Time To Drive Home
Time To Drive Home
A week after our return from our Fall hike in Europe, Katherine an I left for Rangely, Colorado to pick up where we left off on our (ALF or American La France) tour of the western states. Our plan was that my brother Ike would come with us to drive our truck and trailer along behind to act as a safety net in case some major mechanical issue arose. I also convinced Tim Taylor and his wife Judy to meet us in Rangely and tag along for a few days as we drove the ALF through eastern Utah on the way home to Whidbey Island. Tim was the Manager of the Black Horse Racing team when we set the Land Speed Record in 2010 at Bonneville, and the person responsible for the fabrication of the two ALFs in the Black Horse stable.
On Wednesday October 2nd, Katherine and I caught the early ferry boat to the mainland and drove over Snoqualmie Pass. We met Ike in Cle Elem at 7:00 a.m., then drove by Yakima, Pasco, Pendleton, La Grande, Ontario, Boise, Twin Falls, Salt Lake City, and Evanston, Wyoming where we stopped for the night after driving 900 miles. We still had over 200 miles to go, but we were in good position to reach Rangely by noon on the 3rd.
The next morning, we pushed on, past Fort Bridger, and Manila. Then we retraced our route from earlier in the year through Flaming Gorge and Vernal, Utah, and finally through Dinosaur, Colorado and on to Rangely. After a quick lunch at a local Café we drove over to the Rangely Automotive Museum to be reunited with the ALF. At noon, Tim and Judy arrived and Bud gave us all a grand tour of his remarkable collection of vintage cars and motorcycles.
On Thursday October 4th, Tim and I went to work preparing the ALF for her homeward journey while Ike, Katherine and Judy left to explore a nearby arroyo with interesting sandstone features. Almost immediately Tim found the cause of the misfire that developed during the last leg of our trip to Rangely. The electrode between the distributor cap and the rotor had disintegrated so that we were only receiving a very weak charge…and sometimes no charge at all. After a quick trip to the local NAPA store for parts, we were able to fix the distributor cap. A few miles of road-testing confirmed that the ALF was road worthy.
On Friday October 5th, we spent most of the morning doing maintenance on the ALF, checking the brakes, fluid levels, etc. By noon we had the ALF loaded on the trailer and were ready to go. We said our goodbyes to Bud and promised to return next year. We left Rangely that afternoon and headed for Grand Junction. After crossing Douglas Pass, we then took Interstate 80 west across the Utah/Colorado border. We exited the Interstate near Cisco, Utah and then off-loaded the Alf and Katherine and I began our drive along the Colorado River, through Castle Valley to Moab, Utah. Ike drove the truck and Tim and Judy followed as we made our way through the high desert landscape. Castle Valley views included great sandstone mesas and towers reminiscent of an old western movie set. After 40 miles the road entered a canyon and followed the river all the way to Moab. This day had been one of the best “ALF tours” we had ever driven.
On Saturday October 6th, we left early for a tour of Arches Nation Park. After entering the park, the ALF started up the steep road to the high plateau that features the spectacular sandstone natural arches and formations for which the park is famous. We stopped to visit Wall Street, Double Arch, the Windows, Delicate Arch and Landscape Arch on our fifty-mile tour.
On Sunday Oct. 7th, we said good-bye to Tim and Judy, who needed to return to Dallas, and Katherine, Ike and I loaded up the ALF, then drove south to Blanding, Utah. At Blanding we turned west on highway 95 heading toward Lake Powell. After a few miles we pulled over, took the ALF off the trailer, and began our one hundred and seventy-five-mile tour north to Capital Reef National Park and Torrey, Utah. Once again, the drive was through beautiful high desert terrain. sandstone mesas, sweeping lake views and narrow canyons which made this trip well worth the effort. Shortly after passing through Capital Reef came to the town of Torrey. This marked the end of the ALF tour. We loaded the ALF one last time on its trailer and headed for home, certain that we would return next year to further explore more of the American southwest.
Once Again Twice Another Time
At about 6 PM PDT, this was their progress. You can see exactly where the boys are now by checking their GPS.
Of course, nothing much happens in Alaska or the Yukon, or B.C. You just see an occasional cow by the road, and then you move on.
With typical American originality, one of the boys yells, “Hey!”. No wonder this cow made no motion to acknowledge them. It should be “MOOO”, you know.
They decided to drive ALF #4 for a-ways and then trailer it, even though the 1925 classic speedster gave them no problem. You can just imagine the strange looks they received from an occasional oncoming vehicle, as they drove a very isolated Alcan Highway. “Martha! What was THAT?” Those oncoming cars may have thought they were entering the Twilight Zone.
Anyway, here are some photos that the Alaskan Pony Express just delivered. From Christochina to Fairbanks, to the Yukon and south:
More Later…
Pick Yourself Up and Start Again
Refusing to accept defeat, the Blackhorseracing.com team took the sick 1915 ALF #1 classic speedster all the way back to Seattle (on a trailer) and are immediately returning to Alaska to retrieve ALF #4. This time, they are taking a different route up the Alcan, from Cle Elum, Washington north all the way back to Glennallen, Alaska. Here are photos of some of the crew who participated including Steve and Katherine, Matt, Guillaume, Dwight and Byron.
As of 2:15 PDT, Steve, and Dwight had crossed back into Alaska on their way to Glenallen and ALF #4. Follow along here.
The plan, hatched over a hearty meal, is to drive the ALF #4 part of the way down the Alcan and then trailer it back to Seattle.
Here are a few photos from their journey.
Getting Ready to Drive the Alcan
At Whittier, Alaska both American LaFrance vehicles
unload to begin the journey down the Alcan Highway to Seattle
The Traftons (which include Steve, his wife Katherine and two of Steve’s brothers Dwight and Byron) are “LollyGagging” Alaska until other Blackhorseracing Team members (Guillaume Marceau and his father Rick) arrive on Monday. So here is their LollyGag Map:
Since it is considered disgraceful to allow grass to grow beneath the feet of any Trafton, the four travelers drove north from Anchorage to explore Alaska. They started on Thursday by temporarily shedding the two ALFs at an airport hangar in Anchorage. They had to mark time until their team would land-launch toward Seattle on Tuesday. So why not head toward the Arctic Circle like any average person would do? Through noon on Saturday (August 25), they drove 1150 miles. Staying the first night at Healy, then driving to Manley Hot Springs, reversing direction to touch base at the Arctic Circle and then going beddy-bye at Fairbanks on Friday night.
It just so happens that Katherine has a connection to Manley Hot Springs.
This is what she wrote:
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“Married at 25, my grandfather’s young bride (age 19) eventually joined her husband at Manley Hot Springs by traveling alone from Seattle by boat, then railway, then barge and overland stage in 1914. While there she worked for his uncle Frank Manley who had established a gold mining camp.
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My grandfather’s job was to carry the saddlebags of gold on horseback over the Chilkoot Pass down to the boats headed to Seattle. He used to tell us the story of how he met a group of men en route who offered him a drink by their campfire. They had spiked the drink in hopes that they could steal his saddlebags! Fortunately, my grandad recognized his impairment and jumped off the horse to run alongside and sweat it out!
He managed to prevent the robbery!
My grandparents left camp on a dogsled to head for Fairbanks on 28 November 1914. Never made it to the hospital! My dad was born on the dogsled, in the snow! Needless to say, he was an only child!
Frank Manley was quite a character. Left Texas with some reputation. Established a better one in Alaska as “having taken more gold out of Alaska than any other single individual”. He then moved on to California and discovered oil in Bakersfield.”
But hey, the Arctic Circle still waits. So the Trafton’s backtracked their route, traveled across the Yukon River and then stopped at the exact location of the Arctic Circle for a tourist shot.
Steve checked-off another bucket list item by standing next to the Alaska Pipeline.
Then all four Trafton’s headed for sleep in Fairbanks.
As of noontime on Saturday, they headed south through Delta Junction and the Alaska Range. And here’s what they saw:
This is not fair. More tomorrow…
Inside Passage and ALF Arrival
From the Inside Passage and ports of Ketchikan and Juneau, we have received word that blue skies and great weather accompanied the Alaska ferry on its winding way north. (At least the Trafton Crew has escaped the smoky skies of the northwest.)
The ferry has now docked at Whittier and both ALFs vehicles (American LaFrance) have disembarked. Click on the GPS live links below to follow the touring progress of both ALFs (displaying numbers and 1 and 4) through Alaska:
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Here are a few photos from the ferry ride through the Inland Passage showing the harbors at Ketchikan and Juneau. Then pictures showing a personal tour of the ferry’s diesel engines, to the 56 mile drive up to Anchorage from the port at Whittier, and finally parking to wait for other team members arrival by air on Tuesday, August 28th.
North to Alaska With Both Alfs
Both the 1915 and 1921 American LaFrance Speedsters are now being ferried to Alaska for an adventurous driving tour back to Seattle!
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Before the trip, new decals changed the driver’s names and destination. “Alaska to Seattle” replaced the older “Peking to Paris” stickers and both vehicles were serviced for the 2500 mile journey.
The ferry ride started from Bellingham, Washington and will disembark in several days at Whittier, Alaska.
We will follow that journey with live GPS, video and photos from the adventure. So watch this space!
ALF Tours Southwest Montana
The 1915 American LaFrance Speedster was driven by Steve and Katherine Trafton to Jackson Hole, Wyoming where they started the tour.
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Everywhere they went, the ALF became a surprising center of attention
to the many tourists who had only expected to see wildlife.
The Grand Tetons provided a magnificent backdrop,
even though smoke occasionally intruded.
A welcome rain came on just one day
and did not affect the drive north to Yellowstone Park.
It was across the park and up the Bear Tooth Highway
to the 11000 foot summit for incredible views.
Then it was time to trailer the ALF and drive on to
Earthquake Lake, Beaverhead Rock, Three Forks and its museum,
Ennis and over the hill to Virginia City.
It was on to the Big Hole Basin and
isolation near Wisdom, Montana.
While jumping off the trailer Steve broke his foot in two places.
But after it was attended to in Anaconda,
Steve was back to the more serious business of touring for Blackhorseracing.com.
Time to head back to Washington State,
so Katherine helped load up the ALF to head back.
Pretty good trip. Yes it was.
July 4th Parade on Whidbey Island
Maxwelton’s July 4th Parade on Whidbey Island was a typical small town affair. As a matter of fact, Maxwelton doesn’t really have a town. But nevertheless, a fun time was had.
July 4th, 2017 was as good an excuse as any for the ALF and the Black Horse Racing Team. Here are a few photos from that day, some contributed by David Welton of WhidbeyLife Magazine.
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See some of the photos we took below. Click on any one to see it in close-up.
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ALF Wins All Wheels Weekend
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A small central Washington parade and Combine Demolition Derby sounded oddly interesting. So Steve and Katherine Trafton took their 1915 American LaFrance (ALF) vehicle east across the mountain highway to Lind, Washington.
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Later, touring Washington’s Palouse country, they stopped in at Dayton for the All Wheels Weekend and surprisingly won the highest award. See the photos below.
Click Photos to Enlarge the Collages
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ALF at Classic Auto Show in LA
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The Classic Auto Show in Los Angeles played host to one of our two ALF (American LaFrance) vehicles on January 27-29, 2017. Some of the Black Horse Racing Team was in attendance to answer questions put to them by attendees. Steve Trafton was also interviewed for the podcast at HorsePower Online. (The podcast is also available online for both the iPhone and Android.)
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See some of the photographs from that event in our Gallery.
.(Click to view in close-up.)