road trip U.S. Canada Alaska.

[chasmrider]

hello, when you pass through Zion NP, you will be about 2 hours away from the north rim of the Grand Canyon. you really shouldn't miss the view from Cape Royal ! feel free ( or at least inexpensive ) to call when you come through Oregon.

 

[rangerreece]

Its amazing to see the different sizes. What do we live in a small country
Thank you for showing it.

I think the maps were an attempt to show how the size and scale of the geopolitical lines of North America compare internationally. Last summer I drove from my home in Enterprise Alabala to Oklahoma city Oklahoma. The enormity of our nation slowly became apparent about 8 hours into the trip when I realized I was only half way there, and hurting. The size of our nation tends to sneak up on unsuspecting tourists logistically speaking. You should see what it's like for someone born and raised in Hawaii to come to the "mainland"; sometimes it literally overwhelmes them.

 

[26667]

wcome!!!

and it looks like a wonderful adventure! If you pass thru the Chicago region on your way to D.C. and need anything, find me in the anon' book; Park Ridge near the 294 tollway and rtes 90/94. near O'hare airport.

have fun, and ride safe!!!

 

[ricochetrider]

Hello everyone,

Astrid (39) and I (Erik 43) are new on this forum, we are from the Netherlands. We also said hello on the new member topic. Sorry for my English but i do my best. On the new member topic we asked for tips because we come over to your country. What is our plan?. We will ship our motorbikes (F650GS 2002 / R1150GSA 2003) to L.A. and we will arrive whit the plane on march 26th. From there we have 6 months for visiting the U.S. Canada and Alaska. We have nothing planned ahead, only a visit to friends in Boston and family in Canada, we will end up back in LA. We have about 6 weeks to go from LA to Boston, from there we are going in to Canada, when ist possible we also want to ride trough eastern Canada to Alaska, experience the Arctic Circle and then trough the west coast back towards LA. It?s that simple!!! 
That is a short explanation of our trip. We want to travel low budget because it is expensive enough and we are certainly not rich. So we are looking for useful tips and cheap nights over or perhaps there are people who have a spare room for us? We would like to see local things and want to experience the real American life. We are very excited!!!

Our route so far:

L.A. > Sequoia N.F. > Death Vally > Las Vegas >Zion N.P. > the wave (marble Canyon) > Bryce Canyon > Arches N.P. > Bonneville Salt Flats > Salt Lake City > Yellowstone N.P. > Devils Tower (Wyoming) > Mount Rushmore N.P. > Milwaukee (H.D. Museum) > Washington (The White House) > Boston > Niagara Falls > CANADA > Ridgetown (family visit) > Eagle Canyon Adventures inc > Winnipeg > Dawson City (Yukon) > ALASKA > Fairbanks > Denali Hwy > CANADA > Watson Lake (Yukon) > U.S. > Lime Kiln point state park ) > North Casades N.P. > Hwy 101 > Crater lake > Lassen Volcanoic N.P. > Lake Tahoe > San Francisco > Cabrillo Hwy 1 > L.A.



Astrid & Erik

Hello and welcome to MOA!

Looking at your proposed route, bear in mind that choosing a more northern route through the Rockies, you may well find some higher elevations and passes closed due to snow. I advise you to keep an eye on the weather patterns and snowfall amounts along this route, and have a "plan B" ready, with perhaps a more southern route from Death Valley and eastward.

I'm surprised that nobody has mentioned this so far, but a trip east in March/April could be hit or miss along the route you've posted. Passes in the Rockies are regularly closed into June.

Just a thought.

Cheers!
Tom

 

[akbeemer]

The passes in central Montana tend to be 6000-6500 feet. They can get snow in March-April but your odds are good that they will be clear in a day or two. We live about 20 miles from Flesher, Stemple and MacDonald passes and use them throughout the year. I think the passes in Colorado are more likely to cause you problems, but I'm not real familiar with them. I'd be a bit concerned about Snoqualmie Pass in Washington if you head that far west.

 

[astrid_erik]

Hello! Can anybody help us???
At the 16th of march our motorbikes will arive at the harbor of L.A. They are placed in 2 wooden crates which can be screwed completely apart. We are looking for a company or adress where we can store our crates (without the bikes) for half a year. With the ability to pick up the motorbikes in the crates at the harbor and do the paperwork at costums. Similarly, half a year later....when the motorbikes have to retrun back to the port of L.A. to send them back to the Netherlands. We have a carnet the passage for the inport and export of our motorbikes, that will make the paperwork at costums a lot easier. The space the crates (screwed apart) occupy is about 7.55 ft lenght by 5 ft wide (2.30 m. length by 1.5 m. wide).
Does someone know a place for us where this is possible? For a not too high amount, because the companies we were in contact with asked a lot of money (1700 dollar or more...)!!!!

So please let us know.....

Dutch greetings from Erik and Astrid.

 

[henzilla]

The passes in central Montana tend to be 6000-6500 feet. They can get snow in March-April but your odds are good that they will be clear in a day or two. We live about 20 miles from Flesher, Stemple and MacDonald passes and use them throughout the year. I think the passes in Colorado are more likely to cause you problems, but I'm not real familiar with them. I'd be a bit concerned about Snoqualmie Pass in Washington if you head that far west.

June 13th MacDonald Pass
Stopped after the summit

 

[henzilla]

Hello! Can anybody help us???
At the 16th of march our motorbikes will arive at the harbor of L.A. They are placed in 2 wooden crates which can be screwed completely apart. We are looking for a company or adress where we can store our crates (without the bikes) for half a year. With the ability to pick up the motorbikes in the crates at the harbor and do the paperwork at costums. Similarly, half a year later....when the motorbikes have to retrun back to the port of L.A. to send them back to the Netherlands. We have a carnet the passage for the inport and export of our motorbikes, that will make the paperwork at costums a lot easier. The space the crates (screwed apart) occupy is about 7.55 ft lenght by 5 ft wide (2.30 m. length by 1.5 m. wide).
Does someone know a place for us where this is possible? For a not too high amount, because the companies we were in contact with asked a lot of money (1700 dollar or more...)!!!!

So please let us know.....

Dutch greetings from Erik and Astrid.

Hopefully someone in the LA area will give you some ideas or options

 

[akbeemer]

View attachment 48513
June 13th MacDonald Pass
Stopped after the summit

See.... The pass is perfectly clear. No problemo.

We rode from Fairbanks to Helena in late June 2011. Ran into snow twice: Pinkmountain, BC and Flesher Pass, 20 miles from our house.

 

[eldonlech]

Someone mentioned it earlier, but you really should make sure to include the Grand Canyon. In Utah, I noticed you're planning to see Zions, Bryce, the Wave and Arches. These are all great choices, but unless you've already put in for passes to the Wave, you may not be able to gain access. They have a lottery for, I think, 10 passes per day, that are allotted months in advance. They also do a lottery each day for, I think, an additional 10 that day. You should look into this further and plan for it. It's a very cool--and surreal--setting.

Make sure after Bryce you continue on highway 12. It's probably my favorite road I've ever ridden. The topography changes radically three or four times within 120 miles or so. Also, you'll probably be headed to Arches from there. I highly suggest you go from highway 12 to highway 24 East and at Hanksville, take highway 95 Southeast to Blanding, then North to Moab and Arches. Also, make sure after Bryce to take the short detour on highway 313 to Dead Horse Point. It's off most people's beaten path, but a pretty spectacular vista.

Also, make sure to check the weather. You could easily run into snow. Highway 12, for example, goes over a 9,000 ft peak on Boulder Mountain. I once froze my $%*& off in early April on that road.

I'm in Salt Lake City, so let me know if you want to meet up when you roll through (Ik heb ook vijf jaar in Nederland gewoont, en kan redelijk goed Nederlands verstaan.) In any case, I hope you have a great trip!!

Eldon Lechtenberg

 

[36654]

I'd be a bit concerned about Snoqualmie Pass in Washington if you head that far west.

The tire chain ruts/grooves on Snoqualmie are almost as bad as snow.........

 

[astrid_erik]

Someone mentioned it earlier, but you really should make sure to include the Grand Canyon. In Utah, I noticed you're planning to see Zions, Bryce, the Wave and Arches. These are all great choices, but unless you've already put in for passes to the Wave, you may not be able to gain access. They have a lottery for, I think, 10 passes per day, that are allotted months in advance. They also do a lottery each day for, I think, an additional 10 that day. You should look into this further and plan for it. It's a very cool--and surreal--setting.

Make sure after Bryce you continue on highway 12. It's probably my favorite road I've ever ridden. The topography changes radically three or four times within 120 miles or so. Also, you'll probably be headed to Arches from there. I highly suggest you go from highway 12 to highway 24 East and at Hanksville, take highway 95 Southeast to Blanding, then North to Moab and Arches. Also, make sure after Bryce to take the short detour on highway 313 to Dead Horse Point. It's off most people's beaten path, but a pretty spectacular vista.

Also, make sure to check the weather. You could easily run into snow. Highway 12, for example, goes over a 9,000 ft peak on Boulder Mountain. I once froze my $%*& off in early April on that road.

I'm in Salt Lake City, so let me know if you want to meet up when you roll through (Ik heb ook vijf jaar in Nederland gewoont, en kan redelijk goed Nederlands verstaan.) In any case, I hope you have a great trip!!

Eldon Lechtenberg

Eldon thanks for the information and when we are close we try to contact you. where did you live in the Netherlands?

 

[eldonlech]

Eldon thanks for the information and when we are close we try to contact you. where did you live in the Netherlands?

Sounds great. I lived in Rotterdam.

 

[astrid_erik]

Hello everyone, we sold our problem en we have found a place to store our crates. Many thanks for the advises and tips. We have one month to go for we leaving the Netherlands. It's very exciting. If you have more tips about routs or places to go to. Or do you have a room to stay, or have a place in your garden for a tent please let us know. We will keep a trip report on this forum (Forum, The Road, Ride Reports, road trip, U.S. Canada Alaska.

Greetings from Astrid and Erik

 

[biketrax]

IF you wantto visit NYC?

You can leave your bikes at my place! Providing I am around? ITs a 45 minute train ride into the BIG Apple!
I cant vouch if your bikes will be here when you come back (LOL) from visiting this Great City.
But As a prior dude mentioned earlier by all means avoid riding into or thru the big cities!!!
Good Luck!!
PS NEW YORK THE STATE has some pretty incredible sights and riding!! Some pretty nice roads here! Where the taxes make sure of that!

 

[astrid_erik]

You can leave your bikes at my place! Providing I am around? ITs a 45 minute train ride into the BIG Apple!
I cant vouch if your bikes will be here when you come back (LOL) from visiting this Great City.
But As a prior dude mentioned earlier by all means avoid riding into or thru the big cities!!!
Good Luck!!
PS NEW YORK THE STATE has some pretty incredible sights and riding!! Some pretty nice roads here! Where the taxes make sure of that!

what a nice offer, Thanks

 

[gdw]

Welcome to North America

Not sure if you guys are camp or not but here are a few MC campgrounds you may want to stay at during your trip.
In Utah (USA): 3 step hideaway http://3stephideaway.com
In BC (Canada): Toad Rock Campground http://www.toadrockcampground.com
In Tok, Alaska (USA): Thompson's Eagle's Claw MC Campground http://www.thompsonseaglesclaw.com

My wife and I are heading to Alaska (again) this summer, do you have a rough timeframe when you planning to head North?

If you are in the Edmonton (Canada) area and need help PM me.

Garry

 

[guenner]

If you want to experience some American Life and Locals then plan to stay at one of the rallies listed in the MOA magazine. I recommend to plan to hangout at the MOA rally in Billings, Montana in mid July. A good place to connect with other riders, to get valuable information and maybe win the big prize.

Looking at your intinerary I bet you'll have a hell of a ride.

/Guenther

 

[cycleman2]

I live in Southern Alberta close to the Rockies, you likely don't want to go to Alaska until some time in June at the earliest. Also depending on the rest of the winter, the Road to the Sun doesn't open that early and in some years it hasn't opened until Mid July. They have a web sit ( just query Road to the Sun or Glacier National Park ) and they post the anticipated opening of the highway.

I know us Canadians can get a yearly pass for the National Parks, but it isn't that cheap. So you may have to do the math to see if it works out as you'd have to buy 2 passes, one for each bike. You can check their web site for fees etc. If you take the below route you will actually hit or can stop at 3 Canadian National Parks. So depending on the rest of your plans it might work out money wise. If you aren't actually going into the park ie: the highway between Banff and Jasper, then you don't have to pay, at least it was that way last year when my wife & I were on a Bike trip out to the Coast of British Columbia and took part of the below route.

If you do come up through Montana, using the Road to the Sun, then enter into Southern Alberta, take the Chief Mountain Pass route Hwy # 17, it comes out just east of Waterton National Park on the Canadian Side ( Glacier National Park on the US Side ), connects with # 6 hwy up to Pincher Creek, then take # 3 Hwy West until you get to Frank Slide. Query Frank Slide for more info, definitely worth a stop. After you visit the Frank Slide Interpretation you have to back track about 25 km or so and then take # 22 Hwy north until in connects to # 1 Hwy, then west on # 1 Hwy to Banff, then north on # 93 to Jasper. From Jasper take # 16 Hwy east until you meet up with # 40 Hwy ( I've never been on this road, so I can't advise anything about it, but if you want to go to Alaska via # 97 Hwy in British Columbia, then this road will save you a lot of miles and from having to go into Edmonton. Look at a good map and you'll see the route I've outlined.

Also another good site to check out is the Advrider. com website. They have a tentplace site, shows locations where you can pitch a tent or a room etc, and also I understand couchsurfing is another site that others have used when travelling via bike.

If I can offer anything further please send me a PM. Depending on time of year and if you come through this way, likely could find you a place to sleep. Just would depend on what we have going at the time. Enjoy your trip and ride safe.

 

[astrid_erik]

Thanks cycleman2,

The Road to the Sun is already on our list. a friend told us about it. Maybe on the way back from Alaska to LA we have time to meet, but can promise anything

Thanks for the info