Sounds like a great trip. One that I dream about making some day. Great write up .

 

I thought about the Cassiar, but just came back down the Alaska Highway to Fort St. John and turned on Rt 29 to Chetwynd. It rained on me most of the return trip from just west of Tok to Fort St. John. At Fort St. John when I gassed up, I could see a little blue sky to the west, so I headed that way!! Rt 29 was a nice ride down the Peace river valley, so I did good! That is how I ended up at Prince George. I had heard various reports on the Cassiar and I was very tired of gravel/dirt roads after riding the Dalton for 240 miles!!! I could see several cuts in the rubber of my rear tire and was getting a little worried about it too. I stayed at the Northern Rockies Lodge going up and coming back (if you are interested, you can ask for the old lodge and it is a lot cheaper ($85) and I parked my bike right outside my door/window of my room)

Yes, riding to/from the Kenai is not recommended on the weekend!! I went down on a Sunday and back on Monday. The traffic coming north toward Anchorage on Sunday was a constant stream of RVs, etc, as you observed! Monday was a lot better! I also really enjoyed the motorcycle ride on the Glenn Highway between Palmer and Glennallen. Remember stopping at a lodge for a break in Eureka and had the best cinnamon bun of the trip! They even put hot melted butter on it!

Sorry about all the rain you are having. I had beautiful weather on the Kenai Peninsula, maybe a little cool (was 37 degrees F the morning I left Cooper Landing), but it was mostly blue sky!

Are you planning to ride up the Dalton to the Arctic Circle?

 

Sounds like you are having a memorable trip in spite of the rain. We are all envious

 

All part of the great adventure!! Also, you and Joanne helped make it such a memorable trip too!!! Thanks again!!

 

We put the tires on about two miles of the Dalton and then turned around. I didn't want to risk it by ourselves.
We're above the Mantanuska glacier this morning but you wouldn't know it because of the fog and rain. Forecast is really poopy for almost the whole state. Even all the Alaskans we talk to are tired of the gloom and doom. We're heading for the AK aviator today and giving up on Valdez. The fog is so bad we can't even tell we are in the mountains.

 

Notsure is going to test there rain gear this morning, its pouring here and 45 degrees. I see a lot of Harley's going by, must be Hoka Hey riders heading home. Think I'l leave my bikes parked today.

 

A great trip report, containing a mine of information, which has given me a good insight into my pending ride to Alaska. Many thanks for writing it.
I rode the 4 Corners tour in June, and having spent three weeks in Ontario visiting family and friends, I start back on the road tomorrow heading west. My plan is to cross back into the US at Sarnia, then head for Montana where I’ll cross into Alberta, visit my youngest son and his family in Alberta, then head for Edmonton and then the Alaska Highway. I have passage booked on the Haines to Bellingham ferry on July 26th, and had originally planned to do the Fairbanks, Anchorage loop before Haines Junction to Haines on H3. However, your trip report has given me a great deal of ideas for side trips rather than just riding, but this would cause time issues. So I am seriously considering altering my plans to just include Haines and plan to ride to Fairbanks another time, without riding the 4 Corners first. With all the rain you are having it seems a good job I use a First Gear suite, and have my Gerbing jacket and gloves with me.
As a general question to anyone on the thread, has anyone who has ridden H3 to Haines lately able to report on road condition and the gas situation?. I have the 2010 Milepost, but wondered if anyone has ridden it this year.

 

I did not ride down to Haines on this trip on the H3. I can tell you there were several gas stations & restaurants at Haines Junction. The worst section of the Alaska Highway was from Whitehorse to the US Border, especially with the broken pavement and frost heaves (don't know if this may indicate the H3 road conditions too, especially the section in Yukon).

 

Rode to Alaska and IN Alaska... First ride was up OR/WA coast, ferry over to VC Island, ride to the north of the Island - Ferry to Prince Rupert - then east to 39 and north to 39A and then West to Hyder AK.. Great ride.

Then second time we flew to Anchorage and rented... rode clockwise and had a great ride. Wanted to ride to the Artic Circle but was told IF we did on the rented HD and had a breakdown - we just bought the bike... So, we parked and flew up to coldfoot and bused back down. not as good as the above pic with the HD but still good... That Dalton Highway is ONLY for the brave at Heart - saw a few Dirt type bikes but NO HD's... its rough and IF you break down... you could be there for awhile..

AK is one of the best rides out there, no matter how you get there..

 

I agree XRN on the the riding suit. If (no, make than when) we return to Alaska, I think we'll leave the leather at home. I've seen a lot of guys (mainly Beemer Boys) wearing that clothing.