I want to drive/ride to Hyder, AK next year...

[frieed]

If you are heading to AK, get a copy of http://www.themilepost.com/ it has mile-by-mile descriptions of things to see along the roads.
Things like "Park at the side of the road near the bridge at milepost X and take the 1/2 mile dirt trail for a spectacular view".

When I was there we watched a grizzly chase a moose with her calf for about a mile along a river. They crossed the river and then the road right in front of us. The bear got half way across the river, sniffed a couple times and turned around.

 

[mesha]

If you are heading to AK, get a copy of http://www.themilepost.com/ it has mile-by-mile descriptions of things to see along the roads.
Things like "Park at the side of the road near the bridge at milepost X and take the 1/2 mile dirt trail for a spectacular view".

When I was there we watched a grizzly chase a moose with her calf for about a mile along a river. They crossed the river and then the road right in front of us. The bear got half way across the river, sniffed a couple times and turned around.

The milepost is an awesome resource. I have been spending way to many hours lately reading that site.

 

[cruiseroutfit]

If you are heading to AK, get a copy of http://www.themilepost.com/ it has mile-by-mile descriptions of things to see along the roads.
Things like "Park at the side of the road near the bridge at milepost X and take the 1/2 mile dirt trail for a spectacular view"...

x2 on the Milepost, a major resource both for attractions along the way but more importantly fuel stops and offerings in different areas. We drove into Canada with firearms fwiw (bear spec shotty), pretty dang easy to deal with at the border with the paperwork I had arranged ahead of time. Coming back into the US was easy as "yup" when asked if we have guns.

 

[frieed]

My BIL was travelling with me (he was in his pickup) and was carrying a mounted moose head on top of the bed shell and a full size mounted Kodiak brown bear (on the threatened species list I think, but taken legally) in the back of the truck. That made things fun on the border crossings.

 

[MR4WD]

Awesome that you ride a 990 Adventure as well!! :bow: I would take you on the offer of riding your bike, but I don't like to ride other peoples bikes! I know how I ride...

Awesome about the Grizzly bears and rain! We hardly saw any animals in Oct outside of Banff, we were up early, out late... on backroads, etc, etc... saw a few Elk, but they're all over out here.

I would love to explore BC on the way to Hyder & back someday, but sadly I don't think it will be this year. Our Canada trip last year was a good taste of Canada, but the parts we visited were way too touristy for me... Banff & all the Provincial Parks were neat, but even in late October there were too many people for me. Back country BC sounds ideal!

That's the thing - Banff is cool if you're working in the area. Canmore, Jasper... Pretty well anywhere on the Alberta side of the mountains is the same. It seems staged and the tourism industry tries too hard to make it something better than what it is. It's cool to see once, but there are many more places that quietly get by that don't advertise their beauty that make the tourist destinations seem so boring. The animals are all baited in the alberta parks as well, I know where the elk are going to be, the sheep, the deer, the goats etc etc. These places really cater to the Europeans and the Asians seeking an international airport based wilderness experience.

I can try and map out a solid drive that will blow you away - that you can do for cheap. The coolest thing about the north coast is the unscripted wildlife. I watched a grizzly chase a cow and 2 calf moose across a raging glacier fed river. Ol mom got ate and one calf drown, but here's the one that got away in all his 3 day old beauty.

 

[Greg]

So this is still very much on my mind, have been talking to my wife about making this drive this Summer in July. I'm seriously thinking about taking 2 weeks, driving the Jeep from Colorado over to Seattle, taking a ferry thru the San Juan islands and then heading into British Columbia and eventually on to Hyder, AK. I would LOVE to hit some dirt roads and explore the forest in BC, nothing too crazy but scenic and off the beaten path. I think we'd be hoteling it, rather than camping.

Sounds like MR4WD (Chad) has some great knowledge to share, so that would be very helpful!

As much as I want to ride to Hyder on a motorcycle, my shoulders and back wouldn't be interested at all. I think driving is my only real option at this point.

Anyone else want to go to Hyder this Summer? :greg:

 

[Rot Box]

Anyone else want to go to Hyder this Summer? :greg:

Yes! Sigh... but I spent all my monies on medical bills

 

[rholbrook]

I am headed to Whistler the 2nd week of July for a week.

 

[Tonkaman]

Oh man that is seriously tempting...

 

[TRD270]

Want yes, able no. This trip would be amazing and is on the bucket list..... but not in the budget this year

 

[Greg]

Yes! Sigh... but I spent all my monies on medical bills

Really sorry to hear that Andrew! Back problems again?

I am headed to Whistler the 2nd week of July for a week.

We drove to Banff & Jasper in 2015, can't wait to get back! Whistler would be cool to see... you guys driving up?

Oh man that is seriously tempting...

Hyder is calling your name Derek!

Want yes, able no. This trip would be amazing and is on the bucket list..... but not in the budget this year

Yeah, I'm still trying to figure out how to pay for it... especially the fuel, if we take the Jeep. 5,000 miles @ 15 MPG x 3.00/gal = $1000 in gas alone.

 

[Hickey]

Wish I could arrange it.

 

[TRD270]

Yeah, I'm still trying to figure out how to pay for it... especially the fuel, if we take the Jeep. 5,000 miles @ 15 MPG x 3.00/gal = $1000 in gas alone.

Catch me on a year I'm not building a new house :greg:

 

[Tonkaman]

Yeah, I'm still trying to figure out how to pay for it... especially the fuel, if we take the Jeep. 5,000 miles @ 15 MPG x 3.00/gal = $1000 in gas alone.

2 weeks of hotel rooms sounds like the expensive part!

I'm crunching numbers and thinking the budget is around $3k. I can't swing that this year [emoji25]

 

[Greg]

2 weeks of hotel rooms sounds like the expensive part!

I'm crunching numbers and thinking the budget is around $3k. I can't swing that this year [emoji25]

Yeah, I totally agree... perhaps I'll see how the wife feels about camping, but even if we camp 1/2 the time that means we haul all the needed gear.

She wants a vacation.... not a camping/4x4 trip.

 

[Hickey]

Time to build that teardrop camper?

 

[Greg]

Time to build that teardrop camper?

No joke! Better get it built quick though!

Even then, she is expecting posh hotels, amazing dinners and fun. Not camping in a teardrop, eating canned soup, etc.

 

[Tonkaman]

Hotel trips are fun too! I don't blame her.

I'll have to table it for another year

 

[mesha]

You should have just come with us last year

If you have any questions about the trip let me know(we didn't go to Hdyer, but the Canada section should be similar). It was amazing. I have been to Alaska several times, and driving was the best way to see it. We spent almost 2k on fuel, though.

p.s. If you want to borrow my milepost let me know. Nothing much will have changed since last summer.

 

[SnwMnkys]

So this is still very much on my mind, have been talking to my wife about making this drive this Summer in July. I'm seriously thinking about taking 2 weeks, driving the Jeep from Colorado over to Seattle, taking a ferry thru the San Juan islands and then heading into British Columbia and eventually on to Hyder, AK. I would LOVE to hit some dirt roads and explore the forest in BC, nothing too crazy but scenic and off the beaten path. I think we'd be hoteling it, rather than camping.

Sounds like MR4WD (Chad) has some great knowledge to share, so that would be very helpful!

As much as I want to ride to Hyder on a motorcycle, my shoulders and back wouldn't be interested at all. I think driving is my only real option at this point.

Anyone else want to go to Hyder this Summer? :greg:

What part of the summer?