Washington and Banff trip planning

[Goodman4]

I've had Banff on the list for destinations for a few years but it's never worked out.  We are seriously thinking about trying it next Summer.  It looks like I could slab it out to Seattle and ride around Mt Rainer and then across the Northern Cascades and then up. For first draft, I have us going across from Osoyoos to Castlegar and then up 6, 23, 1 to Lake Louise and then up the Icefields Parkway to Jasper. Then backtrack and go over to Calgary even though that's a bit out of the way. Then down to Radium Hot Springs and down into Montana on 93.

Here's the route:



Any thoughts so far? Options and changes welcome. 

 

[RossKean]

Assuming the border is open by then...?

 

[juniorfjr]

I like it. 20 in Washington is a great way to cross the Cascades. Osoyoos to Castlegar to Revelstoke is beautiful. Fast joyride could be a great resource on BC.

 

[Goodman4]

Assuming the border is open by then...?

Right! If you guys are smart, you'll find some other reason by then to keep us out of your friendly country.

 

[RossKean]

Right! If you guys are smart, you'll find some other reason by then to keep us out of your friendly country.

While I believe that a vaccine in wide distribution will be sufficient to lift (or at least lighten) travel restrictions, I would be surprised if the border was completely open before late June - maybe later.  Perhaps there will be some sort of "vaccination passport" that both countries will recognize in order to permit free movement between countries?  I think something like this may become a "thing" given the number of anti-vaccine people we are hearing about everywhere.  It may be a very long time before things are back to whatever "normal" might become.

As far as your BC route is concerned, I have covered all of those and you won't be disappointed.  I think it would be better for some westerners to chime in with specific recommendations.  There is a LOT to see in British Columbia and western Alberta  as well as in Northern Washington, Idaho and Montana.  (Not to mention Wyoming and South Dakota while you are in the neighborhood).  An extra day or two in any of these regions would be very much worthwhile.

 

[Goodman4]

While I believe that a vaccine in wide distribution will be sufficient to lift (or at least lighten) travel restrictions, I would be surprised if the border was completely open before late June - maybe later.  Perhaps there will be some sort of "vaccination passport" that both countries will recognize in order to permit free movement between countries?  I think something like this may become a "thing" given the number of anti-vaccine people we are hearing about everywhere.  It may be a very long time before things are back to whatever "normal" might become.

As far as your BC route is concerned, I have covered all of those and you won't be disappointed.  I think it would be better for some westerners to chime in with specific recommendations.  There is a LOT to see in British Columbia and western Alberta  as well as in Northern Washington, Idaho and Montana.  (Not to mention Wyoming and South Dakota while you are in the neighborhood).  An extra day or two in any of these regions would be very much worthwhile.

Thanks! I've done Wyoming twice and one trip we looped the whole state. It's great. My wife's family is from Montana so we rode a lot of it one trip, but would love to see more. We also did highlights of SD and loved the Custer area and the badlands. I'm struggling with whether to drive through that again on this trip since we liked it so much or see ND since it will probably be the only excuse we have to drive through that state.

We have never been to Washington except in a car, and never really travelled in BC or Alberta other than stopping in Vancouver on a cruise and driving into Alberta after Going to the Sun road just to say we did.

We haven't really seen Idaho other than crossing into it on Lolo Pass and riding a few of those 99 miles before turning around. I may try to drive though ID to Seattle to see a couple highlights but I don't want to add too much time or it could cut short the highlight of Banff.

Also, the other option for this trip would be to break off Seattle into a separate trip and do a rental for a week maybe in 2022 if the stars align. That could add up to three days more for exploring Canada. Then when we do Washington we could see more of it and northern Oregon. Not sure yet.

 

[1911]

This is very close to what we did going to Reuben Run7 in 2018, in reverse. We are glad we did it.

My .02$Cdn worth:

Maligne Lake was well worth the visit. I think we spent more time there than at Louise, and a lot less crowded.

One thing I'd do differently, I'd have took the time and paid the $ to actually walk out on the ice at Athabasca Glacier.

There's a RR and a video link to our trip, both labeled Reuben Run 7, on here somewhere. Nothing you would see on them does justice to seeing it in person but you might get a tip or two on what not to do . And what to expect weather wise (23:30 through 30:40 of the video). We were there in early Sept.  

Locals may be able to offer suggestions or additions but I'd be mighty happy to do your first draft as it stands.

 

[Ignacio]

On the Washington leg, you're riding the I-5 super slab and it will get you north quickly.  If you're wanting to experience a bit more of the Puget Sound, a ferry ride, and part of a day more for a trip....try inputting Tacoma, Bremerton, Port Townsend (older city than Seattle and good for lunch), and then Chuckanut Drive.   The latter is in my Top 3 roads in the state of Washington.  Map link at the bottom.

You're also catching a fun part of road and ferry north of Cranbrook...good lunch in Nakusp where an FJR event has been held in the past.  If you're in camping mode there's a campground dedicated to motorcycle riders not to far away called Toad Rock Motorcycle Campground, a fun hot springs called Ainsworth Hot SPrings just north of it, and that road feeds into the ferry you're planning for Revelstoke.  The road between there and New Denver is super fun and almost nobody on it.  This area I saw 3 bears in less than 100km before.

Wanna go 100 miles down a one-way paved road with almost no traffic, see a giant dam that's the last one on the Columbia, and then have to ride the sublime road back?  Try Mica Dam.  It was one of the places that Wendy Crockett won the last Iron Butt Rally on her '05.  Camped myself a few miles past it one year scouting the bonus.

And note that "Canal Flats" on your route is the starting point for the Columbia River.  Water just oozes out of the ground here, but interesting in a river nerd and history sort of way.

https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Tacoma,+WA/Bremerton,+Washington/Port+Townsend,+WA/Chuckanut/Concrete/@47.9457439,-123.4027784,8z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m32!4m31!1m5!1m1!1s0x549054ee2b659567:0x62219c07ebb09e82!2m2!1d-122.4442906!2d47.2528768!1m5!1m1!1s0x549037795212e35b:0xb238651d502a0952!2m2!1d-122.6269768!2d47.5650067!1m5!1m1!1s0x548fe9a4d291b6fd:0xf5e669eab50680c0!2m2!1d-122.7604471!2d48.1170387!1m5!1m1!1s0x54859f870a22117d:0x31b23506f870030!2m2!1d-122.4909981!2d48.6638738!1m5!1m1!1s0x54851f3df28c305f:0xd89e9ba64335bbb!2m2!1d-121.7462513!2d48.5392813!3e0

 

[escapefjrtist]

Route you have planned looks pretty darn good. Problem is, there are so many good roads and neat places to see out here that we'll have you running in circles! IF you have extra time, Iggy's suggestion is a great way to experience a little of the Olympic Peninsula and avoid an ugly part of I-5.

~G

 

[sapest]

 Another 2 cents -

What he said ^^^^

I would suggest you skip Calgary and rethink the Kootenays. 
Many would suggest Creston to Kootenay Bay (3A) and Coldstream to Fauquier (6) are the two best motorcycle roads in BC.

I would go to Lake Louise, and then turn back to Jasper. Banff/Canmore is a time sink in the summer months. And expensive.

Be ready to be parked outside Jasper and be bused into town and then back to your motorcycle.  After COVID, who knows, but thats how its been the last few yrs.

When you are on 20 in Washington you must stop at the Diablo Lake and Washington Pass turn outs. Plan your gas stop carefully on the east end of 20. Gas in Winthrop, for example, can be a real pain.

You will have a great trip no matter the route. BC & WA have the perfect combination of mtns/rivers/temperature/food and pavement.

-Steve

 

[Mortenk]

Minor comments:

1) If you decide to ride around Mt Rainier, don't take I-5 but take Hwy-7 through Elbe instead.

2) Instead of I-5 north of Seattle, consider taking the ferry to Whidbey Island (part of the Cascade Loop Scenic Byway actually), or take the ferry to Bremerton, drive around Hood Canal up to Pt Townsend and ferry over to Whidbey if you want a little more riding. The Hood Canal loop is a great ride. 

 

[Cyclepath]

Perhaps I've missed them, but in all this awesome sharing, I don't think I've seen:

• Montana's Better Than *** highway (MT-37) from Rexford to Libby (70 miles of beautiful, quiet highway hugging Lake Kookanusa)
  
• Montana's Looking Glass Road (MT-49) from Kiowa to East Glacier; it's short, but offers some amazing viewpoints within Glacier park on a sunny day
  
• BC's highway 31A between New Denver and Kaslo (hundreds of curves within ~ 30 miles, and often a quiet road)
  
• note that BC highway 31A between Kaslo and Galena Bay is still not fully paved
  
• if you were ever interested in riding through the Colville Resveration, some roads (WA-155, Cache Creek Rd, Bridge Creek Rd, Inchelium Hwy) are nice
  

Watch out for deer wherever you go (!); I literally watched a white-tail jump across BC highway 6 last June, so close I could have reached and grabbed that tail just in front of my right handlebar mirror ...

Like someone else here said:  so much to ride / see, so little time!

 

[Goodman4]

Perhaps I've missed them, but in all this awesome sharing, I don't think I've seen:

• Montana's Better Than *** highway (MT-37) from Rexford to Libby (70 miles of beautiful, quiet highway hugging Lake Kookanusa)
  
• Montana's Looking Glass Road (MT-49) from Kiowa to East Glacier; it's short, but offers some amazing viewpoints within Glacier park on a sunny day
  
• BC's highway 31A between New Denver and Kaslo (hundreds of curves within ~ 30 miles, and often a quiet road)
  
• note that BC highway 31A between Kaslo and Galena Bay is still not fully paved
  
• if you were ever interested in riding through the Colville Resveration, some roads (WA-155, Cache Creek Rd, Bridge Creek Rd, Inchelium Hwy) are nice
  

I had MT-37 on my to-do list from Big Sky's recommendation when we toured Montana in 2014 but couldn't fit it in. The likely plan is to come back down on that road to see family in Philipsburg, MT this time.

We did MT-49 that trip and loved it! We did that after Going-to-the-Sun and liked MT-49 better than even that road.

For the New Denver area, I'm assuming 6 and 23 are paved all the way up to the ferry? The wife does not like gravel so if there is very much of 31A that is not paved that may keep us off that road.

Thanks!

 

[Goodman4]

There's a RR and a video link to our trip, both labeled Reuben Run 7, on here somewhere. Nothing you would see on them does justice to seeing it in person but you might get a tip or two on what not to do . And what to expect weather wise (23:30 through 30:40 of the video). We were there in early Sept.  

The link in the RR didn't work for me but I searched for Reuben Run on Vimeo and found it. It's called Reuben Run VII. Thanks for doing the video!

 

[Cyclepath]

I had MT-37 on my to-do list from Big Sky's recommendation when we toured Montana in 2014 but couldn't fit it in. The likely plan is to come back down on that road to see family in Philipsburg, MT this time.

We did MT-49 that trip and loved it! We did that after Going-to-the-Sun and liked MT-49 better than even that road.

For the New Denver area, I'm assuming 6 and 23 are paved all the way up to the ferry? The wife does not like gravel so if there is very much of 31A that is not paved that may keep us off that road.

Thanks!

Great Goodman - agreed - though the main road climbing through the elevation of Glacier is STILL amazing, but alas, the state charges like $30 per bike to go through, and it is always busy with too much traffic for my tastes. Glad you took the road less traveled (MT-49); yes, though the pavement is not well maintained, it is a nice detour with awesome views.

Yes, BC highways 6 and 23 are fully paved. 23 gets you from the ferry (then north) to Revelstoke; be careful, as sometimes the RCMP [LEOs] have good reason to sit off to the side and wait for misbehaviour. I've ridden it many times, and people heading north after riding off the ferry seem like they are in a Grand Prix race sometimes.

BC highway 6 remains one of my faves, especially between the little towns of Slocan and Silverton.  

EDIT:  Sorry, forgot to confirm that YES, between New Denver and Kaslo, BC 31A is fully paved, mostly well maintained. Only the section of BC31 between Kaslo and Galena Bay has any gravel.

 

[Fontanaman]

The roads around Mt. Rainier aren't open until early July.  Not sure what your timeline is.  If it is early than that or the weather is rubbish in Western Washington head to NE Oregon instead for some of the best riding in the Pacific Northwest.  Great roads, dryer weather and zero traffic.  John Day Oregon is a nice place to stay for the night.  Any state road there is great.  Some of my favorites are Hwy 245, 218, 206, 207, 19 and 74 and US 395 from John Day to Pendleton Oregon.  I'd be tempted to skip the entire Western Washington section to ride some of these great roads.  It is where folks in Western Washington go who are in the know when they feel cramped by the crowds and traffic.

 

[Hudson]

Fontana speaks the truth. As pretty as Rainer is, the roads in Oregon around John Day and north are undeniably the best in the PNW. Plus unlikely to get stuck in weather or behind slow tourists. 

 

[Auburn]

The roads around Mt. Rainier aren't open until early July.  Not sure what your timeline is.  If it is early than that or the weather is rubbish in Western Washington head to NE Oregon instead for some of the best riding in the Pacific Northwest.  Great roads, dryer weather and zero traffic.  John Day Oregon is a nice place to stay for the night.  Any state road there is great.  Some of my favorites are Hwy 245, 218, 206, 207, 19 and 74 and US 395 from John Day to Pendleton Oregon.  I'd be tempted to skip the entire Western Washington section to ride some of these great roads.  It is where folks in Western Washington go who are in the know when they feel cramped by the crowds and traffic.

also lots of paved forest service roads that are really good too in the area

 

[blufjr]

Here are some of the best roads in WY, MT, ID, OR, WA going into BC on your way to Jasper.  Just remember that you will not get these kind of roads in BC.  Canada has a lower speed limit and the curves are not as exciting.  You will not be able to best the Northern Rockies for beauty and surely will enjoy that part of your trip.  If you take this route across WY, MT, ID, OR you will be rewarded with some of North America's best for beauty.  Allow a minimum of 4 days to do this section of you  ride as it is approx. 1560 miles, but you may enjoy it better if you schedule 5 or 6 days.  Six days will allow you to stop and take pictures that will dazzle those that view them

.