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Who's ridden to/in Alaska?

Chestnut

Chestnut

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It's probably a pipe dream, but I'm contemplating an Alaska trip next summer. Ideally I would ride through Grand Teton, Yellowstone, Waterton-Glacier and Banff parks on the way up, and see Glacier Bay, Denali and maybe Gates of the Arctic while I'm there.
Any tips or suggestions would be appreciated. How far can I expect between gas stations? What percentage of the roads will be paved/decent dirt &gravel/goat tracks (or reindeer tracks...)?
Thanks in advance
 
i'd look at trip reports on advrider.com
also they have trip planing too, under America
and then they have Alaska section
their will be weeks of reading for you
just trying to help
 
Did it twice by motorcycle from IL and once in an rv. I see by the threads several are going this year, I wish I could but will have to wait till next year. You will want to take Icefield Parkway and Alaska Hwy one way and Cassiers Hwy the other. Be prepared for rain and lots of road construction. Include side trip to Hyder Alaska on Cassiers route, also do Top of World Hwy, Chicken, Dawson City,,, The Whittier Tunnel is quite an experience, beautiful ride to Valdez. Arctic Circle is easy ride , I never carried extra gas before but I will carry a gallon next time just for peace of mind. Also if going or coming from Banff take the Kananaski Country route. I spent several days staying at University of Alaska dorms, $20 a night. At the time they allowed motorcyclist, had to have a reservation but they let me change it several times. Motels are expensive , but ask about sleeping rooms when available they were about 1/2 price. Don't set a schedule, and yes they have mosquitoes lots of them. At construction zones they always had the motorcycles pull to the front of the line. I will be going again it is a great trip.
 
You have some lofty moto-goals. Hats off to you! Doing multiple long days of travel will
trim down the number of miles you can safely cover in a day, versus a 3-4 day ride.

I've been trying to come up with an honest opinion of the miles I can safely travel per day,
on a roughly 6000 mile trip i'm looking at in early July.

The biggest day-to-day trip i've run so far is 4 days of riding. I think a longer trip than that
will lower the number of miles covered per day. Long trips can bring up extra time consumers
like tire/oil changes, laundry needs, long-term fatigue, possible breakdowns, possible health issues, major weather or
terrain impacts, blah, blah, blah.

If you have the time & the resources, then go for it -and post plenty of pics and stories when you
get back safely.
 
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Thanks, guys! I was on ADVrider yesterday, scraped the surface a little. Definitely going to be doing a few more mods and getting some dirt training in before I attempt this thing. I'm wary of doing the ride solo, and none of my riding family would be willing/able to go. It may end up being an RV trip with pulling the bikes out for day rides. Who knows. A lot could happen by next summer.
I'll check out those route suggestions when I get back to a real computer.
I'm not sure I consider this lofy goals. Prudhoe Bay would be lofty. Which has crossed my mind...
I know I can do 2 or maybe 3 days of 600-700 miles, on either end of a more or less unlimited number of <400mile days. That's on good road, though. I have no idea what I could manage on dirt/gravel/slop. I'll definitely be adding zero days in for bike maintenance and rest. I'm a serious planner, so not having a set itinerary will be really hard for me. But I'm planning to camp most of the time, so I figure I won't have too difficult a time finding somewhere to sleep.
Anyone else have some can't miss places/roads?
 
I think most people could easily do 350-400 mile days for an extended amount of time so that shouldn't be a problem. The only limiting factor for both of my last two motorcycle trips was laundry detergent. If I'd stopped to do laundry I could stay away from home for months (until winter), theoretically. Four hundred miles during days the sun doesn't dip too far below the horizon is nothing really.

Go for it.......and talk to my wife so I can go with you :)
Mike
 
Bug Dr. said:
I think most people could easily do 350-400 mile days for an extended amount of time so that shouldn't be a problem. The only limiting factor for both of my last two motorcycle trips was laundry detergent. If I'd stopped to do laundry I could stay away from home for months (until winter), theoretically. Four hundred miles during days the sun doesn't dip too far below the horizon is nothing really.

Go for it.......and talk to my wife so I can go with you :)
Mike
Click to expand...
I stop once a week to do laundry. After a month the wife says the dog is missing me I better get my ass home.
 
Well I did a quick plotting out of my general route, and came up with no less than 43 days. (The quickie version skipping Grand Teton - Top of the World Pkwy would still take 34)
SoCal > Grand Teton > Yellowstone > Going-to-the-Sun road/ Glacier NP > Kananaskis Trail > Banff NP > Top of the World Pkwy > Coldfoot (ish) > Denali > Seward/Kenai-Fjords > Valdez > Juneau > ferry to Glacier Bay > Juneau > SoCal via Vancouver and I-5
My hubby agreed to (theoretically) go, as long as we have a shop do any maintenance/bike work we can. He'd need a new bike before then. Now if I can just find the funds...
 
Alaska is one of the best place for the road trip my brother is going to Alaska again and his contact with me and tell me the story he said that roads are smooth and glorious..
 
kasi said:
Alaska is one of the best place for the road trip my brother is going to Alaska again and his contact with me and tell me the story he said that roads are smooth and glorious..
Click to expand...

Alaska is the ride. However, the bears do like the free meals (road kill). Bears can be found quite often hiding along the road side looking for that free meal. So do not go down!
 
Ok an old thread bought back to life. I made my 3rd motorcycle trip to Alaska this year. By myself this time, made it to Prudhoe Bay. Talking about bears I probably saw 40 to 50 bear this time. So this time at one point I was riding along when a grizzly came wandering out from far road shoulder. Now I had a decision to make, brake hard and stop very near him or keep going and squeeze by in front of him if he keep up his pace. I kept going , he spotted me just as he was in the middle of other lane. He rose up on his rear legs and I looked into his eyes as I sped by. Hey maybe next year I'll do it again.
 
Chestnut said:
It's probably a pipe dream, but I'm contemplating an Alaska trip next summer. Ideally I would ride through Grand Teton, Yellowstone, Waterton-Glacier and Banff parks on the way up, and see Glacier Bay, Denali and maybe Gates of the Arctic while I'm there.
Any tips or suggestions would be appreciated. How far can I expect between gas stations? What percentage of the roads will be paved/decent dirt &gravel/goat tracks (or reindeer tracks...)?
Thanks in advance
Click to expand...

Thanks for the idea and the post ... I have to be in Homer Alaska June 3 as wife and grandkids are flying in June 2. Will be running similar ground you have in the post last two weeks in May to be able to get there. After they leave on the 8th I'm planning a tour of the rest of Alaska except maybe the Dalton. If your in Homer during that time my Brother in law has a charter vessel and his guests get their limit. He has been doing it for 20+ years, lots to do in Homer.
 
Old Can Ride said:
Alaska is the ride. However, the bears do like the free meals (road kill). Bears can be found quite often hiding along the road side looking for that free meal. So do not go down!
Click to expand...

Hey, that's Great! 'makes me want to go there... welll.... no it doesn't... not really. I was glad to read in one post that there are plenty of paved, smooth, roads there. I'd keep to those exclusively.
 
I called some of the government offices in Canada. It seems if you get the right person on the right day and have the right attitude, you can get a gun transportation permit. That's the only way I would camp in Canada (or ride for that matter).
I know "what next" has, but if you've never been up close to a grizzly, they are HUGE!
 
itlives said:
I called some of the government offices in Canada. It seems if you get the right person on the right day and have the right attitude, you can get a gun transportation permit. That's the only way I would camp in Canada (or ride for that matter).
I know "what next" has, but if you've never been up close to a grizzly, they are HUGE!
Click to expand...

Any gun you'd want to carry for that trip would likely be ill advised against a grizzle.

Carry bear mace.



Staying Safe on the Trail. With A Gun - The Truth About Guns
 
gboswellsac said:
Thanks for the idea and the post ... I have to be in Homer Alaska June 3 as wife and grandkids are flying in June 2. Will be running similar ground you have in the post last two weeks in May to be able to get there. After they leave on the 8th I'm planning a tour of the rest of Alaska except maybe the Dalton. If your in Homer during that time my Brother in law has a charter vessel and his guests get their limit. He has been doing it for 20+ years, lots to do in Homer.
Click to expand...
Ha, thread from forever ago brought back to life. I was thinking of going this summer just past, but ended up growing a human instead. Now I'll have to wait until she (and theoretical future sibling?) are big enough to ride pillion.
 
Chestnut said:
Ha, thread from forever ago brought back to life. I was thinking of going this summer just past, but ended up growing a human instead. Now I'll have to wait until she (and theoretical future sibling?) are big enough to ride pillion.
Click to expand...

Maybe get Grand parents to watch the little one for a couple weeks while you play. I know at my house it would be a big yes at the request. I have two grand daughters (6 and 1.5), I'm thinking of a side car rig and I'm the grand pa .....
 
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