Alaska 2013

[babarnette]

Originally Posted by jprism

Been to 48 states...some 4-5 times...per-pairing now to cross Alaska off my bucket list in mid June to mid July 2013. Looks like I will be riding solo as most of my riding friends either still work or are simply afraid to go that distance.

I will be traveling from Nashville, TN and riding up through KY, IL, WI, MN, ND to cross into Canada at North Portal SK. In Canada I will traverse WNW through SK, AL, BC, YT and cross into Alaska at Beaver Creek YT. I figure this will take me 8 days but really have no schedule.

In Alaska, I will visit the cities of Glennallen, Anchorage, Homer, Seward, Willow, Denali NP, Fairbanks, Tok, Valdez, Haines, Skagway over a 12-13 day period. Will try and camp when possible to save $$$ but will also look for cabin rentals when heavy rain sets in (and it will).

On the trip home, I will travel down BC highway 37 south and connect with highway 16 east over to Jasper/Banff NP or Ice-fields Parkway. Next will be to cross back into the US on highway 93 south Roosville MT and visit Glacier NP. This I figure will take me 7 days. From Glacier I am afraid it will be time to head home.

Is anyone from the Southeast or Mid West going this year. I would certainly like to hear your plans?

I am planning a few trips to Alaska this year. I might be able to squeeze in one more if my wife will let get away for that long. I live pretty close to Nashville so it would be easy for us to meet up. Just be prepared for mosquitos, lots of mosquitos, that are large enough to carry away a small dog. I have to take my wife up there at some point this spring/summer because I'm trying to convince her to make the move. I also promised a buddy that we'd take a motorcycle trip up there this year but don't have any dates planned yet.

Originally Posted by Creepwood

My goal this summer is to leave Nashville the beginning of August and get back sometime in September. I've always read the aurora borealis in Alaska is the best in September and that is my goal really, Northern Lights and Arctic Circle/Ocean. Everything along the way is a bonus. I realize that September in Alaska will be colder and might get sketchy but I have to see those lights.

I spent the months of August - November 2012 touring AK by motorcycle and didn't see the Northern Lights until October. These were taken October 12th and I was told they were the best they've been in 30-40 years in the Mat-Su valley.





If you click on one of the pictures it should take you to my smugmug gallery for more images.

[jprism]

Originally Posted by babarnette

I am planning a few trips to Alaska this year. I might be able to squeeze in one more if my wife will let get away for that long. I live pretty close to Nashville so it would be easy for us to meet up. Just be prepared for mosquitos, lots of mosquitos, that are large enough to carry away a small dog. I have to take my wife up there at some point this spring/summer because I'm trying to convince her to make the move. I also promised a buddy that we'd take a motorcycle trip up there this year but don't have any dates planned yet.



I spent the months of August - November 2012 touring AK by motorcycle and didn't see the Northern Lights until October. These were taken October 12th and I was told they were the best they've been in 30-40 years in the Mat-Su valley.





If you click on one of the pictures it should take you to my smugmug gallery for more images.

Hey Brett...Spent a lot of time in Brandon/Jackson area. My former business partner lives there. He owns T. Ables footwear store in the North Park area. Anyway my plans are to leave Nashville on Tuesday June 11th and ride up through Regina, Edmonton, etc to Beaver Creek YT the cross into Alaska to spend 13 days roaming around and then return down BC 37 Cassiar hiway to 16 east over to Jasper/Banff NP then back into the US through Roosville MT to Glacier NP. From Glacier NP head to the house. Hope to do this in 31 days. I have campground reservations in Denali, Jasper/Banff and Glacier so am kind of stuck with these dates. Let me know if you are interested?

Jim Ryan

[willys]

Research Salmon Glacier and Telegraph Creek.......both are must see's!!! You will be riding straight past both coming down #37

[mundobravo]

I left Santa Fe , NM on May 15th ... not one mosquito bite the whole trip ..

Driven - The Arctic Circle from Mundo Bravo on Vimeo.

[jprism]

Originally Posted by mundobravo

I left Santa Fe , NM on May 15th ... not one mosquito bite the whole trip .. Driven - The Arctic Circle from Mundo Bravo on Vimeo.

Thanks for the great video...headed that way from Nashville TN on June 11, 2013 wish me luck.

[jprism]

Originally Posted by willys

Research Salmon Glacier and Telegraph Creek.......both are must see's!!! You will be riding straight past both coming down #37

Will do thanks for the gift.

[AKDuc]

Originally Posted by mundobravo

I left Santa Fe , NM on May 15th ... not one mosquito bite the whole trip ..

Well, consider yourself lucky. Not all ADV'ers are so fortunate, as seen with inmate Jammin in the photo below.

This is just a baby mosquito. We use the adults to drill for oil. Good luck and have fun, Mark H.

[mundobravo]

Originally Posted by jprism

Thanks for the great video...headed that way from Nashville TN on June 11, 2013 wish me luck.

LUCK !!!!

[BlairBear]

I did it in 09 from GA. You may want to post on regional and ask. When I was there, the HD dealer in Anchorage had a grass/yard area that any biker could camp at. It even had a bathroom/shower you could use on the outside of the building with a combination lock. It is a good location to do day trips to Homer and Seward from. You may want to build some time for some maintenance. I hauled a set of tires and had them put on in Edmond Canada, I would normally get 10k out of a set. I only got 5k out of them, those roads ate those tires. I had to get a set in Seatle to get home. That trip was 14k and 26 days, that wasn't enough! I plan on going back in 14 and hit D2D this time.
Have Fun!

[babarnette]

One other thing, I had a really hard time finding tires for my bike while I was there. I ended up having to have the Harley dealer in Wasilla order a set for me and they were twice as much than getting them on Motorcycle-superstore. Nobody seems to want to ship tires there, and, if they will ship they charge an international shipping fee and it will take a month. I recommend sending a second set ahead of time if you plan on changing tires before you come home. The route I took from Jackson, MS to Palmer, AK was around 4,400 miles then there were all the miles riding in AK. My parents live in Palmer and I'm sure they wouldn't mind if you needed to ship a set of tires to their house even if I don't ride with you. Right now I'm still trying to secure funding and convincing the wife to let me go. If I do end up being able to go with you I will definitely be shipping a good set of 50/50 tires to my parents house and will ride up on a set of Avon Distanzia's.

[jprism]

Originally Posted by babarnette

One other thing, I had a really hard time finding tires for my bike while I was there. I ended up having to have the Harley dealer in Wasilla order a set for me and they were twice as much than getting them on Motorcycle-superstore. Nobody seems to want to ship tires there, and, if they will ship they charge an international shipping fee and it will take a month. I recommend sending a second set ahead of time if you plan on changing tires before you come home. The route I took from Jackson, MS to Palmer, AK was around 4,400 miles then there were all the miles riding in AK. My parents live in Palmer and I'm sure they wouldn't mind if you needed to ship a set of tires to their house even if I don't ride with you. Right now I'm still trying to secure funding and convincing the wife to let me go. If I do end up being able to go with you I will definitely be shipping a good set of 50/50 tires to my parents house and will ride up on a set of Avon Distanzia's.

I ride a 2010 Gold Wing with a Michelin car tire on the back and a Bridgestone BT-45 rear tire on the front. I plan on leaving on brand new tires which should last me no less than 15,000 miles. To be on the safe side I also carry tools, a motorcycle tire patch kit and a can of Green Stuff. Ouch on buying tires in Alaska! Hope you get to go, sounds like you've been there done that plus it will be more fun riding with someone. Do you simply pack everything on your bike or tow a trailer. I was going to pull a trailer but am now trying to figure out how to pack it all on the bike. In the process now of building my own trailer hitch platform that would carry a 28 x 18 x 18 storage box that I could pack light stuff in.

Jim

[babarnette]

Originally Posted by jprism

I ride a 2010 Gold Wing with a Michelin car tire on the back and a Bridgestone BT-45 rear tire on the front. I plan on leaving on brand new tires which should last me no less than 15,000 miles. To be on the safe side I also carry tools, a motorcycle tire patch kit and a can of Green Stuff. Ouch on buying tires in Alaska! Hope you get to go, sounds like you've been there done that plus it will be more fun riding with someone. Do you simply pack everything on your bike or tow a trailer. I was going to pull a trailer but am now trying to figure out how to pack it all on the bike. In the process now of building my own trailer hitch platform that would carry a 28 x 18 x 18 storage box that I could pack light stuff in.

Jim

I carry everything on the bike but I busted my rear shock in AK trying to carry too much weight on the return trip and ended up having to ship the bike back to MS. I've considered buying a trail tail (http://www.trailtail.com/wordpress/) and getting all that weight off the bike. Especially since I'm a photographer and I carry 30-40lbs of camera equipment with me. I have a much smaller bike than you do though.

[jprism]

Originally Posted by babarnette

I carry everything on the bike but I busted my rear shock in AK trying to carry too much weight on the return trip and ended up having to ship the bike back to MS. I've considered buying a trail tail (http://www.trailtail.com/wordpress/) and getting all that weight off the bike. Especially since I'm a photographer and I carry 30-40lbs of camera equipment with me. I have a much smaller bike than you do though.

What bike do you ride? For some reason I thought it was a big Harley. I have seen several people pulling the TrailTail and being a talker never heard any bad words. Many of my riding buddies love the Bushtec but that's a Vanilla - Chocolate issue.



Jim

[babarnette]

Originally Posted by jprism

What bike do you ride? For some reason I thought it was a big Harley. I have seen several people pulling the TrailTail and being a talker never heard any bad words. Many of my riding buddies love the Bushtec but that's a Vanilla - Chocolate issue.



Jim

It's a 2009 Honda XR650L.











This is video from one of my favorite rides in AK. It shows a short section of a route that led from Palmer, AK to Talkeetna, AK via Hatcher Pass. The first clip is from mid August and there is still snow on the ground. At the end of the first clip you'll se why I enjoyed this road so much. The second clip is the same section of road but shot in October. The last clip is just me messing around on some trails.

[kitesurfer]

trailtale is pretty pricey. There is another one pretty popular on this board for less than a grand.