A bucket list ride to Alaska

The ferry docked in Haines around 2pm, I was going to camp in a state park there but it was supposed to rain the next day and I wanted to ride the Haines highway in clear weather. My decision to ride was cemented when I overheard a other people mentioning that their children were going to camp but after setting up a tent decided to sleep sitting up in the cab of their truck due to a large number of grizzly bears roaming the campground area.

My pictures don't capture the stunning beauty of the sceney around Haines highway so don't judge it by the pictures

The ride to Salmon Glacier was a highlight for sure.

I saw a sign for the bus but didn't eat there, is it something special?

Despite the fact that I eat too much of it, I am not a "foody" or whatever they are called. I mostly ate instant oatmeal and costco protein bars and fruit/nuts/milk that I would buy from grocery stores or at gas stops. I was thinking of the "world famous alaska king crab dinner" at the King George hotel in Stewart but I haven't had king crab in decades and don't recall if I like it or not. I pictured myself taking a bite then asking the waitress if they made grilled cheese sandwitches or something.

I stayed at a hotel in Haines Junction
only took a couple pictures from Haines Jxn to Watson Lake





Watson Lake




Nothing that anyone would notice but there is a for sale sign that shows through my left pannier a little. I brought it because until I started riding I wasn't sure if I would ride north to Denali and check out the Kenai pen. or ride south. If I rode north I was going to leave my TW behind, either selling it or giving it to Goodwill in Anchorage then flying home or taking the ferry as a passenger. The cost of taking the TW back to Bellingham on a ferry from Homer or Whittier would have exceded the value of the bike by a lot, it would have been cheaper to just give it away. Weather forcast for rain north helped me to decide to ride south.

Even tho I live in Alaska I enjoy reading everyone's "bucket list" trips to Alaska. Looks like you had a dry spell going thru SE Alaska. Great pictures!

Fred.....The Bus in Hyder is an ADVRider "must" do....and has been made world famous by riders from all around the planet eating there.
You were very wise to NOT eat the king crab dinner at the King George hotel/diner......as their food was not that great. In comparison, I had a Halibut dinner one night at the King George diner, and it was...just barely okay. The very next day a couple of us had the Halibut dinner at The Bus, and it was the very best Halibut I have ever eaten...and I have had some that were fresh out of the water in Homer, AK. The owner of The Bus in Hyder, her husband goes out fishing every day, and what you eat from there is the daily fresh catch. They actually serve you MORE fresh Halibut than one person can eat in one setting....seriously.

Epic is in the eye of the beholder. Maybe this wasn't epic compared to a Colebatch or Metaljockey ride report but I think most of us mere mortals would consider this an Epic trip. I especially like to read about people touring on tiny bikes. That makes the trip even more epic.

Great report. Glad you were able to check off one of your bucket list trips. Thanks for posting!

Excellent and refreshing Ride Report. The Ferry voyage would be great. Thanks for sharing.

I enjoyed my overnight camping stop in your Juneau and checking out the glacier

I'll have to remember that next time, I'm pretty sure I will get my wife to go up there next year (not on a motorcycle). I do like Halibut and it is about the only fish/seafood my wife likes.

From Watson Lake on to 37 towards Stewart/Hyder

I stayed at this cabin in a mostly RV resort, very nice and clean. There was an excellent provincial campground several miles farther down the road that I would have camped at if I had known it was there but I wasn't disappointed staying at the cabin.



Most areas were nice and green with a lot of wildflowers.

I'm pretty sure this is shortly after continuing on 37A towards Stewart/Hyder

Farther down 37A, I think this might be Bear Glacier but I'm not sure




I stayed at the King George motel, across the street from the hotel. There was a tour bus arriving and I got one of the last two rooms left, stayed a couple nights.

First night in Stewart I rode over to Hyder to see the bear viewing platform. I got there about 6pm and people were leaving disappointed that they hadn't seen a bear. A small black bear wandered around then around 8pm a grizzly sow showed up. I was told that the bears are pretty well fed now and not as active feeding on the salmon. There are more salmon in the rivers around here than I saw in that river. I hadn't charged my camera battery and it went dead when the grizzly showed up so no flash and only a couple picures. something I didn't get was an eagle that was in the river feeding close by the bear, both would have been in a picture at the same time if my camera battery hadn't died.

When I read that I felt like it was directed squarely at me. Now you have me thinking about how/when I can get up there to finish that halibut!

There was a largish black bear in the area but it stayed out of the river while the grizzly was there.

Riding back to Stewart I was stopped on the road for a couple minutes by a full size black bear that checked me out as it slowly ambled across the road then fed on some vegetation at the side of the road as I went past. No pictures as camera battery was dead. I was glad to have bear spray in my jacket as the TW would never be able to outrun a bear from a standstill.

Next day I rode up to Salmon Glacier, an easy gravel road for about 18 miles to the end viewing area.

It was cool to cold and cloudy but the clouds cleared enough for good views in most areas









I thought the glacier was spectacular

a picture of Hyder on the way out.

Fred, when you stayed in Stewart, at the King Edward motel....were you in Room # 305 ? The one right in front of your bike ???
Funny, because when I was there on July 19th & 20th, that is the room I was in.

And, when you went through the border crossing from Hyder, back into Canada, did the lady border agent ask you...."did you get Hyderized ?"

She asked us that, as she could see our bikes parked down at the bar where you get Hyderized, so we couldn't deny it. She laughed, and told us to get to our motel rooms in Stewart.