MLK PARADE - Deputy Sheriffs' Association of San Diego County

CONTEST: STAR RIDE
Doug Downes took his star on quite a ride. His story is below. Where
have you taken your Silver Star Whose been reading it and where Send in
your photos of the Silver Star around the world or in the hands of someone
famous (or infamous). The winning photo receives a $15 gift certificate to
the DSA Store. Non-winning photos are printed as space allows. Send your
photos to kmacris@dsasd.org.
These are pictures of the 4000 mile, 8 day, motorcycle and camping trip
that my girlfriend Peggy and I did from Alaska to San Diego via the Alcan
highway last August.
Why a rocket run for a vacation The short version is that after 20 years of
military service, I follow orders (i.e. Clayton Lisk says jump, I immediately
obtain a degree in genetics and grow wings). So when my father’s health
declined to the point where he couldn’t ride his three wheeler anymore,
and he told me to fly to Alaska and pick up my bike. He only had to tell
me twice a few more times until I got it. Sort of like being in a training
car with Dave Buether, but I digress.
With the Hunter edition of the Silver Star in hand, we set out on the most
scenic road trip ever. I offer my condolences to the entire canine unit on
the loss of both a partner and family member. The photograph of my dad
Ken, his girlfriend Anna, Peggy, and I with Hunter at Chilkoot Charlie’s
was our starting point in Anchorage, Alaska. If you’re ever up that way,
it’s a log cabin bar on Spenard Road that’s been there longer than all the
locals. A must stop in Anchorage. The photo at Chikaloon was one of
the hourly gas stops we made. With a five-gallon tank in the land of the
midnight sun, you stop at every station.
The blurry photo of the signpost 210 miles from the Canadian Border
was truly in the middle of nowhere. I don’t see why there was a signpost,
because there’s only a couple state routes total. Unless you’re climbing
a remote mountain like Ed Prendergast, finding that mountain on a
100-mile hiking trip like Karen Stubkjaer, competing in a 50-mile cross
country run like Jorge Dueno, mountain biking who knows where with
Don Parker, or doing off-road “enforcement” like Rick Turvey, you
probably don’t get much more lost in the wilderness than these routes.
The picture of Peggy and Hunter at the continental divide was the first
of two times we crossed it, since we took the route through Canada that
dumped us out on the 15 instead of the 5. I’m really glad we went that way,
the scenery was great, we encountered a herd of wild wood bison, and I
found a great EOS spot in Wolf Creek, Montana.
The law enforcement officers holding the Silver Star are Royal Canadian
Mounted Police, flanked by myself and a Conservation Officer. They
had 10-87’d to gas up while en route to a call of “disgruntled hunters.” I
wonder what Scott Rossall would do if I stopped to gas up on an armed
suspicious call 4S Warner Springs Let’s not find out.
So with the trip of a lifetime over, my first night back protecting and
serving the citizens of Vista went like this: What’s that ma’am You
were tired of sleeping in your truck, so you called a parole gangbanger
boyfriend, so your girlfriend and you could “kick it” with him and his
parole buddies in a hotel instead But then after smoking some green
giggly bush, they 215’d you with a gun Golly, good job on almost
wrestling the gun away from the parolee. Glad it was just your truck that
got shot up. Can you tell us where we can find your PALS so we can see
about getting your truck back Thanks to Mike Myers, Roy Maynard, Joe
Ellis, Escondido SWAT, and the Vista Gang Enforcement Team for the
work and follow up on that one. I don’t know why the RP didn’t mention
the previous 211 armed they were at earlier that night.
That’s all the shout-outs I can do for a photo submission. Stay safe.
Silver Star February 2011 13