Riding to Alaska, Daily Budget, What do you think?

[rockmurf]

Thanks What Next

 

[Bungie]

Thanks What Next

Two things. If you camp, instead of investing in a Thermarest, go for an Exped down filled air mattress with built in pump. Packs smaller and way comfy. Its the new 'cool' piece of camping gear.

Next, head on over to 1wheeldrive.net and enjoy the pile of trip video's they've posted from their Arctic trip. Some good advice in those.

 

[Big-D]

$200 a day is a nice round number for travel. Don't forget brand *brand* new tires before you leave. You do not want to be trying to find a replacement tire somewhere in Western Nebraska. Find a shop on your return leg and have a new rear tire ordered and waiting for you - somewhere around the 6K mile mark.

Well, another option is to move to "The Dark Side" and install a Car Tire on the rear of your FJR. That tire will last you from Florida to Alaska again and again.

I'd sure like to make that trip, but would probably have to give up my scheduled trip to ride the Alps in 2011 with a bunch of the old farts from this forum, both here and abroad!

Sure glad its not Friday!!

 

[rockmurf]

Couple new thoughts and explanations. One of the multiple reasons I am not big on camping is I have sleep apnea and use a bipap machine. Other thoughts and expenses are the satellite phone and anyone do the nitrogen in the tires to negate checking tire pressure constantly?

 

[dcarver]

Been to Alaska last 3 years twice on the FJR. Plan on rain 1/3 of the time, at least. Rooms are $$$ get a buddy to split the cost. I do camp not so often since a bear woke me up one night had to get 28 staples to put the old scalp back together. I have every motel card never really help much. When I'm ready to stop for the day I just ride through a town and check out 2 or 3 places. PR2s got me from IL to Alaska home then down to Bradenton and home 14,000 miles and still have another 1000 on them I figure. Make sure you hit Hyder and the Cassier's one way and Alaskan HWY and Ice Field Parkway the other way. Do the Top of the World HWY and Chicken. I usaully stop stop in TOK on the way in and out. Roy's Motel is $100 one of the best deals you will find and Fast Eddie's one of the best places in the state to eat. I stayed at the University of Alaska in Fairbanks do a little research make reservations then keep in touch with them and change them as needed about $43 for two. Super 8 was like $140. Some places have sleeping rooms which means the bathroom is somewhere else across parking lot or down the hall, paid $100 one night for a decent one, $80 another time for a stinky shithole. If you want a thrill do the Whittier Tunnel. Try to avoid staying in Jasper or Baniff $$$, Hinton to the north is good. South of Baniff, Canmore, is road 541 they call it Kananaskis Parkway you won't be sorry if you take this road. PM me if you go and need some more info. I may go again this year too.

This guy knows his sh#$t.. Listen up, pups.

 

[bikerskier]

Other thoughts and expenses are the satellite phone and anyone do the nitrogen in the tires to negate checking tire pressure constantly?

???? You are embarrassing many of us who have lived, worked and travelled much of our lives in the north. WTF do you need a sat phone for?

 

[BugR]

Couple new thoughts and explanations. One of the multiple reasons I am not big on camping is I have sleep apnea and use a bipap machine. Other thoughts and expenses are the satellite phone and anyone do the nitrogen in the tires to negate checking tire pressure constantly?

For keep in touch with home a SPOT and a cell phone are probably a better options.

A SPOT will let your love ones track you (They will have a hoot doing so, mine do) and let you call for help if you are out of cell service.

Cell service is not that bad along the major highways (forget upper Caisser or Top of the World though)

Even on those roads in the summer there will be someone by in an hour or so and if you wave they will stop.

(Note if you see someone is distress stop for them, folks up there look after each other).

Don't bother with the nitrogen, do bring a 12V pump and a tire plug kit, even if you don't check your pressure you should/ must check your tires daily for nails, cuts, etc.

Chris

 

[JR'SFJR]

I went up again last summer and camped the whole trip. I never get a motel. I paid $10 to $27 for camping. KOA's here are +-$25. Paid $12 in Whitehorse. About $27 at Lake Louise. I have a Catoma Lone Rider 2 man tent that sets up in about 2 mins. Takes another couple of mins. to blow up my Big Agnes insulate air mattres. I only takes me a few mins to set up camp. It does take a few mins longer to pack up in the morning, but not long. Nights temps at and above Baniff were usually in the upper 30's in the morning, so you need a good sleeping bag.(end June-begin July)

About bear. I am also a backpacker and if you use common sense about handling food, it is not a problem. If you bring food into your tent, well..... I have never had a problem. When backpacking, we tie our food bags in trees.

Gas will cost alot more in Canada. If you fill here to $10-12, it will cost $20 there.

Because I travel alone, I have used SPOT the last two years, so my wife can find the body if I go off a cliff somewhere!! My T mobile cell was costly, where it would work, so I purchased a Canadian phone card. Payphones are readily available in Canada and Alaska, so that worked well. Once you are above Jasper, there isn't much cell service that I know of.

I don't spend much on food. I snack, eat fruit during the day. I usually try to find a diner for a meal in the evening. I like Subway, so that works if they are available. I seldom spend more than $15 a day on food. If I run out two tanks of fuel in Canada, along with food and camping, I would spend about $80 a day. I took a day off in Whitehouse and did a tour of the town along with a flat bottom boat, probably spending $50 for the day.

Most riders really like their PR'2. Maybe I got a bad set, but they went away quickly and I changed them out in Anchorage. I went back to just PR's.

Someone stated that you can't do 500 mile days if you camp. I depends on the person, but I can get in and out of a campground almost as quick as a motel. I have done so many 700-800 mile days(some longer) back to back while camping. I leave many things on the bike when it's right next to my tent, that I would want to carry into the motel for security reason's. Camping is just part of the riding outdoor experience for me.

Most of the campgrounds had wifi, so I took my 10" Asus netbook. It was nice for checking weather and emails. It fit in my tank bag nicely.

Last, purchase a new Milepost this spring at a bookstore or Amazon. They are updated every spring and give alot of travel info going up through Canada and the Alcan. Have fun. JR

 

[beemerdons]

https://www.vimeo.com/7780879 rockmurf, thought you might enjoy viewing this. A BMW Buddy rode his R1150RT, same as my Beemer, from Santa Fe to Arctic Circle.

 

[dcarver]

https://www.vimeo.com/7780879 rockmurf, thought you might enjoy viewing this. A BMW Buddy rode his R1150RT, same as my Beemer, from Santa Fe to Arctic Circle.

Mundo makes the best videos. Wow, that's really good. And his one about Dave rocked too! So much for getting any work done today!

 

[SacramentoMike]

Thanks Don. Amazing video, and an amazing adventure. Watched the whole thing. Luckily, I didn't have to get any work done anyway.

 

[What Next]

Great video really captures the feelings. I felt just like Mundo standing at the Artic Circle sign. If camping the Lake Louise campground has an electric fence around it . I had no food with me or in my tent but they figure because I had eatin at a diner earlier the bear could smell my clothes. I was on my way to 2004 FJR rally when this happen.

https://www.montanaforum.com/modules.php?op...r=0&sid=574

 

[dcarver]

Great posts! It seems we have some true ADV FJR peeps here..

 

[sergeantnic]

What do you think would be a fair dollar figure for daily expenses with maybe 30% camping (sleeping on concrete tables at rest stops) and 70% motels. Including food, gas, misc expenses? Trying to see if I can afford to make the trip. Got the ok from work, the ok from the wife, bike is ready, probably should put a new battery in as it still has the stock battery with 61k miles, and I better be. Planning on June-July 3-4 weeks, fl to alaska. I am not a drinker nor a partier(?) just love to ride and then ride some more. So what do you think, 500 mile days @40mpg average about $40. gas, food using the $5, $10, $20 rule plus $10 will round off to $50, now the lodging is the biggest daily expense, $60 on average(?). That is $150 per day = $3150 for a 21 day venture. I will need to cut that down and I know I can stay here and there with friends but going out of my way may offset the savings. Any suggestions would be helpful. I really don't want to get into camping with tent and sleeping bag etc due to the space of packing the stuff and the set up and break down each day not to mention the purchase cost of getting into it. My goal here is to be able to take this trip and not stress about the money. Thanks again for any worthwhile suggestions.

Man I am jealous. This is a ride I would love to do some day but probably won't get to it for a coulpe of years. You going alone?

 

[rockmurf]

So far I am. Can't you get a month off? Still thinking about it. It is an awful long ride. May just wake up one morning and head out and where I end up I end up. This planning stuff is for the birds.

 

[Geezer]

So far I am. Can't you get a month off? Still thinking about it. It is an awful long ride. May just wake up one morning and head out and where I end up I end up. This planning stuff is for the birds.

That's pretty much how I travel. I have a destination and sometimes a date for when I want to arrive, but everything in between is just taken as it comes. I like to camp and usually have no problem finding a campsite without reservations. As someone said above, setting up a small tent and taking it down in the morning doesn't take any longer than stopping at a motel so I can get in long days on the road when I feel like it.

I want to ride to Alaska, but I don't have the time this year. Maybe next year.

 

[sergeantnic]

So far I am. Can't you get a month off? Still thinking about it. It is an awful long ride. May just wake up one morning and head out and where I end up I end up. This planning stuff is for the birds.

Man I'd love to do something like that but would probably have to start with something a little shorter like riding to Colorado or something like that. No way I could do anything this year but maybe next year.

My buddy gets back from Iraq in June and he's going to want to hit Deals Gap so we'll probably do that in August or September.

 

[fljab]

So far I am. Can't you get a month off? Still thinking about it. It is an awful long ride. May just wake up one morning and head out and where I end up I end up. This planning stuff is for the birds.

That's the way my trips end up. I do try and plan, you know "plan the ride, ride the plan" but it never seems to work out that way. Probably why I'll never be an IBA great.

First off, superslabbing is a skill you have to have, and I can do it pretty well with numerous 1K days, but I don't enjoy them. Favorite rides are 2 lane roads and "flower sniffing". Some days you "get in the groove" and make big miles, others you find a really great spot or area and just putter along. You also meet great people on the road and on some of my trips have taken a locals invitation up to do something with them or ride to some place, etc. I guess my main point is you have the time to be flexible.

If you have the time - like the month you mention - then plan as well as you can, but just enjoy the trip more than anything. You're not on a 48+ here, so look at the info about the roads and such to be safe, have some goals as to where you want to travel through and stop, but take the time to enjoy the environment around you. Of course, if you are taking a month to do this, then camping is probably a must to save expenses, at least it would be for me.

I'm jealous! I wish I had the time to do something like this. My trips these days tend to be quick up/down, although I (try to) plan a little extra to be flexible for when I'm at the target destination.

YMMV, IMO, etc...

 

[beemerdons]

https://www.bmwmoa.org/news/ride_stories/ch..._begins_at_home Another Alaska report, this done for charity; with a link to the travelers daily travel blog account.

 

[retarded]

So far I am. Can't you get a month off? Still thinking about it. It is an awful long ride. May just wake up one morning and head out and where I end up I end up. This planning stuff is for the birds.

Hi Rockmurf,I am planning on going to Alaska around the 1st of July and would appreciate some company.I like to camp and I do it on a 15.00 walmart tent a 20.00 air matress and an army surplus sleeping bag(down filled) I eat at convience stores or mcd's,stop when I want to and avoid interstate highways when possible.I have done this all over the US and in Newfoundland Canada and loved every minute of it.The idea isn't just to get there but to enjoy the trip.If you or anyone else on the forum is interested in going to Alaska then please let me know. :yahoo: