Seward to Fairbanks (a ride through southern and central Alaska)
Date
Distance
Altitude Gain
Place
22.05.'05
066 km
+/- 120m
Different day rides - Ancorage
25.05.'05
107 km
0975 m
Seward - Bertha Creek
26.05.'05
104 km
0385 m
Bertha Creek - Anchorage
27.05.'05
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Ancorage
28.05.'05
111 km
0490 m
Ancorage - Houston
29.05.'05
096 km
0355 m
Houston - Trapper Creek
30.05.'05
116 km
1120 m
Trapper Creek - East Fork
31.05.'05
091 km
0505 m
East Fork - Denali Park
01.06.'05
040 km
Denali Park - Sanctuary River
02.06.'05
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Hiking in Denali Nat. Park
03.06.'05
151 km
0730 m
Sanctuary River - Nenana
04.06.'05
096 km
1045 m
Nenana - Fairbanks
05.06.'05
033 km
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Fairbanks - day ride
My cycle tour started way down in southern Alaska (Seward on the Kenai Peninsula), on a lovely sunny day (not typical for this area). I spent 2 lovely days hiking near Seward. Walking up Mt. Marathon was my first hike and I felt a bit uneasy walking in bear country, so I simply made a lot of noise with my little swiss cowbell, until I got way above the tree line and could view all moving objects. The view from Mt. Marathon was spectacular and I could watch a humpback whale jumping up and down in Ressurection bay, only 200 metres from the campsite in Seward. At the same time I could observe a huge Bald eagle flying in the thermal wind just above my head. At that moment and place I felt so free and even though my journey had not even begun, I was glad to have chosen Seward as a starting point. After another hike along the coast watching the seals play and swim in the sea, I left Seward on my long bike journey on a lovely sunny day.
After cycling through lovely forested areas of the Kenai peninsula with it's spectacular rugged and glaciated scenery, I was very satisfied after the first day and I pitched my tent out in bear country. My first test to see if I would survive the night!! Hanging the food up on a high branch of a sturdy tree needed a bit of practice. (I can do it in 1 go now!). The hanging up of food and other items with odours needs to be done to keep the bears away from my sleeping body! Ok, I will be honest, I hardly slept the first night and the rattling of all the leaves sent a shiver down my spine... 'is it a bear?' (I thought that all night), I was relieved to get up in the morning ALIVE! (No really, the bear situation is not that bad, you get used to it). I rode on to Anchorage the next day in pouring rain. I left Anchorage early one morning, cycled along a cycle track leading parallel to the highway between the moose fence and the road. Suddenly 4 huge moose were standing on the track with their hair rising (which is a threatening sign of a charge!). Shit! What must I do....I very quickly rode into the roadside ditch and made sure to get well away from these deadly animals (charges are known to kill people). 2 days cycling brought me to Trapper Creek near Talkeetna. After that I had another 2 days (210km) to get to the entrance of the Denali National Park.
The stretch up to the park was just awesome, nothing can describe it! The road constantly had less and less traffic as I rode further into the country. Denali (over 6000m, better known as Mt. McKinley)was always there to be viewed either in front of me like a huge barrier or off on the left side of the road. It was just breathtaking! On a rainy day I arrived at the Denali National Park. I was freezing cold and I could not refuse a very kind dinner invitation from Michael and Ana (teachers), also staying at the campground with some students (school of environmental studies, Minnesota). I could only contribute with my last 2 slabs of swiss chocolate. it was great not having to cook.
The next day I rode into the park after listening to a rangers lectures regarding safety on a bicycle when cycling in the park. Apparently the grizzly bears are very curious when a cyclist comes along with these funny legs - is it something to eat? Anyway off I went, around every bend I thought of a bear lurking behind some bushes to get me but nothing happened, probably because of my bear-bell (swiss cowbell) which was making a hell of a noise while cycling down the bumpy dirt road. I pitched my tent in a lovely campground (only 7 tentsites) and got to meet Annette and Zadig from Berlin, Germany. They plan to cycle down to Panama. very friendly couple which I hope to meet sometime again along the way.
Another solo camper, Chris joined me the following day to walk up Mt. Wright inside the huge park. What a hike it was!!We first had to make our way through thick dense forest and scrub bushes in the Taiga zone before getting up into the Tundra area where we spotted wild Dall sheep and very cute Arctic ground squirrels. Back down in the Taiga vegetation we spotted 3 caribous and got within 150 metres from them before leaving them (after taking a photo). As we walked back into our camp that evening a Moose cow with 2 calves walked through the river only 50 metres from my tent. The park is a MUST to see, just awesome!
After 2 and a half days in the park, I cycled on to Fairbanks, mostly in pouring rain. The last stretch being rather 'hilly'. I usually do not mind the hills too much but to cycle up and down for 5 hours in pouring rain is something else. Every now and again a huge 40 ton truck would pass me, splashing the water from the potholes caused by the permafrost, straight into my face. Not too great!
My cycle tour started way down in southern Alaska (Seward on the Kenai Peninsula), on a lovely sunny day (not typical for this area). I spent 2 lovely days hiking near Seward. Walking up Mt. Marathon was my first hike and I felt a bit uneasy walking in bear country, so I simply made a lot of noise with my little swiss cowbell, until I got way above the tree line and could view all moving objects. The view from Mt. Marathon was spectacular and I could watch a humpback whale jumping up and down in Ressurection bay, only 200 metres from the campsite in Seward. At the same time I could observe a huge Bald eagle flying in the thermal wind just above my head. At that moment and place I felt so free and even though my journey had not even begun, I was glad to have chosen Seward as a starting point. After another hike along the coast watching the seals play and swim in the sea, I left Seward on my long bike journey on a lovely sunny day.
After cycling through lovely forested areas of the Kenai peninsula with it's spectacular rugged and glaciated scenery, I was very satisfied after the first day and I pitched my tent out in bear country. My first test to see if I would survive the night!! Hanging the food up on a high branch of a sturdy tree needed a bit of practice. (I can do it in 1 go now!). The hanging up of food and other items with odours needs to be done to keep the bears away from my sleeping body! Ok, I will be honest, I hardly slept the first night and the rattling of all the leaves sent a shiver down my spine... 'is it a bear?' (I thought that all night), I was relieved to get up in the morning ALIVE! (No really, the bear situation is not that bad, you get used to it). I rode on to Anchorage the next day in pouring rain. I left Anchorage early one morning, cycled along a cycle track leading parallel to the highway between the moose fence and the road. Suddenly 4 huge moose were standing on the track with their hair rising (which is a threatening sign of a charge!). Shit! What must I do....I very quickly rode into the roadside ditch and made sure to get well away from these deadly animals (charges are known to kill people). 2 days cycling brought me to Trapper Creek near Talkeetna. After that I had another 2 days (210km) to get to the entrance of the Denali National Park. 
The stretch up to the park was just awesome, nothing can describe it! The road constantly had less and less traffic as I rode further into the country. Denali (over 6000m, better known as Mt. McKinley)was always there to be viewed either in front of me like a huge barrier or off on the left side of the road. It was just breathtaking! On a rainy day I arrived at the Denali National Park. I was freezing cold and I could not refuse a very kind dinner invitation from Michael and Ana (teachers), also staying at the campground with some students (school of environmental studies, Minnesota). I could only contribute with my last 2 slabs of swiss chocolate. it was great not having to cook.
The next day I rode into the park after listening to a rangers lectures regarding safety on a bicycle when cycling in the park. Apparently the grizzly bears are very curious when a cyclist comes along with these funny legs - is it something to eat? Anyway off I went, around every bend I thought of a bear lurking behind some bushes to get me but nothing happened, probably because of my bear-bell (swiss cowbell) which was making a hell of a noise while cycling down the bumpy dirt road. I pitched my tent in a lovely campground (only 7 tentsites) and got to meet Annette and Zadig from Berlin, Germany. They plan to cycle down to Panama. very friendly couple which I hope to meet sometime again along the way.
Another solo camper, Chris joined me the following day to walk up Mt. Wright inside the huge park. What a hike it was!!We first had to make our way through thick dense forest and scrub bushes in the Taiga zone before getting up into the Tundra area where we spotted wild Dall sheep and very cute Arctic ground squirrels. Back down in the Taiga vegetation we spotted 3 caribous and got within 150 metres from them before leaving them (after taking a photo). As we walked back into our camp that evening a Moose cow with 2 calves walked through the river only 50 metres from my tent. The park is a MUST to see, just awesome!