Alaska....June or July???

RoyB · 01-03-2006, 01:17 PM

What is the best time to tour Alaska June through July or July through August?

Seems weather will be better in July/August (less rain) and the bugs might be a little tiny bit better............No?

Thanks

monkey boy · 01-03-2006, 01:29 PM

From what I could determine from researching this very question, it could go either way. Some years June/July is better, others July/August might have the better weather. Impossible to predict. As for myself, I'm going to give it a go in June.

justJeff · 01-03-2006, 01:45 PM

I spent about 30 years in Alaska, and have ridden most of the state. Your chances of lighter crowds and better weather are better in July/August.

I'm going to do a bike trip back to Alaska myself this Summer. I'm going to leave on August 4th and catch the ferry in Haines on the 19th. There probably isn't a bad time to go, just go and enjoy yourself. It's impossible to see everything, it is a vast expanse to say the least. The wilderness area of Alaska alone is more than twice the size of Washington, Oregon and California, combined. For a lot of the 30 years that I lived there I owned an airplane, bikes, and a boat, and I still haven't seen everything, and I spent almost all of my free time exploring in one form or another.

Just be forewarned, one trip will probably whet your appetite and leave you wanting to go back and see more. If you know what areas you plan to visit, let me know and I can make some good reccomendations, especially if you're going on a dualsport bike.

RoyB · 01-03-2006, 04:21 PM

Quote:

Just be forewarned, one trip will probably whet your appetite and leave you wanting to go back and see more.

I'm afraid of that! This has been a dream of mine for 35 years. I was all set to go last summer and two weeks before I was set to leave I had a bad motorcycle accident and broke both my wrists. I'm healing up fine and will be ready to go in July............

My buddy will be riding an R1200GS and I'll be on a DL650 V Strom.....

Ride up, Haul Road, Three day ferry back down...........You think four weeks will do it if we leave from and return to Montana?

Thanks for the info.

justJeff · 01-03-2006, 05:54 PM

Four weeks will give you plenty of time. I would suggest going up the Casssiar on the way up. You miss Dawson Creek, and the official start of the Ak. Hwy, but it's a much more beautfiul ride, with a great side trip if you want. The road from Dawson Creek up isn't much anyway, and taking the Cassiar actually saves you a few miles. You take 16 going west out of Prince George and get on the Cassiar at Kitwanga. The side trip to Steward/Hyder is worth doing, and you can plan an overnight there. From Hyder it's about 400 miles on the Cassiar to where you join the Ak. Hwy at milepost 648. A great place to get a motel for the night is about 60 miles further up the Ak. Hwy, at Rancheria. The food is really great. I'd do the Top of the World on the way up, while you have no feelling of being rushed. If you end up deciding to hang out in Dawson or something, you'll have the time. You can cover the part of the Ak. Hwy. that you missed taking the TOW when you head to Haines to catch the ferry. If you feel like exploring, when the TOW hits the Taylor Hwy. in Ak, go north towards Eagle. It's a pretty great part of the country. No other roads out of Eagle, so you backtrack back to the where you hit the Taylor and continue on through Chicken and rejoin the Ak Hwy again.

If you have time, when you get to Delta Jct, instead of heading towards Fairbanks, head towards Paxon. I can send you some directions to some great two track type of offroad trails just out of Delta if you like. There are three pretty nice lakes in the area, Fielding (off the road a few miles, nice campground, very beautiful. Summit Lake (Summit Lake Lodge is a must stop for a piece of pie), and Paxon Lake, which is at the end of the Denali Hwy. This is the area where I moose and caribou hunted for a lot of my life. It's always been a personal favorite. Rainbow Mountain is really something. You pass Black Rapids Glacier and a lot of great spots along the way. From Paxon you can either head south down the Richardson all the way to Anchorage (before the Parks was built it was the road we took to get to Anchorage from Fairbanks), you can cross the Denali to Cantwell and turn south to Anchorage or go north to Fairbanks, or you can go back up towards Delta and head to Fairbanks that way.

On the way to the Haul Rd, the Hilltop Cafe has great pie. There is a decent, unimproved campground at about mile 60 on the Haul Rd, or you can camp at Coldfoot. If you're leary at all about bears, I'd camp at Coldfoot. A lot of folks go right from Coldfoot, through Atigun, and straight to Prudhoe/Deadhorse. That's a cool trip, but they miss an absolutely stunning glaciel lake, Galbraith Lake, just the other side of the pass. It's a few miles off the road, but it's worth seeing. You can camp there, again, be mindful of bears.

You and your friend are in luck for service in Fairbanks, if you need anything. The Hill boys that own the Suzuki dealership, Northern Power Sports are friends of mine, and great people. Geo, the owner of the BMW shop is also a friend, and a character worth meeting.

You're taking enough time that you'll be able to see quite a bit, and really enjoy yourself. If you head to Haines from Fairbanks, it's a ride that can be done in one day, but is more enjoyable broken up into 2 days.

Are you planning on checking out Valdez? If you don't, a side trip to Hyder will have given you a taste of similar scenery, though on a different scale.

Watch out for moose, especially on roads that don't have the vegetation trimmed back very far. As big as they are, they can appear in front of you very quickly. Back in the mid 80's I had the misfortune to hit two of them, both times on a bike, and both times on Chena Hotsprings Rd. outside of Fairbanks. All those years in Ak, and never came close to hitting one in a car or truck, but twice on a bike. What sucked is that right after I hit the second one (on a VFR1000 with a Collins Turbo), on a new VFR1000 w/turbo, a truck made an unsignaled left turn in front of me as I'd swung out to pass him. I ended up nailing the rear of his truck at about a 45deg angle, flew through the rear window of his topper, and half-way out the side of the topper. I was almost ready to give up road bikes at that point, but I didn't, probably not smart enough I guess.

Medical services and such can be a ways away, depending on where you are. Be careful. You're going to have a trip of a lifetime. I'll be up that way Aug. 6th -19th, it would be cool to hook up if possible.

RoyB · 01-03-2006, 06:05 PM

Jeff,
Thanks for the great "Trip Tic"..........I printed it out and it's taped to the front cover of my Alaska Gazetteer.

We're leaving on July 8, trailering to my friends house in Polson Mt. We will head up through Glacier Park, up through the Canadian Rockies over to Prince George and then head north most likely following your route.

We'll be heading back to New England on August 7th. Sorry we will miss you. Would have liked to hook up.

Thanks again for the tips...........

AirForce · 01-03-2006, 01:42 PM

I lived in Fairbanks for three years and June was my favorite time, LOTS of sunlight. The weather is changeable all the time so prepare for sun and rain. The Alaska State Bird will only be a problem in the Interior and up on the North Slope, but it's nothing a little 60% Deet won't handle. The guys on Over The Top Hop in the Great White North region section are a wealth of information concerning riding in the Great Land. Whatever the conditions are you'll have a great time.

01-03-2006, 01:17 PM	#1
RoyB ^OP Dartmouth, Massacusetts Joined: Aug 2004 Location: Dartmouth, MA Oddometer: 1,574	Alaska....June or July??? What is the best time to tour Alaska June through July or July through August? Seems weather will be better in July/August (less rain) and the bugs might be a little tiny bit better............No? Thanks __________________ Roy B Dartmouth, MA www.rvbprecision.com 2007 BMW K1200R Sport abs,2007 DL650 V Strom abs 2004 Honda VFR abs,2001 Moto Guzzi Rosso Mandello 1971 Honda Trail CT90

01-03-2006, 01:45 PM	#3
justJeff Banned Joined: Dec 2005 Location: Eastern Washington Oddometer: 2,667	Best time... I spent about 30 years in Alaska, and have ridden most of the state. Your chances of lighter crowds and better weather are better in July/August. I'm going to do a bike trip back to Alaska myself this Summer. I'm going to leave on August 4th and catch the ferry in Haines on the 19th. There probably isn't a bad time to go, just go and enjoy yourself. It's impossible to see everything, it is a vast expanse to say the least. The wilderness area of Alaska alone is more than twice the size of Washington, Oregon and California, combined. For a lot of the 30 years that I lived there I owned an airplane, bikes, and a boat, and I still haven't seen everything, and I spent almost all of my free time exploring in one form or another. Just be forewarned, one trip will probably whet your appetite and leave you wanting to go back and see more. If you know what areas you plan to visit, let me know and I can make some good reccomendations, especially if you're going on a dualsport bike.

01-03-2006, 05:54 PM	#5
justJeff Banned Joined: Dec 2005 Location: Eastern Washington Oddometer: 2,667	Lotsa Time! Four weeks will give you plenty of time. I would suggest going up the Casssiar on the way up. You miss Dawson Creek, and the official start of the Ak. Hwy, but it's a much more beautfiul ride, with a great side trip if you want. The road from Dawson Creek up isn't much anyway, and taking the Cassiar actually saves you a few miles. You take 16 going west out of Prince George and get on the Cassiar at Kitwanga. The side trip to Steward/Hyder is worth doing, and you can plan an overnight there. From Hyder it's about 400 miles on the Cassiar to where you join the Ak. Hwy at milepost 648. A great place to get a motel for the night is about 60 miles further up the Ak. Hwy, at Rancheria. The food is really great. I'd do the Top of the World on the way up, while you have no feelling of being rushed. If you end up deciding to hang out in Dawson or something, you'll have the time. You can cover the part of the Ak. Hwy. that you missed taking the TOW when you head to Haines to catch the ferry. If you feel like exploring, when the TOW hits the Taylor Hwy. in Ak, go north towards Eagle. It's a pretty great part of the country. No other roads out of Eagle, so you backtrack back to the where you hit the Taylor and continue on through Chicken and rejoin the Ak Hwy again. If you have time, when you get to Delta Jct, instead of heading towards Fairbanks, head towards Paxon. I can send you some directions to some great two track type of offroad trails just out of Delta if you like. There are three pretty nice lakes in the area, Fielding (off the road a few miles, nice campground, very beautiful. Summit Lake (Summit Lake Lodge is a must stop for a piece of pie), and Paxon Lake, which is at the end of the Denali Hwy. This is the area where I moose and caribou hunted for a lot of my life. It's always been a personal favorite. Rainbow Mountain is really something. You pass Black Rapids Glacier and a lot of great spots along the way. From Paxon you can either head south down the Richardson all the way to Anchorage (before the Parks was built it was the road we took to get to Anchorage from Fairbanks), you can cross the Denali to Cantwell and turn south to Anchorage or go north to Fairbanks, or you can go back up towards Delta and head to Fairbanks that way. On the way to the Haul Rd, the Hilltop Cafe has great pie. There is a decent, unimproved campground at about mile 60 on the Haul Rd, or you can camp at Coldfoot. If you're leary at all about bears, I'd camp at Coldfoot. A lot of folks go right from Coldfoot, through Atigun, and straight to Prudhoe/Deadhorse. That's a cool trip, but they miss an absolutely stunning glaciel lake, Galbraith Lake, just the other side of the pass. It's a few miles off the road, but it's worth seeing. You can camp there, again, be mindful of bears. You and your friend are in luck for service in Fairbanks, if you need anything. The Hill boys that own the Suzuki dealership, Northern Power Sports are friends of mine, and great people. Geo, the owner of the BMW shop is also a friend, and a character worth meeting. You're taking enough time that you'll be able to see quite a bit, and really enjoy yourself. If you head to Haines from Fairbanks, it's a ride that can be done in one day, but is more enjoyable broken up into 2 days. Are you planning on checking out Valdez? If you don't, a side trip to Hyder will have given you a taste of similar scenery, though on a different scale. Watch out for moose, especially on roads that don't have the vegetation trimmed back very far. As big as they are, they can appear in front of you very quickly. Back in the mid 80's I had the misfortune to hit two of them, both times on a bike, and both times on Chena Hotsprings Rd. outside of Fairbanks. All those years in Ak, and never came close to hitting one in a car or truck, but twice on a bike. What sucked is that right after I hit the second one (on a VFR1000 with a Collins Turbo), on a new VFR1000 w/turbo, a truck made an unsignaled left turn in front of me as I'd swung out to pass him. I ended up nailing the rear of his truck at about a 45deg angle, flew through the rear window of his topper, and half-way out the side of the topper. I was almost ready to give up road bikes at that point, but I didn't, probably not smart enough I guess. Medical services and such can be a ways away, depending on where you are. Be careful. You're going to have a trip of a lifetime. I'll be up that way Aug. 6th -19th, it would be cool to hook up if possible.

01-03-2006, 06:05 PM	#6
RoyB ^OP Dartmouth, Massacusetts Joined: Aug 2004 Location: Dartmouth, MA Oddometer: 1,574	Jeff, Thanks for the great "Trip Tic"..........I printed it out and it's taped to the front cover of my Alaska Gazetteer. We're leaving on July 8, trailering to my friends house in Polson Mt. We will head up through Glacier Park, up through the Canadian Rockies over to Prince George and then head north most likely following your route. We'll be heading back to New England on August 7th. Sorry we will miss you. Would have liked to hook up. Thanks again for the tips........... __________________ Roy B Dartmouth, MA www.rvbprecision.com 2007 BMW K1200R Sport abs,2007 DL650 V Strom abs 2004 Honda VFR abs,2001 Moto Guzzi Rosso Mandello 1971 Honda Trail CT90

01-03-2006, 01:42 PM	#7
AirForce Abbey Normal Joined: Jun 2004 Location: Out in the fields, Rolla MO Oddometer: 572	I lived in Fairbanks for three years and June was my favorite time, LOTS of sunlight. The weather is changeable all the time so prepare for sun and rain. The Alaska State Bird will only be a problem in the Interior and up on the North Slope, but it's nothing a little 60% Deet won't handle. The guys on Over The Top Hop in the Great White North region section are a wealth of information concerning riding in the Great Land. Whatever the conditions are you'll have a great time. __________________ "You're never too old to rock and roll if you're too young to die" --------------------------------- 08 R1200GS 1982 Yamaha XJ650RJ (Seca) 1989 Honda GB600.

01-03-2006, 01:29 PM	#2
monkey boy Gnarly Adventurer Joined: Jun 2003 Location: Monterey, Ca. Oddometer: 331	From what I could determine from researching this very question, it could go either way. Some years June/July is better, others July/August might have the better weather. Impossible to predict. As for myself, I'm going to give it a go in June.

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