Preface/Disclaimer: I’m writing this from recollections of over a week ago, and some events are not well-recalled, or may be out of sequence, and names may be incorrect. I hope to add photos later, but I'm traveling and don't have the means to easily do so.
Day 1 - Valdez to Delta Junction
The ride started promptly from Valdez at 11:59pm, and headed up along a river at an enthusiastic pace. Everyone was raring to go, as we’d had a day and a half to kick around, and we were there to ride! It was strange to ride at that time, as there was more light in the sky than one is accustomed to living in California. Outlines of clouds and the silhouettes of the mountains could easily be made out, all “night” long, in fact. We went by some beautiful waterfalls, and began climbing about 20 miles out. The grade wasn’t too steep, 6-8%, but it was long (8 miles?), and it got pretty windy and a bit wet near the top, and on the descent. We got to the first control around 0230, and I was glad to have fenders. At this point, Deb Banks and I rode together, keeping the pace a bit more realistic for a ride of this duration. The light was increasing at this point, and more detail of the surroundings became apparent. Everything was a lush, green forest, with lots of streams and rivers. This beauty and nature was to be the theme of the day, as the highway from Valdez to Delta Junction had very little in the way of towns or traffic.
Our second control had a buffet style breakfast with some Russian-themed food additions. Unfortunately most of it was lost on me, and I conservatively settled for a bowl of oatmeal and fruit, along with half a waffle coffee, and OJ. I took a banana, too. I was glad to be done with that stop, as now (0530) it was full daylight, and my brain was out of sleep mode, though I was still tired from lack of sleep.
As the day went on, the winds from the North picked up, and stayed with us until about 2030 or so. It made sense for all to join up in pacelines, and we did so for much of the day. We rode with lots of different people, including a very steady group that included Dan Driscoll and Pam Wright. It was fun getting to know them on the ride, and we stayed with them for quite a while before forming another group whose pace was just a tick faster. Not sure that was a good thing, because some of the faster riders pulled at a rate that was hard for me to keep on, but more of the riders who took a pull rode at a more sane pace, moderating the paceline a bit.
The scenery was spectacular! Views of the mountain ranges, particularly the Wrangells, were unforgettable. One could see vistas far and wide. The temps were in the mid-70’s, and except for the headwinds, it was perfect for riding all day. The highway had a decent shoulder, and most of the pavement was good. Lots of rolling terrain, however, and that kept chipping away at my cycling strength as the day progressed.
At a lunch stop somewhat later in the afternoon, we spent a bit of extra time there, both to recuperate, and to wait/help Tim Mason with a rear flat. We also had a delay due to some concerns (unfounded, as it turned out) about the road condition between this control and the next. Some allowances for control times were made, and we eventually proceeded. The climbs were a bit more substantial than the earlier rollers, but the views more than made up for it.
We got to another control at about 1730, where many ate another meal. Here it seemed pretty warm, and I was tired. We also learned there was more climbing to come. From here to our penultimate control, I was not feeling too well, I think from overexertion earlier in the faster pacelines. As the evening wore on, we saw lots of large river valleys, and a lot of up and down. We frequently saw the film crew in their pickup, and they helped keep things in good spirits. We saw several moose on/near the roadways, which was nice. Tim, Deb and I worked a paceline to the extent that I could, but I was definitely the weak link in our group, and they both worked to protect me from the wind were possible. We got to a B&B that served as the final control before Delta, and I had no appetite - not a good sign. I tried to eat soup, and when I took a drink of coffee, I knew it wasn’t staying down. I did feel slightly better after getting sick, but I was weak. I wished I could stop at the B&B for an overnight, but we’d done *only* 235 miles or so, and needed to make it to Delta Junction.
We left the B&B with a few others, but the group quickly disintegrated, leaving Tim Mason, and Deb Banks to pull me along at a snail’s pace. More climbing over larger hills, but we finally got to Delta Junction High School at about 0045 the following day. 265 or so miles in 25 hours. I managed only a few bites of food, and waited a while for the only shower with hot water, and got into my bag for about 2 hours of sleep.
Day 2 - Delta Junction to Healy
Amazingly, I felt somewhat better awaking at 0400 for a 0500 start to the day; only 204 miles today. Start was flat-ish, and there was a bit more traffic on the roads, but still easy riding. For reasons I don’t recall, I rode solo for a while, not joining with Deb except occasionally. Food went down well at the controls, and when we got into the urban/industrial parts of Fairbanks, a giant salad bar worked really well for lunch. After lunch is when the fun began. There was a series of long, steep-ish climbs, and I quickly lost my strength. Deb rode on ahead, and I was very drowsy, so I stopped, put on long clothing and a mosquito net, and took a roadside nap for about 30 minutes. Fortunately the majority of mountains had passed, and found a nice couple (names?) whom I rode with for a while. II caught up with Deb later at the penultimate control, and we stayed together with several other riders as the terrain became more mountainous again. As we approached Healy there were several sections of road under repair, and we rode on gravel several times, for at least a few miles. This is near the end of another very long day, and the rough surface did nothing positive for my contact areas, so to speak. Finally we got in to Healy near midnight, ate food, cleaned up and slept about 3.5 hours.
Day 3 - Healy to Talkeetna
Deb and I rode off about 0500, into somewhat chilly air as we pedalled along to what is the entrance to Denali National Park. Lots of tour buses along this part, but still not really much traffic. Needless to say, we were thrilled at the views we got of Denali for much of the day. My understanding is that this is somewhat rare in the summertime, so we were very fortunate. Most of the riding today was comparatively flat. Deb was in a speedy mood, however, and she and I rode with Larry Solokowsky and Carl Anderson for a lot of that day. Again, it was hard to keep up, but, on advice of both Tim Mason and Deb, I ate more food. Best food I think I had during my whole trip to Alaska was some home smoked Salmon from Ted, one of the control workers early that day - Wow! That kept the mood up. Later that afternoon we went in to a lodge with a view of Denali and I had a full meal. I didn’t care for how full I felt when we left, but I did manage to keep up with everyone in our group that day, which I think was 170 miles. Best thing was that we got in to Talkeetna control at around 7pm, which meant a lot of time to eat, shower and sleep for 5.5 hours in a bed - Woot!
Day 4 - Talkeetna to Anchorage
Only 120 or so miles today, and, though a bit sore, I’m better rested on this day than any - including the first! Good thing, too, as once the traffic picked up as we approached Wasilla, the ride became less fun. Wasilla, though situated in a beautiful area, has way too much and too fast traffic, and drivers without much patience for slower-moving cyclists. This was particularly true when riding along the Glen Highway. We also had to pay a lot more attention to the cue sheet, and got some bonus miles anyway, particularly in the Eagle Creek area. Some of the bike paths were closed for reconstruction, and that made for some interesting detours. The last area was almost exclusively on a bike path, which made the entrance to Anchorage more relaxed and fun. We arrived at the finish at 1400, and enjoyed warm temps, cold beer, and comradery of our fellow randonneurs.
Reflections
It’s been over a week since completing this ride as I write this, but a few things stand out, both positive and a few negative (though negatives are meant constructively!):
1. I really loved this ride, but I likely wouldn’t do it again, mostly because the weather will likely never be this good again - Seriously. Alaska, and the Alaska Randonneurs, and the volunteers, were exceptionally good to me. I do plan to go back and ride some more, but likely not the Big Wild Ride.
2. The course was spectacular, and I liked that it was point to point. I don’t know if it’s logistically possible or not, but I think BWR would be even better if the course were reversed, to start in Anchorage and finish in Valdez. Then everyone overnights in Valdez and takes the ferry and train to Anchorage together and could swap stories of the ride.
3. Midnight start times are really problematic for me. I wish Grand Randonnees would start early am (0500), so a person has a normal sleep cycle and is rested before the start. This is especially true for travellers, who typically don’t sleep well anyway.
4. This has to be the prettiest 1200K out there! Alaska is amazing in its beauty and expansiveness. I’ve only completed 2 rides of this distance, but I can’t think of a more beautiful place in which to ride a 1200K. I would recommend that future participants make plans to stay more than just a day or so, and do some other activities. I wish I could’ve explored the Kenai peninsula, for example, but it would likely require at least 5 days, as distances are vast.
