Where did you get the info on the june/july time frame--does the weather get wetter the later--was planning aug/sept but have not found a place for weather expectations for that time frame--Inspirational video--Thanks

 

I didn't read it anywhere. We talked to a lot of locals and tour operators while on our trip. We wanted to find the best possible timespan to travel on a motorcycle to and around Alaska. As we all know trying to hit the perfect weather anywhere is near impossible. But increase the odds. We were told that when you get into August they can start to get a lot of fog and rain and of course cooler temps.
After conducting the so called survey June/July were the top months. We then planned the dates for our 2015 trip to leave Alberta on July 03.
I'm sure there are Alaskans on here that could participate in the survey lol

 

Yep, good job on the video. Thank you for sharing and glad to hear you want to come back. I agree June/July is the time to do it as they're the driest months with the longest daylight and "warmest." Even tho they're the "driest" that doesn't always mean much up here. I've known folks who've come up in rain, toured in rain, then gone home in rain, really missing a lot of the scenery and mountain tops as they were hidden by clouds. So yes, good raingear is important. The coldest I've ever been on a bike was in the rain coming thru Chilkat Pass out of Haines! Even colder than riding my studded tire KLR in the winter! lol

Glad you made it to Valdez known as "the Switzerland of AK." The ride between Anchorage and Valdez has long been one of my faves and I'm Alaskan born and raised. Speaking of which, the waterfall someone mentioned is Bridal Veil in Keystone Canyon just outside of Valdez. It freezes up in the winter making for some great ice climbing. A little farther outside of Valdez the other side of Keystone is Thompson Pass where World Extreme everything has been held, snowboarding, skiing, snowmachine hillclimbing, etc. It's also had the most recorded snowfall in a 24hr period of anywhere in North America.

Also glad you came down to Anchorage tho the road between Fairbanks and Anchorage is one of my least faves unless you're going into Denali National Park and taking the bus ride into the back country or going into Talkeetna and doing a fly in trip around Denali. When in Anchorage I HIGHLY recommend going the 125mi farther down to Seward which IMO is as great as Valdez and it's all Designated Scenic Byway. Awesome. And if it's good weather there I guarantee seeing a lot of wildlife on a day long boat tour that takes you up to the face of a tide water glacier.

So many riders only go straight up from Tok to Fbks to go up to the Arctic Cr or Prudhoe Bay to claim the end of the road and totally miss what many of us locals call "the prettiest part of our State." When in Tok remember Fast Eddie's is a great place to eat as you're coming into town and http://www.thompsonseaglesclaw.com/ is a great mc only campground a mile out of Tok towards Anchorage. And remember, our Anchorage Harley shop has free camping with a code access shower room for riders of any brand bike! THE friendliest shop in town! And across the parking lot from them are my good buds http://www.motoquest.com/ who rent all types of bikes and help many a rider in need.

If someone ever feels a need for a rest from the Alcan Hwy I highly recommend taking our ferry system between Haines, AK and Prince Rupert BC for a full 2 day respite and no you don't necessarily HAVE to have reservations for you and your bike. I prefer sleeping up in the Solarium in the fully reclining loungers. The ferries also have free showers. The roads in and out of Haines, Skagway, and Prince Rupert are also 3 of the best around.

A couple hundred riders from around the world meet up in Dawson City Yukon the Thurs/Fri right before Solstice for the annual Dust2Dawson gathering. Fun! The Top of the World Hwy can be quite a challenge tho with 80mi being dirt or mud between Dawson City Yukon and Chicken, AK.

My sig line has a couple dozen ride reports I've done riding AK and the Yukon if you're interested in seeing/hearing more. This includes a thread on riding our ferry system since I go down to Southeast AK most every year to visit relatives and kayak and stand up paddleboard. Fun!

Thanks again for sharing and maybe see you next year. Have fun, Mark H.

Me on the Seward Hwy along Turnagain Arm of Cook Inlet a few miles south of Anchorage.

 

Nice insight into some beautiful areas in Alaska. Good to hear from a local. I can't comment on the Parks Hwy. It rained hard and long that day of travel for us. So we didn't stop at Denali. You couldn't see past the ditches for about 250 miles. But it was our only day of rain on the trip so I'm not complaining too much.
We did include the day trip down to Seward and back. It might not be on the map but it is on the itinerary.
We looked into the ferry system and to include it on our trip but thought if clients are paying for bike rental they wanna ride it rather than ferry it. So we did a loop the best we could and it turned out to be an awesome route. A short ferry ride from Haines to Skagway is our only ferry encounter.
Thanks again for your insight you have an amazing state to ride a motorcycle in and tons of history with the Alcan Hwy. Just to bad your season wasn't longer.
Maybe we can look you up next year when we return!!!!!!!!!!!

 

AKHD definitely hit the nail on the head. Visited with him many times at his (almost everyones) favorite watering spot ...... Girdwood.... Beautiful bike he has plus his original Policia leathers are the bomb....

Weather should be good this summer (keeping fingers crossed)... June and July are the best months to ride around Alaska regardless of where you ride.

C u on the road...