We’ve all heard the expression stuck between a rock and a hard place but this video takes that expression to a new level!

Steve Green and Richard Whittaker were on a dual sport trip from Denver, Colorado to the remote town of Churchill, Manitoba when they fell into a bit of a tight squeeze. The last section of their journey was on a washed out and supposedly impassible stretch of railroad track that represented the only land connection for the small town of 899 people.

What they didn’t know until they were already mid way into their adventure was that the rail line had flood-damage and was essentially out of commission cutting Churchill from the rest of the world by land.

Steve and Richard were chugging along when they came upon what would be their eleventh bridge crossing. They preceded care free and without caution. One of the riders had time to ask over the helmet intercom “Any damage?” to the response of “Looks pretty safe.” before things took a turn for the worse. A railroad tie fell out from the tracks almost immediately as the rider made his way onto the span. The motorcycle and rider were folded into the gap between two ties with nothing underneath but clean air.

After a brief moment of panic, both men composed themselves and set to the task of freeing the rider and saving the bike. What ensued is pure adventure motorcycle comedy gold with quotes like: “I’m holding it all with my balls… go get a picture of me!”

While no one was seriously injured in this incident, the whole situation still could have been avoided had they been more cautious. As Steve says while trapped: “I shouldn’t have hit it, I should have checked it!”

“There was no way to re-route – we ended up making a bridge across the gap with a couple of railroad ties that were laying around the vicinity.” – explained Richard.

After getting the memorable shot, they worked together successfully recovering the motorcycle and ventured on to become the first riders to make it to Churchill since Graham Oates in 1932.

Two lessons gleaned from this video:
1. When in doubt walk it before you ride it.
2. Always get a picture of your buddy before you come to their aid.

Photos courtesy Richard Whittaker

Author: Spencer Hill

“The Gear Dude” has been fueling his motorcycle addiction with adventure since first swinging his leg over a bike in 2010. Whether he’s exploring his own backyard in the Pacific Northwest or crisscrossing the United States, Spencer is always in search of scenic off-road routes, epic camping locations and the best gear possible. He began writing shortly after taking up two-wheel travel to share his experiences and offer insight with his extensive backpacking, camping and overland background.