Fatbiking in Alaska...about big wheeled pedal-craft and the people who use them here in Alaska. Touring Alaska's beaches, frozen rivers and oceans on fat -tired two wheelers. pugsley surly fatback endomorph large marge alaska fatbike kuskokwim bicycle wildfire martin leonard III Snow Ice Sand Bike Bicycle Alaska Kuskokwim Expedition kusko
[Overview: Expedition style drivetrain; primary winter riding - remote frozen river trail and beach coastal evirons; purpose - simplicity and variability, minimalist but not without; builder - Martin Leonard III]
Surly Pugsley Framset
Phil Cassette Hub Paul Tensioner Surly SS Cog / 22t
On February 24, 2001, more than one hundred adventure racers from over ten nations embarked on three of the hardest adventure races in the world: The Iditasport 130, Iditasport Extreme & Iditasport Impossible.
A Thin White Line follows this 1,100 mile race along the Iditarod Trail from Knik Lake to the historical gold rush town of Nome in some of Alaska’s harshest back-country.
The Lost Coast is a stretch of wild coastline along the Gulf of Alaska starting from the eastern end of Prince William sound extending some 400+ miles to the south and east. Bordered on one side by thousands of miles of open ocean and breaking waves and the high glacier covered Chugash and St. Elias Mountain ranges on the other. It is not protected by islands and is fully exposed to the brunt of the sea and weather systems that swirl in the gulf building power, then slam into the mountains to the north. With that said, it is a incredibly beautiful and wild stretch of coastline.
Starting on August 18th, we will attempt to make the journey between the towns of Yakutat and Cordova. Biking the beach when we can, foot when we can't and use packrafts to cross the large bays and portage the numerous glacier fed rivers. Our route is front loaded with challenges. Close to Yakutat we will need to cross the Hubbard Gap - a massive calving tidewater glacier bordered by steep & rocky shoreline. Heading North we encounter the Sitkagi Bluffs and the worlds largest piedomont glacier, the Malaspina. Next up is perhaps the biggest challenge of Icy Bay. A 3 mile crossing of a bay chock full of icebergs. Continuing northward is cape Yakataga, the mid-way point and food drop that will be delivered by a bush pilot.
Miles of beach later we reach the barrier islands and the beginning of the massive Copper River Delta which we must finally stumble across to reach to town of Cordova about 300 miles of wilderness from where we started. Fun!
