Originally Posted by
tonytwotimes
Hi Teleman,
Exciting trip you are planning, I just came back a week ago from Victoria --> Inuvik on many of the roads you are taking. Here is some info to add:
1) Yukon Campgrounds will be your savior. They have recreation/cook houses at each campground with a fireplace and wood. Check online for how long these campgrounds will be running. When it is wet you can use the recreation houses to do laundry, cook, and warm yourself up after a creek shower. Furthermore, you can set up in them when it is raining, although I don't think this is technically allowed. They are amazing and in my opinion a necessity if you are going to be bike touring at that time of the year. If the campgrounds are closed you should still be able to get in, but you may have to source your own wood.
Once you hit BC you won't have these rec houses anymore
2) Roads from Whitehorse to Kitwanga (End of the Cassiar highway) are mostly good. I encountered about 30km of gravel at most on this 1300-1400 stretch.
3) Agreed about being EXTRA bear cautious during this time of year. Bears are especially numerous around Bell II area on the Cassiar highway.
4) Grocery places in order from Whitehorse. Stock up as much as you can in Whitehorse if you want to save money. By good margin, cheapest place until Prince George:
-(Cafe) Johnson's crossing
-Teslin: Small Grocery
-(Restaurant) Rancheria
-(Gas Station) HWY 37 JNT - limited junk food
-(Gas Station) Jade City
-Dease Lake: Small-Mid Grocery
-Iskut: Small-Mid Grocery
-Bell II: Lodge and small store
-Meziadin Lake: Small Store at campground
-Kitwanga: A couple small grocery stores/gas stations. Best one is 5km before the junction. Inquire locals about this one
5) I would likely want to go with a synthetic sleeping bag during this time of year
6) Agreed about the extra warmth in boots and gloves. My hands and feet were going numb during portions of cold and wet on my trip.
7) No problems accessing creek water along the entire stretch
8) One final thing I would recommend AGAINST doing the Yellowhead highway from Kitwanga to Prince George. Every cyclist I have talked to did not enjoy the highway. Although you should have a tailwind headed in the direction of prince George. Shoulders are narrow and cracked, and the traffic, especially from Rupert eastbound is heavy.
I recommend heading west at Kitwanga, taking the ferry from Rupert to Port Hardy and doing 5-6 days down Vancouver Island to Victoria from which you can take the ferry straight to the states or over to the mainland.
That is what I would do
Any other questions feel free to shoot me a PM. Good luck, and let us know how it goes!
But you just eliminated 800 KMs of the bike trip... Everything else I agree with...