How long does it take to get from Delta Junction to Fairbanks? Google Maps tells me it’s 1.5 hours on the Alaska Highway. But of course, we wouldn’t do that. Instead we opted to head down Richardson Hwy, follow the famous gravel covered Denali Hwy, and then head north from there. It would take a little longer, but would be a lot more fun.
Eager to get off the pavement we turned onto a dirt road, Fort Greely Ridge Road, which runs parallel to the highway on one side, and the Trans-Alaska pipeline on the other. It was a short detour which brought us ever closer to the landscape and came face to face with our first Alaskan moose. 99% of the road was well graded and easy, but the last few hundred feet suddenly disappeared into an overgrown single track, which took some pushing and shoving to conquer.
One of the stops we made along the way was Castner Glacier. It’s known for its ice caves, and part of the trail is actually navigable with a motor vehicle. Once the going got too tough for our bikes, we kept hiking, wondering how soon were we going to see the ice. We were a bit too optimistic and did not even change our MX boots to lightweight trail shoes, so we ran out of steam long before reaching the ice caves. It was a beautiful spot, with the loud roar of the creek, mountains in every direction, and no mosquitos. We took a snack break, cheered on the hikers who were pushing further, and turned back.
The Denali highway was the highlight of the day. I was expecting a mostly gravel road so we lowered our tire pressure before turning onto it, but apparently over 20 miles of it is paved, so we spent a long time wondering when is the gravel going to start. Actually stopped a motorist heading the opposite direction and asked him when is the pavement going to end. Puzzled, all he could produce was “Soon”.
Part of me regrets that we passed Denali highway with minimal supplies. It would have been epic to come loaded with food and fuel, take one of the numerous offshoots and camp for several days in this emerald valley flanked by gorgeous mountain ranges.
Denali highway ends in Cantwell, and we stopped there to eat. Not much was open, but a very welcoming Jamaican spot was. When I asked for some tap water with my meal, the guy at the counter looked at me with terror, said he wouldn’t do this to his customers and handed me a bottle of water. I thought Alaskan water was pristine and clean?
The sky was gloomy and we still had a long way to go to Fairbanks. Passed by Denali NP, but with the weather the way it was, didn’t see the Denali mountain. We’d get another chance on the way south. Arrived in the city close to 10 pm – dog tired, but at least not riding at night.
