Best Route from Watson Lake to Banff?

[IanC]

I'm only likely to be making this journey once this lifetime, next month.

So for the best riding and most spectacular scenery, do I go via. Fort Nelson and Dawson Creek, or down the Cassiar and via. Prince George?

Also a smaller deviation - At the Alaska/Yukon border, I see there's a possible detour across the "Top Of The World Highway" to Dawson City and down the Klondike Highway, before rejoining the Alaska Highway at Whitehorse. Sounds tempting - if this road is open in September, is it worth the detour?

[Bill Ryder]

Do the top of the world highway and see dawson city. Then come down to carmacks and take the cambell highway to watson lake. From there go down the cassiar and stop in stewart/hyder and get hyderized. Then go back another year and see some other routes. How late in sept. are you going? You do know about snow and sub freezing temps don't you? Sounds litke a great fall ride.

[Lone Rider]

The Cassiar is prettier and much more remote than the Alaska Hwy.
You want to ride the Icefields Parkway.

[IanC]

Hmmm...

Seems like Cassiar it is then.

I am proposing to fly into Anchorage during the first week of September, and was intending to head up to Prudhoe Bay, and then back down as you're suggesting to Banff and then be in Vancouver 10-14 days later (or I might go south from there through Montana depending on whether my cousin is in Vancouver at the time).

Other advice I've had here on the HUBB has been that the first half of Sep is the latest I should be thinking about Prudhoe Bay, which is what I've been working around. From here in the UK, I am not really aware of conditions up that way, although I've no doubt they get a lot of snow and very low temperatures at times. I've looked up a few places on weather.com, but it's sometimes a little difficult to visualise. I have been slightly further north than Prudhoe in late (20th) August (Nordkapp, Norway), and the weather was fine if a little chilly, but I guess a 2-3 weeks can make a big difference.

SO, tell me straight - Is this too late in the year to be riding (and enjoying it!) in these parts? I don't want to get stuck up there till spring, or freeze myself for 4000 miles!

I've got a big trip planned, going on through South America, so I could very easily start somewhere warmer. Or, if it doesn't look too good when I arrive in Anchorage, I could at least go NE from Anchorage towards Dawson City, and miss Prudhoe and even Fairbanks, cutting out 1200 miles. But in some ways that's defeating the object.

[ssa2]

Take the cassiar highway and the top of the world as well. I did the cassiar in Sept as I flew into Anchorage on Sept 7 and drove pretty much straight back to Minn. I rode 7 days straight and averaged 639 miles a day on bike. I had frost on the bike every morning on way back. I did not take the top of the world highway on this trip but took it last year. I also did Purdhoe bay and I got there on July 4th 2005 and I got snowed on 3 times that day. It was colder than #@$%#@$% in Antigun pass and the snow was piling up just a bit on the road. The ice on the lake at Deadhorse was still frozen over on July 4 so that will let you know what you will be in for. I do not know if Sept is possible for Purdhoe bay. It will be iffy for sure. The cassiar will be busy down on the southern end with Mushroom pickers everywhere. There will be small tent cities of hundreds of people picking at that time of year in the old fire areas. The cassiar is much better in my opinion as I have taken both the oil can and the cassiar. The cassiar is between and in the mountain so it is steep and pretty. The oil can highway is a lot flater and just trees as it is kind of on the east slop of the laurentian shield of rock. It was the easiest route north to protect Alaska so fastest way to carve a road out. The gravel is good on the Top of the world highway as well but you do get some pretty high ground and it will be cold that time of year. Dawson city is worth seeing and crossing the Yukon river by ferry there. If you live though taking the Dalton highway to Prudhoe bay you might as well go sucidal and take the Dempster as well to Inuvik so you can say you did the only two roads across the arctic circle. Have a good one and take someone with you to push you through the bigger snowbanks. I would recommend a tall blond female as they seem to be able to push my bike better.

[IanC]

Thanks ssa2.

I'm going to get myself kitted out with Gerbings, fly to Anchorage and go as far north as I can - which may be Anchorage! Good to know that big miles are possible on these remote roads (or I have I misunderstood, and you only managed small miles here and big ones nearer Minn?).

Are you serious about snowbanks, or is it just cold I have to contend with? Maybe I ought to take a pusher as you describe to be on the safe side!

One other question - OK it's not going to be hot, but is the weather likely to be bright/clear/blue or dull/grey/poor visibility? I can tolerate some cold as long as it's worth it, i.e. the weather's not miserable.

[Lone Rider]

Originally Posted by IanC

............
One other question - OK it's not going to be hot, but is the weather likely to be bright/clear/blue or dull/grey/poor visibility? I can tolerate some cold as long as it's worth it, i.e. the weather's not miserable.

Your gear (and maybe you, too) will get wet.
It will get cold.
You may see some snow.

Wet is OK.
Cold is OK.
Wet and Cold becomes dangerous.

Check out the monthly temp and rainfall averages at weather.com. Alaska is fantasic - just prepare properly.