel, the mountain bike and the 4 lb inflatable packraft (www.alpackaraft.com) packrafts are little known to the rest of the world, but have been used for decades by Alaskan adventurers to float remote rivers and access areas without all the weight and hassle of bigger kayaks and rafts. New Alpackas are light, durable and have opened up many new backcountry travel possibilities, including far flung mountain bike routes involving rivers...
> 
> ...


You, sir, know how to properly hijack a thread:thumbsup: Seriously cool trip!


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## gord962 (Aug 11, 2007)

I somehow have missed this thread iin all my time on MTBR. Serious epic adventure. Congrats!


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## bnelson (Jan 25, 2004)

wow


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## bionicman (Nov 6, 2009)

ice thanks for sharing!


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## ionsmuse (Jul 14, 2005)

DFYFZX said:


> You, sir, know how to properly hijack a thread


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## Aminnow (Jun 22, 2010)

I just sent a link of this thread to a guy who did this mtb trip(or very simlar to this), 
and even stayed in the bus, also out of food by then, 
but he did it the year before the McCandless tragedy. Maybe he will enter into the talk.

Great job guys, you have my respect.


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## Mountain Cycle Shawn (Jan 19, 2004)

Do you know how many miles the whole trip was?


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## Neily03 (Feb 27, 2010)

Awesome! Thanks for sharing!


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## spclays1 (Sep 15, 2009)

Fan Freakin' Tastic !!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## rob.char (Oct 5, 2008)

The Ultimate Biking Adventure, pretty darn sick if you ask me.


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## thorkild (Jul 22, 2008)

Mountain Cycle Shawn said:


> Do you know how many miles the whole trip was?


Very rough estimate: From park headquarters, the Toklat River bridge is around mile 60 on dirt roads so easy riding to there. Down the Toklat River to head back east towards the bus is probably 20 miles or so and its anywhere from 12 to 35 miles from the bus back out depending on how far you want to ride on the stampede road before meeting your pick up. Also, off-trail/road mileage in Alaska is a whole different animal. As a rule of thumb, I tell hikers from the lower 48 to expect to cover 60% of the mileage that they would cover on an established trail down south.


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## Guest (Dec 27, 2012)

...envy oversized!!!!


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## pentlandexile (Jan 4, 2013)

Great thread, this inspired me to watch the film for the first time this week. Equal parts inspirational and sad. Thanks for posting.


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## oldbroad (Mar 19, 2004)

Every time this thread pops up, I re-read the op and watch the video - it's such a great adventure. 



.


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## Skoezie (Apr 11, 2006)

Awesome, truly awesome!


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## AlaskaStinson (Jun 3, 2012)

Nice! This is right in my back yard. 
I rode out to the bus last summer.

I can sympathize with the alders and muskeg!

Duncan
Fairbanks AK


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## bingemtbr (Apr 1, 2004)

‘Into the Wild’ Bus, Seen as a Danger, Is Airlifted From the Alaskan Wild (Published 2020)


The Alaska Army National Guard transported the bus to a “secure site” after two hikers have died and at least 15 have had to be rescued while trying to reach the bus in the remote Alaskan wilderness.




www.nytimes.com





The bus is gone.


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## mikesee (Aug 25, 2003)

bingemtbr said:


> ‘Into the Wild’ Bus, Seen as a Danger, Is Airlifted From the Alaskan Wild (Published 2020)
> 
> 
> The Alaska Army National Guard transported the bus to a “secure site” after two hikers have died and at least 15 have had to be rescued while trying to reach the bus in the remote Alaskan wilderness.
> ...




As it should be.


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## Trinimon (Aug 6, 2019)

WOW! That's one heck of a bikepacking trip.


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## Scott O (Aug 5, 2004)

Wut!?!?! Bring back the bus! This is bullshit. It became part of the landscape.


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## mtnbkrmike (Mar 26, 2015)

Missed my window. Dammit.


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## hdave (Feb 9, 2005)

WOW that is one hellofa story man.


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## oldSchoolDave (5 mo ago)

yoyoma said:


> Awesome! I remember when there was a story in Bike Magazine many years ago (shortly after the I read 'Into the Wild') about a very similar trip. These guys only had truck inner tubes for floatation and used their bikes as the frame to hold them together. I recall they had a really non-PC caption on the photo of the bus, something like "Alaskan Jenny Craig Center" or something.... Props!


Good memory! That was my adventure. WonderLake, Kantishna hills, to Stampede trail. 








Denali - Stampede trail (the hard way) 1992


10 new items added to shared album




photos.app.goo.gl


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