This is the ALCAN Highway Expedition by Alaskan Bicycle Adventures, now known as Alaskabike.
This is the route map and it's about 700 miles from Juneau to Anchorage. I pedaled probably less than 500 miles for various reasons. First, it wouldn't be a real vacation unless I got a cold, so the third morning, I rode in the van as I recovered. Some parts of the road were a little rough in the second half of the trip, so we all hopped in the van as we drove through the construction zones.
JuneauMembers of our group hadn't met yet, and we didn't have our bikes, so I walked through the entire town. I had dinner at a Mexican restaurant which felt comforting.Goldbelt Mount Roberts Tramway goes practically straight up.Ferry ride out of Juneau on the Inside Passage. We still had no idea what each other's names were at this point.Glaciers along Lynn CanalI had a whale of a good time. (sorry)Whale in Lynn CanalThe bald eagle, along the Inside Passage outside of JuneauLighthouse right in the middle of the Inside PassageCruise ship docked in Haines. There are probably more people on that ship than the total population of Haines.Day 1, and the support van broke down. Fortunately, these guys are based in Anchorage, so they were able to get a replacement van the next day! We were able to ride several hours later when a Canadian named Bill hitched the trailer to his truck. Bill had a real Canadian accent, eh?Horses inside and outside the fence. These are Canadian horses, eh?Views of CanadaRock glacierBill, the Canadian, tried to convince me that this never contained ice, but it did! This once contained a layer of ice. It doesn't now, and all that remains now is a lifeless pile of rocks.Kluane Wilderness Inn in the YukonWe stayed in these hotels.Glacier siltThe Alaskan Bicycle Adventures support - Ivan & BrianThis is the replacement van, by the way.Vince, Michi, Dave, Bill, Robert (me), Brenda, Mary, Bill, Phil, Kurt, Rob, Doug, SharonMountains and rivers. So maybe driving would have been a little easier than cycling. Oh well, next time I know."Hmm...Interesting" - Brian, while Brenda wonders if her bike will ever shift correctly again.The Alyeska PipelineOuch!Could this be more perfect?TOO MUCH ESPRESSO!Those knobby things on the wood are called burls.It's starting to get a little cold nowSo, the secret is out. The glaciers are manmade. Worthington Glacier happens to be under construction.I could look at this for hours.It's all downhill from here!Bridal FallsHorsetail FallsSalmon spawning near ValdezDuck crossing, just downstream from the salmon.Fishing boat returning to Valdez harborAt this time, Tamar Gollan was in the Center for Research in Language, where I worked. This is for Tamar!The white things are actually sealsIcebergIt looks like this might be from Los Angeles, but it just has ground-in rock.Blue glacier iceYou really have to see it in person. Web photos just don't reveal the incredible shade of blue.Columbia GlacierThis glacier is receding at a rapid rate. In addition to human-induced climate change, we are also still leaving the last ice age.Sea lionsUh, Brian, your arm is on my shoulder.Salmon derby.Wait - I got one - oh, no, it's just the guy five feet away from me.Kurt taking a photo of the dall sheepMooseWe're kind of cheating here, though. This one was fenced in.This is Anchorage, and the end of the adventure.
