touring in alaska
05-15-10, 04:07 PM
#1
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touring in alaska
I am planning on riding on the haul road from Fairbanks to Deadhorse. Also Fairbanks to Haines or Seattle if I have enough time. Any and all information and help anyone may share with me will be welcomed. What are the roads like, what animals to be careful of, cheapest way to get a recumbent bike shipped to AK, safety issues, routes, places to stay. I will be riding without support car/truck, tenting and will have about 1 month for the trip.
05-15-10, 04:31 PM
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The haul road is mostly rough gravel with the occasional flying rocks. Common sense pretty much does it for the animal life. You will see the usual, but they are not interested in you at all. ( talk real nice to the moose, they will move on) If you want, take a can of bear spray. The haul road is the domain of big fast trucks who might be less nice than the moose, STAY OUT OF THEIR WAY!!!!!. If you live near SEATAC you might try shipping on one of the Barge lines, Boyer has given me good prices on odd items. I just had a tandem shipped up here and FED EX did a great job, cost 320 from Fl. The haul road also goes a long way between services, just bring enough to eat and camp where ever you please. I'll be in ANC for the rest of this week, and in and out after that if you have any specific questions I could help out with.
05-15-10, 05:25 PM
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We cycled the Dalton in 2008. The surface is mostly OK as long as it is dry, but will turn to soup in rain - be prepared. You won't find anything along the way other than a restaurant (very expensive) in Coldfoot, and another at the Yukon River. You need to carry everything else. Take a water filter with you - there are plenty of streams to get water, but you need to filter it. Animals aren't a big worry - they don't care about you at all. I've written an article about cycling the Dalton HIghway here.
05-15-10, 05:25 PM
#5
bicycle tourist
I am planning on riding on the haul road from Fairbanks to Deadhorse. Also Fairbanks to Haines or Seattle if I have enough time. Any and all information and help anyone may share with me will be welcomed. What are the roads like, what animals to be careful of, cheapest way to get a recumbent bike shipped to AK, safety issues, routes, places to stay. I will be riding without support car/truck, tenting and will have about 1 month for the trip.
I rode the Dalton Highway in 2005. My journal is here: https://www.mvermeulen.com/dalton/index.html
I've also ridden Haines to Skagway: https://www.mvermeulen.com/klondike/index.htm and down the Alaska Highway.
As far as road conditions go, at time we went of the 500 miles between Fairbanks and Deadhorse, ~200 miles was paved. Of the remainder, ~150 I'd describe as very good gravel with the remainder being poor. A wild card is if they just happen to do maintenance and dump some loose stuff.
We saw musk oxen and caribou, but not much in way of bears on the Haul Road. However, I've encountered them further south including near Haines. So take the normal precautions there.
