On June 18 I decided to ride my motorcycle to Alaska.
My motorcycle, a Honda CRF250L, hadn’t run since late 2021 ever since the oil plug fell out of it on the highway in Oregon, so I began fixing it.
It soon became clear that
a) I enjoy working on motorcycle engines quite a lot, but
b) getting my motorcycle fixed by the time I wanted to leave was unlikely and trying to rush it would probably suck, and
c) riding a 250 dual sport to Alaska would definitely suck.
So I bought a 2014 CB500F from a guy in Fresno on July 13. On July 17 I left for Alaska.
### Day 1: 380 miles. QH to just north of truckee.
I left QH around 1030. Temps around 100F along the 395. Long road construction waits just north of Lee Vining, and along the East shore of Lake Tahoe.
I camped just off a forest road a few miles south of Sierraville.
### Day 2: 450 miles. To Bend, OR.
I stopped for lunch and a walk with the Mountain Frugals in Northern California, and then pushed on to camp in the forest outside Sunriver, just south of Bend.
It is wise to buy appropriate, durable motorcycle luggage for trips like this through variable weather conditions.
I did not do that. I fastened some $15 military surplus bags on with pcord and old straps and put my laptop and clothes in my 15yo patagucci pack. Black plastic garbage bags are my waterproofing system.
At one point the strap on my muffler-side pannier came loose, causing the pack to drop onto the muffler and partly melt. I noticed it at a gas station. I was probably minutes away from yard-sale’ing my stuff all over the highway. I strapped it on to the top and kept going.
### Day 3: A zero day in Bend, Oregon.
I rode in to town and went on a river float with my good Bend friends and spent the night.
### Day 4: ~540 miles. Bend, OR to Oroville, WA
Had morning coffee/hang with friends till 0930, then hit the road. This was probably the hottest day of the trip, around 105F. I didn't know there was so much epic desert to Washington, hadn't ever been there before.
I attempted to attain Oroville via 97 through the mountains northwest of Ellensbourough (?), but there was an accident and the road was to be closed for 3-4 hours. So I backtracked to 90 and went up through the valley south of Oroville.
About 6 miles west of Oroville on the river there is a BLM area, Mill Creek I think. I camped on a bluff overlooking the river and it was beautiful and I had the place to myself. I sat in the river for a while, watched a bald eagle, the sun set over the smoke fire, etc.
### Day 5: 532 miles. Oroville, WA to 20 West of Prince George, BC
The second best way to wake up in the morning.
I was the only person at the border crossing.
I stopped at a rest area in between Princeton and Merrit, on the 5A. An older rider on a big Victory stopped and chatted with me for a while, joined a bit later by a rider on a Harley. Both Canadian, one said 'fuck' a lot, the older one said "eh" a lot. I mostly listened, and got advice on routes I already knew about.
After dropping past Ashcroft, which was nearly on fire, I got into the smoke and stayed in the smoke for the next thousand miles or so.
My Plan A was to do the Cassiar Highway route, so I found a spot to camp 20mi West of Prince George on whatever that highway is. I missed getting bear spray, and I knew weather was coming. I thought it was maybe sketchy to ride the Cassiar without bear spray and without experience or proper rain gear, so I decided I'd probably backtrack through Prince George and do the Alcan route up 97 instead.
### Day 6: 552 miles. Prince George, BC to Fort Nelson, BC
I rode back in to Prince George in the morning. My phone doesn't like Canada, apparently, so I went to a starbucks for wifi. The weather forecast confirmed my decision to do the Alcan with severe lightning storms called for, so I booked a hotel in Fort Nelson. It seemed I could make it there by 5-6pm, and the storm was projected to begin by 7 or 8p.
I bought a protein bar at a gas station and the cashier chatted with me a bit, asked about my trip. As I was finishing up, she said "Watch out for moose, eh." I responded lightly and said I would, but I quickly discerned that not only was she 100% serious she was also earnest. "They jump right out of the bush atcha" were her last words to me.
Not ten miles later I passed a roadkill moose on the side of the road. I'm scared of bears, but if I get fucked up on this trip it'll probably be more likely be due to running into a moose on the highway at speed.
I got to Fort Nelson by 5p or so. To my surprise the room at the Blue bell inn has a full kitchen (stove, range, minifridge, sink, dishes, etc). I got groceries at a market down the street and made myself a small feast.
### Day 7: Zero day in Fort Nelson, waiting out thunderstorm.
Cooked a big breakfast, journaled, wrote, looked at logistics, did a little bodyweight workout, watched the storm, did some work, etc.
### Day 8: Zero day in Fort Nelson, waiting out road closure
Woke up and plugged in my route, discovered the road was washed out 100mi west of here. Both lanes closed. The only way around is to take the Cassiar. It'd take me three days to get around the flood (one day to backtrack to Prince George, two days roughly to get up the Cassiar back to the Alcan). So I waited it out in Fort Nelson one more day.
### Day 9: 716 Miles Fort Nelson to Haines Junction
The road opened at 8pm the night before, so I rolled out early in the morning. Cold and rainy for the first half of the day. My first time riding in the rain, and my longest day.
I stayed at the Wanderer's Inn Backpacker's Hostel in Haines Junction. The owner was friendly and we chatted for an hour or so around a fire pit outside. My bunkhouse mate was a Spanish guy one month into a ride from Anchorage to Columbia. We talked a little before I passed out hard.
### Day 10: 530 Miles Haines Junction to Fairbanks, Alaska.
I woke at 0600, left a note for the Spanish bikepacker to get in contact for support in California when he got there, and got on the road.
A little rain and a little cool. My ultralight Frogg Toggs rain shell began to come apart -- it isn't designed for 75mph buffetting. I wrapped a couple loops of gaffer tape around the arms and it did it's job until Fairbanks, where I pulled it off in shreds.
After yesterday, 530 miles felt shortish.
Trip numbers:
3,749 Miles
10 days total with
3 zeros
Things I Learned:
Bring chain lube and a rag on long trips.
Bring one of those fork seal cleaner things, and wipe the bugs off the stanchions every time you stop.
Ultralight rain jackets will shred within a day or two of riding.
Proper underwear selection is of vital importance.
Street tires are fine on wet asphalt.
Street tires are not fine on sand.
Riding in the rain on a moto isn’t bad at all as long as you’ve got waterproofs.
A 500mi/day pace is totally doable.
BC and the Yukon have abundant dispersed camping spots. Apps are helpful but not even required, spots are easy to find.
Grip heaters are lovely.