Alaskan Adventures

A few things we learned about riding bikes & camping at -50 F

We arrived in Buckland, Alaska by FatBike (the first people to ever ride bikes there)  and it was -50 degrees below zero and dropping fast, getting dark, the streets were deserted, except for the howling dogs and we didn't know what to do next.

Pat & Kathy rode their fatbikes from Kotzebue in early April ( still winter in the Arctic) hoping to get to Nome via less traveled paths, and ended up coaching xc skiing in a remote village.

Following the tides on a 6 day adventure ride down the coast of Alaska's Kenai Peninsula; from (near) Hope to Homer, Alaska - Pat & Kathy's 160 mile bicycle beach ride in 2005 was the first Fatbike ride on a beach in Alaska. This was written before the term FatBike existed. Surly was the first bike company to create a real "FATbike Tire & asked Pat Irwin to demo one before they invested in this great idea! We don't recommend starting where we did or starting from Hope. Captain Cook Memorial Park is an easy place to drive to and start from.  Beware of the of the tides: you can get in big trouble on a high tide in some places!

written by Kathy Sarns Irwin ~ photos by both Kathy and Pat Irwin

Pat rides his bike instead of using a wheelchair and finishing this grueling 10 mile race was nothing less than a miracle and a blessing.

A HISTORY OF AN ONGOING XC SKI ADVENTURE. Since 1984 Kathy Sarns has been director &  ski coach for Junior Nordic in Alaska. Anchorage Junior Nordic continues successfully to this day with over 1000 young skiers.  Kathy now volunteers as director & coach for her home town Homer Junior Nordic. Teaching kids to XC ski is her life passion.