Day 1

Meet your Backroads Trip Leaders (the folks wearing Backroads T-shirts) at 9:30 a.m. at the 4th Avenue entrance to the Hotel Captain Cook in Anchorage. Please arrive dressed in your biking clothes and have your rain gear handy.

Shuttle to Palmer 1 Hour
Gold Mint Route 37 Miles (1,300-foot elevation gain)
Longer Option: Independence Mine 46 Miles (3,250-foot elevation gain)

Welcome to Alaska! We begin the trip with a shuttle north to Palmer, where we enjoy a delicious picnic lunch à la Backroads beneath the soaring Chugach Mountains. Then your leaders fit your bike and give a brief talk on biking techniques and safety before you head out on rolling hills along the Little Susitna River and through the Talkeetna Mountains. You’ve come to Alaska for the biking, so we start off strong! Tackle a big climb up Hatcher Pass to the Independence Mine. At the top, have your warm layers ready for the fantastic descent that follows! After checking in at the Lake Lucille Inn, it’s a quick shuttle to Settler’s Bay Lodge, where we get further acquainted over a cocktail reception and dinner while gazing out at Cook Inlet and the Chugach Mountains.

Lodging: Best Western Lake Lucille Inn

Day 2

Matanuska Valley Route 60 Miles (3,000-foot elevation gain)
Shorter Option: Chickaloon 41 Miles with Shuttle (1,500-foot elevation gain)
Shuttle to Hicks Creek 45 Minutes

Today’s ride begins with rolling hills through the rich farmland of the Matanuska Valley, the site of an unusual experiment in American history. One of Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal relief agencies set up the Matanuska Valley Colony for farm families debilitated by the Great Depression. In 1935, 203 families were picked from the hardest-hit areas of Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota to start their lives over in this fertile land. Though many farms failed, some of the families’ descendants still live in the valley—now one of Alaska’s most productive farming communities—and a few are still operating original colony farms. Ride along the challenging terrain of the Glenn Highway, following the Matanuska River as the scenery gradually changes from lush farmland to rugged mountains. Relax over a picnic lunch on the banks of the Matanuska River in the small town of Chickaloon. During our shuttle to Hicks Creek, decide how you’d like to spend the afternoon. Embark on a beautiful—and heart-pumping—20-mile stretch alongside the Matanuska River, or if you’d rather save energy for tomorrow’s longer ride, shuttle all the way to the rustic cabins of Sheep Mountain Lodge. (Note: Due to a multiple-year road construction project, our route, including mileages, may change and additional shuttling may be required.)

From your cabin’s porch, take in inspiring views of the remote Chugach Range and look for Dall sheep grazing behind the lodge. If you’re feeling energetic, head out on an invigorating hike into the hills behind the lodge. This evening we gather for a wonderful home-cooked meal. If we’re lucky, the lodge’s co-owner, an Iditarod musher, may regale us with stories of his experiences in Alaska’s legendary sled-dog race.

Lodging: Sheep Mountain Lodge

Day 3

Glenn Highway Route 88 Miles (2,970-feet elevation gain)
Shorter Options: Blackburn 39 Miles with Shuttle (1,340-feet elevation gain) or Drum 60 Miles with Shuttle (1,950-feet elevation gain) or Sanford 75 Miles with Shuttle (2,650-feet elevation gain)

Returning to the Glenn Highway this morning, we follow a rugged corridor through the heart of the Alaskan wilderness. Along the way, views of drunken forests, river valleys and endless miles of mountains spread in every direction. With many small and large hills, headwinds, highway riding and the likelihood of rain and cold temperatures, this route will challenge your body and spirit, and bring about a unique appreciation for the sheer vastness of this land.

You’ll reach the only turn of the day 75 miles into the ride in the town of Glennallen before continuing along the Richardson Highway to our next hotel. Stop en route for a hearty meal at one of Alaska’s original roadhouses, Mendeltna Creek Lodge. In true Backroads fashion, whether you choose the shortest option, the longest option, or anything in between, your leaders will be covering some serious distances in the support van to provide food, water, encouragement and a lift for those who want it.

Our inviting destination is the Copper River Princess Wilderness Lodge, located at the junction of the Klutina and Copper Rivers. On a clear day you’ll have spectacular views of the Wrangell Mountains, which include some of North America’s highest peaks: Mount Drum (12,010 feet), Mount Wrangell (14,163 feet), Mount Sanford (16,237 feet) and Mount Blackburn (16,390 feet). This evening, kick back and swap stories of the day’s adventures while enjoying the magnificent scenery through the lodge’s two-story wall of windows.

Lodging: Copper River Princess Wilderness Lodge

Day 4

Pippin Lake Route 87 Miles with Shuttle (2,650-foot elevation gain)
Shorter Options: Tiekel River 35 Miles with Shuttle (1,360-foot elevation gain) or Worthington Glacier 68 Miles with Shuttle (2,000-foot elevation gain)
Longer Option: Valdez Century Ride 107 Miles (3,500-foot elevation gain)

You’ll be well served to eat a filling breakfast in preparation for the longest and most challenging ride of the trip. Today’s breathtaking route rolls along the Richardson Highway, following the Tiekel and Tsaina Rivers with views of pristine forests, the Chugach Mountains and the Worthington Glacier. The truly adventurous can start out from the hotel to attempt an epic Alaskan century ride, with no shortage of hills, headwinds, inclement weather and, thankfully, incredible beauty to keep you motivated the whole way.

Take your time as you climb above the timberline to Thompson Pass at 2,678 feet, then let loose on an exhilarating eight-mile descent past tundra, lakes and streams. Biking through Keystone Canyon, carved by the turbulent Lowe River, you’ll see several powerful waterfalls crashing down sheer rock walls. It’s 20 more miles of rolling terrain to Valdez, a fishing village on Prince William Sound and the southern terminus of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline.

This area has experienced a great deal of devastation in recent history. In 1964 the strongest earthquake ever recorded in North America struck Alaska and leveled Valdez. After the quake, the shaken residents moved the town four miles west to its current location. In 1989, the infamous Exxon Valdez oil spill brought worldwide notoriety to this normally tranquil community. Our visit here gives us the unique opportunity to see an ecosystem in the process of recovery.

Tonight we stay in very simple accommodations at the Best Western Valdez Harbor Inn. While this hotel is far from lavish, it’s our best option in the remote and picturesque town of Valdez. It’s located right on the waterfront, with local shops and restaurants just a short walk away. Enjoy a leisurely evening in town and dinner on your own.

Lodging: Best Western Valdez Harbor Inn

Day 5

Ferry to Whittier 3 Hours
Shuttle to Girdwood 45 Minutes

Sleep in and enjoy breakfast as you recover from yesterday’s tough ride. Midday we take the Alaska Marine Highway’s Chenega fast ferry across Prince William Sound, a trip which will expose you to some of the most astounding natural beauty in Alaska. Don’t forget your valid photo ID this morning—you’ll need it to board the ferry. The snowcapped peaks of the Chugach Mountains and the chance to see giant floating icebergs of the spectacular Columbia Glacier are sure to leave a lasting impression. Wildlife is plentiful in the sound, so keep an eye out for orcas, porpoises, seals, sea lions, otters, bald eagles and puffins. We come ashore in the port of Whittier, a town founded during World War II in response to the Japanese bombing of the Aleutian Islands. Surrounded by glacially covered mountains and originally accessible only by train or boat, Whittier was the perfect location to base military operations—and its infamously bad weather didn’t hurt either. Our shuttle route passes through the original train tunnel and heads inland through the mountains to Girdwood. Once we’ve arrived at the plush Alyeska Resort, feel free to soak in the hot tub or swim a few laps in the pool. This evening we toast our Alaskan adventure while enjoying culinary delights at Jack Sprat restaurant.

Lodging: Alyeska Resort

Day 6

Gird-to-Bird Route 20 Miles
Longer Option: Indian Creek 34 Miles
Shuttle to Anchorage 1 Hour

After breakfast at the Alyeska’s Pond Café, you’ll follow rolling traffic-free bike paths along the dramatic Turnagain Arm with views of tidal mudflats and picturesque mountains. Extreme high and low tides make Turnagain Arm one of the world’s few bore tides—when conditions are right, water rushes in with such force that it forms a tidal wave powerful enough for the truly daring to surf.

If you’d rather relax in the comfortable setting of the Alyeska, take advantage of all the resort has to offer, including a spa, fitness room and more. We reconvene later for a picnic before shuttling back to Anchorage, where our trip ends.