Off topic question

[WhelenMan]

Is it possible to get between Chitina and Cordova on a off-road vehicle (motorcycle)?  I know the Million Dollar Bridge would pose one problem, but is it otherwise possible?  If possible, would it be legal?

Thanks

[Daveinthebush]

The answer is Yes and No.  If you were on the old roadbed going to Cordova and did not leave the roadbed, Yes (maybe)!

As soon as you are off the road you are in a non-motorized hunting area bounded by the Richardson Hwy. from the Tiekel River to the Tonsina River at Tonsina until it runs into the Edgerton Hwy, over to the Copper and back down to the Tiekel and back to the Richardson.

So then NO.  And they DO check!!!.  This is not off topic, this is the type of thing that people need to ask.  Lat I knew the road was washed out and no one could get past.

Page 68 - ADF&G Hunting Regulations.

[Yukon Jack]

Nope.

The old railroad used a lot of tressles to span across the Tiekel and a few other V notched streams.  Some places the mountains go right down to the water and are steep and overgrown with alder and willow.  The tressles have collapsed for the most part.  Some of those streams can't be crossed unless you go higher up in their valleys.  It would be one heck of a bushwacking job just hiking.  No way you could do on a motorcycle.  Least not until the trail or road gets punched through.  If the trail does ever get punched through, I don't know if the trail will be open for motorized use or not.

The Tasnuna can't be crossed near the Copper, too big and too swift.  Most of the old railroad grade is gone, washed away.  The road does extend northward from the Million Dollar bridge for a little ways, but is impassible by a couple of streams, then the road bed is nothing but alder and willow.  The construction crews aren't finished with the Million Dollar Bridge yet, either and probably won't let anyone pass until that is completed anyway.

[Daveinthebush]

Actually at one time there was a study done to punch through a trail along the Tiekel River to the Copper River and down to Cordova.  I have seen it on the internet somewhere but the funding was not there.

[Yukon Jack]

The trail was part of Knowles TRAAK project.  There's been studies for a road, too.  Several different routes have been studied.  When Wally Hickel was governor he actually had the bulldozers punching a road through till lawsuits shut him down.  He was also a proponent for the road getting punched through from Girdwood to Eagle River.

There is still a road easement and trail across native lands from the Copper River Highway to Chitina.  Also connecting trail and road easements up from the Copper up the Tiekel to the Rich and from the Copper up the Tasnuna to the Rich.  No trail has ever been blazed though and it is nightmare of alder just below the passes as you descend toward the Copper.

[WhelenMan]

Thanks for the info, it is just what I needed and was unable to find anywhere else.

Too bad for me, I think it would have been a great ride/adventure!

[Yukon Jack]

There's lots of people that raft down from Chitina to Miles Lake or on down to the 27 mile takeout on the highway to Cordova.  It's a beautiful float and interesting experience.  Not something to do by yourself, unless you are really good with a raft.  The river isn't too bad to negotiate after you get past the canyon, except for Abercrombie rapids (more like waves), but the ice coming off the Miles and Childs glaciers can be pretty dangerous if you aren't minding your p's and q's.

There is a lot of private land along the river.  Best to get in touch with the landowners beforehand and figure out where the site easements and trail easements are.  If you can't use those easements, they will issue you a permit.  I'm not sure about hunting, you would need to contact them about that.