Alaska

Across The Continental US, Canada, and Alaska

More Advanced Riding Skills are Needed For Alaska Dirt Roads

One of the most common questions about riding to Alaska is “how long does it take?”. Take as long as you can. Not that the trip takes a long time, but you will want to spend as much time riding up north as you have. The Summer Solstice in mid-June provides the warmest weather and plenty of daylight hours for riding. This itinerary focuses on getting across the US and Canada to spend as much time up north as possible.

This interactive google map shows where I have traveled in 2018 and other interesting areas for a future return trip to Alaska. Favorite places are marked with a heart….  Places I have saved for my next adventure north are redish-brown.

Trip Overview – July through September 2018

To maximize my time up North, I pushed across the United State at a quick, but measured pace.  Stopping first in Cincinnati, OH, I got  to see a work colleagues on my way.  I enjoyed the area around Sturgis, SD – particularly Spearfish Canyon and Deadwood. Glacier National Park was my launch spot for my journey Northward, using the Chief Mountain border crossing.

I visited the Canadian National parks including Waterton Lakes, Banff, Jasper, Kootenay, and Yoho many years ago.  I still have memories of the wildlife, mountains, glaciers, lakes and waterfalls. I enjoyed this beautiful part of the world again.

The road between Banff and Lake Louise and then to Jasper is known as the Bow Valley / Icefields Parkways.  Using the Bighorn route, I arrived at Dawson Creek, BC and Mile 0 of the Alaska Highway. At this point, I begin navigating using the mile-by-mile descriptions published in The Milepost and from Bell’s Travel Guides.

Just after Whitehorse, YK, I headed north on The Klondike Highway and spent a few days in Dawson City. As the weather turned very rainy, I deferred my trip across the Top of the World Highway and the Dempster.

I entered Alaska near Beaver Creek and spent my first night in Alaska in Tok  I adjusted my schedule based on the weather and saw as much as I could around the Fairbanks, Anchorage, and Seward areas.  There were plenty of roads and milestones to discover along the Parks Highway and the Alaska Railroad Route, and Glenn Highway. North of Fairbanks, I traveled the Steese Highway to Circle (close to the Artic Circle).

Beginning the Southward trip, I traveled Seward Highway.   At Skagway, I will book Ferry transport on the Alaska Marine Highway (Inside Passage) to make my way to Prince Rupert, stopping at Haines, Juneau, and Ketchikan.  I will ride the Yellowhead highway from Prince Rupert to Prince George.  The West Access Route including the Sea to Sky highway will take me via Vancouver to end up in Seattle.

I refined my packing techniques along the way.  The Wolfman pack is not easy to get into while on the road.  I reserve this pack for extra clothes and camping gear only.  Originally, my camera gear was tucked away here.  The tent poles, sleeping pad, and tarp are rolled up and secured to the outside of the pack.  This makes is easier to open the panniers and keeps the dirt from the tarp outside of the packed bag.

Alaska Travel Blog – 2018