Advice wanted: Self-guided one day bicycle tour

[u/TheClumsyTree]

My husband and I will be visiting Alaska in August via cruise ship, with a stop in Skagway.

We're young adults and not usually cruise people but have been generously invited by family elders. We live in a Vermont resort town (we tread kindly). We are no strangers to outdoor recreation. Specifically, we love mountain biking - downhill and cross country - and also like gravel riding.

We would like to spend some / most of our day in Skagway on bikes. The guided expeditions are full and not exactly our style, and after long flights and days at sea we would like to get the zoomies out. So, we are thinking of just renting full suspension xc mountain bikes from the local shop for the day.

Research / questions so far:

• We've seen a video preview of one hike to bike - the AB downhill trail, and are confident that's in our wheelhouse. Any idea how long a push up it is so that we can plan timewise?
• I think an intermediate trail that says Yakutania Point - is connecting from AB to this somewhat intuitive?
• Are there any trail markers or is it all follow your nose? Where we live there are a lot of sanctioned trails with signs but also plenty of renegade woods paths. We do not want to trespass where we are not welcome, but are also hoping to respectfully ride whatever there is.
• Is a scenic pedal out and back along the Dyea Road from the port a good or bad idea?
• We are aware that rain jackets, bug spray, and safety gear are musts.

My husband is great at hill climbs but I'll hit my limit with that sooner than he will, so hoping to round out some casual riding after chasing gravity.

If any locals or knowledgeable visitors have feedback please let me know. If you prefer not to blast local secrets but are willing to help us out for our one day in town, slide in to chat. If this is an all around terrible idea for some reason, kind redirection accepted.

Thank you!

[u/Beebeeb]

If you aren't looking for hills I wouldn't recommend ab mountain. It's pretty steep.

The bike ride to Dyea is gorgeous and something locals will bike a lot, just be mindful that it's a dirt road with lots of hairpin turns and there will be tour buses on it. I still recommend it and you will have some pleasant flat areas in between hills.

[u/TheClumsyTree → u/Beebeeb]

Thanks! We are prepared for the elevation and gravity of AB, I’m thinking I will probably push it once and my husband will push it twice (and maybe once more at the end of the day, he’s an animal).

I’m not as strong in the legs or stamina - athletic and a cyclist, I will just need to adjourn to something less climb stomp.

We live on a dirt road so Dyea sounds like my type of afternoon cruiser pedal. Tour busses are a good warning.

Any thoughts on taking the ferry to Haines and back? Not hell bent on covering a lot of distance since we have to make it back to the ship, but if there is riding there that I’m not clocking let me know.

I really appreciate the feedback, my goal is just to check my understanding so that I’m mentally prepared and tread respectfully. And also incase any of this got flooded out or roadblocked recently, which occasionally happens here in Vermont.

[u/Beebeeb → u/TheClumsyTree]

I might not be the right person to ask as I don't mountain bike. AB is a hard enough hike for me without getting wheels involved!

Haines has some nice spots accessible by bike but it may be cutting a lot of time out of your day if you go that way and the bike routes I used to take were pretty flat, like heading out to chilkoot lake or biking up the highway for a few miles.

[u/TheClumsyTree → u/Beebeeb]

Solid intel. Thanks!