Stewart- Cassiar Highway...

[tkent02]

Anyone been there?

[cowboyup3371]

Where is it?

[tkent02]

Runs North from Prince Rupert BC to join the Alaska Highway up in the Yukon.

[bccap]

Here's some info on it. I'm going to ask around and see if any of my friends have done it.

http://www.hellobc.com/driving-routes/29/stewart-cassiar-highway.aspx?FLID=584

[Sandy]

Yup, I was camping at Meziadin Junction when 9/11 happened and was in Hyder Alaska the next day. It was very surreal being in what is one of the most beautiful and quite sparsely populated areas of North America when the towers came down. At that time there wasn't even a border stop going from BC to Hyder Alaska, bet it's different now. We put the canoe in the lake on a rainy evening and got to watch a big grizzly fishing at the shore line. Pretty special country. You going there?

http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/bcparks/explore/parkpgs/meziadin_lk/

[tkent02]

Yes, riding up there in late July and August.

[bccap]

If you don't call anybody for a beer, on your way through, you're off my Christmas card list !! If on the other hand you don't drink beer, I can give you a list of gas stations on your way.

[Sandy]

When I was up there the pavement conditions were very good with not much broken pavement, there was the usual frost heaves but unless you're going a bazillion miles per hour shouldn't be a problem. That was 11 years ago though. The later you can go the less bugs you'll find but the nights will be colder. If you're camping make sure you take some warm gear, nights can get pretty chilly just about any time of year up there. Figured out a route yet? Also you can book the ferry out of Prince Rupert back to Vancouver Island or you can book the Alaska Ferry north. Google Alaska Marine Highway.

[tkent02]

If on the other hand you don't drink beer, I can give you a list of gas stations on your way.

I don't drink beer?????

That's not going to happen.

[Steel Toed Tank]

That sounds like it would be an incredible trip!
I'm doing the Alberta Icefields Parkway in late July, going to be my first real multi-day ride. Maybe the Dempster or the Dalton (or both) next year, seeing as I really don't live that far away from em.

I just KNOW you're going to get us some pichers!!

Tank

[tkent02]

There will be pichers.

[ryder60]

Yes, I did these highways last year.

Last week I was up to Prince Rupert in the Rav4 and did the road into the lava beds north of Terrace and west of the Cassiar. About 2 hours with around 25 miles of gravel at the east end.

If you do some off the pavement can I suggest the road into Telegraph Creek and back. It's an awesome jaunt. I also enjoyed Atlin, BC.; south off the Alcan. It's a one way in and one way out trip as well. All three, Stewart, Telegraph Creek and Atlin are in/out roads. The one to Stewart is pavemant. Telegraph Creek is gravel and Atlin is some pavement and some gravel. They were working on it last August.

I think you can count on some stretches of construction on the Cassiar but unless it's awfully wet you won't have any trouble on any of the trip. Think about the Dempster Hwy.

[bccap]

Hey Ryder. I used to tow a barge into Anyox. Any roads in there ?

[ryder60]

Hey Ryder. I used to tow a barge into Anyox. Any roads in there ?

I don't know where it is and it's not on the map I have by me. Going north from Terrace you go to New Aiyansh. East gets you to Cranberry Junction on the Cassiar. I see by the map you can branch off that road north to Alice Arm on Portland Inlet. There seems to be a mine, by signage, somewhere up that road.

If you go west from New Aiyansh you go to Greenville or carry on by a south road to the coast on Nass Bay. Both places are N'isga settlements, I think. It seems to me that if you got a Backroads BC map book for the area you'd find FSR roads all over.

I don't suppose this has helped you, sorry.

[tkent02]

Dirt and gravel roads in BC, are they mostly OK on street tires? Mostly rock or mostly mud? Need something a little more aggressive than a smoothy? Do the roads tend to be smooth or rocky and rough? The bike is very capable off road but going two up anything too rough will suck. I will need tires by the time I leave Seattle, should I go with Dual Sport type tires? Tyres?
Or does it depend completely on the weather?
Another question, can you just hop on the ferry from Prince Rupert to somewhere farther South, or do you need reservations far in advance? BC Ferries website is a bit useless. Might get stuck up having too much fun in Alaska or the Yukon someplace and need to travel faster on the way back...