Alaska ATV

Tour busses can be amusing

2012-06-13T13:17:00.000-08:00

I have taken to riding my ATV to work on the weekends and since I live on the north side of Wasilla, and my workplace is on the south side of it, I am left taking the trails through town to get from point A to point B. This is something that is allowed in Wasilla, provided riders follow the City of Wasilla rules for ATV use in the city. They are quite easy to follow, actually.

Maintain a maximum speed of 10MPH on trails, 5 MPH in parking lots.
Wear a helmet at all times.
Must be over age 16 or accompanied by an adult.
No 'stunt riding'; IE jumping driveways or skidding to kick up dust etc.
Come to a full stop at all road crossings and look both ways before crossing.
Stay off paved bike paths and avoid spraying gravel onto them or roadways.
ATVs must be equipped with both working headlights and working taillights.

Simple rules that are easily followed by any courteous ATV rider, and as long as they are followed, then ATVs should, hopefully, be welcome in the city limits of Wasilla for many many years to come.

So, anyway, I was crossing through the city on my ATV and am paused at the corner of the Parks and Kinik in downtown Wasilla waiting for the chance to cross the road to continue my trek and two tour busses pull up at the northbound turn lane. A moment later first one then the other pulls around and onto Kinik-Goosebay, pausing for the train tracks.

I look up as the first one pauses and see tourists staring down at the ATV in the middle of town. Then the next bus pauses and again, tourists are staring at the ATV rider sitting in downtown Wasilla.. At that point the amusement hits me that there are probably very few places where ATVs can jsut drive down the side of the road and people can go shopping or to work on their ATV.

It is just one of the great things to love about Alaska, the ability to drive your ATV to work.

Summer Biking

2012-04-29T17:59:00.002-08:00

Spring is here finally. The snow has melted off outside for the most part, with only the thicker piles still needing to be melted off. They should be gone soon, however, and the yard will be ready for spring. I am more than ready for spring myself, and want to get out there and hit the trails on my ATV. It has been far too long since last summer and my getting in some good ride time, I want to make sure the winter wood getters did not mess my ATV up, and hit the trails.

Springtime! ATVs and fishing!

2012-04-12T20:45:00.001-08:00

Spring is here, and I am watching the snow and the temperatures as things warm up and the snow slowly melts off. I really can not wait for it to be time to get the ATV out there and hit the trails for some good summer fun. I have every intention this year of riding up to the fishing holes to go fishing this summer. Last summer was too chaotic and short for me to do much, and before that I was always thinking of others, this year I am doing what I want to do, and I want to hit the rivers and catch a salmon. After a lifetime in this state, I think it is about dang time I reeled in a King. I've never caught a salmon before and I really want to do that.

Iron Dog Race in Alaska

2012-02-15T23:55:00.000-09:00

The Iron Dog is the longest and toughest snowmobile race in the world. First run back in 1984, it traverses some of the ruggedest land in Alaska as it follows the northern Iditarod trail.

This year's race will begin February 17th in Big Lake, with the official start of the ProClass being Sunday the 19th with the first flag drop at 11L10 AM, followed by another flag drop every two minutes until all snowmobiles are off onto the trail.

A New Adventure

2012-01-20T16:15:00.001-09:00

The Author of this post is Darius Boone

After years of working in the corporate world, my wife and I decided that in order to live the life that we wanted to live; we could no longer be chained to our offices and desks. We wanted to travel the world before it was too late. It seems opposite of what you should do to work while you’re young and healthy and then just hope that you will be able to retire with enough good years left in you to be able to enjoy the work that you’ve done. Why do we do this? It seemed to my wife and I that we needed to switch up this mindset. So, we invested in a very fast internet connection from ClearWirelessInternet4g.com, and then started making changes! We began a virtual website in which people can order baked goods online. This meshes both of our passions- mine for business, and my wife’s for baking! We make our own hours, and can now manage our business from anywhere in the world- right now we’re sitting in a bakery in France!

Seat Reskinning in Aaska

2012-01-20T16:14:00.000-09:00

Unique Skinz, a Sew Unique product, can reskin your old worn out ATV or sled seats for you. Custom designs and custom embroidery welcomed, we also do airplane and boat seats. Unique Skinz uses only quality marine grade vinyl that will withstand Alaska's cold weather conditions, and strong high quality thread.

Bear maul your seat? No problem! Dogs chew up the padding? No problem! More Duct Tape than vinyl on the seat? No problem!

Find us on Facebook at Sew Unique on Facebook or visit our website at Sew Unique

Copper Basin 300 canceled at Meier's Lake due to cold and snow

2012-01-18T00:44:00.000-09:00

The Alaska Dispatch reported on the 15th that the Copper Basin 300 sled dog race was canceled following an emergency alert issued by the Copper Basin Race Committee. The race was officially canceled at Meier's Lake, which is a mere 75 miles into the 300 mile race.

It was a necessary call on the part of race officials to help keep mushers and dogs safe as temperatures dropped and snow accumulated. Snow machines sent ahead to break trail were sinking into deep drifts whenever they paused, and reports of temperatures in the rage of -50 F to -60 F were coming in.

Alaskans are tough, but there are times when even we need to take a step back and not press our luck against the harsh conditions that this great land can send our way. Dog mushing in Alaska is serious business, but I think anyone can agree that as well into the blood as racing is, it is not worth our dogs when conditions just get too harsh to keep pushing ahead.

My old battered knit cap is nodded respectfully to those who were a part of the 2012 Copper Basin 300, I know it had to be difficult to put that much work into the race only to walk away less than a third of the way through it.

To read the full details check out the article at Alaska Dispatch: Cold, snow and wind cancel Copper Basin 300 sled dog race.

New Job, New Hope

2011-12-25T20:02:00.002-09:00

Thanks to Lemuel Craft

The recession has really taken a toll on my family. My husband lost his job about a year ago so we’ve been struggling financially. We have already gone through all of our savings, and his unemployment benefits are about to run out. We have been really stressed about what is going to happen to us. Because of how bad things have gotten, he started looking for work outside of Pennsylvania. He recently got a job offer in New Jersey, and he has to take it. If he doesn’t I am scared that we will be left with nothing. Our plan is for the kids and I to stay here in Bryan Mills, and for him to get a small apartment in New Jersey while we get things organized for the family to move. I am worried about being here alone so we are going to check out home security system Bryan Mills and get a home alarm system so that I feel safer. I feel like that will at least provide a small comfort during a difficult time. Hopefully our home will sell quickly and we can start a new life after this last terrible year.

Holiday Well Wishes to All

2011-12-25T20:01:00.000-09:00

I hope that everyone out there in the ATV and off-road world had a very merry holiday season, and that there were some great ATV accessories under your tree or tucked into a stocking.

Enjoy the winter ahead, and dream of a warm summer when we can all get out and have fun on the trails.

Happy Holidays!

Get Your Old Seat ReSkinned

2011-11-20T09:05:00.002-09:00

Got an old seat on your sled or ATV that you need repaired? Stop by Unique Skinz in Wasilla for a quote. Or maybe get a truly custom skin for your seat.

Unique Skinz is a part of Sew Unique and is located at 911 S. Hermon Rd. Suite 200, in Hunter Plaza in Wasilla, right next to Lowes.

View Larger Map

Winter is here

2011-11-05T15:15:00.000-08:00

Now that the snow had fallen it is time to either get your ATVs ready to play in the snow, or to store them away until spring.

My little ATV is going to spend its time hauling firewood out of the forest to help keep the house warm this winter.

How about yours? Will you keep it out for the year, or stow it away in the garage or shed?

Love them all…

2011-10-08T22:45:00.000-08:00

Guest post written by my buddy Aldo Mays
My huge family is a big part of my life and ever since I moved out here to Texas all by myself my guestroom hasn’t been empty once. My mom came out those first couple weeks to help me get moved in and deal with the adt san antonioguy and talk to the lender and I was really grateful. After that my brother Todd came for a week just to visit and then my friend Sandy and soon it’s going to be two of my cousins from Jersey. Don’t get me wrong, I love that they visit and I really appreciate that they go to so much expense and effort to do so but since I just moved in it really would be nice to have my own house and not have to worry about someone being a guest! I can’t tell them that, though, or they’d die of embarrassment so I guess I’ll have to just leave the revolving door open to them at least for the time being.

This has been a paid guest post. Alaska ATV does not necessarily endorse the products or services offered by this guest poster.

Falling rain and leaves

2011-10-07T14:14:00.000-08:00

The leaves have turned yellow and are spiraling down to the ground, and during these last few days when the weather is peaceable enough that I could be out on my ATV it is raining so that I really prefer not to be out riding about. It is very annoying and agrivating. Seems like I only got the chance to get out on the trails a few hours this year, otherwise the machine has been down or the weather has been poor. Maybe I will invest in a snow suit so I can do some winter riding this year. Have not decided on that yet.

Bystanders lift burning car off motorcyclist in Logan, Utah

2011-09-13T03:28:00.000-08:00

When a motorcyclist in Logan, Utah was dragged underneath of a car, bystanders moved in to the rescue. Lifting the burning vehicle off of the motorcyclist.

The motorcyclist had been riding his motorcycle down U.S. Highway 89 near the University of Utah Campus when the driver of the car pulled out of a parking lot across from the campus. The motorcyclist slid his bike onto its side, and both the bike and the rider slid underneath of the car.

Bystanders helped to lift the car enough that a man was able to pull the rider out from underneath of the car.

For more details visit:
Salt Lake Tribune
WCBD-TV 2

The 1951 Vincent Black Knight

2011-08-17T19:10:00.000-08:00

I was looking around the internet and spied an article over at Motorcycle-USA that caught my attention. Memorable Motorcycle: Vincent Black Knight. Okay, I don't know about you, but that name is enough to make me want to see more.

On first scan the Vincent Black Knight seems a little... rounded but boxy. The lines, however, are very sleek for a 1950's era motorcycle. The Vincent was a luxury motorcycle, that in 1951 would cost over a year's pay for the average worker.
The Vincent Black Knight sold in 1951 for $600, a cost that today would be a motorcycle costing approximately $38,000. Don't think you can walk down to the local Vincent dealer and pick one up though, because according to the article at Motorcycle-USA a recent auction at Bonhams' Auctioneers saw the article's featured Vincent Black Knight go for $59,000.

To find out more about the Vincent Black Knight, Vincent Motorcycles, and even about the ability to build a brand-new Vincent Shadow or Rapide, check out the article Memorable Motorcycle: Vincent Black Knight by Motorcycle-USA contributing editor Frank Melling at the Motorcycle-USA website.

The Miracle in Torchwood

2011-08-03T00:01:00.000-08:00

Guest post written by Celia Rogers

I'm wondering about what we as viewers will be finding out is the cause of the miracle in this new season of Torchwood. I have a few guesses but I just feel like it's hardly even worth that trouble to guess at the villain that's behind this. When it comes to the universe of Doctor Who and Torchwood, you just never know who's behind the weird things and trouble in those shows. But I guess that alien stuff is supposed to be weird!

But that hasn't stopped me from looking at blogs and other things online that are people's guesses at what's really behind the miracle day. While I was looking online at that stuff one night, I ran across the website ClearTvBundle.com. I forwarded it to my roommates and after that we decided to change over our apartment's internet service to the provider.

This Torchwood Miracle Day season is really much better than I had expected, actually. I didn't have very high hopes since other people picked it up and are in charge of it.

This has been a paid guest post. Work at Home Newsletter does not necessarily endorse the products or services offered by this guest poster.

Too much rain to ride ATV

2011-08-02T15:33:00.000-08:00

I think that I either need to learn to love riding in the rain, or make a lot more of the few sunny days that have shown up this summer. I can remember my parents being unhappy with Alaskan summers because of all of the rain years ago, and now I am starting to see why. I have barely had a chance to get out and work in the yard, much less getting to hit the trails.

By the time I finish my work, the lovely sunny day outside has clouded over and rain is poring down. For the past few days it has just been cloudy skies and scattered rain. In fact, on Saturday we even had some lightning and a loud thunderclap. First I have seen this summer of those.

I guess I need to either learn to love riding in the rain, or hit the ATV trails before the days cloud over and do my work after I have my fun.

Protecting the natural habitat in Alaska

2011-07-26T13:49:00.000-08:00

Since I got my little ATV, I have read a lot of stuff about how ATVs can not go on this trail or that trail because they damage the beautiful Alaskan landscape. I kind of think the same thing applies to ATVs as applies to guns.

ATV's don't destroy natural terrain,
people destroy natural terrain.

While I agree that an ATV can be damaging, I am not arguing that, I also feel that the way the ATV is handled can lessen or increase the level of impact the ATV has on the terrain. If someone rides gently across a field it is far less damaging than someone that jockey's the ATV back and forth skidding the wheels through the soil and damaging plant life. There is also less impact noise wise between someone that rides at a putt-putt pace and someone that cranks the engine out until it screams. Do I need to cover the levels of roadside dust between someone that goes slow and someone that rides like a bat out of hell down the dusty trail beside the highway?

ATVs are only as harmful to the Alaskan environment as the person that is on the machine. Why do I bring this up, though? Because with as much as I have seen about ATVs not being allowed on some trails, you would think that the sinking of Navy ships in the Gulf would have been a bit more news worthy.

The Anchorage Daily News reported this morning that the Navy has been allotted two ships per year sunk in the Gulf of Alaska.

Read all about this at the Daily News website, Navy Gets OK to sink ships in Gulf of Alaska target practice and weigh in on your perspective on this.

I know that for me, it is so far a bit of an indecisive level. I know that sunken ships have created marine habitats where they were needed, but I also know that Alaska is the last place on the planet to have truly clean freshwater for salmon and other fishing products. Do we really need to be dropping two ships a year down into those pristine waters? I'm willing to listen to the reasons for doing so, but I can not help but think it would be a crime to intentionally sink ships to a seabed that has done quite well without our litter for so many millions of years.

ATVs in Wasilla

2011-07-06T18:13:00.000-08:00

I wrote a slightly rambling discussion on ATV use in Alaska after seeing someone on an ATV that had been stopped in Wasilla by the Wasilla police.

It makes me uneasy about just what the future for ATV freedoms to enter Wasilla city limits are. ATV riders need to make sure they are diligent in not only obeying the law, but knowing what the law is and making sure their children obey the law of ATV use in the city limits.

I really do not want to lose the ability to take my ATV to town to pay the bills on days I can not afford to put gas in my car to do it.

Bike parts

2011-06-21T12:47:00.000-08:00

No matter how nicely you treat your machine, the time is going to come when you need to buy parts for your ride. Brakes wear out, seats get damaged, and tires can only take so much abuse on the rocks of the trails before they start to wear down and need replacement.

Or maybe it is time to add some graphics or a nice windshield? Canada Post provides a wide range of dirt bike parts comparisons to help you find the things you need to keep your ride going. In just a few minutes of looking through the items on the site I found everything from basic replacement parts such as fuel filters and brakes, to customizations such as tank or fender graphics.

All of the links in that category I found went to "Motorcycle Superstore", however, other categories on the Canada Post site link to a wide range of stores, so it seems to be a lack of other parts providers that causes the appearance of a sole provider for the motorcycle parts.

This is a sponsored post

Artic Cat turns 50

2011-06-21T12:22:00.000-08:00

Just over a month remains before thousands of Arctic Cat fans are expected to converge on Thief River Falls, MN to help Arctic Cat celebrate it's 50th year.

In 1961, Edgar Hetteen founded Polar Manufacturing in Thief River Falls, MN. The name was changed in 1962 to Arctic Cat.

For more information on the 50th anniversary 2 day even in Thief Falls River, check out the official Arctic Cat 50th anniversary announcement on the Arctic Cat website.

Need new saddle bags

2011-06-21T12:00:00.000-08:00

The zippers on the saddle bags for my ATV have been pretty much destroyed by the elements. They won't unzip or zip fully closed. I need to get some good canvas and make a new set, this time custom made to fit my little Honda rather than a pre-made store set of tank bags that were meant for a machine twice the size of my little Honda ATV.

I'm thinking I will stop in at the fabric store and get some cotton canvas that I can put through the embroidery machine and do some custom designs on, then sew them together into a set of specialized tank bags that include pockets that my Mag Light will actually fit into and a place for my camera and other essentials along the trails.

Time to check the brakes on the toys

2011-06-16T20:16:00.000-08:00

I think it might be time for me to get all of my toys out and give each of them some maintenance, in particular the brakes. It seems to be an epidemic with my vehicles right now that the brake pads are all being worn down and in need of replacement.

The back brakes on my poor little ATV have apparently been worn out, I try to hit the brake, but it barely has any effect to slow the machine, but thankfully the hand brake for the front brakes still works great.

Then there is my little convertible, and it's mouse in the brake system that goes "squeeeaak" sometimes when I try to coax it toward that hard piece of metal. I'm not hearing the squeak often, but it is making little worn brakes squeaks from time to time when I am going slow and stopping for red lights in the city. Reading the information at this Brake Pads Replacement page and you can pretty much see that it is what my little car is up to right down the line.

I'm still annoyed that there are issues with the Cadillac's brakes after I paid around $800 to get everything about the brake system fixed. Walked out the day I picked it up and pointed out to the mechanic there was something dripping under the car, he said was just where they had spilled fluid filling it. Eh, no, turned out that it was a bad seal in the master cylinder, which I had thought they had fixed. Nope, they would replace it for me for another $260+ parts. I'll do that work myself, thank you very much. Or at the very least check a site like Repair Pal to get estimates for what it costs to repair the master cylinder properly.

This is a sponsored post.

Summertime in Alaska, I'm back on the ATV finally

2011-06-16T19:51:00.000-08:00

Got out on the ATV again today, goes far too long between chances to get out and go for a ride. I rode down to my nephew's shop to visit with my sister for a bit - nice ride for my birthday, will hang out with her for a while today, then pretty much stroll the ATV back home with no particular time to have to be there. Well... I'm sure the dogs will want their dinner, but other than getting home in time to feed them later, I'm not going to be in much of a hurry getting back home. I just want to ride my ATV around and maybe do some exploring on a few trails I hadn't followed yet.

Flying a Trike over Knik Arm

2011-06-07T19:43:00.000-08:00

It's not an ATV, but it sure does look like fun... at least if you don't have a fear of heights or of flying.

This is a video of a Flex Wing pilot flying around over the Kink Arm here in Alaska.

I found the video and an article on the pilot at Alaska Dispatch: Video: Trike flying over Knik Arm

Check out the video below, and then read the article at Alaska Dispatch via the link above.