Planning

Ah yes, a plan! Good idea!

The planning has been going on for a while. A rough map was drawn based on previous experiences and rides (see objective #1). The baseline for this ride will be my favorite roads of past excursions, strung together with several roads that looked like promising candidates.

Previous Favorites

• Chief Joseph Highway. Also known as Rte. 296 starting at Rte 120 northwest of Cody Wyoming to its intersection with Rte 212 (Beartooth Highway). I have ridden this road once before and taken several pictures with my simple point-and-shoot camera. The beauty of the red iron-rich rock layers framed by lush green pasture is visually breathtaking. Add the historical fact that this traces the approximate route taken by Chief Joseph and 600 of his people in their heroic dash for freedom, pursued by thousands of US cavalry. The history and the scenic beauty is guaranteed to raise at least a few goosebumps. I need to go back for more.
• Beartooth Pass. Rte 212 runs from Red Lodge Montana to the Northeast Gate of Yellowstone NP through this 11,000 ft plus pass. I've been there when is was snowing heavily in August. On one other trip, I was treated to perfectly clear blue skies and warm weather. A couple of other times, This road was included in my plans. This road is listed as a favorite of many riders and writers. So far, it is still my absolute favorite, and will be a challenge to top on this trip.
• Going to the Sun Highway. This road is a bit of a challenge for its twisty and steep roads running through Glacier NP. The challenge isn't so much the ability of this rider (at least I won't admit it) as it is to stay focused on the road while enjoying the scenery. Fortunately, many scenic turnouts will allow safe enjoyment of the road and the scenery.

Raising the Bar. These roads and landmarks were chosen as candidates to surpass the previous favorites. They are included based on multiple reports in various registers. Let's see how well they pan out.

• Rocky Mountain NP. US Rte 34 runs from Estes Park, CO to Granby, CO through the Rocky Mountain NP. This is listed in many scenic byway registers as must see roads. I reserved a tent site at Apenglen campground near the eastern entrance to this park.
• Banff NP and Jasper NP. Let's see what Alberta Canada has to offer to this challenge. Rte 93 runs through both of these parks and is listed in several registers as must see roads.
• Rte 40 from Hinton, AB to Grande Prairie, BC. I forget in which report I read it, but this road is highly recommended by many writers. It seems as good an option as any to get to Dawson Creek, BC and the beginning of the Alaska Highway (mostly Rte 97).
• Alaska Highway. Although there are a few alternate versions, the historically correct corridor from the lower 48 to Alaska follows mostly Rte 97. History, nostalgia, and the availability of paved roads and services appeals to this old man riding a heavyweight cruiser with a 4.5 gallon (17 litre) tank.
• Cassiar-Stewart Highway. This is an alternate to the Rte 97 "Alaska Highway". The scenery is reputably beautiful, but gravel roads, potholes and sparse services are the rule of the day here. I may play this card as an alternate return route. Odds are however, that I'll leave this road to much younger folks riding dual purpose or enduro machines. "A man's got to know his limitations" - Harry Callahan
• Dalton Highway. This road, also known as the "haul road", was built for supply trucks during the construction of the Alaska Pipeline. It is pure gravel and calcium chloride layer over the permafrost. The road is as slippery as whale snot when it rains. It is dominated and ruled by large trucks (after all it was built for them) that throw a steady barrage of gravel chips, mud, salt spray, and occasional gestures. It runs from Fairbanks, past the Arctic Circle, through the Brooks Range, the tundra of the north slope, and to Prudhoe Bay 500 miles (805 km) later.
  
  Since Objective #3 of this trip is to avoid motels and such, camping will be in bear country on ground under which permafrost is mere inches away. The roads are often slippery, frequently steep, populated by uncountable four legged critters, billions of insects, and only one service facility on the whole highway (Coldfoot). So... why are we doing this?... Oh... right, to "raise the bar". I hope it's worth it!

Now all we need to do is to string these old and potentially new favorites together into some sort of logical string of pearls. OK, time to fire up the mapping and GPS software. I'll post it for comments and questions when it is done.

Dave