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Idaho-to-DEADHORSE ALASKA and back 2022??!!

Rapturee

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It is once again time to plan a long trip and i find myself looking at ALASKA once again. So, i am in the "pre-planning" stages of a long trip and i am seriously reconsidering a ride to Alaska though at this time i have not cemented anything.

My dad is in his early 80's and i'd really like to ride up there and visit with him for a while. AND..., of course while i'm up there already in northern Fairbanks, i would just have to make it up to the Arctic Circle and on up to Deadhorse!

So, just being in the pre-planning stages now it is fun to consider it! Feel free to chime in or even join up if you'd like! :{)
 
If the Alaska Marine Highway (i.e. ferry) system is up and running when you do your trip, I'd suggest that you strongly consider taking the ferry for one of the legs. The Inside Passage is just stunning. It's good headed either north or south but I slightly prefer the southbound. And I somewhat prefer the south end to be Prince Rupert vs. Bellingham. If you'd like to avoid the cost of a cabin, you can camp on the aft deck/solarium (don't dally or all the spots will get taken) or you can sleep in the reclining deck chairs - lots of folks do.

Used to be that you could get off en-route and just catch the next ferry onward. If that's still allowed, my favorite town in SE Alaska is Petersburg but I'd suppose that Ketchikan offers the most variety of things to see. If they do the Wrangle Narrows passage (between Wrangle and Petersburg) during daylight hours, pay close attention to the navigational difficulties there.

As for routing, I always take the loop from Chetwynd thru Hudson's Hope, trading the traffic and dust of Dawson Creek and Ft St. John for the pastoral beauty of the Peace River valley. The hot springs at Liard River are a nice stop. If you have the time, be sure to get down to Homer - I can still remember my first look at Resurrection Bay & the Homer Spit some 40+ years ago!
 
I went two years of high school(Skagway & Fairbanks) up there and have been all over the state. I appreciate your input, thank you! :{)
 
How many days do you plan for, to get from ID to Deadhorse? When I ask a mapping program for directions (from AZ), it generally says just a tick under 3 days and sends me through Alberta for a while. That’s purely actual driving time, though.

Should one expect 6 days each way? 10?

I think that would be some really neat country to see, and if I could touch the Arctic Ocean that would finish off my oceanic ‘wish list,’ at least broadly.

The thing is that I’m no longer a fan of sleeping on the ground and dry camping, so I have lots of saving and planning for such things.
 
here is a possible schedule, and again it is very fluid. Everything is still way up in the air. The only "must haves" on this trip i really have are my Dad. D2D is one of them i'd really like to attend and that is June 21st that year, the Arctic Circle is right up the road from pop's place, and the Arctic Ocean of course providing it isnt too expensive. Everything else is changeable at this point.

I too am not a fan of sleeping on the ground at my age(56) but i will do it. My plan would be to camp a couple of nights and then do a motel and so on all the way up there and back. There are a couple of hot springs along the way and i'd like to hit at least one of them, that'd be awfully refreshing!

as the months go by i will be posting up the contents of my camping gear, tool bag and such. I will also be buying a brand new set of Shinko 705's and installing them just before i leave for the trip. My plan is to pack well but light.

Here is a link to the rough draft of my trip at RVparky. feel free to comment and make suggestions. https://www.rvparky.com/trip/5637661773791232
 
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Interesting! You may remember I bought a NC750X last spring specifically to make another trip to AK but COVID killed that. Traded the NC for a VFR12X but still planning the trip.

D2D is still on my bucket list and if they hold it in 2022 I will likely go. My plan would be to take the Alcan north and the Casear back south. I took the ferry south from Haines last time.

Lodging is expensive and scarce in places so any night the weather allows camping helps the budget. I predict the road will be packed with pent up travelers waiting for the border to open so everyone will be competing for services. I was in Colorado a couple of weeks ago and there were more travelers than available hotel rooms in most of the mountain towns.

I lived in Anchorage for 9 years and still have friends there so I would likely stop there before heading south. Like you I have traveled the entire state multiple times.

Following!
 
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Update= Pillion was going now she is not. So looks like this trip will be solo.

Getting tools, supplies, camping gear, gas cans, pair of new Shinko 705's, handlebar mounted manual chain oiler with spare oil, and high speed clothing. Still a lot to sort out, plan and prepare for. I must admit the anticipation is building..!! :{P
 
even though i have a manual chain oiler mounted to the handle bars, i still planned on using a new chain/sprocket set. Thank you for the tip, AGREED!! :{)
 
So how much of a concern is fuel range on a trip like that? I’ve never taken a long ride on a motorcycle, and that would probably be my number 1 concern.
 
You’ll need to stop for fuel when the opportunity presents itself-there are long stretches where you may only have one chance in a good bit, so you don’t pass a station without stopping when in the toolies, even if you’re only partway down. You dont want to realize you should have stopped at that station 90 miles back when you find the low fuel light on and the next station 120 miles ahead. With a smaller tank I’d carry a rotopack or similar with an extra gallon or so. I’d also look over Mileposts pretty closely before heading out.
 
That sure sounds like a great adventure. Definitely a change from my normal trips with my truck with 70 gallons of fuel available. I’d probably enjoy the drive as much as the destination doing it that way. I’m all about “making time” in my truck.
Let us know how it goes!
 
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