GWRRA Region J Chapt. AK-B

Alaska is an EASY state to navigate. You don’t need to make a decision till you get to Tok!!!!! Go north and come to Fairbanks, turn left and go to Glennallen, then decide again. Go straight and you’ll end up in Valdez, Alaska’s little Switzerland, or turn right and you are on way to Anchorage through Palmer. You get to Denali National Park from Fairbanks or Anchorage, you’re choice. Either way you won’t be disappointed there is a lot of scenery both ways.

After you get to Anchorage and if you head south you’re on your way to southwest Alaska. You’ll get to see Portage Glacier, Whittier, Seward, Soldotna, Kenai, and then Homer. If you make this side trip you’ll have to return the same way or take the ferry as the road in is the road out. You can make ferry connections at either Whittier, Seward, or Homer... check the ferry schedule on the state of Alaska website, as the ferry’s go to different places. The ferry books up fast in the spring.

You can also make a side trip at Whitehorse, YT by taking the road to Skagway. After you leave Whitehorse, YT heading north there will be a road to the right that if followed will take you to Dawson City, from there you can cross the border at Boundary, AK and come thru Chicken, AK down to the main road turn right and you are on the way to Tok, AK.

First hand report on the Top of the World highway from Whitehorse to Dawson City to Tok, Alaska. This was done last year in July and road conditions change. This is just one rider’s opinion.

The road from Whitehorse to Dawson City is fine. The road after that is about 60 miles of gravel on the Canadian side of the border and pretty good. We traveled 2 up on a GL1800 pulling a trailer at about 50 most of the time. The remaining 40 miles to Chicken on the US side is not the best. The gravel is much poorer and we only did about 35 mph. You will go about another 3-4 miles past chicken on gravel before getting on continuous pavement which is then clear sailing on to Tok, AK. If it has rained a recently, that gravel will be a nightmare, slippery as ice. I would think twice about going on it, I would do it again AS LONG AS IT'S DRY. After all, how often will you get there.

Going north out of Fairbanks and taking the Elliot highway you will reach the haul road (Dalton Highway) which goes to the Arctic Circle. This road is gravel, very dusty and very slick when wet. I recommend taking a tour to the Arctic Circle instead of biking it. It takes around 12-14 hours to make the trip. You will be sharing the road with semi-trucks hauling goods to and from the North Slope. I hope this information helps you while planning your trip.

OH...couple more things to note, the roads in the north suffer from a distress called frost heaving. This is caused by the extreme cold temperatures that the road surfaces have to endure. What happens is water that seeps between pavement cracks freezes and causes the road to break up when it thaws. Road crews in Canada and Alaska spend a lot of time fixing these areas each summer. CAUTION is the key word here, the pavement may not be what it appears to be and it can happen very quickly. You may also encounter road delays. Also I wouldn’t leave for a trip up here without having a “Milepost” or Bell’s “Alaska Highway Guide” and definitely remember to pack your “Goldbook” -- not to mention your long johns. If you have more questions feel free to e-mail me and I’ll try to help.

Traveling Tips for an Alaskan Journey