Touring a chunk of the Alaska Highway

[Dukeoflawnchair]

Hi there everyone!

So my group of hiking buddies, all only recreational cyclists, are planning on doing our first bike tour. We're looking at doing the stretch of the Alaska Highway from the Liard Hotsprings to Whitehorse.

Since this is the first tour for all of us, we're bringing a pickup truck to bail anyone out if needed (also to carry extra gear - bunch of us aren't outfitted, and get us back from Whitehorse, etc).

Has anyone else done this stretch? There seems to be a campsite or lodge every 40-60 miles, with many worthwhile stops along the way. Any vicious sections or suggestions?

Many thanks all!

 

[Shadow]

Hi and welcome aboard, DoLC!

A few queries:
-when are you planning to do this?
-what approximate average daily mileage do you want to do?
-is it all tarmac or partly gravel?
-are you going off-road? (I mean off the Highway proper, into the back country)
-and, purely out of curiosity, why start at Liard Hotsprings, not FSJ? (altho' if you want to get to Whitehorse in a certain timeframe, then I can understand going part way by another means!)

Depending on answers to the above, I would imagine the best option is a touring bike, with appropriate tyres for the conditions. Do some training! Take obvious spares e.g. inner tuber, tyres, chains, cables and appropriate tools to fix the basics. I can't imagine there are many bike shops between Liard and Whitehorse!

As this is a UK based forum, there are not many BC residents but a few. Therefore, apart from a few other intrepid tourists, there are unlikely to be many from CC who have ridden this section but you never know. I would have thought that for advice/suggestions a good place to start might be Cross Canada Cycle Tour Society.

I am not familiar with this road but am envious, surely some of world's underrated scenery. It was one area I never got to visit when living out east.

And let us know how your journey goes/went on here. As well as being a good read it might also inspire others! Bon voyage.

 

[Dukeoflawnchair]

Hi there Shadow, many thanks for the response!

We're aiming for late August / Early September - this is the time of year where there's the least amount of rain, and we'll probably miss most of the heavy road use season.
The plan would be to range between 40 and 65 miles (distance between good stops) daily
Mostly pavement, occasional short gravel stretches (construction zones - no roads do well with the freeze/thaw that goes on up here)
And you called it - we're hoping to finish this within a week, and I drive from Fort St John to Fort Nelson often enough so that it wouldn't be interesting.

My wife is a photo nut - so will post nce it's complete, one way or another!

Cheers,

 

[John the Canuck]

are you tenting..?

break camp
meal stops
wife stops ... photo opportunities galore...
make camp
dinner

how many daylight hours up there cos 65miles maybe optimistic.?
--------------------------------------------------------

20years in Vancouver - always wanted to take the Alaska Cruise -- too late now..........

 

[John the Canuck]

worth a chat here.?

Forum: Pacific Northwest
Idaho | Oregon | Washington | Alaska
http://www.bikeforums.net/pacific-northwest/

 

[Dukeoflawnchair]

Awesome - will have a look-see there! Day light shouldn't be a problem - days are getting shorter, but still 15-16 hours of light that far north.
We'll probably tent some and lodge others!

Many thanks!