Riding up to 15 hours a day, Eppley and Caldwell trekked cross-country to Anchorage, Alaska, taking in the mountain scenery and unique wildlife while also fairing the cooler temperatures and frequent rainstorms. On the way back, they stopped in West Bend, Wis., for a BMW motorcycle rally.
“It was a learning experience in some ways, to see some things you never thought you’d see,” Caldwell said.
Though both men shared in common an interest in motorcycles and cross-country adventures, what really brought them together was the tragic death of Eppley’s son, Garth Eppley BA ’03, in a plane crash in April 2006.
An avid motorcycle lover himself, Garth was extremely proud of the used Beemer his father had bought him during his freshman year. “Garth wouldn’t have thought anything at all on a Friday morning of cutting class and taking off to the East Coast,” Eppley said. “He belonged to a group out there called the Yankee Beemers. That’s a very large club out there on the East Coast. He’d go out to those rallies.” During Garth’s years at AU, he and Caldwell had become good friends, bonded together by their passion for BMW motorcycles. Garth would even bring his Beemer to Caldwell’s garage to work on it or borrow tools.
“Then, in the spring term of his senior year, Garth came by my office with a brand new Aerostich riding suit, a very nice, expensive, one-piece suit,” Caldwell recalled. “He said his mom and dad got it for him as a graduation gift. He was so proud of that suit.”
Garth and Caldwell remained in contact even after Garth graduated and moved on to a graduate program at IU. It was then that Caldwell mentioned the idea of the two of them biking to Alaska. “I just said to Garth that it would be fun to think about sometime,” Caldwell said. “It was in the background as a casual conversation. I had no idea at the time that his dad was such a serious rider.”
Caldwell and Bill Eppley first discussed the trip at a memorial service held at Park Place Church of God in honor of Garth and Zach Novak BA ’04, who was killed in the same plane crash. Caldwell mentioned that he and Garth had been discussing the idea of riding together to Alaska, and Eppley said he’d love to go.
“I don’t know that we set off to call this the Garth Memorial Ride to Alaska,” Caldwell said. “But we both knew that the context that brought us together was Garth.” Caldwell and Eppley left early on the morning of June 25. They rode several hours a day, ate peanut butter and onion sandwiches out of a cooler, and spent nights in their sleep-ing bags or the occasional hotel. Following a rigorous driving schedule, they were in Whitecourt, Canada, by the end of the third day.
Once in Canada, they slowed down to enjoy the sites. “One of the highlights for me was the wildlife,” Eppley said. “The first thing I saw coming out of Whitecourt was a moose. Then there was a timber wolf that jumped right out in front of us. These animals don’t even stop for the road.” They also saw deer, big-horn sheep, mountain goats, buffalo, and a black bear with two cubs in tow.
Along the Alaska Highway, they stopped at the Liard Hot Springs, where water bubbles out of the earth at scalding temperatures and merges with a nearby stream. Caldwell and Eppley couldn’t pass up the opportunity to get into their bathing suits and wade in the warm stream.
Of course, there were a few challenges along the way. Riding through northwest Canada and Alaska was cold and rainy, and at times, dirty. They discovered that their riding boots weren’t as water proof as they had thought. And at one point, their bikes were so thick with dirt, they ran them through a car wash.
However, Caldwell is quick to point out that he never regretted the trip. “I never had the thought that this trip was a mistake,” Caldwell said. “There were some really great moments when we were driving along and everything was perfect. The scenery was magnificent. We had the wind to our backs. The sun was shining. We were alone, and the road was great. My bike was humming beneath me. I find such moments to be inspirational and energizing.”
For Eppley, the trip was more about seizing an opportunity to do something he’d always wanted. “It was a trip which I had intended to make some day,” he said. “Garth’s passing made me realize, don’t put if off. Do it. I’m in good health. I don’t take medications. I’ve been wanting to take a trip like this, and now was the time.”
