4 Corners Tour 2009

In late Spring 2009, Doug Oakley did the 4 Corners Tour – an epic Harley trip that took him to the four corners of the US, and a brief tour through Canada.

Since I bought my first Harley Davidson 11 years ago, I have wanted to do the “4 Corners” ride on my motorcycle. The ride includes literally riding around the perimeter of the United States and stopping at each of the furthest corners of the country – Key West, Florida; San Luis Obispo, California; Blaine, Washington; and Machais, Maine. The ride totaled 9205 miles over a 25 day period.

Over the years I have mapped it out and considered taking the time off to do the ride, but life kept getting in the way, so I would put it off until the next spring or fall. In the Fall of 2008, after noticing diminished use of my fine motor skills and muscle cramping in my left hand, I was diagnosed with a motor neuron disease, ALS. This diagnosis has shocked me into realizing that life will not wait until a more convenient time and I finally did the “4 corners” in May 2009 with my good friend Paul Zepf. Paul worked as a Boston Fire Fighter for 33 years, and retired in 2006 from Rescue Company 22. My oldest brother, Terry Oakley was only going to go for a portion of the ride and end just after visiting our cousin in Kelowna British Columbia. Before we knew it, Terry was riding across Canada with us to our final destination in Machais.

I did this ride not only to fulfill my dream but also to raise money and awareness for Compassionate Care ALS. We were fortunate to have the generous support of many people throughout the trip and successfully raised over $18,000 in support of CCALS, an organization that has helped me a great deal since my diagnosis.