Alaska 2023

[Lee]

The Alaska Marine Highway is a superb return route... three days of watching the world go by. You can rent a cabin (recommended) or pitch your tent on the rear deck.

I wanted to see the Inside Passage so we took the ferry From Skagway to Prince Rupert on our return route.
We spent two nights in Juneau and two nights in Petersburg.

Ferry.jpg

1988 Alaska_0073.jpg

[PGlaves]

I wanted to see the Inside Passage so we took the ferry From Skagway to Prince Rupert on our return route.
We spent two nights in Juneau and two nights in Petersburg.

Ferry.jpg

1988 Alaska_0073.jpg

Back when you had the good bikes.

[akbeemer]

This announces changes to the COVID restrictions for entering Canada (https://www.canada.ca/en/public-heal...-response.html)

As of February 28, 2022 at 12:01 a.m. EST:

We will be easing the on-arrival testing for fully-vaccinated travellers. This means that travellers arriving to Canada from any country, who qualify as fully vaccinated, will be randomly selected for arrival testing. Travellers selected will also no longer be required to quarantine while awaiting their test result.

- Children under 12 years old, travelling with fully vaccinated adults, will continue to be exempt from quarantine, without any prescribed conditions limiting their activities.
This means, for example, they no longer need to wait 14 days before attending school, camp or daycare.

-Unvaccinated travellers will continue to be required to test on arrival, on Day 8 and quarantine for 14 days. Unvaccinated foreign nationals will not be permitted to enter Canada unless they meet one of the few exemptions.

Travellers will now have the option of using a COVID-19 rapid antigen test result (taken the day prior to their scheduled flight or arrival at the land border or marine port of entry) or a molecular test result (taken no more than 72 hours before their scheduled flight or arrival at the land border or marine port of entry) to meet pre-entry requirements. Taking a rapid antigen test at home is not sufficient to meet the pre-entry requirement – it must be authorized by the country in which it was purchased and must be administered by a laboratory, healthcare entity or telehealth service.

The Government of Canada will adjust its Travel Health Notice from a Level 3 to a Level 2. This means that the Government will no longer recommend that Canadians avoid travel for non-essential purposes.

-Travellers should understand the risks that are still associated with international travel given the high incidence of Omicron, and take necessary precautions.

-On February 28, 2022 at 16:00 EST, Transport Canada’s Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) that restricts where international passenger flights can arrive in Canada will expire. This means that international flights carrying passengers will be permitted to land at all remaining Canadian airports that are designated by the Canada Border Services Agency to receive international passenger flights.

[Lee]

Back when you had the good bikes.

[willboo]

Wow, thanks again for all the replies, I really appreciate the MOA community. I may have a partner that I already know, just haven't ridden with yet. We may do the RawHyde Continental Divide ride together next year and then Alaska in 2024? Anyway, please keep the replies coming...thanks!

[brownie0486]

willboo,

Annie and I used to live in Fairbanks and made the ride between AK and the lower 48 a dozen times. We rode the haul road 5-6 times, but only once all the way to Prudoe. Been to the Arctic Circle and Coldfoot a few times and as far as the Hot Spot Cafe just north of the Yukon other times. We haven't ridden up that way since 2013 but are planning to go to the Yukon and D2D this year. May venture into Alaska if the border crossing on the Top of the World Highway is open and the rules for crossing back into Canada are not too onerous.

It appears that the crossing at Hyder is exempt from the testing requirement, so you could cross into Hyder and get back into Canada without a problem. Hyder is worth an overnight stay. As I mentioned earlier, if at all possible ride to and from AK and don't rush the ride. We've done it one way in four days and we've taken eight days; eight is better, six is reasonable.

If you do not find a riding partner, then the chances are good you can link up with someone in Fairbanks. I was responsible for housing at the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) and we allowed riders to stay in a dorm during the summer. We would get 350-450 riders staying with us and they would often form riding parties for the ride to Deadhorse. I'm not sure they still allow riders in the dorms and no one is left from my time at UAF. There were also two camping areas that were popular with riders. One is adjacent to the Fairgrounds on College Road. The other is on Davis Road. Either would be a good place to link up with another rider.

While in Fairbanks I suggest a visit to the Museum of the North on the campus of UAF. They used to have on display a BSA motorcycle that Slim Williams rode from AK to the lower 48 in 1939 to bring attention to the need for a highway. Slim made the trip with a friend who was also on a BSA and they sometimes lashed the two bikes together with saplings to form an early version of an ATV. He had previously made the trip with a dog team pulling a sled. Hopefully the BSA is still on display. Also visit the Fountainhead Antique Auto Museum on College Road. It has a surprisingly good selection of cars, including a homemade car built in the early 1920s by a Fairbanks teenager who had never seen a car. He saw some pictures and thought it would be a good way to meet girls. It worked and he met his wife because of it,

Enjoy your ride.

Stayed at the dorms in August 2018, open to travelers then.

[akbeemer]

Stayed at the dorms in August 2018, open to travelers then.

Good to hear.

[drneo66]

I really appreciate any and all suggestions and advice. I've looked from afar at this trip for years and know enough to know I have a lot of research and preparation to do before I roll out of my driveway. I am thrilled to say I just retired as of last Friday so I'm planning on perhaps six weeks or so to make this trip. For what it's worth, I ride an 800GS so are there any thoughts on whether it would be 'enough' bike? I've read that smaller is better or should I be looking for a 1200/1250?

I'm planning for this summer for the Ultimate Coast to Coast (Key West to Deadhorse) with my F800GS - I'll let you know how it goes...

[nickrides]

https://themilepost.com/articles/wha...s-state-ferry/

Its been on my to do list to ride to Fairbanks and take the Ferry back to Washington state.
Last time I priced it it seemed the fare went up 4-5 X the old rate.
Now the website seems to show almost no sailings.
Nick

[83014]

https://themilepost.com/articles/wha...s-state-ferry/

Its been on my to do list to ride to Fairbanks and take the Ferry back to Washington state.
Last time I priced it it seemed the fare went up 4-5 X the old rate.
Now the website seems to show almost no sailings.
Nick

Sounds like a good excuse to add the Cassiar Highway to your trip.

Doug

[akbeemer]

https://themilepost.com/articles/wha...s-state-ferry/

Its been on my to do list to ride to Fairbanks and take the Ferry back to Washington state.
Last time I priced it it seemed the fare went up 4-5 X the old rate.
Now the website seems to show almost no sailings.
Nick

Alaska experienced tough financial times during the happy period of plentiful and relatively cheap oil. Plentiful and cheap oil is bad for the Alaskan economy. For some inexplicable reason oil is now harder to get and far from cheap, but major cuts were made to the budget when oil was cheap and the Alaska Marine Highway System was one area that was targeted for cuts. There used to be two round trip ferries a day between Cordova and Valdez. It was a great trip to go to Cordova, ride to the Million Dollar Bridge and camp near Miles Glacier. Last time I checked there was one ferry a week to Cordova from Whittier. Cordova is not a place I want to spend a week.

[Lee]

I wonder what the price is now for a bike and rider (no room) for Valdez to Prince Rupert.
I tried the website and could not get a price.

[akbeemer]

I wonder what the price is now for a bike and rider (no room) for Valdez to Prince Rupert.
I tried the website and could not get a price.

Go to https://dot.alaska.gov/amhs/index.shtml

Go to "Reservations" and then "Sailings Search"

I didn't see anything to or from Prince Rupert.

[Lee]

Go to https://dot.alaska.gov/amhs/index.shtml

Go to "Reservations" and then "Sailings Search"

I didn't see anything to or from Prince Rupert.

That's what I tried.
It would not let me pick any dates.

[akbeemer]

That's what I tried.
It would not let me pick any dates.

That means there are no sailings between the ports you picked. I tried to find a sailing to Prince Rupert from Whittier, Skagway and Valdez and couldn’t one. A friend sailed from Alaska to PR last summer to attend the Great Falls rally, but I can’t find any sailing to PR this upcoming summer.