The 2006 Alcan 5000 Rally (part 1)
by Bob Holcomb
From November & December 2006 Motorcyclist’s Post, reprinted with permission

Deja Vu
Imagine this: You’re back in 1973, sitting on your saddle blipping the throttle as
your group readies. A silent race track beckons while you consider one lastchance at the portapoti… You glance over at your buddy and…Who the heck isthat?!!!
So familiar, yet so strange…You haven’t seen that guy in 33 years, yet there heis like it was just another Sunday back in the day. The only thing, it’s not 1973.
It’s 2006, and 250 miles of the Canol roads await you. Angst not felt in decades
grips you once again: “Look through the turns; the front brake is your friend;ride your own line…”
Prologue
Over the last 18 months I’ve posted a series of articles here on adventure
touring. The ultimate objective was always to compete in the 2006 Alcan 5000
Rally. I finished it on August 22nd. This is my report.
The Rally
Hosted by the Rainier Auto Sports Club, The Alcan5000 is a time, speed, anddistance competition (TSD) that has run biennially since 1984. Motorcycles havebeen invited since 2002.
The 2006 version followed a path north from Seattle, through the Yukon to the
Arctic Circle, then turned west over the mountains to Fairbanks before finishingin Anchorage. It spanned 4500 miles of varying roads from pavement to dirt
tracks over permafrost. We passed through strange places with names like
Whitehorse, Dawson and Eagle Plains.
The event ran 9 days. Each day had TSD sections imbedded in them, whileworking us steadily towards our nightly destination. Of the 500 miles/day weaveraged, some 200 were along dirt roads. TSD sections ranged from 15 to 60
miles in length and ran on all surfaces. The route between TSD sections was not
timed and is called a “transit”. I expected them to offer sight seeing
opportunities, but TSD start times were spaced so tightly they allowed barely
enough time for gas station food and fueling!
The Rainier Club provided nightly lodging, some meals, route charts, support
vehicles and a radio communications system for safety. Subaru was the primarysponsor along with Touratech for the bikes. At least two support trucks swept
the daily route for stragglers, breakdowns, and the injured. One truck evenspotted gas for us along the most remote routes.

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The Competition
The objective of a TSD rally is to navigate a route chart while pacing perfectly at
assigned speeds. Checkpoints were hidden along TSD sections, where crews
scored rider’s exact passage. 1 point was awarded for every second early or late,with the lowest score winning. As you might expect, it was easy to get behind onsome of the dirt roads.
This type of TSD rally is called “brisk”. That means there are no gimmicks andthe pace is intended to be quick enough to test driver skill. However, it is not arace but rather a time keeping exercise similar to an enduro. Adding to thechallenge, optional routes were included purely for their endurance and rider skill
qualities. We rode those sections in small groups as fast as we possibly could. I
learned a lot about riding my big my KTM during them.
22 motorcycles and 9 cars made the field. The bikes: 2 KTM twins, 2 Suzuki
twins, 8 BMW twins, 5 KTM singles, 3 Kawasaki singles, and 2 BMW singles.
Ned Marandino
Upon reading up on the Alcan 5000, I recognized a name from my motorcycle
racing days over 30 years ago. I contacted the Rainier club to see if they could
put me in touch with a 2004 competitor named Ned Marandino. He was late 60's
so he seemed the right age to be my guy.
The Ned Marandino I knew was my boss at Grand Prix Cycles in Santa Clara, CA.
I worked there through college and raced motorcycles with him and the rest of
the staff on Sundays. It was a very fun time in my life and Ned taught me about
many things. I was hoping I could finally say thanks.
A few days later I got an email that started out; "HOLESHOT!!!" .... Sure enough,he was my Ned and he would prove to be ‘THE MAN’ in 2006!
The Beginning Stages
The paddock shaped up like any other; bikes, parts, tools and beer were
scattered everywhere with people hovering over them. The only weird thing isthat the paddock was the parking lot of a Baymont Hotel! Many of us were lateand despite having two years to prepare, we finished up in the wee hours before
the start. Sound familiar?
Scrutineering made sure we had legal machines, the right stickers, numbers, anda Snell approved helmet. Bikes left the lot on 1 minute intervals starting at
8:11am. The first TSD was pavement, starting at a rest stop on I-5. After a few
minutes on the Interstate, the route took to the country roads inland and crossed
into Canada. It was fortunate this first TSD was so docile. I struggled mightily
not to run off the road while trying to read all my instruments and roll chart.
Several hours later, we were well north in the Canadian Cascades and going likestink. There were no Mounty’s to be seen, and it wouldn’t have matteredanyway. I followed my old boss, Ned, and even at age 70 he was shockingly-2-hooligan! It’s a good thing he was aboard a thumper because it could barely
break a hundred.
Late on that first day we had our first dirt TSD. Even though one rider crashed, it
was a gentle affair, winding through the countryside and generating modest
speeds for most of us. Had this section been near the end of the rally we would
have scorched it! Day 1 was a mere glimpse of the task ahead.
The Longest Day
The 2nd stage was grueling. We had to make Dease Lake, high on the Cassiar
Trail some 700 miles away. Inside that 700 miles were three of the mostawesome dirt roads I have ridden in a long time. 250 miles of them!
Starting at 7am, our first TSD started almost immediately on a dirt road called
the Blackwater. It cut northwest from Quesnel to link up with Hwy 16 some 100
miles later. It climbed into the lower mountains from the Fraser River and wound
its way along lakes and valleys for hours. It started out fast, but got
progressively slower as we made our way north.
Mid-afternoon we picked up the last TSD along the Kispiox Valley. This was a
combination of dirt road and forest service track. As we went along, the road got
progressively technical. The cars took a real beating because of rocks, deadfall
and washouts. This section also featured assigned speeds that were hard tomeet. Another 100 miles north, we spilled out onto the Cassiar Highway for a
250 mile blast to make Dease Lake by dark.
I hooked up with Marandino and Jim Robertson for the transit. After running the2004 Alcan, they had been training together so I figured they were a good pair
to follow when I could. The Cassiar is mostly paved so we started out running as
fast as their little BMW 650’s would allow. By 9:30 we were 60 miles short of ourdestination and hit deep gravel in the dark. In blinding dust, we followed two
rally cars the rest of the way at about 70mph. I was terrified at first as the bike
took on a gentle wobble in the gravel and felt unconnected to the ground. It
didn’t do much, but I was relieved when we were done with it.
We rolled into Dease Lake about 10:30, but bikes trickled in for a long time after.
Notably, the sweep vehicles were loaded.
The Canol Roads!
Day 3 offered two choices: Take a TSD followed by a 350 mi. shot to Whitehorse;
or skip the TSD and take a 150 mile trip to Telegraph Creek before the dash to
Whitehorse. I opted for the TSD, which turned out a penalty option. The ride to
Telegraph was a dirt path intended to challenge tired riders, while the TSD wasfor those wanting a rest. Had I read the instructions more carefully (and notbeen so tired), I could have saved myself 150 points and likely earned 3rd placein my class. Instead, I dropped to 9th !

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My pain was not to last, however, as the fantastic Canol roads were up the nextday. They were 250 miles of the very best dirt roads I’ve ever ridden. Hours andhours of them. It was the signiture ride of the 2006 Alcan5000.
We started at 7:30am in Whitehorse and picked up the South Canol at Johnson’s
Crossing. South Canol was a fast undulating dirt road that snaked its way
northeast for 125 miles to a tiny crossroads called Ross River. The road was fullof climbing and descending sweepers with mixed surfaces. Ned rode it like a
cushion mile, while I mainly struggled to get my KTM whoa’d for hidden turns
and plowed the front alot. We crossed several ranges, valleys and little one-lanewooden bridges.
Struggling early, I ended up riding by myself for an hour. Later I hooked up withthe fast group again and was able to hang with them. It started becoming easier
as I learned to read the terrain better for sudden turns that hid behind rises. I
also discovered the big KTM would carve a much tighter line if I just pushed theinside bar down harder and picked up a little more throttle. Pretty soon the KTM
was no longer running wide, but squaring apexes and firing out fast. As thehours went by it only got better.
Along this section my riding partner, Fred Baldrige, fell off his KTM 950 and
broke his collarbone. We waited for the sweep truck, but then Fred was an old
hand at the big dirt ovals and very familiar with his injury. He had us rig up his
Camelbak straps to pull his shoulders back tight; then remounted and rode therest of the way to Ross River. Fred is one tough guy.
Ross River had a 2-pumper storefront so we fueled, ate box lunches, and crossed
the river on a wooden cable barge to the North Canol Road. The North Canol ran
another 130 miles into the wilderness where it ended on the border of Canada’s
Northwest Territories.
The North Canol was a tighter and sharper rollercoaster. It also featured small
weather systems that added drama as we passed through them. It was the very
best riding experience I’ve ever had. It’s too bad you need a fuel truck at theother end because every dual sporter should have a shot at that road just once.
The Holeshot
Our group was made up of mostly aging baby boomers with some sort of
motorcycle racing in our past. A group like that on a road like the Canols is arecipe for behavior that would shame our kids.
We filled the Ross River barge 2 across and end to end. The two guys up front
saw the wooden ramp as a starting gate. As soon as it hit mud, Bob Lisey
grabbed the holeshot on his KTM640 and promptly smacked a tractor/trailer
head-on! Bob is a very fast motorcycle rider and great adventurer, but jeez...
Fortunately the rig was inching its way down to the barge and Bob only sufferedraspberries and a slightly tweeked KTM.

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We had more excitement too. By this time Jim Robertson and Ned were leading
the points 1-2. Along the South Canol, Bob Lisey and Ken Westfall came up
behind them and went by. Suddenly a race broke out. First Ned powered into thepoint with Robertson in tow. While Lisey indicated he wanted no part of thatfoolishness, Jim barged by both and took over the lead… then promptly ran wideand down a steep bank. Remarkably, Jim stayed on the gas and would have reentered without losing much except for a hidden stump. It was almost thegreatest ‘save’ ever witnessed. As Robertson gathered himself and machine, Ned
offered; ” You’ve disgraced us”…
For me the Canol Roads were the highlight of my Alcan. I started out struggling,
but by the last few hours on the North Canol, it was like; “Damn…I can DO this!”Once I figured out how to slow and turn my big twin, that wonderful KTM motorand suspension did the rest. I could move the rear around like it was on arheostat. It never did anything sudden and even though I bent both rims, thebike was never upset that much. That motorcycle made me feel twenty-two
again. It was awesome!
NWT Camp
The club set-up a fantastic bivouac for us in the wilderness near a glacier. We
had a big-top, several small tents, sleeping bags, dinner, a campfire and a fueltruck…Bob Lisey even passed around his satellite phone for some to check inwith home. Life was good.
Cliff’s Cycles
I want to thank Frank at Cliff’s Cycles (Norfolk, MA) for preparing my 950
Adventure for this event. He knew when I bought it from him last year that myprimary objective was to run it in the Alcan 5000. At crunch time he personallywent through it to make sure it was in perfect shape for the task. Since the bikehad 21000 miles on it, he even replaced a few minor parts as a pre-emptive
measure. That was big for me since a mechanical issue might ruin my dreamride. Thanks to Cliff’s the KTM was flawless and never gave me a moment’s
doubt.
I’ll post part 2 next month. It will include the “Dash to the Circle” and the “Topof-the World Highway”. While the Canol Roads were 2nd - 4th gears, these were
3rd - 6th!
Ride safe.

-5-The 2006 Alcan5000 (part II)
Day 5 dawned at a remote camp on the border of Canada’s Northwest
Territories. Surrounded by glaciers, we were 130 miles from Ross River at theend of the North Canol Road. Getting there was the most fun I’ve ever had on a
motorcycle. On this day we would ride back to Ross River then head north toDawson.
After a hurried breakfast, we refueled at the gas truck and headed out of camp in
small groups. Retracing the North Canol had us excited. A double track path, theNorth Canol Road snakes its way through several low mountain ranges andvalleys. We even passed through two or three weather systems of rain and fog.
Traction was excellent with most of the road run in 2nd and 3rd gear. It was 3½
hours of dirt-road rollercoaster.
Jim Robertson took the point with Ned Marandino and me trailing. Because he
had the points lead, Jim left room for error but still set a brisk pace. We steadily
worked our way through small groups of riders, slowing only when fog blinded
us. I had one fright when rounding a bend to find a water crossing. Both Ned andJim were able to slow, but I couldn’t and barely managed to thread a gap
between them, blasting through in a big splash. My WP forks sucked it up like it
was nothing. Late morning we refueled at Ross River and headed north on agraded road named Highway 4. We rolled into Dawson about 6pm.
Dawson, Yukon Territory
Dawson is a leftover from the gold rush. Built hard against the banks of the
Yukon River, sharp terrain rises on either side of her. Massive piles of tailings
from the diggings are everywhere. The town itself is a clapboard affair withwooden sidewalks and dirt streets. Still rough around the edges, Dawson is rightout of the movies. Shrieks, whoops and the sound of honkytonks filtered throughthe night.
The El Dorado Hotel was base camp for our dash to the Arctic Circle. After adriver’s meeting, we turned its parking lot onto a full blown paddock. The
support trucks unloaded our spares and we went at our equipment like it was a
pit stop at the Daytona 200. In no time the place was a hubbub of take-off’s,
tubes, chains, sprockets, duct tape and zip ties. The next morning we would
make a 250 mile blast up the Dempster Highway to the Arctic Circle.
The Dash for the Circle
The Dempster Highway is a groomed dirt road wide enough for two semi-tractors
to pass. It connects an arctic outpost on the Beaufort Sea with the rest of theworld. We picked it up 30 minutes east of Dawson.
At 50mph the Dempster is as featureless as an interstate. Not so at 90! As dullas the Dempster seems, it’s actually rarely straight. It courses its way north overa series of broadly sloping ridgelines climbing to a pass. It then runs along the-6-tops through a wayside named Eagle Plains. The Arctic Circle is marked another30 miles beyond Eagle Plains.
Running 4th and 5th gears, the Dempster was magical. It was so wide open thatafter awhile my sense of speed faded. The only governors were the turns and theloose surfaces they were made of. Jim Robertson, a D36 flat tracker from the
Pursang era, was a terrific tow for me. We powered up and down the gearbox forhours, and while I was slower in the turns then Ned or Jim, I was able to use my
Katoom’s power to keep up.
After awhile, we started seeing puddles and patches of mud. Topping a rise at
80, we came upon one 200 yards long! I slowed as best I could and saw Ned’s
BMW shudder as he hit the far right rut. I picked a center rut and held my breath
trying to hold everything steady. I was sure I was going to make a mess all overthe Dempster. About that time, Andrew Fekete (Adventurer’s Workshop) came
powering by my left aboard his tricked out Boxer…up on the pegs and on thegas!
After making the Arctic Circle, we turned around and headed back to Dawson.
The ride back was even better…faster too.
Top-of-the-World Highway
The Top-of-the-World Highway climbs northwest out of Dawson from across the
Yukon River. It would be our short-cut to Fairbanks, Alaska. The first TSD started
from the far bank after a ferry crossing. While straight-forward, this TSD
presented timekeeping difficulty because the ferry bunched us with traffic.
Passing campers on this road put a premium on a rider’s ability to maintain his
assigned speeds.
The Top-of-the-World Highway is another maintained dirt road running along thetops of ridgelines. From its crests you could see for 100 miles. If dry, the road isgood enough for a loaded Gold Wing. While mostly 3rd-5th gear, it was fastenough to be fun and slow enough to play with the motorcycle a little. Just past
the US border crossing we refueled at a strange little place called Chicken. Not
quite a town but more then a camp, Chicken is one of those interesting places
that gave the rally color.
3 miles past Chicken the road deteriorated. Increasingly laced with switchbacks,
it also started to rain while temps plunged to the 30’s. Mud slowed things, but it
wasn’t too slick to make a decent pace. About this time I spotted a pair ofheadlights in my mirrors coming steadily out of the mist. It was a tricked out
Subaru rally car and he had that thing cooking! I pulled over and let him by as
he worked the entire road using all he had. It was very cool.
By lunch, we spilled onto the Alcan Highway near Tok. The Alcan is a paved 2lane and a welcome road after 250 miles of mud. We stopped for a hot meal andcollected the field for the next TSD section. Like earlier, it was straight-forward
and another opportunity to improve my score. We rolled into Fairbanks about
7pm. Most riders suffered from the cold and driving rain that dominated the day.
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Few thumpers were equipped with heated grips or clothing. There was more badweather to come too.
Denali Highway
So far Alaska was proving a miserable place to ride. It was being blasted by aseries of storms that frosted the ridgelines with snow and washed out roads inthe valleys between. Ground-hugging fog added to our misery. The 8th stage was
supposed to take us south to Denali Park, then east across 140 miles of what we
expected to be the most beautiful dirt road of the rally; the Denali Highway.
The Denali Highway is a little-used dirt path that runs east/west between the two
major artery’s running south from Fairbanks. It crosses two mountain ranges anda river. Unfortunately, the road was washed out near its western end, so we had
to change our course. We backtracked along the Alcan to Delta Junction andheaded south towards Valdez. Halfway down we found the eastern end of the
Denali Highway. Meanwhile, it was still driving rain and colder still.
We gathered at a coffee shop at the east entrance to the Denali road. After
warming for an hour; a group of us headed up the Denali while the rest went
south to Valdez. Two miles up we hit a hail storm! Undaunted, we continued on
and climbing as we went. Not five miles later we broke out on top to clear blue
skies with spectacular vistas! As we gained confidence, our pace picked up as it
always did.
The Denali Road was winding and badly pot-holed. We passed a few 4X4’s,
making about 20mph trying to avoid the pounding. We ran closer to 60, but thehits were jarring just the same. 85 miles in, we stopped at the river for pictures.
Because we had no fuel truck on this leg, we were at the limits of our fuel range
and had to turn back. When I think back on my ride through Alaska, the image I
hold is the Denali Highway. I hope I get to ride it end-to end someday.
The Last Stage
The last stage began from a motel parking lot in a town called Glennallen. Like
many such establishments, the motel was built from portable buildings left overfrom the construction of the pipeline. It was a welcome sight as our bad weather
continued.
The route was a straight shot west over Hatcher pass and then south into
Anchorage. It began with a simple TSD section then continued through thecoastal mountains. The further we went, the harder it rained. Road construction
combined with the weather to make passage a struggle. Near Palmer we started
our last TSD in pouring rain and 40 degree temps. Half way through we had one
rider down and others struggling. At the end of the TSD, the field collected justbelow Hatcher pass. The Rallymaster decided Hatcher was too icy for
motorcycles, so we turned around and made a bee-line to the finish atContinental Subaru in Anchorage. Nature wasn’t ready to let us go yet, though.
40 miles out of Anchorage we hit a 60mpg crosswind!
We limped into Continental Subaru mid-afternoon. They set up a bannered bigtop tent for us to park under and lined us up for pictures and fanfare. Actually,-8-

we were more of a curiosity, but the tent and hot coffee was great just the same.
A couple hours later our awards banquet was launched at an appropriate
restaurant called the Sourdough Mining Company. After plenty drink, food,speeches and more celebration, our Alcan5000 was finished.
With my improved timekeeping, I managed to climb out of the cellar to finish 4th
in class and mid-pack overall. Jim and Ned fought it out right down to the last
TSD, with Jim getting the nod. Both Jim and Ned were our hero’s of the run.
Riding with a broken foot from a spill he took a few weeks earlier, Ned soldieredto the end, just missing out on the gold. He was happy too. He finished 2nd
overall bikes and 4th overall rally (including cars). That’s pretty good for a 70
year-old with a broken foot! It proves that old-school racers need never fade.
Note by Jerry Hines: Bob wrote this for Motorcyclist’s Post after the Alcan. It’s a greatstory on it’s own but has become an unintended final tribute to Ned Marandino, who
had a fatal accident in California November 25 during a weekend ride with friends.
Ned received a standing ovation at the Alcan awards banquet, and made a deep & lasting
impression on every participant. Ned was extremely talented, and a unique combinationof true gentleman and fierce competitor. He was a model for all, and we’ll long remember
his strength, grace, and determination.
Happy Trails, Ned!

Photo by Jim Robertson-9-Results

Unlimited Motorcycle
1. Jim Robertson, Aptos, CA – BMW F650GS Dakar
2. Ned Marandino, Watsonville, CA – BMW F650 GS
3. Michael Stram, Gresham, OR – KTM 640 Adventure
Cycle 1 (under 700cc w/no computers)
1. Jay Ritchie, Starkville, MS – Kaw KLR650
2. Ken Westfall, Port Crane, NY – Kaw KLR650
3. Bob Lisey, Wadsworth, OH – KTM 640 Adventure
Cycle 2 (over 700cc w/no computers)
1. Dean Scheel, Lake Oswego, OR – Suz DL1000
2. Bryan Townsend, Aroura, OR – Suz DL1000
3. Dave Jordan, Cordova, TN – BMW 1200GSA
Congratulations and thanks to Subaru and Touratech for being sponsors. Their
participation shows they love sport as much as business. The Rainier Auto Sports
Club did a masterful job for us. They designed fantastic routes for motorcycles
and supported us with plenty of vehicles and equipment to insure everybody
made it home every night. Their fuel truck allowed us to ride roads we could
never attempt on our own and their supply trucks allowed us to ride light.
Time/Speed and Distance rallying seems an excellent new sport for motorcycling.
I hope more of them surface in coming seasons.
My KTM 950 Adventure proved nearly perfect for the task. It was comfortable forhighway hours, yet agile enough to blast the fire roads like a flyweight. During
the trip, the KTM consumed two rear tires and one front, rear brake pads, andhalf of its chain/sprocket life. After the Canol roads, I noticed both rims werebent, but I do not remember the hits. I ran Continental TKC80 tires, aired up to
32lbs. They worked extremely well on loose surfaces, but not so well on wet andcold tarmac. Still, I rate them highly for the varied conditions we encountered.
Thanks again to Cliff’s Cycles for preparing my KTM. The machine was flawless
and my adventure a success because of that. Ride safe -Bob Holcomb- 10 -