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Northern Canada bikepacking
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molgripsFree Member
Inspired by whoever it was in here said they lived in Whitehorse, I started looking at possible adventures in the area. Of course there are burger all roads but there’s one called the Dempster Highway that looks like a thing that can be done. At a mere 800km it looks manageable enough, but getting to and from could be tricky and expensive. I gather there are airlines Yost connect these places but I don’t know if using them is like a normal airline. In movies they always find pilots drinking in bars and ask to be flown somewhere.
Anyone got any experience of bikepacking and travelling in the Canadian/Alaskan Arctic? I’d just be going for mountains, scenery, stuff like the scene from the Ballad of Buster Scruggs with the old timer prospecting for gold. Would prefer somewhere with easier transport logistics. A loop would probably make this easier.
whitestoneFree MemberGo to bikepacking.com and search for Dempster. They also have a number of routes on the site – I fancied this when it first appeared – https://bikepacking.com/routes/kenai-250/.
I’d be inclined to look for a loop and do some bikerafting as there’s a lot of water in the terrain. I happened to be looking at the ITI site earlier today and it seems that it’s relatively easy to get a back country flight with your bike if a little pricey.
If you were up for an adventure then https://bikepacking.com/routes/bikerafting-alaska-lost-coast/ looks fantastic. I mean how can you not resist a route with 25 miles
MoreCashThanDashFull MemberThere was a video on YouTube of the Dempster highway someone shared on another group recently – looked good
SaxonRiderFull MemberMy cousin lives in Whitehorse. I can put the question to her. She’s one of the most hospitable, kind people you could ever meet.
molgripsFree MemberCool. It looks like it’s a thing.
The bikepacking part I can handle – but transport and logistics I have no idea.
LankysprinterFree MemberI’m sure one of the outskirts films was about this on YouTube
Here it is https://www.thereabouts.co/the-big-land
nicko74Full MemberI drove up the Dempster a couple of years back, from Whitehorse to Inuvik, and saw a couple of bike packers heading up there, which looked… interesting.
Getting there’s pretty easy – you’d fly to Vancouver, then get a shorter flight to Whitehorse. Whitehorse itself is a fairly small town, and well set up for outdoors activities, outfitting etc, plus there’s a Walmart for all the essentials.
The road up splits into two parts:
– Whitehorse to Dawson City is all tarmaced road, through stunted forests, with various signs of civilisation at regular intervals. You’d need to plan your supplies and stops, but it’s eminently doable, very scenic, and definitely gives you that ‘edge of civilisation’ feel. Dawson City itself is great, and well worth spending a couple of days in and around.
– Beyond Dawson is a different kettle of fish. You go back along the road to Whitehorse for about 20(?)km, then hang a left to take the Dempster. It’s not tarmaced, and you’re really in the wilderness. First notable sight is Tombstone Park, about 60k or so from the bottom of the road. It’s pretty well equipped IIRC, and you can camp there etc. After that, though, it’s definitely another league of bikepacking, about 300k to Eagle Plains (the next motel/ shop/ petrol station/ sign of civilisation), then 300k from there to Inuvik.Probably the big thing would be water, I reckon, as I don’t know whether there are standpipes by the side of the road at the various basic camp sites; I’d guess you’d be living on freeze dried food. The wildlife is also a concern – we saw several grizzlies, as well as moose and caribou (there’s a 200,000 strong herd knocking around that area). And trucks are a bugger: locals in pickups doing 100kmh, and artic lorries doing about the same. The dust alone is unpleasant.
All that said, we saw a woman riding it solo somewhere between Eagle Plains and Fort McPherson, so there are clearly people who enjoy it!
The other option you might consider is taking the left fork somewhere outside Whitehorse and heading into Alaska instead. The road’s tarmac the whole way, and wide, although you still have challenges of trucks racing by, plus wildlife etc.
donaldFree MemberCondor fly direct from Frankfurt to Whitehorse if that’s any help.
edit: You could cycle to Frankfurt and make it a proper outing 🙂
tynemouthmattFree MemberWhitehorse to Haines (Alaska) would be nice route, won’t get you into the miles of tundra the Dempster will. The scenery will blow your mind though and Haines Gin is worth the trip alone. Tarmac the whole way with a fairly epic climb up Haines Pass.
If you are not already, familiarise yourself with making a bear safe camp.
PM if you have any questions, I work up that way a fair bit.
molgripsFree MemberProbably the big thing would be water, I reckon
Yeah I’d expect there to be water in the environment (obv I’d analyse the situation before going) and there are many options to purify water for drinking. I could knock out 300km in 2 days I reckon – I’d make it a precondition of going.
Open to other route ideas. Dempster looked straightforward enough but as I say a loop would make life easier.
molgripsFree MemberAccording to Google Maps, 500 miles is enough to get you from Juneau to Haines, then Whitehorse, west to Haines junction then back to Haines and Juneau. Juneau’s probably easier and quicker to get to I’d imagine. Less time travelling means more time riding.
I work up that way a fair bit.
Bastard
molgripsFree MemberOh, even a bit of gravel or trails would be much preferred to pure tarmac.
nicko74Full MemberYeah, there’s lots of water around, and you just keep an eye on the map to understand where you’ll next be near a river or lake.
If you’re after a loop, as noted above the Alaska road would be great: you can go from Whitehorse to Beaver Creek and up to Tetlin, then turn right to come back round through Chicken*, Dawson and down to Whitehorse. AFAIK it’s all tarmac though 🙁Alternatively, there’s a loop entirely within Alaska: if you fly into Anchorage or Fairbanks, there’s a road loop that’d take a few days, through Denali and other amazing scenery. And if you’re feeling really wild there’s then the option of taking the ferry out towards some of the further out coves and towns along the coast.
Tbh, I’m half tempted by it myself now.., 🙂
* Apparently, the story is the town was founded by two guys in the Gold Rush era, who wanted to name it after the animal on which they’d survived. Not knowing how to spell Ptarmigan, though, they called it Chicken instead.
LATFull MemberI don’t think there is a road from Juneau to Haines, I could be wrong, but I think it is all ferries between the towns on that coast.
the road from Haines to Haines Junction is beautiful, so is Skagway to Carcross. There are some wilderness excursions in the Kluane National Park. It takes a couple of days. I’ve not done it but I know the area a little. https://m.pinkbike.com/news/yukon-mountainbiking-kluane-national-park.html
Carcross also has great trails. I’d imagine the one that would probably appeal most on a bike packing trip would be Mountain Hero on Montana Mountain. I’m not sure if you are permitted to camp on that mountain as it is First Nation’s land. There is a hotel in Carcross.
There is the Trans-Canada Trail, I think that’s what it is called, mining roads around Whitehorse that could be used as part of a longer route.
Im not the best to give advice on bike packing as it isn’t my thing. The Dempster Highway would be an epic trip. logistics could be tricky, but I guess that’s part of the fun.
molgripsFree MemberAh yes you are right. I used Google Maps but didn’t notice most of it is ferry. Still at 5h though it might be worth it if it makes an easy flight.
Roads are still tarmac though. Dempster would be cool and have the added coolness of stopping at the Arctic Ocean if you press on to Tuktoyaktuk – which seems to be served by flights.
LATFull MemberIt would be a spectacular ferry ride, too. The last time I was round there I saw whales and a bear swimming. Really beautiful. I was so excited when I saw a bald eagle, then realised they were as numerous as pidgins in Trafalgar Square.
LATFull MemberI’m trying to put you off going to Juneau, but I’m don’t think it would be easier than flying uk, Vancouver, Whitehorse. I’d also recommend checking what provisions you could get in Juneau compared to what is available in Whitehorse.
edit: I’m not trying to put you off
surreybcriderFree MemberHi there,
As someone who lives in Canada has driven the Dempster and this part of northern Canada in the winter and summer, I would urge you to seriously think about bikepacking further south, closer to civilization – especially if traveling solo.
The Dempster is isolated and if you get injured or stuck, you could be waiting for many hours or even up to a day for help. There is no cell phone coverage, except for the Fort MacPherson and Inuvik areas. There are no ambulances and it will cost you thousands of dollars to be evacuated by helicopter.
As someone else mentioned, the first stop for supplies is Eagle Plains – 360km from the beginning of the Dempster and half-way to Inuvik. Even in the summer, temperatures along the Dempster can drop below zero at night. And when it rains, the road turns to mud – you won’t be able to cycle. The Dempster is also notorious for shredding car and motorcycle tires. While there are grizzly bears, the mosquitos are more likely to eat you alive.
By all means travel up there, but do it by vehicle with more than one spare tyre/wheel. It’s 1,200km from Whitehorse to Inuvik. 1,400km if you wish to continue up the new Dempster addition to Tuktoyaktuk on the Arctic Ocean – about the same distance as John o’ Groats to Land’s End.
Look at these routes for bike packing: https://bikepacking.com/locations/western-canada/ and https://forums.mtbr.com/bikepacking-bike-expedition/vancouver-island-bikepacking-route-979909.html. The scenery will be just as spectacular but safer if something goes wrong. You’ll also be able to shop for food, eat at restaurants and enjoy the ride.
robcolliverFree MemberHi, I’ve bits of the Dalton and it frightened me – and I was in a van!. Just done the Y1000 kayak race and I would say put away the saddle, and find a paddle and go see the place by kayak or canoe. White horse is a great town and can help you with boats for sure. Getting them transported back is not a real prob either…..
Bikes are fun but up there the trucks don’t give much quarter and the roads can be hard to ride.
I will go up there again but will be in a kayak for sure.
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