Has anyone here made the  snowmachine adventure  over the Taylor highway from Tok to Dawson ?








 

I have done it 10 times.... trail sled is best, preferable with some studs in the track...have ridden it in as cold as -65(leaving tok at 7am) its a great trip.. certain things we have found are needed..sled needs to be 100% reliable..gas you get on the trail has been sitting in a tank since early fall..expect it to be down on octane....we put a pint of oil  and a pint of octane boost(we found outlaw booster best)in each and every tank of fuel....no if's and's or but's about it........next, ice scratchers are a must(including at least 1 set of spares per pair of sleds), we also take a spare pint of chain case oil, antifreeze,per pair of sleds as well as enough oil to fill the tanks 4 times(we take 4 qt.s per sled since normally 1 qt will fill the sled at fill up)..gaunlets are also a must have and electric shields on modular helmets are best...most guys take 8to 10 hours to make the ride..I have done it in 4, but 6 is the normal..faster you go..more likely to wreck, or break..keep that in mind......for hauling gear we use sled saddlebags, and add a ratchet strap over it to insure it won't come loose(many people loose their stuff due to improper mounting.....

First part of the trail is wide open rolling hills, and its easy to run 100+ mph..When you get close to chicken the trail tightens up and in places you are lucky to do 5 mph..You need to watch for windrifts, especially in the wide open haul ass areas...also caribou can and do cover the road..I came around a corner one time(first on road, and leading our group) at 107mph on my gps right into a pack of caribou covering the road..luckly I got slowed down just enough and they parted like the red sea..but it was scary......

I will add another post If I remember more..or you have questions..oh and the trip..its a blast...


ETA..when on the road stay hard right at all times..and constantly look back for your group and to watch for faster guys overtaking..I have seen several wrecks from people going back and forth across the road and faster guys hitting them.......a mirror on each sled and helmet comms are also good ....also a basic set of tools,duct tape, 10ft electrical wire, spare plugs, belt , and include 100 ft of climbers rope incase you need to tow a sled(gets them away from the towed sled and keeps the under hood from getting filled with snow..)

I went last year. It was a total blast...  AKSnowRider hit the nail on
the head.  If you run goggles and such. Make sure to grab some sheets of
moleskin. Some guys use duct tape, but I like the moleskin better. I
make a batman and robin style mask with it and put it on under my bali.
Saved me from any frostbite or windburn.  Yes get handlebar gauntlets.
it will save you a lot of pain!!!! That wind is COLD out there.  And
make sure you have a real windshield.. Those little tiny ones are
worthless on this ride. You can get some replacement parts in Dawson...
Not everything though.  Make sure to have at least one or better... Two
extra belts...
It's very very worth going. Make sure to stay at the downtown annex I think.. It's the only one with a hot tub.



Ohh and you need a passport. I think the passport card also works. But you better check with them for sure.

Went one time.  My Crank bearing seized on the Canadian Border, about the worst place it can happen.   Had to make the critical decision whether to tow it to Dawson and try to fix or leave it or tow it back to Tok on the way back.  If we can't fix it then we would towed it to Dawson for no reason and would have to rescue the sled by car later or at the end of the season.  Decided to leave it on the trail.  Had to ride double on my buddies 700 RMK the rest of the way to Dawson.  Was a freaking nightmare for 70 miles with sled suspension bottoming every 15 seconds with our combined weight.  After 3 days of Drunk, found a good Fairbanks dude with a two up Yamaha touring sled with an empty back seat.  Temp was -40 leaving Dawson with a north wind cutting across the top of the world highway.  No Gauntlets, marginal passenger bar heaters and marginal wind protection propped up on the back Passenger seat. I thought I was gonna fucking die.  Had to alternate extending my legs straight out so that my knee caps wouldn't freeze as they were sticking out in the breeze each side of the driver.  Driver never slowed down with only one break all the way to Chicken.  I had no control over the situation and was just along for the ride.  About 4 hours later we drag into chicken and I could barely get off the sled. All the blood in my arms and legs had moved to my core and I could barely walk.  Never been so cold in my life.  After 2 hour warm-up and about 20 cups of hot cocoa, we finished the ride and temps warmed up so the ride to Tok not too bad at that point.   Never done it again.

But go ahead, its a blast!!  

LOL..yeah, that trip was about as ugly as they get..you should do it again, second trip can be nothing but better right?  It actually is a great trip if you have a few tips before hand and know what you are getting into....

Yeah We have thought about doing it again now that we have newer and better sleds.  I took a lot of grief from some other riders for trying to take 1996 Polaris 680 Ultra on that trip like I should have known the crank bearing was going to go.  Only time it ever let me down.

The bottom line though is that we are not that wild about riding at -40 F for fun and you never know what you're gonna get for weather when you sign up.  Guarantee me no colder than 10 below and I'm in!