BR46 Posted November 23, 2021 Share #1 Posted November 23, 2021 Wo46 and I were talking about flying to Alaska to see the northern lights also we have never been to Alaska. Is there a time of year that your chances are the best that you can see the lights. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
petitepedal ★ Posted November 23, 2021 Share #2 Posted November 23, 2021 Well...they were spectacular a couple weeks ago..in northern mn..colder temps ...October November can be great..sun flares help..and what we noticed growing up..often it was windy not that it had effect on the atmosphere 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bikeman564™ Posted November 23, 2021 Share #3 Posted November 23, 2021 ask @smudge, I hear the U.P. has good viewing. More so over Lake Superior I reckon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BR46 Posted November 23, 2021 Author Share #4 Posted November 23, 2021 8 minutes ago, bikeman564™ said: ask @smudge, I hear the U.P. has good viewing. More so over Lake Superior I reckon. I've seen them from the up. I had family in the up ....my mom is a yooper. Wo46 and I never been to Alaska 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BR46 Posted November 23, 2021 Author Share #5 Posted November 23, 2021 One way we thought about doing a Alaska trip is to trailer our motorcycle to Seattle and leave our motorhome there. Then take the motorcycle on the car ferry to Alaska. Ride around for a few weeks and then head back 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Longjohn ★ Posted November 23, 2021 Share #6 Posted November 23, 2021 29 minutes ago, BR46 said: One way we thought about doing a Alaska trip is to trailer our motorcycle to Seattle and leave our motorhome there. Then take the motorcycle on the car ferry to Alaska. Ride around for a few weeks and then head back Just ride your motorcycle all the way to Alaska. You like adventure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BR46 Posted November 23, 2021 Author Share #7 Posted November 23, 2021 5 minutes ago, Longjohn said: Just ride your motorcycle all the way to Alaska. You like adventure. Only if you join us It's 4,300 miles one way. Do you want to join us on a 3 week 10,000 motorcycle ride? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
petitepedal ★ Posted November 23, 2021 Share #8 Posted November 23, 2021 3 minutes ago, BR46 said: Only if you join us It's 4,300 miles one way. Do you want to join us on a 3 week 10,000 motorcycle ride? My butt hurts just thinking about it. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Longjohn ★ Posted November 23, 2021 Share #9 Posted November 23, 2021 3 minutes ago, BR46 said: Only if you join us It's 4,300 miles one way. Do you want to join us on a 3 week 10,000 motorcycle ride? I did it in a car starting from Kentucky in the winter when it was -60 in Alaska. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Longjohn ★ Posted November 23, 2021 Share #10 Posted November 23, 2021 Just now, petitepedal said: My butt hurts just thinking about it. Motorcycle seats are not like bicycle seats. They are more like sitting on a cloud. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BR46 Posted November 23, 2021 Author Share #11 Posted November 23, 2021 2 minutes ago, Longjohn said: Motorcycle seats are not like bicycle seats. They are more like sitting on a cloud. You think you can do 500 miles a day for 3 weeks on a 45 year old Harley? I can't I've done many 500 mile days on that bike but I don't think I could do it for that many days in a row. One of the things that would probably do me in is eating every meal in restaurants. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Razors Edge ★ Posted November 23, 2021 Share #12 Posted November 23, 2021 58 minutes ago, BR46 said: One way we thought about doing a Alaska trip is to trailer our motorcycle to Seattle and leave our motorhome there. Then take the motorcycle on the car ferry to Alaska. Ride around for a few weeks and then head back Treat the Northern Lights as a possible bonus, not as part of the plan. Alaska is worthwhile on its own and trying to time the Northern Lights would be hard at best. I'd probably enjoy a 3+ week roadtrip, but I think I would opt for a car/SUV instead, and ditch the motorcycle. RVs are popular, but I can't imagine the cost in fuel plus the wear and tear on it. A car/SUV though, would let you put in those longer miles in comfort, get in and out of sight seeing spots, and still be reasonably economical. You might also consider flying into Anchorage and just doing a big loop or out and backs from there. How much farther north would you really want to go beyond Denali or even Fairbanks? 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jsharr ★ Posted November 23, 2021 Share #13 Posted November 23, 2021 2 hours ago, BR46 said: Wo46 and I were talking about flying to Alaska to see the northern lights also we have never been to Alaska. Is there a time of year that your chances are the best that you can see the lights. Do they even make a plane with a sidecar? 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BR46 Posted November 23, 2021 Author Share #14 Posted November 23, 2021 6 minutes ago, jsharr said: Do they even make a plane with a sidecar? It would probably be hard to keep Wo46 inside. Every time the plane would start to turn she would hang out. 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BR46 Posted November 23, 2021 Author Share #15 Posted November 23, 2021 11 minutes ago, Razors Edge said: ditch the motorcycle These words you speak I don't understand. 12 minutes ago, Razors Edge said: RVs are popular, but I can't imagine the cost in fuel plus the wear and tear on it We already put on thousands of miles pulling the race trailer all over the US. Some trips driving through the Smokies. Sometimes driving 20 hours non stop (only for gas and switch drivers) The thought was to drive the motorhome to Seattle and visit a fellow sidecar racing buddy. Leave the motorhome in Seattle and take the motorcycle on the car ferry to Alaska. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Zephyr Posted November 23, 2021 Popular Post Share #16 Posted November 23, 2021 If you are taking your bike, I assume you are going in summer. You will likely not see the Northern Lights on that trip because remember you will be looking at 18-20 hours of daylight then. If you and you bike are okay of gravel road you should consider the North West Territories. In the west side of it (east of Alaska) there is a new dirt highway up to Tuktoyaktuk. You could then say you crossed the Arcric Circle on your motorbike and literally ride to the coast of the Arctic Ocean 3 1 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BR46 Posted November 23, 2021 Author Share #17 Posted November 23, 2021 45 minutes ago, Zephyr said: If you are taking your bike, I assume you are going in summer. You will likely not see the Northern Lights on that trip because remember you will be looking at 18-20 hours of daylight then. If you and you bike are okay of gravel road you should consider the North West Territories. In the west side of it (east of Alaska) there is a new dirt highway up to Tuktoyaktuk. You could then say you crossed the Arcric Circle on your motorbike and literally ride to the coast of the Arctic Ocean We would probably go in May. I looked at the temperatures around that time and there's days that get up in the 50s. We've done many trips that we were lucky if the temperatures hit 60. We will dress warm. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gump Posted November 23, 2021 Share #18 Posted November 23, 2021 3 hours ago, BR46 said: Wo46 and I were talking about flying to Alaska to see the northern lights also we have never been to Alaska. Is there a time of year that your chances are the best that you can see the lights. Night time😁 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
12string Posted November 23, 2021 Share #19 Posted November 23, 2021 1 hour ago, Zephyr said: If you are taking your bike, I assume you are going in summer. You will likely not see the Northern Lights on that trip because remember you will be looking at 18-20 hours of daylight then. If you and you bike are okay of gravel road you should consider the North West Territories. In the west side of it (east of Alaska) there is a new dirt highway up to Tuktoyaktuk. You could then say you crossed the Arcric Circle on your motorbike and literally ride to the coast of the Arctic Ocean That sounds like an awesome trip! The sun has been quite active lately, supposedly it's in an active cycle that could last a while, so your chances are better. I've seen both curtain and dome lights as far south as Vermont, but that's rather rare. There were actually some dim lights visible in my neighborhood about a week ago, but i missed it. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Razors Edge ★ Posted November 23, 2021 Share #20 Posted November 23, 2021 1 hour ago, BR46 said: The thought was to drive the motorhome to Seattle and visit a fellow sidecar racing buddy. Leave the motorhome in Seattle and take the motorcycle on the car ferry to Alaska. I like this but it sure seems longer than a 3 week trip. Just the motorhome to Seattle and the ferry is over a week, correct? If you get off and on the ferry, ie not even to the "meat" of Alaska, that adds days and days. Then up in the Anchorage area, out to Denali, and up to Fairbanks, etc., plus the return trip, seems like a month or more or RV, ferry, and motorcycle time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Longjohn ★ Posted November 23, 2021 Share #21 Posted November 23, 2021 1 hour ago, BR46 said: You think you can do 500 miles a day for 3 weeks on a 45 year old Harley? I can't I've done many 500 mile days on that bike but I don't think I could do it for that many days in a row. One of the things that would probably do me in is eating every meal in restaurants. You would probably have stuff fall off a Harley on Alaska’s roads. Probably not a lot of repair shops up there either. Maybe take a BMW? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shootingstar Posted November 23, 2021 Share #22 Posted November 23, 2021 4 hours ago, petitepedal said: Well...they were spectacular a couple weeks ago..in northern mn..colder temps ...October November can be great..sun flares help..and what we noticed growing up..often it was windy not that it had effect on the atmosphere They were across Alberta and parts of other provinces, depending on clarity of night skies. I would not see northern lights as guaranteed/daily phenomena, no matter where you to in Alaska or up north. Those who see it, sometimes have to hang out for several hrs. at night. Or you go there...and see nothing in the end. I missed the northern lights. A number of locals have seen them, by chance, or hunkering down for hrs. in car somewhere in middle of the night. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dinneR ★ Posted November 23, 2021 Share #23 Posted November 23, 2021 Have you read Neal Peart? He rode his BMW all over and wrote about it. I think he went to Alaska and the Northwest Territories in Ghost Rider. You should do it. Your plan sounds great. Ferry rides are great. Or you could listen to Razor and do the opposite of what you want to do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zephyr Posted November 23, 2021 Share #24 Posted November 23, 2021 3 minutes ago, denniS said: Ferry rides are great. Except when you live on an island (again). Then they are just a necessary evil. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BR46 Posted November 23, 2021 Author Share #25 Posted November 23, 2021 1 hour ago, Razors Edge said: I like this but it sure seems longer than a 3 week trip. Just the motorhome to Seattle and the ferry is over a week, correct? If you get off and on the ferry, ie not even to the "meat" of Alaska, that adds days and days. Then up in the Anchorage area, out to Denali, and up to Fairbanks, etc., plus the return trip, seems like a month or more or RV, ferry, and motorcycle time. We're retired 2000 miles to Seattle so 3 days would be easy unless we stop in Deadwood and visit my friend Patrick. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BR46 Posted November 23, 2021 Author Share #26 Posted November 23, 2021 It's just a thought...we also were thinking about if we get bored that we just jump on a plane and go somewhere 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MoseySusan Posted November 23, 2021 Share #27 Posted November 23, 2021 It’s gonna be epic! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Razors Edge ★ Posted November 23, 2021 Share #28 Posted November 23, 2021 1 hour ago, denniS said: Or you could listen to Razor and do the opposite of what you want to do. WAIT, WHAT?!?!?!? I just told him to take MORE time. He is RETIRED, like he said. So, in my eyes, take a month or more! He hit back with a mad dash across the top of the country to Seattle But, and you all may know better, the 3 day trip, plus several day ferry ride - and return - eats up two weeks of the three weeks. Am I missing something or is that true? Getting there seems to be a good reason to stay there for a while. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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