• Welcome to the Two Wheeled Texans community! Feel free to hang out and lurk as long as you like. However, we would like to encourage you to register so that you can join the community and use the numerous features on the site. After registering, don't forget to post up an introduction!

Fort Worth to Hyder Alaska June 14-30 2019

misterk

0
Forum Supporter
Joined
Jul 21, 2015
Messages
2,830
Reaction score
2,991
Location
Colleyville
Me and 2 buddies heading to Hyder Alaska June 14-30.

2700 miles one way. Going to do about 600 mile days on the way there.

We will dead head to Hyder and camp along the way.

We want to see the Bear and Salmon glaciers. Also hope to see some bears eating fish and not us.

On the return we expect to do about 300 mile days. I know in the mountains 300 is a long day.

Loose plans on return south. I have seen most everything but my buddies have not.

We will do Idaho, then some Utah then to Colorado and home.

Here is my loose agenda:

Friday after work: DFW to Amarillo

Saturday: Amarillo-Casper 688
Camp - plate river campground, glenrock Wy

Sunday: Casper to Lethbridge 680
Camp- Holiday trails resort

Monday: Lethbridge - Prince George 620
Camp - stone creek campground

Tuesday-Prince George -hyder 437

Tuesday - Wednesday
Hang in Hyder, depends on how many mozzies fly up my nose:)

Camp - camp run-a-muck

Thursday Hyder to PG

Friday: Prince George - kamloops 322, to Christina lake 238 or castlegar 285

Saturday: Castlegar to sun valley Idaho 583

Sunday: Sun valley Idaho to lander wy 400 miles. Or go to my secret spot close to Worland WY and camp couple of nights. Depends on mood:)

Monday: lander - vernal via flaming gorge 220 miles

Option 1 do Utah tour. Then east to Wolf Creek Pass Co.

Option 2 Colorado
Vernal ut- naturita- 244 miles

Tuesday: naturita to Dolores 100
Dolores dirt road #38 to telluride 65 miles.

Wednesday: telluride to del Norte 228

Thursday: del Norte- cuchara 102
Cuchara to sugarite state park 85

I have an extra day built in for what ever.

Friday: sugarite - Amarillo 215
Saturday: Amarillo to home 350

I will be on the mighty Africa Twin

Joe on VFR 1200 dct with ds tires

Craig on Goldwing. I told him he can bypass any dirty portions or hope for the best :)

I will open this up to a couple of TWTers who may want to tag along for any part of the trip, let me know. You have to agree to 3 rules:

Rule #1 if someone crashes or breaks down...we will make sure you get to a safe place or medical facility and secure the bike. Then the rest of the crew will continue trip. Exception is the flat tire which we will fix.

If anyone gets attacked by a bear, the survivors will take your blood and smear it on our face and arms. We will tell your family we fought the bear the best we could :) Also, if you can run faster than me, you are not invited!

Rule #2 each rider rides their own ride. No one gets left behind. However we can mutually agree to meet up at end of day at camp.

Rule #3 Be a fun motorcycle riding person :)
 
I'm just going to say that if you have not been doing consecutive 600+ mile days on any kind of semi regular basis, doing them without some kind of build up to it will be tough. Your body and muscles will not be used to it. Cumulative fatigue will start to be an issue. It doesn't matter if it is easy slabbing either. Just being on the bike that long will do it. If you absolutely have to do big miles, try to do the longest days first and shortest days last. That does help some. It might also be a good idea to stick a short day around day 4-5 just so you can sleep in and "recover", or even take a complete day off if possible. That can do wonders for how you feel. When I do really long days, I make a point to stop every 100 miles or so, regardless of a need for gas, just to get off the bike for about five minutes and walk around. On a 600 mile day, that might cost you an extra 15-20 minutes overall but it will make a HUGE difference in how you feel and in your ability to maintain your focus throughout the day.

You want other riders to be flexible. That means you have a plan, but recognize that sometimes plans have to be altered on the fly to accommodate changing circumstances. Some people have trouble with not "sticking to the plan".
 
You are absolutely correct! I have quite a history of IBA rides in my past but have been idle for the past year or so. I plan on doing all the miles I can before this epic ride just to make sure myself and my gear are up to the task. I hope anyone that wants to join in takes it as seriously.
When we map out a plan as Kevin has then that is the goal for the group. If you can not hang then the rules apply.
Kevin and I did this on our first Ride Around Texas with great success and have the memories to remember!
 
You will also likely run into needing tires before you get home on the VFR. Ain't no decent DS tires that I can think of for that bike, but maybe times have changed. The wifey and I rode up in 2012. She had some Pirelli scorpion trail version on her BMW r1200r. They went about 5k, due to the weight of our gear. I can set you up with my friend in Missolua who you can drop ship tires to and he changes em ona real nice snap on machine, and does it cheap if you wish. The 600 mile day thing being discussed is going to be painful for all. We took 47 days and did somewhere between 8500 and 9000 miles departing from Boulder CO. You will find BC to be much more enjoyable than AK for scenery. If I remember correctly the Hyder turnoff is off of a beautiful road, which is an alternative to the alcan for a day or so. Its also bear central, which my friends described as seeing bears on the side of the road in numbers equivalent to rabbits on many western highways. Turned out to be TRUE. Scared us enough to stay in the more established campgrounds instead of dry camp in the wilderness. Weather set us back days at a time as well (in mid June) when we got to Canada. Sounds like a ride I'd like, but not the 600 mile days :-)
231390
 
Sounds like fun. Definitely a ride I'd like to do one day.
It just doesn't fit into my schedule this year!
Have fun!
 
I'm just going to say that if you have not been doing consecutive 600+ mile days on any kind of semi regular basis, doing them without some kind of build up to it will be tough. Your body and muscles will not be used to it. Cumulative fatigue will start to be an issue. It doesn't matter if it is easy slabbing either. Just being on the bike that long will do it. If you absolutely have to do big miles, try to do the longest days first and shortest days last. That does help some. It might also be a good idea to stick a short day around day 4-5 just so you can sleep in and "recover", or even take a complete day off if possible. That can do wonders for how you feel. When I do really long days, I make a point to stop every 100 miles or so, regardless of a need for gas, just to get off the bike for about five minutes and walk around. On a 600 mile day, that might cost you an extra 15-20 minutes overall but it will make a HUGE difference in how you feel and in your ability to maintain your focus throughout the day.

You want other riders to be flexible. That means you have a plan, but recognize that sometimes plans have to be altered on the fly to accommodate changing circumstances. Some people have trouble with not "sticking to the plan".
You are absolutely correct! I have quite a history of IBA rides in my past but have been idle for the past year or so. I plan on doing all the miles I can before this epic ride just to make sure myself and my gear are up to the task. I hope anyone that wants to join in takes it as seriously.
When we map out a plan as Kevin has then that is the goal for the group. If you can not hang then the rules apply.
Kevin and I did this on our first Ride Around Texas with great success and have the memories to remember!


600 mile days are easy for Joe and I, it is 1500 in 24 hours that wear me out! Joe has done the CC50 and many Iron Butt Rides. We make it a habit to do at least one or two SS1000s a year including the IBA Big As Texas Rally each fall. Long distant riding is all about having the defective gene in your DNA :)

I would say between Joe and I we probably have about 50k miles of ss1000 rides over the last 10 years.

I agree, if a person is not smiling after doing 600 miles in a day, this is absolutely not the trip for them. When Joe and I travel, the first 300 miles is usually the warm-up ride:)

The first 3 days will be ride, gas, pee, ride and repeat. If we aren't having fun, we will get a hotel and sit by the pool :)
 
Last edited:
You will also likely run into needing tires before you get home on the VFR. Ain't no decent DS tires that I can think of for that bike, but maybe times have changed. The wifey and I rode up in 2012. She had some Pirelli scorpion trail version on her BMW r1200r. They went about 5k, due to the weight of our gear. I can set you up with my friend in Missolua who you can drop ship tires to and he changes em ona real nice snap on machine, and does it cheap if you wish. The 600 mile day thing being discussed is going to be painful for all. We took 47 days and did somewhere between 8500 and 9000 miles departing from Boulder CO. You will find BC to be much more enjoyable than AK for scenery. If I remember correctly the Hyder turnoff is off of a beautiful road, which is an alternative to the alcan for a day or so. Its also bear central, which my friends described as seeing bears on the side of the road in numbers equivalent to rabbits on many western highways. Turned out to be TRUE. Scared us enough to stay in the more established campgrounds instead of dry camp in the wilderness. Weather set us back days at a time as well (in mid June) when we got to Canada. Sounds like a ride I'd like, but not the 600 mile days :-)View attachment 231390
great info, thanks. It is 2800 miles to Hyder. I am expecting the trip to be about 7k miles total. I get about 8k miles on my Mita E07 on rear and about 10k on TKC80 front.
 
If that route between Lethbridge and Prince George doesn't include the icefield parkway make sure you route up it. I went to Dead horse 2 years ago and the best part of the trip was probably the icefield parkway and the road between mezidian junction and hyder.

Kinda neat that you don't need your passport to go into Hyder but you needed it to come back into Canada on the same two lane road. Not a whole lota ways out once you get there.
 
Last edited:
If that route between Lethbridge and Prince George doesn't include the icefield parkway make sure you route up it. I went to Dead horse 2 years ago and the best part of the trip was probably the icefield parkway and the road between mezidian junction and hyder.

Kinda neat that you don't need your passport to go into Hyder but you needed to come back into Canada on the same two lane road. Not a whole lota ways out once you get there.

We should hit the ice fields on way up correct?
 
I get about 8k miles on my Mita E07 on rear and about 10k on TKC80 front.

I don't know how in the world you get those kinds of miles out of a TKC front!? I think the best I have ever done is around 5K, and that was with the trailing edge of the knobs flush with the carcass. I've read other people doing those kinds of miles, but I just can't figure out how?
 
As triman mentioned, the Icefield parkway is pretty amazing, but depending on the time of year, pretty busy. And the route over to Stewart/Hyder has some amazing Icefield Parkway like views too. I thought they were actually better, since you are closer to the scenery. When we went through the Icefield parkway both times, we stayed at the Crossroads (hwy 11 & 93) hotel/motel in Jasper State Park and order a steak at the bar, that you cook yourself on their grill. If you can stop in Revelstoke, I thought it was a pretty neat little town. I'd like to take my wife there sometime.

Also as triman mentioned, no passport is needed to get into Hyder from Stewart, BC since there is no border station. That's because Hyder is completely isolated, no other way to get into Hyder. So, you have to come back into Stewart to leave. I asked the agent at the Canadian border station, "what if, for some reason, you wouldn't let us back into Canada?" She said; "we would let you in, with a written 48 hr pass to the nearest Canadian exit!" Those Canadians, they're so trusting! :)

Hyder, to me, was nothing really special, but there were a lot of bear. Even the most dangerous, mothers with cubs. Camping there, hmmm, don't dress up as Salmon. Fortunately for MisterK, they have a specific dislike for stinky motorcycle riders, it's hard to clean them.
 
I don't know how in the world you get those kinds of miles out of a TKC front!? I think the best I have ever done is around 5K, and that was with the trailing edge of the knobs flush with the carcass. I've read other people doing those kinds of miles, but I just can't figure out how?

I took the last TKC front off and tossed it around 8500 miles. When it was half used I turned it around backwards. Never would have made 8500 with out doing that. Personally I don't think the TKC is a very good tire in the 21" size. I am trying a Shinko 804 at the moment on the front of the AT. The Mitas E07 rear I put on the same time as the TKC is still going strong with 11K on it. At the rate the 804 is wearing it may be worn out the same time I finally finish off the EO7 Rear.
 
I don't know how in the world you get those kinds of miles out of a TKC front!? I think the best I have ever done is around 5K, and that was with the trailing edge of the knobs flush with the carcass. I've read other people doing those kinds of miles, but I just can't figure out how?

Last one was actually 8k miles
 
As triman mentioned, the Icefield parkway is pretty amazing, but depending on the time of year, pretty busy. And the route over to Stewart/Hyder has some amazing Icefield Parkway like views too. I thought they were actually better, since you are closer to the scenery. When we went through the Icefield parkway both times, we stayed at the Crossroads (hwy 11 & 93) hotel/motel in Jasper State Park and order a steak at the bar, that you cook yourself on their grill. If you can stop in Revelstoke, I thought it was a pretty neat little town. I'd like to take my wife there sometime.

Also as triman mentioned, no passport is needed to get into Hyder from Stewart, BC since there is no border station. That's because Hyder is completely isolated, no other way to get into Hyder. So, you have to come back into Stewart to leave. I asked the agent at the Canadian border station, "what if, for some reason, you wouldn't let us back into Canada?" She said; "we would let you in, with a written 48 hr pass to the nearest Canadian exit!" Those Canadians, they're so trusting! :)

Hyder, to me, was nothing really special, but there were a lot of bear. Even the most dangerous, mothers with cubs. Camping there, hmmm, don't dress up as Salmon. Fortunately for MisterK, they have a specific dislike for stinky motorcycle riders, it's hard to clean them.

We may rethink camping in Hyder, just pass through to go see the glacier. We could camp in Stewart.
 
I camped at Meziadin Lake Provincial Park the night before I rode to Hyder. Absolutely beautiful but the worst skeeters of the entire trip. Black clouds of the little ********.

I bought one of those bug hats from REI and that was the only place I wore it. Best $10, or whatever it was, I spent. If you don't have one I'd recommend it. And don't waste your money on their Citronella candles. The Canadian skeeters drank from it.
 
I don't doubt that you guys get the high miles, I just cannot figure out how you do it? It is not like I am a BIG heavy dude. I am 5'10" at about 185 lbs. I don't usually run fast highway speeds for long periods of time. I rarely ride with the bike loaded down. Yet, I rarely get more than 3.5 to 4K out of a rear and maybe 5-6K out of a front. It was only marginally better when I ran 50/50 tires like Anakees and Tourances. I might get 5-6K out of a rear and 7-8K out of a front.
 
I don't doubt that you guys get the high miles, I just cannot figure out how you do it?

I don't usually run fast highway speeds for long periods of time...

Herein is part of it. I often see people post they trailer to a ride start to avoid wearing down their dual sport tires. In reality sustained highway cruising uses minimal tread. My street/dirt ratio is probably 90% pavement, 10% dirt max. Just too many miles to get out west past Texas for the good stuff and I prefer to make it happen quicker on pavement thereby saving 2 days time on my roundtrip.




Sent from my SM-G860P using Tapatalk
 
So you are saying your DS tires last longer on pavement running highway speeds than on dirt?
 
Misterk -- you guys have tons of miles and tons of experience, but I would add this caveat; in much of Canada, the speed limit is 80 kph and much of the rest of the country, it's 100 kph -- that's basically 50 to 60 mph. Be sure to allow for that in your time-in-the-saddle calculations. It messed with my plans on my first trip north, though I wound up north of 7,000 miles in 19 days.
I hit a bunch of campgrounds between Texas and Alaska... might be north of your route, but none was prettier than Mountain Shadows RV Park north of Bell II on the Stewart-Cassiar Highway.
On the Yellowhead Hwy between Prince George and Banff, there are nice campgrounds along the Fraser River.
 
to be honest I have never done the mph/kph conversion and never really took it into consideration. That being said your comment is duly noted and will be figured into our daily route schedule..
 
I’ve been up there 2X and never paid attention to speed limits on the open highway, just traveling at what felt comfortable on a KLR. The other thing is you will have 20+ hours of daylight which allows you to spread your ride out and give time to take breaks. We generally put in the 1st 100 miles and then stopped for breakfast. After dinner and setting up camp at 7 pm you’ll look around and try to figure out what to do for the next 4 hours. It’s easy to add another 100 miles plus to your day without being exhausted.

Mike P
 
I may have two unused bug suits and hats for sale if you want them. Go up through Glacier park, go through Babbs and into Canada. Skip the big ports of entry. Then ride up the Kannaskis highway to Banff, Banff to Jaspar, stay at the hotel in the junction of you want. Make sure Kannanaski is open due to closure some periods for elk migration. The icefields are nearly gone so best to see em now if you wat to see them ever. Here the wife and I are at some random lake not even out of Banff park yet in May, on a gen back of BMWs before I'd destroyed nerves in my neck riding K1200RS's :-) We camped that night in Jaspar. There are a couple nice provencial campgrounds there . Try "Wapiti" for safety and proximity to town .
 

Attachments

  • P1030689.JPG
    P1030689.JPG
    435.4 KB · Views: 209
Jasper just north about 5 miles of the icefields, a little bear activity, and the bus they use to shuttle you to the icefields. JUst north of the icefields is one of my favorite scenes as it's almost real tundra and I ain't never been around that before.... I always stop and have a snack there. (708 pic)
 

Attachments

  • P1030787.JPG
    P1030787.JPG
    326.4 KB · Views: 198
  • P1030745.JPG
    P1030745.JPG
    325.5 KB · Views: 197
  • P1030708.JPG
    P1030708.JPG
    289.3 KB · Views: 191
  • P1030772.JPG
    P1030772.JPG
    373.7 KB · Views: 193
Back
Top