Preston's Last Ride

Monday, June 20, 2011

Preston Drew Haun

[On June 19, 2011, I spread the bulk of Preston's cremains on Alaska's North Slope. A small portion got to where he wanted it to earlier in the day. If I could have spoken, this is what I would have said.]

Preston Drew Haun
June 17, 1981 - August 15, 2010

You were a big man
With a big heart
And you went out in a big way
Only the biggest state could hold the memory of you.

You left a void in so many of your family and friends
You will live on in their hearts.

I love you, your family loves you, your friends love you.
Good bye

Sunday, June 19, 2011

Mission Accomplished

The son shines from sea to shining sea.

Father's Day - 10 Years

I was just reminded of something I said ten yeas ago. "On the morning of Father's Day 2001 you were helping Preston move back from Alaska and you wrote somewhere or said in regards to cleaning his apartment "I spent Father's Day morning scubbing Preston's floor but it was OK because he bought me lunch".

Saturday, June 18, 2011

Well, don't count on me doing that again.

I just spent 11 hours in the saddle (13 hours total) to go a measly 502 miles. That was a heckuva ride. The last 240 from Cold Foot was very challenging due to the road conditions and road work. A guy who drives the Haul Road three times a week said they are sprucing it up because some state officials are coming. Otherwise, they wouldn't be working on it.

I guess they save money on signs.

Some scenery north of Fairbanks

Really far north

This corner was name by the people driving down the hill

Nice

Not nice

Even not nicer. I was worried I was going to have to take time to remove the fender but by the time I got to Deadhorse it was gone. I think the same thing happend in 2003 with the R1100GS

Here we are

Denny's

Joan wants me to have a good breakfast so, at 4 AM, I am at "The Northern Most Denny's In The World" with 47 twenty-something drunks. The uniform of the day is ho'.

Friday, June 17, 2011

Father's Day

I'll be returning from Deadhorse on Father's day, so I wanted to share this now.

Last year Preston was working in Iowa on Father's Day. He mailed me a card, which was not unusual. What was unusual was that he wrote more than "Love, Preston".

Card: Dad, I found this card in the bargain bin because it was slightly damaged...and I couldn't resist showing off my duct-taping skills! (Hey, I learned it all from you). Happy Father's Day.

Preston wrote: What a way to spend your first year of retirement. Thank you for being there for me through this difficult year. Thanks for all the trips to Houston and back and thanks for being so supportive. Love, Preston

I wish I could have done more.

End of The Highway

On this day, in 1981, one of the greatest things happened. Preston was born and I am happy to say that when he opened his eyes the first time I was the first thing he saw.

The last 500 miles has been rough but we made it. Bad roads, cold, rain, and thinking of Preston.

I was just thinking, as I approached Delta Junction, that Preston never traveled the entire Alaska Highway in one trip. On the way to Anchorage, we turned off at Tok. On the way back to Austin we started in Delta Junction, but turned off at JCT 37 to go to British Columbia. Well, he made it all the way today.

I'll begin the final assault tomorrow.

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Thursday, June 16, 2011

Running Behind

I seem to be running behind my plans so I may not make SLC when I wanted to. Oh, well.
Today was short (550 miles) due to a combination of very bad roads mixed with very cold and bad rain. That was just the last 100 miles, so the rest of the day was pretty good.

Joan says I can't go anywhere without meeting someone I have a connection with. In 2003, in Haines Junction, YT, which I just passed through, I met a man that worked with my dad. In the restaurant tonight, I met an Air Force veteran who knew a man I worked with at DPS.

Some things I saw:

This is where I had to stop and use the gas can. The gas station I was planning on was closed. I think fuel management is the most difficult part of riding a motorcycle on The Highway.

Me, riding a motorcycle in Yukon Territory.

100 miles from Alaska

I had to stop to say hello to a fellow Uralista because there are so few of us. This is Norm from Spokane. I am sad to say we are on the same mission but with different destinations.

Dawson Creek to Watson Lake

Yesterday I rode through rain most of the way only to find No Vacancy signs everywhere. I got the last room at the historic Air Force Lodge.

While this ride is only to get Preston to where he wanted to go, I understand some people would like to see some scenery. I'm behind schedule so this may be all I have.

The Alaska Highway

Goats

Buffalo. I had to turn around to take this. While I was sitting on the bike I realized I hadn't check for bears but I thought they would alert me to a bear.

They didn't know about this guy 500 feet down the road.

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Corrrection to Garbled Post

If you saw the garbled post that was in this space, it was due to trying to send via my cell phone.

What I said was: REF: Photo, below. Eight years ago, at about this same time, I was riding in that shoulder at that spot because an on-coming log truck was using my lane to pass a line of cars.

10 Miles Up The Highway

Dawson Creek

I took a different route to Dawson Creek. Who would have thought Preston would be riding through here?

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Storms

At about this same week four years ago, Preston and I were skirting a storm in Nebraska. Back then I had weather radar on my GPS. I wish I had that. We stopped to take some pictures of the strange cloud formations.

There was no rotating wall cloud anywhere near so I wasn't concerned. I watched this form this dispate within about five minutes.