RC native drives 6,110 miles on motorcycle adventure to Alaska
by Amanda Polaski– Staff Writer
After months of planning and years of dreaming, Rogers City native Todd Buck successfully completed a 16-day, 6,110-mile motorcycle adventure to Alaska, starting from his home in Kanab, Utah, and at times traveling along dirt roads to reach his eventual destination point of Skagway, Alaska.
?I HAVE owned motorcycles since high school,? said Todd, who made his Alaskan trip on his small 200cc dual sport Yamaha (TW200). ?I have always enjoyed riding them. I also have always wanted to go to Alaska, and this seemed like an ideal way to do it economically. I planned on camping out every night, and eating fish I caught to keep the expense down.? Todd, who is the son of Ivan and Rose Buck of Rogers City, graduated from Rogers City High School in 1985, along with his eventual wife, Deb (Dembny). Both Todd and Deb attended Lake Superior State College (University), and in 1990 Todd received his Bachelor?s degree in Fisheries and Wildlife Management.
?We were married in 1990, (and) after our marriage we moved to Kentucky,? said Todd. ?In 1992 I accepted a position with the Arizona Game and Fish Department as a Wildlife Manager.? In Arizona, a Wildlife Manager is not only responsible for the management of wildlife in a designated area, they are also responsible for the law enforcement associated with game and fish laws.
?I?m sure there are several law enforcement officers (in Presque Isle County) who would be surprised by that,? said Todd. ?After the police academy and extensive training, I was assigned to the North Kaibab, the north rim of the Grand Canyon.? Todd and Deb made their home in an isolated cabin in Arizona, but after Deb became pregnant with the couple?s first daughter, they moved to a house in a Utah border town called Kanab. ?Shortly after moving to Kanab, our first born, Megan, arrived,? said Todd. ?Six years later our second child, Elizabeth, was born. We?ve now been in Kanab for 14 years, and still enjoy the small town atmosphere ? it is very similar to Rogers City.?
AFTER READING a story about a man who rode his small scooter from Ontario to Alaska and back in the 1970s, Todd began to consider taking a similar trip of his own on his TW200. ?Traveling on a small bike takes lots of planning,? said Todd. ?I used several forums on the Internet to request information about tools, parts, and equipment I would need. People all over the world contributed ideas, and helped very much in the planning stages.? Because Todd enjoys solitude, he planned the trip as a solo adventure. He utilized a Global Positioning System (GPS) and mapping software to locate a route emphasizing dirt and secondary roads, due to the TW200?s incapability of traveling at higher speeds. ?In mid-July, I left Kanab?and headed northwest through Utah?s west desert,? said Todd. ?I traveled portions of the historic Pony Express trail into northeastern Nevada.? After Todd reached northeast Nevada, he turned north into Idaho and then traveled on into Montana. He drove into southeastern British Columbia (BC), then continued to work his way northwest, traveling on dirt, forest service roads to the Stewart-Cassier Highway, which travels north along the west side of BC.
?At its northern terminus, the Stewart-Cassier runs into the Alaskan Highway,? said Todd. ?At that point, I turned west and rode into Skagway, Alaska.? Todd spent a day in Skagway before making his way southeast into Alberta, through Banff and Jasper Parks, and into southeastern BC. ?I then basically re-traced my route back to Kanab,? said Todd. ?I was gone 16 days, and traveled 6,110 miles.? Todd said different parts of the trip offered different challenges ? mentally and physically.
?THE MOST mentally challenging part was in Watson Lake, BC after riding four days in the rain and wind,? said Todd. ?I was very tired, wet, and sore. I looked at the map and thought I could save myself two days and just start heading east?and go home. I decided I had set out to reach Alaska and turned west instead.? Todd said the most physically challenging part of the trip was the first day when he had to travel through Utah?s west desert and its 100+ degree t
?I had the privilege of driving through there on a moonlit night on a highway devoid of any other traffic,? said Todd. ?The ride through those parks with the mountains illuminated by the full moon will always remain in my memory as one of the most beautiful things I have encountered.? Todd said he would take the trip again, and would like to plan other adventures in the future, as he encountered a great learning experience on his way to Alaska.
?Traveling on a motorcycle puts you much more in touch with your surroundings,? said Todd. ?When it rains, you get wet. When the sun shines, you get hot. When you pass a dead animal in the ditch, it smells. I think extensive time alone leads to a level of self-analysis that most Americans never experience these days. Traveling alone gives you time to think about your beliefs, your strengths, and your weaknesses ? and it gives you a whole new perspective on what?s important. After I reached Skagway, my cell phone kicked back into service and I received a simple text message from my daughter that brought tears to my eyes. It made me realize just how much I missed, and how much I love my family.?