Chris arrived in Homer at 9:00 pm est. He said he hated the last 3 hours of the ride (we will get more info on why later). While on the phone, I heard somebody asking him for his receipts, his name and the mileage. One of the organizers thinks there are less than 20 guys. So hopefully, he is in the top 20. It is over! Big relief for me…Thanks to all of you for your support!! 

Homer. Chris is snoozing in the tent behind the bike.

Chris called me this morning at 9:40. He did not have any phone coverag all day. Yesterday, he rode 1,300 miles. He and 6 other guys have been waiting most of the night for the last check point in Fairbanks to open, but it does not look like anyone is there (so much for all check points would be open 24 hours). Anyway, he does not want to waste anymore time, they’ve geared up again and are leaving to homer. From different sites and words from friends in Homer,  nobody is there to welcome the riders. Chris should be in Homer this evening.

So far so good. He is still moving at a steady pace in BC. Getting gas before they close might be a challenge. Hopefully as mentioned by Arnaud, as long as he keeps an average speed of 55 to 60, he should be ok.

After Fort Nelson, the next gas station is in Toad River (they close at 9pm), after that Muncho Lake at mile 435 or mile 441: J&H wilderness resort. Let’s hope he gets to them.

It has been a long day for Chris and Gary. They rode in the snow and in the rain. According to a local woman, nights are not so bad this time of the year: 0 to 8 degrees!! I don’t know about you guys but it seems a bit chilly to me. Anyhow, it looks like they’ve taken the wrong turn again, somewhere in Canmore BC and looks like they are spending the night there.

Battle of the little bighorn

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

Gary

beautiful open roads of Montana

He explained that he can go 145-155 miles/tank of gas (3.5 gallons), but the win yesterday was so bad that he was able to only get 122 miles.

Chris arrived at the 4th check point in Missoula MT at 2:00 am. He had a rough time sleeping outside on the ground last night, it was freezing cold. While on the phone with him this morning, we made sure the SPOT was reset properly and working so you guys can track him.

10:00 am: off to the next check point Fairbanks AK. I am sure Doug Chambers is going to be happy to see him.

Sunset, Missoula MT

Just as I finished posting the last news, Chris called telling me he has been riding 80 miles/hr for the last 4 hours and just ran out of gas…this man is impossible!

Mount Rushmore 6/26/10

Yes, you are a strong!

Many of you, who are closely watching Chris’ GPS locator, are probably wandering why he is backtracking or stopped for several hours. Not to worry, Chris is fine. He could be sleeping, LOST (last night for 3 hours), or just enjoying the wonderful views our country has to offer such as the Grand Canyon, and Mount Rushmore etc… or he could be interviewing Hoka Hey competitors such as a couple this morning (yes husband and wife, one motorcycle, over 4,000 miles).

This might come to you guys as a shock if you know Chris, but Harley-Davidson and Chris did not enter the Hoka to race, we’ve always looked at it as a “ride”. Even though, he unlished the competitive beast in him the first week, he now realizes that he is losing tract of his main objectives which are: 1) to write a story for Harley-Davidson about his experience and those of other competitors 2) to write about the XR1200X  3) to evaluate the gears provided to him 4) Enjoy yet another adventure.

Chris wants to apologize if he is disappointing some people who thought he was racing to win the big prize. As stated earlier, Chris wants to finish top 10-20 if possible, show off the XR1200X and be able to write about the whole experience. As he has always looked at the Hoka Hey as a personal endurance challenge, you will still see him cross the finish line in Homer, AK before July 4.

Chris said he was able to get a brand new tire, so he should be good for a while. He thanks all you for looking out for him.

Thanks to all of you for your concern and support Chris was able to get a used tire from WY. After a brief interview with the Hoka Hey organization and the newspaper, Chris was once again on his way to the next check point: Montana Harley-Davidson.

Great idea to have a new tire sent overnight to the next stop. There is not telling how long that one will last. Will let you guys know. Stand by.

Between 6pm to 6:30 pm: it appears that Chris is not moving, not to worry, him and one of his riding partners got separated, Chris is just waiting on him at a gas station so they can get back on the road going the right direction.