Hey all! Thinking of taking a 3+ month trip from Denver – Prudhoe Bay, Alaska this summer. I’ve done one trip from Grand Rapids, MI to San Francisco a couple years back, so I have a little experience under my belt, but nothing going through as remote of lands as northwestern Canada and Alaska will present. Wondering if anyone has done biking along this route and could provide any tips for good things to know in certain locations? I’m particularly a little bit sketched about the bike-ability of highway 93 from Banff > Jasper. Let me know if this route misses any big landmarks too that are must see! I plan on going through Yellowstone, GT, Glacier, Banff, and Jasper as some of the bigger landmarks. I think I may try to either rent a car or hitchhike from Fairbanks, Alaska to Denali too. I will be riding a Surly Bridge Club.
Another question: what is the best time of year for something like this to be done? I’m leaning towards leaning mid-late May and arriving in Prudhoe Bay in August at some point. Will there be any road closures/weather to worry about during these times? Seeing a lot of rain, so will be prepared for this.
Any recommendations on gear, route, and general advice are welcome! Thanks in advance!
by ryanan11
4 Comments
Route sounds awesome! I haven’t cycled it myself but I’ve driven it with an RV and I remember cyclists that seemed to doing ok? Looked ok too. Depends on season maybe. For long stretches there are alternative smaller roads as well and broad shoulders.
Tip: get bear save not an expert on what to do with bears in the area, but there’s a high probability to run into blackbears and even bigger ones in Alaska..
Leaving Denver in mid-May is tricky. It looks like the route on the image is taking I-25 from Denver to Buffalo, then I-90 to Livingston? I mean, weather-wise at that time of year, avoiding the mountains is the right call, but cycling on those interstates is illegal in spots and unpleasant everywhere.
I think that, in your shoes, I would prefer to wait for the first week of June and then depart Denver via Boulder, Estes Park, Rocky Mountain National Park, and then connect to the TransAmerica route to reach Yellowstone and Missoula, perhaps breaking off there to Glacier/Waterton, Banff, and Jasper. The RMNP leg is quite scenic and the TransAmerica is far better than Eastern CO and Eastern WY.
Jasper-Banff ice field parkway is easy. That ride from Fairbanks to prudhoe will be the real test.
If you haven’t yet, check out the Adventure Cycling Association TransAm and Great Parks routes. Even if you don’t wanna buy the maps for those, they overlay pretty well with the southern half of your route and you can find tons of info from people riding those.