Touring - Alaska to Vancouver

Has anyone ridden along the trans - Canadian highway (I'm not even sure that's what it's called) from Vancouver to Alaska or vice versa? What are the longest distances between possible food places, how much of the road is unpaved, and is it possible to get water along the way (streams, rivers, etc)? And how screwed up in the head does one need to be to do this? My friends keep telling me just to take the ferry to Alaska, but I'm interested in hearing how possible the trip would be by bike?
Cheers
Leon

Do your homework, not sure about you-Yanks part of iceworld. Ours is paved, normal.
I hear about Americans still thinking they have to sell their car and buy a jeep 'cause Canada has only part paved roads. Pfft. Ya- like maybe thousand miles into the bush sure.

If you are not educated about the area, do not go. Yes we had the roads paved :rolleyes: , we drink bottled water like Europeans do.

Canada is not backwards- it just not as screwed over like most other places.

A ferry up, a ride down is totally possible. To get your game plan from a internet post probably impossible.

Spend some time planning, trip like that, maybe next year.

We have WAY more bears, cougars to deal with if you're camping. But thankfully, due to us being an British colony- they all speak well english.

Being a jerk...jef.

I'm sure a touring Canuck will set a link for you, I can if I get time do some research...but dude, you have a computer to use too, and I'm just a mountain biker, HATE riding hiway...Yes I said hiway, multiple lane, concrete overpasses.

Indians drive beamers and use computers. You gotta leave your handgun U.S. So either you learn to fire a rifle from a bike or do your Grizzly with a big Bowie knife like all us brave CANADIANS do.

Hell, you can't even legally drink beer here 'till you kill your first Grizzly.

You're gonna be soo dissapointed to find we're hip. :D I built my computer from tree bark, old soup cans and bailing wire.

All in good fun, plan and go... beautiful raw nature. CANADA.

You might be interested in parts of Heidi Domeisen's journal (http://heidi.crazyguyonabike.com) on crazyguyonabike.com. She is currently on the road - she started in February, riding from North Carolina across the US, and then north to Alaska. She is currently on the road back from Alaska. She rode through BC and the Yukon Territory on her northbound leg.

Good luck with your trip!

----------------
www.denisegoldberg.com (http://www.denisegoldberg.com)

Being a jerk...jef.
<snip>



Canadians are nothing if not honest. Get ready, Leon, some canadians are really like this. Maybe they won't be as nasty to you as they were to me, since you aren't an American.
:D

I only rode a teeny part of the TransCanada last year, the part I rode was a developed highway through a national park (Kicking Horse Pass). The availability of services was like Yosemite, the road conditions were better - it was a not-too-busy highway with for the most part a more than adequate shoulder.

The TCH is an east-west road.

http://www.transcanadahighway.com/general/transcanadahighway.htm


Sorry i can really provide no information on the route you will actually take. have a great trip!
anna

Canadians are nothing if not honest. Get ready, Leon, some canadians are really like this. Maybe they won't be as nasty to you as they were to me, since you aren't an American.
:D

I only rode a teeny part of the TransCanada last year, the part I rode was a developed highway through a national park (Kicking Horse Pass). The availability of services was like Yosemite, the road conditions were better - it was a not-too-busy highway with for the most part a more than adequate shoulder.

The TCH is an east-west road.

http://www.transcanadahighway.com/general/transcanadahighway.htm


Sorry i can really provide no information on the route you will actually take. have a great trip!
anna


You just might lack humour, though we both have little REAL info, my post was entertaining.

You getting "nasty" vibes is probably a personality thing. Because you had a bad day out here, doesn't mean I need to get spat on.

You should be nicer, quit telling people what you are, simply put the rest of the world probably doesn't care THAT much,...just if your nice...or tasty.

If when I was otherside of the border and said "Hey I'm from Canada, I RULE!! Do things MY WAY $$$$$!"

I doubt I'd have as many nice American friends as I do.

Period.

>jef.

Jeff, I should not have posted as I did, I apologize. I almost deleted it a couple of times, actually.

I had one really bad experience in Canada, with someone who was extremely rude to me *because* I was American. I also had a one or two other semi-negative experiences, and lots and lots of really nice ones. It was wrong of me to generalize it to "some" Canadians. That one thing left a bad taste in my mouth, and maybe your humor was lost on me because of that. That doesn't excuse my bad behavior in writing that post on the internet.

I have some really nice Canadian friends. I just wasn't treated that well by a few Candian strangers.

I would be happy to tell you the whole story in a private message.

However... I don't think I was saying "I rule" in my post, where does that come from? I was trying to accurately describe my TCH experience, to indicate to Leon what portions of my post were informed by experience. I referred to Yosemite because from prior correspondence, I know that Leon has been there, as have I, and I was attempting to provide a useful reference point.

Where in your post do you provide information about the condition of the road that Leon is either asking about or is likely to travel? All I really saw from you was anti-american attitude disguised as humor.

Take a look at what you wrote again - yeah it's humor, but it's pretty pointed humor, YOU are the one who started taking jabs at people based on their nationality.

If I'm reading this wrong again, please do correct me.

Anna

Really, I should be less 'creative' when I write.

Perhaps I was prepareing our visitor for our friendly canuk humour.

Just wait 'till you meet a Newfoundlander, you can't tell if your supposed to laugh or feel insulted.

Sorry you met some jerks in Canada, probably it proportional to population. I always wonder why out of a crowd I have to find that person.

You can pm if you like, I don't really like sad stories. Or to hear things that reflect on a country I very much love living in.

I'm not one to argue symantics, not sure if thats tha word.

If my posting is offensive, I may delete it. Haven't re-read, or thought of any dark black humour truths that it contains.

Wasn't written that way.

Perhaps less obtuse, I say to the ooriginal poster, Use you computer time to research Canada.

Effective.

Really I'm sorry if my post bugged you. You kinda are doing the same thing @ the end of your post, a 'hostility'.

Not my fight, also, though I have lived in the areas mentioned, I am a cyclist of the mountain, roads are yechy, smell and are covered with cars.

But really, don't let peoples opinions or some 'person' wreck your attitude towards Canadians or whatever nationality.

That means they kinda win. Jerks.

I don't really discuss politics either.

Have a Bona-fide graet day.

Peace=

>jef.

O.k I read it, it's not that bad, needs edit. Leon didn't complain, nor i guess some readers.
O.K. Freedom of speech, artistic license. I have to see If I can delete it.
The option x-spires.

Then what, delete this post, then you delete yours, bla.

Edit:
"We have WAY more bears, cougars to deal with if you're camping. But thankfully, due to us being an British colony- they all speak well english."

Should read.."they all understand english."

Hey Jeff - Peace right back at you.

You are right, i shouldn't let one bad experience taint my view of a whole country full of nice folks. Silly of me. No need to delete, I'm not going to, just for the record, we may as well stand by what we say, and if we have to apologize, do it. I think we both did, and I'm good with that. Thanks.

BTW, the original poster is on tour right now, and may not have lots of time to do an internet search - so was maybe trying to pick the brains of the folks here.

:) :)

Everything is sooo much better from your saddle than your desk chair. 6 days and counting...

Anna

Thank you for the entertaining dialogue between you two. This is the sort of humour you'll find between us Aussies and Kiwis as well. I'm looking forward to Canada and seeing queen Liz on the coins again. And as I am touring about at the moment, I didn't have a lot of time to do research apart from getting a lot of word of mouth comments about the road from non-bicyclists I have met in the last week. Hence my lazy post and trying to get the scoop easily from this forum. I'd rather spend my computer time emailing family.
Cheers
Leon

This is embarassing.

There are two highways going to Alaska: the Alaska Highway (#97 in BC; #1 in Yukon and Alaska) and the Cassiar Highways (#37 in B.C.)., plus a few coastal ferries.

A good starter is this:
http://broughton.ca/bcakfaq.html

There probably are a few travelogues at http://www.crazyguyonabike.com.


Basically, you first have to reach Dawson Creek via "normal means". In general, in B.C. interior, the smallest towns (smallest dots on the maps) have little or no services, but the others have. No problem while camping, and you can expect food every 50-100 km.

In terms of services, the Alaska highway (North of Dawson Creek, that is), has fairly decent surface, except for about 5% reconstructed each year. In 1985, most of it was 2 narrow lanes without shoulders, but that's improving. Services are minimal, and service points were (are?) identified on the Yukon highway map. Also, the Alaska highway is a very busy 2-lane highway.
Expect major services in Dawson Creek, Fort St-John, Watson Lake, Whitehorse, Fairbanks, plus 2-3 other points I forgot. Maybe 150-300 km between those, with the worst being between Whitehorse and Fairbanks. Minor service points (meaning small convenience store and/or restaurant) every 50-100 km. If you are stranded, there also is enough traffic to rescue you.

Other highways in Yukon and highway 37 in B.C. are more problematic. Much less traffic (a bonus), but also much less services, if any. And don't believe the Yukon map when they identify "Cities" in large characters on the map. Apart from Whitehorse (pop. 28 000) and Watson Lake (pop. 2000), there isn't anything larger than 50-100 people. IOW, I know there is a restaurant in the restored city of Dawson, but I'm not sure there even is a grocery store.
Also take note that other highways in Yukon are in "Gravel", which means anything from loose stone to sand or mud.

Had an American guest these last few days, the kids are all @ camp so he stayed in my home.

We swapped front wheels and I gave him some parts for a Rocky Mountain he got here and is bringing back to the U.S. This while me an' Valygrl are discoursing, too funny.

I was a bit paranoid about having a guest, not because he was American, just because I didn't know him well.

Well now I have a new friend, and matching red mtb tires!!!

Hey,...did you know the Polar Bear is the largest carnivore on the contenant?

>jef.

A copy of The Milepost might be useful.

http://www.themilepost.com/

Thank you for the entertaining dialogue between you two. This is the sort of humour you'll find between us Aussies and Kiwis as well. I'm looking forward to Canada and seeing queen Liz on the coins again. And as I am touring about at the moment, I didn't have a lot of time to do research apart from getting a lot of word of mouth comments about the road from non-bicyclists I have met in the last week. Hence my lazy post and trying to get the scoop easily from this forum. I'd rather spend my computer time emailing family.
Cheers
Leon

Ya, Leon, not sure way up north like the U.S, Alaska. Canada is a breeze. Higher up the contenant, it becomes more 'serious' as to your safety animal, or conditions. It's really wild up there.
But, anyone living north has the advice you need, and cycling has a history here.. at least mtb'ing.

If you come down the coast, spend time touring the Gulf Islands, located inside the straight that Vancouver Island creates. You will not be dissapointed. Beautiful sub tropical forests and exposed sandstone rock beaches.

Best to your trip, plan well.

>jef.