Alaska after CFR

[SacramentoMike]

Just to keep everything at a fever pitch (and for those who may not have seen it yet), here are a couple shots taken along the Going to the Sun Road inside Glacier. Unfortunately, this one is a sight you will see for sure, since they only allow one-direction traffic along a certain stretch of the road that will be under construction for years to come. But fortunately, the views where you'll be stopped are so incredible that you'd want to stop anyway, just to look and take pictures

A bit farther along the same road. If it's hot enough, riders might choose to stay on the inside of the lane as much as possible. But it won't be, since it's at about 27,000 feet altitude.

Not so much on topic, but here's one of the two free ferry boats that will shuttle you across lake Kootenay if you come up from Idaho (Idaho 2/95) and then toward Nakusp on 31A along the east shoreline. An excellent ride, part of what's called the "Selkirk Loop."

 

[bikerskier]

Just to keep everything at a fever pitch (and for those who may not have seen it yet), here are a couple shots taken along the Going to the Sun Road inside Glacier. Unfortunately, this one is a sight you will see for sure, since they only allow one-direction traffic along a certain stretch of the road that will be under construction for years to come. But fortunately, the views where you'll be stopped are so incredible that you'd want to stop anyway, just to look and take pictures

A bit farther along the same road. If it's hot enough, riders might choose to stay on the inside of the lane as much as possible. But it won't be, since it's at about 27,000 feet altitude.

I ridden the "Going to the Sun Road" a half dozen times, in both directions ,and loved it, but it's popularity is making it a bitch. GO EARLY!!! After 10 AM, it is usually filled with dip shitters trying to stop everywhere with their Kodaks, or some dumb f__k terrified of the drop offs crawling along at 15 mph.

 

[Old Michael]

Mikey, is that you standing out there in the pedestrian line?

 

[rickcorwn]

Don't bikes go to the front of the line up there in Canukistan :blink:

 

[SacramentoMike]

Mikey, is that you standing out there in the pedestrian line?

For a guy who takes a lot of pictures, I'm surprised you don't know this. I was BEHIND the camera, taking the picture.

Don't bikes go to the front of the line up there in Canukistan :blink:

Better yet, they put us in the spots that were left over so we could get OFF first.

 

[iCruze]

Here is the link to the camp site in Tok near Alaska / Canada border it is very nice and the prices are unbeatable they even have a garage and stands to work on your bike if needed. CAnt beat it. If anyone makes it up to Fairbanks or more interior than Hyder like Anchorage, Seward, Valdez, etc.. let me know and I will rendezvous.

https://www.thompsonseaglesclaw.com/index.html

 

[SacramentoMike]

Here is the link to the camp site in Tok near Alaska / Canada border it is very nice and the prices are unbeatable they even have a garage and stands to work on your bike if needed. CAnt beat it. If anyone makes it up to Fairbanks or more interior than Hyder like Anchorage, Seward, Valdez, etc.. let me know and I will rendezvous.
https://www.thompsonseaglesclaw.com/index.html

Great offer, and thanks. Don't be surprised if you're overrun with riders this summer. If you're not on the FJR Assistance List, check it out and maybe sign up. A lot of guys just bring a copy of the list with them on long rides, so it might be the best way to get in touch with you. Hey, EVERYBODY should think about this By the way, that campground looks amazing. If I make it that far, I'm sure the steam bath would be heaven!

 

[BugR]

Holy crap, go away for a couple of days and come back to find multiple pages of posts.

Orginally I was looking for a riding partner but Diana quite firmly told me that I wasn't leaving her behind.

I'm currently checking out Versys's for her.

We are taking 8 weeks,

Ottawa, Yellowstone, Glacier, Banff, Jasper, CFR, Vancouver Island, Ferry to Prince Rupert, Cassiar Hwy, Alaska Hwy, Anchorage, Kenai, Denali, Fairbanks, Prudhoe, Fairbanks, Whitehorse, Inuvik Dawson, Creek, Athabasca, Prince Albert, Winipeg, Ottawa

Chris

 

[FJRPierre]

No Skagway !!?? You'll be sorry to miss the train ride up on the White Pass & Yukon Route Railway up to the White Pass Summit.

 

[iCruze]

Here is the link to the camp site in Tok near Alaska / Canada border it is very nice and the prices are unbeatable they even have a garage and stands to work on your bike if needed. CAnt beat it. If anyone makes it up to Fairbanks or more interior than Hyder like Anchorage, Seward, Valdez, etc.. let me know and I will rendezvous.
https://www.thompsonseaglesclaw.com/index.html

Great offer, and thanks. Don't be surprised if you're overrun with riders this summer. If you're not on the FJR Assistance List, check it out and maybe sign up. A lot of guys just bring a copy of the list with them on long rides, so it might be the best way to get in touch with you. Hey, EVERYBODY should think about this By the way, that campground looks amazing. If I make it that far, I'm sure the steam bath would be heaven!

I added my info to the list and am just awaiting my copy for when I get out of this land locked island. I am expecting a call or two as not many people really know what alaska is all about until they get here and realize thatit really is the last frontier. I love it.

 

[NSrider]

Holy crap, go away for a couple of days and come back to find multiple pages of posts.
Orginally I was looking for a riding partner but Diana quite firmly told me that I wasn't leaving her behind.

I'm currently checking out Versys's for her.

We are taking 8 weeks,

Ottawa, Yellowstone, Glacier, Banff, Jasper, CFR, Vancouver Island, Ferry to Prince Rupert, Cassiar Hwy, Alaska Hwy, Anchorage, Kenai, Denali, Fairbanks, Prudhoe, Fairbanks, Whitehorse, Inuvik Dawson, Creek, Athabasca, Prince Albert, Winipeg, Ottawa

Chris

Hey Chris, what is the cost of the Prince Rupert ferry and what is the duration of the voyage? I have a sister in Fort nelson and may loop around on Hwy 37 with a stop in Hyder then Vancouver island before the rally.

 

[BugR]

Holy crap, go away for a couple of days and come back to find multiple pages of posts.
Orginally I was looking for a riding partner but Diana quite firmly told me that I wasn't leaving her behind.

I'm currently checking out Versys's for her.

We are taking 8 weeks,

Ottawa, Yellowstone, Glacier, Banff, Jasper, CFR, Vancouver Island, Ferry to Prince Rupert, Cassiar Hwy, Alaska Hwy, Anchorage, Kenai, Denali, Fairbanks, Prudhoe, Fairbanks, Whitehorse, Inuvik Dawson, Creek, Athabasca, Prince Albert, Winipeg, Ottawa

Chris

Hey Chris, what is the cost of the Prince Rupert ferry and what is the duration of the voyage? I have a sister in Fort nelson and may loop around on Hwy 37 with a stop in Hyder then Vancouver island before the rally.

Port Hardy to Prince Rupert is 18 hrs,

According to my copy of The Outpost it's $125 per person Plus $150 per bike.

There is a mention of a fuel surcharge but that might be gone with the price of oil these days.

Website is bcferries

Chris

 

[beemerdons]

As a past customer/client of the Alaska Marine Highway System I receive mailings from them on a somewhat regular basis.

Just received this information that they are reducing their fares on the routes to and from Prince Rupert, British Columbia.

This may be of an aide to those of you from the Lower 48 tying in an Alaska trip with the Canadian FJR Rally in Nakusp, BC.

"There are two southern gateways for the Alaska Marine Highway System: Bellingham, Washington, and the lesser-known port community of Prince Rupert, British Columbia.

Prince Rupert is a charming port community known for its thriving arts scene, outstanding sports fishing and impressive collection of Tsimshian and Haida totem poles. It's also the perfect place to start or end your Alaska adventure because passenger and vehicle fares have been reduced for travel from May 1 to September 30. For additional information on sailing times and rates, click here.

Prince Rupert lies in northern British Columbia near Ketchikan, Alaska. To get there you can drive across Canada's scenic Yellowhead Highway or take a BC Ferry from Port Hardy on the northern tip of Vancouver Island. There are also daily flights from Vancouver, British Columbia.

You don't have to leave part of your family at home on this adventure. Dogs, cats and other household animals are welcome on the Alaska Marine Highway. To learn more about traveling with your pet, watch our video.

The savings get even better when you take advantage of the See Alaska Pass. With the pass you pay one low price for travel between Prince Rupert and the Alaska towns of Skagway or Haines, with up to three stops along the way! For additional details, log on to https://www.FerryAlaska.com or call 800-642-0066 today.

To unsubscribe, click here or send an email to: [email protected]

Alaska Marine Highway System

7559 N. Tongass Highway

Ketchikan, AK 99901"

 

[MCML]

Just a bump to put this thread back in play. Together with the TWN thread maybe we will put something together.

FWIW, I took the Prince Rupert / Port Hardy ferrry last year and could be talked into taking the ferry south from Skagway or Haines or ????? a week or two after CFR.

 

[dcarver]

This is probably a good time to toss this out, as Dave has hinted at it:
A special run up to Hyder, AK is a real possibility after CFR.

Those of you who followed TWN's trailblazing adventure, and I am not talking about our run to Hyder last summer but, rather, his ride into the great unknown, probably think that his ashes were all placed under that tree at Don Carver's wonderful Honderosa spread. In reality, Patti wants some of the ashes spread near Hyder. At the time of the memorial gathering, I contacted a local minister who agreed to help out and I was going to ship him a small parcel for sprinkling aff the Bear Walk. Later I thought, wait a minute, taking Tim back there would be even better. Next thing you know, the Cannuks plan CFR 2009 in British Columbia. Now, it takes a bit longer for stuff to bubble up through the tar than it did ten, fifteen years ago but this one seemed pretty obvious pretty quickly. Hyder is only "semi-Alaska" and those who want to do the Dempster or another route to the heart of the state won't find the run very appealing. But for those who might want to do a four-five day run up and back with all the joy and tears that are inevitably going to be part of the package are welcome to help make this run what it should be.

Besides, I know a great place to eat in Victoria, Vancouver Island BC on the way down....and to make things even more interesting/complicated:

I introudced my friend Mark to our friend Tim a few years back and the three of us did a few rides together. You may recall that Mark rode with Tim and I from Vancouver Island to the San Francisco Bay Area on the return leg last summer. Mark and Tim hit it off (Tim hit it off with almost everyone) and Mark told Tim about Mark's house is Los Barilles, BC - Not British Columbia but Baja California, about fifty miles up from Cabo on the gulf side. We talked many times about a Socal to Baja ride. But Mark lives in Seattle and owns a restaurant in Victoria that Tim just loved. So, Mark and I want to put together a BC to BC TWN North American Three Country Quasi-Memorial Mariscos y Cerveza Run. The months of May or, dare I say, June are both being talked about as the time to do this. Whether this would work after CFR and/or a Hyder run is really hard to tell but you never know and many us will already be near the proposed starting point. We figured that we could pick up riders along the way (Seattle, Bay Area, L.A., South Bay, San Diego, etc.)

All of this may just be a pipe dream but, with this crowd, I suspect both runs will be made at some point and maybe back to back. Of course I am told that by the end of June hurricanes become an issue.

If you're intentions are to place Tim's remaining ashes in Hyder this year, then I'm interested. I have no plans to run further north than Hyder, and this run would be mission-focused. After, I would be on a pace back home not acceptable to most... but for this, would be worth the effort. MCML, I'll be in contact, offline, to discuss.

I can't. Unless I lose my job. HEY, now there's a thought!

 

[MCML]

So, if anyone has ridden Highway 37 between Meziadin Junction and where it meets the Alaskan Highway (near Watson Lake), how is that road to ride on a fully loaded FJR? How bad does it get if it's raining (or has rained recently)?

 

[MCRIDER007]

So, if anyone has ridden Highway 37 between Meziadin Junction and where it meets the Alaskan Highway (near Watson Lake), how is that road to ride on a fully loaded FJR? How bad does it get if it's raining (or has rained recently)?

I rode that section, in the rain, on a fully loaded ST1100 in 1999. At that time there was about 110 miles of dirt road and it was not that difficult. The paved portion was fine (but narrow) and the dirt sections were a hard pan dirt with pea gravel on top. It should be even easier now, I think there are only 3 dirt sections totaling about 50 miles.

 

[beemerdons]

Hello Joe, Back in the years when I was working in Alaska I rode the Cassiar Highway on a 1977 Harley-Davidson Low Rider, a 1984 Harley-Davidson Electra Glide and a 1986 BMW R80RT. This was back when only 50% of Hwy. 37 was paved.

MCRIDER007 is correct, there's now only about 50 miles of "rough" gravel left. Here's what my buddy Larry of Palmer said:

"In summer of 2008 the highway had excellent pavement to Bob Quinn, then followed by 25 miles of road improvement to Burrage River bridge that should be completed by Summer of 2009. There was fair to good pavement with a gravel break the next 168 miles to Jade City. Between Jade City and the Alaska Highway junction for the last 75 miles, the highway was in good shape, with the exception of 10 miles of damaged road near the British Columbia and Yukon border; which is now scheduled to be reconstructed in Summer of 2009." Latest and greatest, as of September 2008, by someone who rode it!

If it's raining, "rough" gravel sections will be tricky, but certainly not impossible on an FJR. Certainly better than on a H-D!

 

[MCML]

Thanks for the information on the road, Mcride007 and Beemerdons. So, if some of us were to decide to head north after the run to Hyder, it seems as if a return through Prince George would not be required, wind and weather permitting.

One other question, I have decided to leave the camping gear home on this trip. Is that a mistake in that neck of the woods or are lodging opportunities plentiful enough?

Don, I am going to shoot for Weed, CA or Klamath Falls, OR on the 16th. See you in Spokane on the 17th.

 

[beemerdons]

MCML: I would think that with this bad economy, it would be easy to find lodging on the fly on Cassiar Highway Number 37.

But, if not Joseph: Here are some lodgings about 100 miles apart; I've stayed at about half of these places over the years.

bell.2lodge.com: Toll Free 1-888-793-2355; is located 60 miles north of Meziadin Junction, 300 miles south of Watson Lake.

Tatogga Lake Resort is at Kilometer post 390 from the Yellowhead Highway; 1-250-234-3526. Red Goat Lodge at Iskut, BC. www.redgoatlodge.com 1-888-RED GOAT At Dease Lake www.northwaymotorinn.bcnetwork.com 1-250-771-5341.

Junction 37 Motel at Milepost 640 on the Alaska Highway at Watson Lake 1-867-536-2794. Plenty of places on AK Highway!

PS TO MCML: Son Seth and I'll see you in Spokane; and we can talk more about the Cassiar. I'll make lodging list for ALCAN.