The Hoka Hey Challenge was designed to break you and your motorcycle.  However, the perks were incredible!  From the Florida everglades to the prairie of Oklahoma, the majestic rocky mountains, glaciers flowing between the slopes, white water rushing eventually flowing into crystal clear rivers - the ride was fabulous!!  I remember while thumbing through different magazines seeing pictures of incredible places and thinking, "Wow! I'd sure like to be there someday and see that".  The Hoka Hey Challenge did just that and then some!!

From the start of this ride the goal was to cross the finish line in Homer Alaska.  People have asked me if after riding hundreds of miles each day, did I still enjoy getting back into the saddle the next day?  My answer is always YES!  Every day brought with it new challenges, new roads and people I had never met before.  I stopped somewhere in the Yukon for gas and something to eat.  The establishment housed a restaurant, groceries, laundry, post office, showers and pumped gas.  I had just filled up my tank when a guy came running up to me spattering out Hoka Hey!  Hoka Hey!!  His english had a twist to it I wasn't familiar with, but I understood him to say how he had heard about the race on the internet.  He went on to tell me how he had heard there was some riders in the area.  But I was blown away when he grabbed my hand and as he shook my arm off said, "what an honor it was for him to meet one of the riders!!"  When we were tring to find a place to stop to rest for the night there was the little motel / bar in British Columbia that the gal kept open just for us.  (it was well after midnight).  It has been said "People are people no matter where you are".  So much truth is in that statement.  There's good people everywhere if you take the time to notice.

With between 750 and 1000 riders that left Key West Florida, after 9,000 + miles, and 11 days, I finished the Hoka Hey Challenge in Homer Alaska, and was the 55th rider to do so.  The total ride from home to Key West, to Homer and back home was 23 1/2 days and I rode 13,900 miles.

Everyday I prayed for Louie and my safety.  That angels would be assigned to remove debris, animals or people from our path so we would be safe.  It was amazing seeing hundreds and hundreds of animals along the road, but even more amazing not having one close call with any of them!!  We didn't have a close call of any kind!!  It's pretty hard to ride through all that beauty and not acknowledge there is a Creator, a God who is in total control, that all this could not have just happened through an evolution process. 

I'd like to end this series with another story:  We were riding somewhere in B.C. or the Yukon in the rain and my gas light came on at 143 miles.  (I filled that 5 gal. tank all the way up into the neck every time)  Usually the little light came on at around 170 miles so this surprised me.  I did some quick math in my head and figured I'd need gas by 170 or so.  Around here it's no big deal to have your light come on but up there is different.  There are no gas stations, no convenience centers, no quick stops - no people.  At 170 I started getting anxious!  175 brought me to praying for a gas station to pop up. 180 my prayer changed to send me help when I run out.  At 185 miles I layed my hand on the tank and asked God to multiply my gas as He did so long ago with the fish and bread, and didn't look at the odometer again.  Eventually I pulled up to a gas pump, shut off the motor, and was loudly shouting "thank you Lord!!" -  I think the gal pumping gas thought I had been on the road way too long!!  That's when I looked at the miles - 207!  My God is so cool!!!  (Louie's tank light had been on too! and he has a 6 gal. tank!!!)

There were so many more experiences that happened on the trip, some are fun to hear, while some I have difficulty explaining.  If you ever want to hear more of the Hoka Hey Challenge, or of the fantastic adventure of trusting Someone that never lets you down, give me a holler.

Hoka Hey Challenger #346

Finisher #55

Your Chaplain, Dale

The riders left Key West with the sun rising in our eyes but soon the clouds came and those pop up rain showers that Florida is so known for.  Heat and humidity made your bike seat seem like you were riding on a bed of red hot coals.  All through the south and across the southern plains the sun beat down on us as we rode west.  Temps hovered in the low 100's with occational wind storms blowing the dust so thick you couldn't see.  A Kansas thunderstorm delayed our progress as we retreated 20 - 30 miles to avoid it. 

The Canadian border brought welcomed cooler temps. but also rain.  I bought a pair of rubber knee high boots which became a two week fixture on me as the rain was relentless.  Even my headlight had 2 inches of standing water inside!  One day the thermometer got up to 36, throw in some sleet along with the rain and this became a memorable day!  Most if not all the mountains were covered in snow along with the green forests and meadows made a spectatular place to be. 

Look!  There's a couple of full curl Bighorns right beside the road!  We saw hundreds of elk,  hundreds of bison, dozens of black bears, a few caribou, some eagles, and way too many deer.  Pretty awesome all the critters we saw, yet not one close call with any of them.  So many have asked to see all my pictures - pretty tough going down the road in the rain, take off the gloves, can't stop, find which pocket you put the camera in, no cruise on your bike, don't drop gloves or camera - - - not many pictures.

There were three factors we needed to overcome to finish this challenge and cross the finish line in Homer Alaska. The weather took a toll on everybody.  Getting baked in the desert, to being frozen in the mountains and having rain running down the inside of your shorts everyday were some of the reasons this was such a challenge. 

Another factor was the roads.  Most of the roads were great, but there were some others.  The roads up there are built on the permafrost and are contantly shifting so repairs are regular and expected.  You don't want to drop into some of those potholes or most of the frontend of your bike won't come out.  My front forks bottomed out maybe 50 times while the rear shocks hit hundreds of times.  (eventually the wiring that feeds the tail, brake and blinkers got torn out of the fender and had to be repaired in Whitehorse Yukon)  We rode about 100 miles of gravel @ 60 - 70 mph.  When you met a trucker you would duck down behind the windshield and pray!  All my light bulbs were replaced at least twice, not because they burned out but they would just snap off! 

The third and biggest challenge was myself.  Lack of sleep, lack of proper food, the constant stress of go go go just about did me in.

Challenger #346

Your Chaplain

I'm lined up at 5:00 am in Key West, Florida on a narrow drive 4 Harleys wide for a race against time, the elements, and our own stamina to the destination of Homer Alaska some 7000+ miles away.  Am I stupid??

Some of the riders can only see the prize, $500,000 in gold and can't wait to let their motor go.  Some are more calculating and are using the old Hare and Tortious philosiphy.  Some are just along for the experience.  You knew when the start was as the roar of hundreds of Harleys shook the sleep from the locals as we headed into the sunrise.  All through the keys there were people lined up along the road to cheer us on.  There was an excitement in the air and you were proud to be a part of this historic event.

The HOKA HEY challenge was designed to challenge you - to test your ability to overcome and adapt.  It was designed to break you phsically and mentally.  Some of the rules were you could not sleep indoors.  So if it's 100+ in the desert - no air conditioner.  If there's a thunderstorm in Oklahoma you're going to get wet.  If it's hailing in Alberta - you get the point.  You must get gas receipts for every tank of fuel and they must be along the route.  At the start of the race we got a list of instructions which eventually took us to a checkpoint.  At that checkpoint we would get the next set of instructions for the next checkpoint, and so on.  The route brought us from Key West through Georgia, AL, MS, AR, OK, NM, AZ, Utah,WY, SD, MT and finally north.

I needed new rubber and the folks at Deluxe Harley in Gillett Wyoming treated me very well with tires front and back in minimal time.  I pulled into Missoula MT after dark.  I was tired so I didn't put up my tent and threw my sleeping bag on the grass.  Boy, the dew can get really wet!  Before daybreak I was headed north into Canada.

Throughout the ride I'd run into other challengers along the way.  Sometimes I would see them at gas stations I stopped at or sometimes it was at a resturant where we shared a meal and swapped stories of the ride so far.  Everyone felt honored to be a part of it while becoming more eager for crossing the finish line in Homer.

Challenger #346

Your Chaplain, Dale