'3 Old Guys' near end of 4,000-mile snowmobile trip from Minnesota to Alaska
Apr. 4—The "3 Old Guys" — Rob Hallstrom, Rex Hibbert and Paul Dick — and are almost at the end of their epic snowmobile ride from Grand Rapids, Minnesota, to Fairbanks, Alaska.
According to an evening update posted April 3 on the
"3 Old Guys Ride to Alaska" Facebook page,
the trio of snowmobile adventurers had made it to the Porcupine River, a tributary of the Yukon River in the Yukon Territory and Alaska.
"They are reporting that river conditions appear less challenging than what they've faced the last few days but given 'you never know what is around the corner,' they are taking rest in a cabin tonight and will hopefully complete their journey into Old Crow tomorrow," the April 3 post indicated.
Old Crow is the only Yukon community that can't be reached by road, according to Wikipedia, but it is obviously accessible by snowmobile.
If all goes according to plan, the snowmobilers should reach their destination in Fairbanks on April 6 or April 7.
The trio of snowmobilers left Dick's home in Grand Rapids on Monday, March 6 on identical Arctic Cat Norseman 8000X snowmobiles. They drove similar snowmobiles — but with 600cc engines — in March 2019 when they snowmobiled from Grand Rapids to Hudson Bay at Churchill, Manitoba, and back.
The three men are all experienced long-distance snowmobile riders and range in age from 66 to 72. Hallstrom, a retired electrician from Park Rapids, Minnesota, is originally from St. Hilaire, Minnesota. Hibbert lives in Soda Springs, Idaho, and Dick is from Grand Rapids.
As could be expected during a 4,000-plus-mile journey through some of the most rugged wilderness in North America, there have been some challenges along the way and occasional repairs to tow sleds and other equipment. Hallstrom's snowmobile even caught fire March 10, less than a week into the trip, when a stick got caught under the hood while they were breaking trail near Flin Flon, Manitoba. Fortunately, they got the fire out quickly and were able to make it back to Flin Flon for repairs.
The trio of adventurers have developed quite a following on Facebook through daily updates posted by Hallstrom's daughter, Kasie, and his wife, MaJeana. The April 3 update garnered more than 2,000 "Likes" and more than 140 comments.
In addition, one of the regular "3 Old Guys" followers sent a note and photos sharing how third-grade students in upstate New York were tracking the snowmobile ride to learn about geography and adventure, the Facebook post indicated.
"When the 3 Old Guys were preparing for their departure, my dad, Rob, asked me to put up 'a few' Facebook posts while they were on their ride since they wouldn't regularly have service," Kasie wrote in the post. "He supplied me with 4-6 suggestions for material and even a couple pictures which we assumed would cover it.
"You see, the 3 Old Guys literally thought they were just going out for a ride ... none of us, and especially them, anticipated the following that they have garnered.
"So ... each day, along with many of you and the students following along, I learn about the history and the trek that the 3 Old Guys have spent years researching. I am particularly thankful for Les Oystryk, a retired Conservation Officer and Historian who supplied my dad with intel prior to departure and who has become a wealth of knowledge for my regular posts.
This journey has certainly been a fun and wild ride for us all!"
Upon reaching their destination in Fairbanks, the "3 Old Guys" plan to return home by means other than snowmobile. They've already sold some of their gear. A fundraiser has been set up at
to help offset costs for food, fuel and other expenses.
