D2D 2017 - an epic motorcycle adventure

I think there's very little risk of issues while you're "technically" in the US as you pass through Hyder to get to the Salmon Glacier, which is in BC. MAP. You'd only be in the US briefly, and there is no border crossing into Hyder and no US authorities to deal with. The 90 or so Hyder residents get their utilities, phone service, groceries, etc. from Stewart, so Hyder seems like it is really part of BC. You do have to go through a border crossing as you re-enter into BC from Hyder. I'd stay in Stewart, which is a cool little town, and the King Edward hotel is a good option.

Sounds like your trip is coming together! Speaking of open-ended rides, our planned ride to Alaska in 2018 is going to be sort of like that except we have limited time for the trip. We have a few destinations that we'll hit for sure, including Dawson City, the Kennecott mine, the Alaska highway in one direction and the Cassiar in the other, probably 37A into Stewart and Salmon Glacier again, TOTWH, and the Denali highway. Everything else is optional and we'll take it one day at a time. Even though we live in SoCal we're going to leave and arrive back in Seattle, which will allow us to go up and back in about 20 days.

I look forward to following your trip!

IF, you haven't ridden the Dempster, you really should find a way to squeeze it in....imho. It is the last major adventure road left in North America imho especially now they have completed it to get our fat arse's to the Arctic shoreline! That in it's own right is something to be proud of imho. A bucket list stroke off.
But, time is always the master of these rides isn't it.....hope you can find a way.

Well, that settles it then - besides, it is supposed to be an adventure, right?

The Dempster, the Top of The World, and the Salmon Glacier are definitely on the itinerary.
Oh ya - which one of you do I contact for bail money again?

You won't need any money,lol. Good to hear the top three things are chosen.

only Willys needed bail money

No bail money but have paid a heafty fine.....ouch!

Know of the Run-A-Muck Campground in Hyder? I am tenting. Heard they have lots of bears. Hope they don't like tough old retired man meat!


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Sorry. I don't know much about the Sealaska Inn and Camp Run-a-Muck. The campsite is pretty convenient though if you want to sty on the Hyder side and easy access to the Salmon Glacier and the Fish Creek bear viewing area.

We stayed at the King Edward Hotel in Stewart, but we did find a great campground down the road called the Bear River RV Resort. It looked like a great place to camp, and there was a black bear running around in there when we were there!

The tent area is the backyard of Sealaska inn, Personally Hyder would be the last place I'd tent camp on a trip like this.
Theres a shitload of bears in that town walking up and down the streets all hours day and night, and the town dump is not too far away.

The only place i personally might camp would be where you see the Salmon Glacier....doubt you can but it far away from them bears!

One of the Hyder/Stewart locals camps out at the top in summer, He sells DVD's of the glacier to tourists.

Yes i saw that, so i wonder IF you could set up late at night and then disappear in the morning???

Sometimes I get the feeling I am a tin horn heading to the Yukon via Skagway over the Chilkoot Trail. Retired school teachers are cheap. They have to stretch a dollar to make a trip like this work. Maximize cheap camping and minimize the expense of hotel. Looking for what to carry and where to stay within my ton of goods. Oh, where to stay in early June in Hyder / Stewart. I would sleep in a doorway out of the rain and away from predators to make this trip. Save my money to see the bears and learn to pan for gold.

When we drove out in our flat fender jeeps way back, we did the whole panning for gold thing...was interesting for sure. We took our shovels for simply getting unstuck but bought a cheap pan to pan with, we found a shallow river with plenty of slow sections, dug behind a large boulder down about 2 feet and panned that....took about 30 minutes and found 6 tiny specs of gold! It was thrilling to say the least.....to find that small amount. This was way before the GoldRush show on TV so in 2010 we rode out, got to Dawson and was having fish and chips at a resturant and i heard Jacks distinctive voice somewhere in the place, I turned around and he was sitting back to back to me! I introduced myself etc etc and he invited us to see the mine, we got a personal tour of it and he was very friendly for someone who was a budding TV star! So you can see the show's people in and around Dawson City even today as they are still within close distances to dawson city. IF this interests you that is.
I travel the same way as you, on the cheap so i can put more into the tank....mostly rough camp it and every now and then either lake or shower at a cheap campsite to stay clean. The trip can be done very cheaply if you try and keep to it, but the ease of a buger here and there soon eats into your savings...lol

I'm retired and hope to be on the road about 90 days. I leave Florida on May 17 for my son's place in San Diego. My wife flys home. I park my car and m/c trailer at Fairchild AFB on June 4. Meander through AB, BC and YT for 10 days and arrive at D2D on 14th. I arrive at Tok on 17th and wonder around the circle route with side trips for as long as I can. Then down the ALCAN and over to Spokane. Load up the DL650 and head home to Florida. I don't want to pan for GOLD. I just want to be shown HOW and experience. A gold flake would be a bonus. I want to see the sled dogs and so on.


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My wife and daughter flew to Alaska and di the tourist stuff, both not into long days like we are, must be a woman thing...lol. You don't see too many women riding like we do...maybe they have more sense than us? Any way, they did the Denaly Park, saw the sled dog place and all the new pups, got to hold a few, we almost got two new members to the family....not quite they are worth thousands so they said! Not sure if they panned or not, don't remember. But in Dawson City there used to be an old timer with a cubical sized shop who had a trough he used to show tourists how to pan and put small gems in the dirt etc for you to find. I didn't pay the price but many did. You can have a go almost anywhere to try your luck but the prospector are very territorial to say the least! On the Top of the World Highway I saw a dirt track running off it so i followed it and after a mile or so it dropped deep down a valley. It was all i could do to keep the bke upright and when i got to the bottom the guy nearly shot me or would have doe if i was any type of threat to him I'm sure! So, he must have found something he ddn't want ayone to know about! He wasn't the friendliest of people...lol. The tailings from the old dredgespeople say you could find a flake or two if you wanted to repan them.....some do...again at your own risk i'm sure! IF you cross the Yukon River at the ferry in Dawson then walk along the riverbank to the right after leaving the ferry you will find 4 wrecked paddle wheelers beached in the woods. An interesting thing to scour over. Plus the beach area may be something to concider paning to hone your panning skills....There was an old timer who crossed the river in a canoe who's appearance looked like he hadn't seen a bar of soap for years...he was well known so they said to bring over enough gold to pay his way each time. You will see the gold buyers in their sea frieght container offices if you look for them. Dawson City is an interesting place after you get past the D2D

IF you are tenting , I strongly suggest you buy true-flare bear bangers....they work extremely well, from personal experience!
https://www.mec.ca/en/product/4007-146/Pen-Launcher-Kit
You want to buy the extra banger as well, they come in a 6 pack. I don't know if you can get them below the border but research where along your route that will carry them......seriously worth their wieght in gold!

Well, since this thread is to take on some life, lets talk about set-up/gear/tires.
I will be riding Big Ethel, my 2014 V-Strom 1000, and I was planning on putting a set of Motoz Adventure tires on her for the trip, but I have no experience with that tire yet, so I may just stick with the tried and true Mitas E07 Dakar's. They are a great adv tire and perform exceptionally well on asphalt and gravel, though they lack a little something when it comes to mud and sand.
This is what she looks like when loaded for traveling:

Now that's what I am talking about. I want to see the halibut fleet in Homer. Eagles as thick as pidgeons. Take the day Glacier Cruise. Visit the Native Culture places. And so on and so forth. I want to see it ALL.