Sunday, September 5, 2010
  
2010 Alcan5000 Rally

2010 Alcan 5000 Rally

Ron Sorem © 8/20/2010

Kirkland WA to Anchorage AK (the hard way)... August 16 to 24, 2010.   Seven cars and fourteen motorcycles departed Kirkland, in near record high temperature weather, heading north to the border and beyond.   Jerry Hines and the Rainier Auto Sports Club presented Alcan 5000.

North on I-5, a TSD, to Sumas, then East on Highway 1 to Hope, and north through the Fraser Canyon.  An easy trip to Williams Lake, except for the construction.   It became clear with construction delays we weren't going to make our second assigned checkpoint.   I called on the radio to switch locations. From years of TSD rallies around Williams Lake, I knew the back way into the section and we were in place, with three minutes to spare.  Smoke, from nearby forest fires, reduced the sun to just an orange dot in the sky.

Quesnel to Dawson Creek.   Early in Day Two the smoke cut visibility to about a quarter mile.   Coming into Prince George one bike developed an oil leak -- a cracked oil line, a KTM dealer, only a two hour delay.   Somewhere north of Prince George, the skies cleared -- pale blue, with small white clouds.   Around Rally Mile 765 we crossed Pine Pass with views of huge formations of solid rock, folded by geologic forces, then worn away by past glaciers.

Dawson Creek to Watson Lake -- about 620 miles.   "Old Alaska Highway" was the first TSD of Day Three, at RM 918, crossing the only remaining wood trestle bridge from 1942.  A grading crew was working in the TSD -- very smooth gravel -- then narrow 6% drop, hairpin, and a slippery little hillclimb to a checkpoint.  Into Fort St. John for "Looks like Kansas to me, Toto" TSD.  The rolling hills were a contrast to the previous days mountainous terrain.   Fort Nelson, last sure fuel and food.  At RM 1254 we have a view of Indian Head Rock, resembling a chief in full headdress, hanging off a replica of Yosemite's Half Dome.   We pass the highest pavement on the Alaska Highway, 4247 feet elevation, with reports of caribou here earlier in the day.   At Toad River Lodge, with its collection of thousands of caps donated by visitors, we are calculating fuel range for the bikes.   There will be fuel at Northern Rockies Lodge.   There might be fuel at Liard River, Coal River, and Contact Creek.   Our destination of Watson Lake is 323km -- 200 miles.  Along the route, a moose and calf, bighorn Stone Sheep, black bear, a bison herd, with calves just slightly smaller than the bear.   Just up the road from Liard Hot Springs, bison have blocked the highway.   The photo-op is interrupted by big rigs -- exhaust brakes rattling a low staccato, slowing, big bison yielding to the bigger trucks.   At Contact Creek (where northbound bulldozers met southbound, building the Al-Can) we find three bikes -- station closed. It's 40 miles to Watson Lake -- all three made it -- all with reserve light on for most of the distance.

Watson Lake, a brief morning TSD, then options -- straight to Whitehorse, with a time penalty -- or to Ross River, and the South Canol.   Nearly all chose the gravel.   In Whitehorse most wished they'd taken the shortcut -- tire shops were busy.

Whitehorse brought more choices.   The bikes chose the overnight camp to the North West Territories.   Bikes can only get to the NWT with the Sweeps for fuel.   Both trucks and one staff car made the trek.   Cars, and six of the bikes, chose a TSD in Whitehorse, then overnight in Dawson -- a bit more plush than Joe's elegant elk camp on the North Canol.   A brief morning TSD up to Midnight Dome gave a great view of Dawson, before our return to Whitehorse.

Whitehorse to Fairbanks, 392 miles to Tok Junction, 2 PM TSD.   RM 2950, electrical repair to one of the bikes, then "briskly" to US Customs, "Mile 1222.8 on the Alaska Highway".  The long pilot car waits, for paving, are cutting into our arrival in Tok.   Sweep 2 catches the last bikes after the TSD, 195 miles to Fairbanks.

South from Fairbanks, the morning's 12 mile TSD overlooks the city, before the 150 mile Parks Highway run to the Denali Highway, a 135 mile east-west connector between Cantwell and Paxson, 110 miles of gravel.  Cantwell is overcast.   Leaving Paxson it is raining so hard I can't read the roadsigns for the DIY TSD.  Further south, clearing, a break at Worthington Glacier.   Then Thompson Pass, great views, a Valdez sunset, and the rally's last night on the road.

Valdez sunrise, slowly illuminating the harbor.   Three TSDs for the day, in much better weather, grand views of Tazlina and Matanuska glaciers, then hayfields, gardens, and orchards -- temperature at our checkpoint was 66 degrees.

After 4065 miles or more, the banquet honored all -- the winners, the workers, and those passed.   Congratulations to Glenn Wallace/R.Dale Kraushaar/Jenne Pierce for 1st overall.   Jeff Brisendine rode to 1st motorcycle and 6th overall.  A "new" 1st prize to Kit Toevs, first motorcycle sidecar rider to complete the Alcan 5000, with her dad Roger.   Alcan scored 87 checkpoints and 10 DIY checkpoints.

Results, photos, blogs and archives found at www.alcan5000.com and now www.alcan5000.net (beta)

Saturday, July 31, 2010
  
August Rally Events in the West

August 2010 Events in the West

By all means use the Rally Search box, above left.

This "expanded area" includes the Pacific Coast and the Mountains

8/5-8/8 "Monte Shelton Northwest Classic Rally XXII", TSD, Portland, OR    nwclassicrally.org

8/6 "First Friday Niter Rally", TSD, Mission Hills, CA   www.smscc.org

8/7 "A-B Sea Voyage", GIM, Mountain View, CA www.therallyeclub.org

8/7 "Braille Rallye 2010" TSD, Los Angeles, CA www.lbmg.org

8/13 "August Friday Night Road Rally", TSD, Portland, OR www.cascadesportscarclub.org

8/13 "Friday Nighter", TSD, Bellevue, WA www.nwrally.com

8/16-8/24 "Alcan 5000 Rally", Extreme TSD, Kirkland WA to Anchorage AK, www.alcan5000.com

8/20-8/22 Autumn Adventure Tours, 3-TSDs, Tucson AZ,    www.azbrscca.org

8/21 "Closer to the Bone", TSD, Idaho Falls, ID www.swissc.org

Stage events where rallyists may spectate or volunteer:

8/28 "Gorman Ridge Rally", Frazier Park, CA gormanridgerally.com

see these links for more info:

http://scca.com/documents/RallyForms/roadrallysch.pdf

http://www.challengedriving.com/ select "2010 Western Region Rally Calendar" when it gets an update

http://www.islandrallysport.com/ select "2010 Western Region Rally Calendar"

Sunday, June 20, 2010
  
July Rally Events in the West

July 2010 Events in the West

By all means use the Rally Search box, above left.

This "expanded area" includes the Pacific Coast and the Mountains

7/2 "First Friday Niter Rally", TSD, Mission Hills, CA www.smscc.org

7/2 "July Friday Night Road Rally", TSD, Portland, OR www.cascadesportscarclub.org

7/3 "The Amazing Rallye V", GIM, Mountain View, CA www.therallyeclub.org

7/9 "Friday Nighter", TSD, Bellevue, WA www.nwrally.com

7/11 "AROO Cup #5", TSD, Portland, OR www.alfaclub.org

7/17 "Sno-Git VII", TSD, Marysville, WA www.olympicrally.org

7/17 "Not My Fault" TSD, Mission Hills, CA www.smscc.org

7/17 "Return of Gold Rush", GIM, Concord, CA eldoradotouringclub.com

7/31 "Mountains to the Sea", TSD, Milwaukie, OR www.cascadesportscarclub.org

Stage events where rallyists may spectate or volunteer:

7/14-7/17 "Idaho Rally", Boise, ID www.idahorally.com

heads up for 8/5-8/8 "Monte Shelton Northwest Classic Rally" nwclassicrally.org

heads up for 8/6 "First Friday Niter" www.smscc.org

see these links for more info:

http://scca.com/documents/RallyForms/roadrallysch.pdf

http://www.challengedriving.com/ select "2010 Western Region Rally Calendar" when it gets an update

http://www.islandrallysport.com/ select "2010 Western Region Rally Calendar"