Early November Trip From Alaska to Kansas City

[Schmatty]

Super stoked to find this site, hoping to get some helpful advice. Thanks in advance!

So a good friend of mine drives out to Alaska every summer to mine gold with his uncle. For the last three years I have been flying out early/mid fall to meet him out west for a 10 or so day long backpacking/hiking road trip on his his journey home. This year, however, I plan to fly out to Anchorage and make the trek down through Alaska back in to the states and eventually home to Kansas City, MO.

Given weather conditions of late October - early November, Im trying to decide if we should go straight south towards Washington state and then through Idaho and Wyoming, or if we should prolong our stay in Canada and then head south into the Dakotas. Looking to do as much hiking as possible and camp where we can along the way. Also open to all the coolest unique cultural locations to check out in Canada.

Anything Is helpful. Thanks again!

[Mark Sedenquist]

Welcome to the Trip Advice Forums!

Weather conditions in late October tend to be ideal just about anywhere in North America. Personally, I would mosey southward from Anchorage as much as your time allows. (With the huge caveat that you keep informed as to the weather).

What is the time frame for this adventure? When do you have to be back in Kansas City? And what is your budget?

Mark

[AZBuck]

Besides the obvious bit of info that Mark asked for (time available for the trip) there are a few other things that it would be helpful for us to know in order to give you the best advice possible for your trip. The ones that come to me are:

Does your friend also live in the KC area or is there some other intermediate destination that you'll need to include in your itinerary?

Does scenery count in making for interesting hiking for all of you? The reason I ask is that the shortest/fastest route, which also spends the most time in Canada, does so by crossing the Rockies fairly far north, through southern Yukon Territory and northern British Columbia. By the time you'd reach Alberta, you'd be on the flat High Plains of Canada.

Have you asked your friend what he'd like to include or how far out of your way he'd be willing to drive to make this trip more enjoyable?

Realistically, how many miles per day have you averaged on your former drives south and how much time have you spent out of the car hiking and exploring "all the coolest unique cultural locations"? And are you willing to spend even more time this time? Which brings us full circle back to Mark's basic question: How much time do you have for this trip?

AZBuck