Route to Alaska
 

I'm considering bicycling to Alaska next summer from my home in WA state. Anyone with experience or knowledge of biking to/from Alaska have any suggestions for a route? I'd be leaving from eastern WA and ending probably in Anchorage or Fairbanks so I can easily fly home but this could change based on suggestions. I plan on camping the whole time. Any significant differences between heading south or north as far as elevation change or wind? Best time to go for weather? Also any other small tips would be appreciated, for example I would assume there aren't as many small towns along the way so I'll need to carry more food? Will I be eaten by a bear?

Get the Milepost, the go-to travel guide book to the area.

http://milepost.com/

Other than that, I'd read some CGOAB journals.

I've done Yellowhead to the Cassiar, Campbell, Klondike, and the Alaskan starting in late June, finishing in mid August. There is no best time, there is only one time - after and before winter. Expect lots of drizzle. Don't miss Denali Park.

There is more infrastructure (but still very little) on the Alaskan Hwy from Watson Lake. The Campbell was a little lonely. If N to S you can continue touring into the US, if S to N you'll have to contend with winter. There are no prevailing winds that I am aware of and grades are similar in both directions.

For me, there were a few days where we had to haul food. Water (which we filtered) was plentiful.

BC was thick with black bears, but we didn't see any at all in the Yukon or in Alaska. But we were sure that plenty of them saw us. Follow best practices and you are less likely to be eaten.

Take a look at this trip:

Link.

There's a lot out there.
Even though I no longer use the site, there are lots of Alaska journals over at Crazyguy.

The advantage of going south to north is that you will gradually move from greater to less civilization.
If you fly up to Alaska and head south, you will be plunged rather quickly into some pretty remote terrain.

That said - there is a weather feature that some may not be aware of. Precipitation.
Rain increases in coastal areas in August - dramatically by September. Then turns to snow.

Speaking of coastal areas -
One option is to take the Yellowhead Highway out to Prince Rupert -
Then take the Alaska Marine Highway through the Inside Passage -
Where you can stop over on some of the islands if you wish.

Taking the AMH allows you to spend more time in the Yukon and Alaska -
Or you could use it to make a grand loop.