OMD Travelogue – Day 14

[x_section style=”margin: 0px 0px 0px 0px; padding: 45px 0px 45px 0px; “][x_row inner_container=”true” marginless_columns=”false” bg_color=”” style=”margin: 0px auto 0px auto; padding: 0px 0px 0px 0px; “][x_column bg_color=”” type=”1/2″ style=”padding: 0px 0px 0px 0px; “][x_counter num_start=”0″ num_end=”496″ num_speed=”1500″ num_prefix=”” num_suffix=”” num_color=”#2ecc71″ text_above=”Rode for” text_below=”Minutes” text_color=””][x_gap size=”45px” class=”x-hide-xl x-hide-lg x-hide-md “][/x_column][x_column bg_color=”” type=”1/2″ style=”padding: 0px 0px 0px 0px; “][x_counter num_start=”0″ num_end=”330″ num_speed=”1500″ num_prefix=”” num_suffix=”” num_color=”#3498db” text_above=”Covered” text_below=”Miles” text_color=””][/x_column][/x_row][/x_section][x_section style=”margin: 0px 0px 0px 0px; padding: 45px 0px 45px 0px; “][x_row inner_container=”true” marginless_columns=”false” bg_color=”” style=”margin: 0px auto 0px auto; padding: 0px 0px 0px 0px; “][x_column bg_color=”” type=”1/1″ style=”padding: 0px 0px 0px 0px; “][x_text]As we approached Highway 37, the clouds loomed larger, grew darker.

I heard tell from other riders that it was raining in Stewart. Wanting to make it up to Anchorage sooner, I’d already decided to skip Stewart on this trip. Now I was hoping I could outrun the rain.

Of course, that didn’t happen. We logged a full day of riding in the rain. As it started to sprinkle, I pulled over to layer up. Bundled up, I turned to Baylor. Put on his puffy and his rain jacket. He hopped back in the sidecar and scooted forward to escape the rain, already an old hand at the moto life.

As the distance to Alaska decreases the number of motorcyclists we meet seems to increase in direct proportion.

There was the German duo I just briefly spoke to, who I would later hear legend have been touring for 4 years. A man and wife on Harley’s, excited to get a picture of the sign in Iskut as they aim to check off cities that begin with each letter of the alphabet – last year “i” the only one they were missing. Jason from Midland, TX who is on a fast-paced mission to dip his toes in the water at Prudhoe Bay and get back home within three weeks.

And the others, who’s stories I don’t get to hear. Exchanging a quick wave, wishing each other safe travels and carrying on our own adventures.

Though the general destinations may be the same, each rider has their own plan, route, goals. And even if they don’t overlap at all, even if he rides a brand new beemer while I rock an old KLR, even if they love to go fast on twisting highways while I rattle down dirt roads away from it all, we have something in common. There’s a feeling of mutual respect. That however different we are, we have a shared love. And that moto love makes us family. The road our home.

Fourteen days down. Many to come.[/x_text][/x_column][/x_row][/x_section][x_section style=”margin: 0px 0px 0px 0px; padding: 45px 0px 45px 0px; “][x_row inner_container=”true” marginless_columns=”false” bg_color=”” style=”margin: 0px auto 0px auto; padding: 0px 0px 0px 0px; “][x_column bg_color=”” type=”1/1″ style=”padding: 0px 0px 0px 0px; “][x_image type=”none” src=”http://mallorypaige.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Screen-Shot-2015-06-30-at-7.43.26-PM.png” alt=”” link=”false” href=”#” title=”” target=”” info=”none” info_place=”top” info_trigger=”hover” info_content=””][/x_column][/x_row][/x_section][x_section style=”margin: 0px 0px 0px 0px; padding: 45px 0px 45px 0px; “][x_row inner_container=”true” marginless_columns=”false” bg_color=”” style=”margin: 0px auto 0px auto; padding: 0px 0px 0px 0px; “][x_column bg_color=”” type=”1/1″ style=”padding: 0px 0px 0px 0px; “][x_line][x_creative_cta padding=”25px 25px 25px 25px” text=”Read More from
Operation Moto Dog!” font_size=”36px” icon=”hand-o-right” icon_size=”48px” animation=”slide-top” link=”http://mallorypaige.com/category/motodog/” color=”” bg_color=”#ce901c” bg_color_hover=”#78dbce”][/x_column][/x_row][/x_section][x_section style=”margin: 0px 0px 0px 0px; padding: 45px 0px 45px 0px; “][x_row inner_container=”true” marginless_columns=”false” bg_color=”” style=”margin: 0px auto 0px auto; padding: 0px 0px 0px 0px; “][x_column bg_color=”” type=”1/1″ style=”padding: 0px 0px 0px 0px; “][x_feature_headline level=”h2″ looks_like=”h2″ icon=”motorcycle” class=”center-text “]Get Bonus Stories[/x_feature_headline][x_text class=”center-text “]Each week we’ll send you behind the scenes stories & pics from Operation Moto Dog.
Sign up below. –>