Alaska Ride Questions

[RideTN]

I have never been to alaska. i ride a 2012 RT.

Planning a trip to Alaska to do pass through Wrangells National park, Kenai Fjords National park and finally Denali National Park. i do not intend to do an extensive ride through each park but do intend to stop at the visitor center at each. afterwards, i intend to return home via the rally in salt lake city.

i am seeking comments or input about the highways i have selected and whether i can reasonably expect wide open roads and decent cruising speeds or, can i expect crowded roads with vacationers or commercial truck traffic keeping my daily distance under 500 miles a day.

also, in regards to my chosen roads, will there be gas fill-up opportunities at least every 200-250 miles?

ok, the route i am planning is crossing into canada from washington into british columbia on hwy 97 and following it up to prince george, bc. from there west on hwy 16 until it meets hwy 37 and take it north until it meets hwy 1 which i will then take west to the wrangells visitor center area.

from there i will take the only available highways to the other two parks and after a night in the fairbanks area i will head east taking hwy 97 through the stony mountain provincial park and eventually down hwy 43 into edmonton for a night's stay.

thank you for your responses

 

[pglaves]

My belief - based on a couple of trips to Alaska proper and several trips to Hyder on 37a off 37, is that construction will - in unpredictable spots - slow you down some but these stretches tend to be short ones of a few tens of miles. Of greater concern to me would be your lodging choices. Camping? Motels? There are a finite number of either, and last time we rode north of Meziadin Junction (37 at 37a) they tended to be about 300 miles apart as a generalization. So maybe 300 mile or 550-600 mile days at certain locations might be dictated by lodging. Plan this aspect carefully.

Hopefuuly AKBeemer who has ridden those roads much more, and more recently than I have can weigh in here.

 

[firecpt12c]

Rode to Prudoe bay in 08. The construction zones will slow you down a bit however, when you come to a zone that has an escort you may drive to the head of the line. This is common practice. Keep a good eye on the maps, if your a 100 miles into the tank, don't pass a fuel stop. Often fuels stations are closed or out of business. Enjoy the ride and have fun.

 

[akbeemer]

I used to live in Fairbanks and have made the ride between AK and the states several times, including three times on a 2007 RT. As mentioned you can expect to encounter multiple construction zones. The longest I can recall was over 40 miles, but that is not the norm. If it raining they can be quite muddy. Think twice about going to the head of the line. If it is muddy you could end up being pushed by a semi that is undeterred by the slick conditions. The speed limits on the Yellowhead, Cassiar and ALCAN seldom exceed 100 KPH. It could a very bad day if you are caught speeding, especially if you are doing over 20 KPH over the speed limit. Best to behave yourself while being a guest in another country. I don't recall any stretch of more than 50-60 miles without fuel on the roads you plan to use, other than from Kitwanga to Meziadin Junction (95 miles). There are some stations that do not have credit card capabilities so if the station is closed there is no fuel. Probably best to not get much below half a tank. RVs can be a pain. When Annie and I ride these roads we tend to try to be on the road fairly early to get ahead of the tourists. If you plan to use motels then the safe bet is to call ahead early in the day or stop no later than 5 PM before the hotels fill up. We seldom make reservations and have never not found a room, but we've had some close calls. Carry at least a sleeping bag just in case. None of the Alaskan parks you mentioned are conducive to vehicular visits. The only way to get beyond Savage Creek in Denali (6-8 miles) is on a bicycle, on foot or by bus. Kenai Fjords is best seen on foot or tour boat. Wrangall is huge but the only significant road in, that I know of, is to Kennicott/McCarthy and much of that is dirt and can be rocky.

It's been three years since our last ride to AK so all of this may have been overcome by events.

You need a passport; do not take a handgun into Canada; people who have a criminal record (even a DUI) may be denied entry into Canada; using email or the internet on your cell phone can get real expensive, check with your carrier; take good rain gear and heated gear (no matter the time of year); take good bug dope and a head net; have a good towing plan (one that covers 100 miles is of little use); be capable of fixing a flat.

 

[patiodadio]

I was in Alaska way back in 1990 and my only advice is to visit "The Pump House" in Fairbanks if you make it that far.
http://www.pumphouse.com

p.s..... I love Alaska and I bet you will too

 

[RideTN]

thanks for the responses. reviewing my route from prince george westward on hwy 16 and then north on hwy 37 it appears that part of hwy 37 is not paved? my road atlas is 2012 so it may not be accurate. anyone know if that is correct? if it is i will alter my direction out of prince george to remain on paved roads. thanks again for the helpful comments.

 

[pglaves]

thanks for the responses. reviewing my route from prince george westward on hwy 16 and then north on hwy 37 it appears that part of hwy 37 is not paved? my road atlas is 2012 so it may not be accurate. anyone know if that is correct? if it is i will alter my direction out of prince george to remain on paved roads. thanks again for the helpful comments.

I believe that the Cassiar Highway (37) has now all been paved - or so I have been told. If not, the unpaved part(s) are only a few miles if that. Construction - maybe some.

 

[akbeemer]

37 has been completely paved at least since 2003. There can always be long stretches that are torn up for road work.

 

[beemer01]

Cassiar is completely paved as of 2014

Good shape. Your route should be fine with an RT... construction zones will be variable and can include soft dirt and deep gravel. As Kevin noted, have a fresh tire repair kit - know 100% how to use it. I'd also recommend really tough tires. A TKC 70 or 80 front and a Heidi K60 rear is the dope setup. Imho.

 

[RideTN]

FINAL UPDATE

the trip was awesome. i was fortunate to not have any mechanical or tire issues and rolled into the edmonton dealer for new tires and an oil change with about 9k miles on the tires and the oil. someday i want to go back and ride the alaska hwy in a cage and explore a bit more as i just did a pic opportunity at the three national parks. there was plenty of road construction here and there, a few miles of gravel road often in those instances. the frost heaves were interesting and constant often.

good luck also stayed with me to avoid critters in the road because many crossed. i left at the break of dawn each day and rode til evening and there was always fog/clouds in the morning as well as lots of wildlife that time of day.

the locals were very friendly which made the trip even more enjoyable.

thanks again for the information prior to my trip.