How four military veterans made history with the motorcycle trip of a lifetime.

There?s no wind in your hair or sun on your face when riding your motorcycle through a whiteout snowstorm, especially in November when it?s -16 F on Alaska?s Dalton Highway. No, the only warmth you feel is the electric heat of your Arctic riding suit running off your bike?s battery, especially if it catches fire and melts the inside of its weatherproof fabric, which happened to Wayne Mitchell on the sixth day of his 6-month journey last year. Too bad it wasn?t the worst of his team?s problems that week.

Five days later, near Burns Lake, British Columbia, Rich Doering was steering clear of deep roadside snow banks, leery of catching one with the wheel of his sidecar, when a white Chevy Impala tried to pass him, spun out of control and crashed into Doering?s left side, pinning his leg against the bike. The 59-year-old Alaskan was shaken and in pain. Not even two weeks into a journey two years in the making, Doering?s trip was in jeopardy of ending before barely getting off the ground. Fortunately, his X-rays were negative and the crew of veterans rode on, not wont to leaving a fallen man behind.
Alaska?s Dalton Highway is the first major obstacle in a north-to-south Pan-American motorcycle journey. Photo by Alex Manne.

The industrial oil production town of Deadhorse is the jumping-off point. Photo by Alex Manne.

Ocular frostbite is a real threat. Photo by Alex Manne.

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