GDMBR northern extension?

[rocbeer]

Howdy,
  Does anybody know if there is a dirt road route north of Banff?  I'm planning on doing the official GDMBR in Aug/Sept 2016 and have some free time in July. I was thinking of coming up with something from Northern BC to Alberta.  Any ideas?  Not too keen on riding the Alaska Highway (ALCAN) or the Cassiar.  Thinking more of a real dirt road adventure up there.
Thanks,
Stevan 

[dh024]

Not really. Many/most of the fire roads and single-track trails away from the Banff townsite are closed to mountain biking to protect wildlife. Most of what is permitted are short loops or trails close to Banff. The only longer routes out of the townsite are paved roads. But having said this, the Icefields Parkway from Lake Louise (not far from Banff up the scenic Bow Valley Parkway) to Jasper is an amazing ride.

More info is available on the park website here: http://www.pc.gc.ca/pn-np/ab/banff/activ/cyclisme-biking.aspx

[rocbeer]

Yo,
  Thanks for the reply!  I'm kind of in a spot with shoddy internet and don't have access to maps, so I thought I'd put it out there.

  Yep, kind of figured as much with the huge amount of Canadian style wilderness up there.

  I drove the Icefields Parkway last summer and was blown away, although I had to zip through there to get up to AK for work.  Definitely thought it would make for a great bike ride.

  I'm keen on the long distance hiking as well, and I know there is a Canadian extension of the Continental Divide Trail.  Maybe I'll have to strike out on foot to really see that country.

Thanks again,
Stevan

[Wayne]

This might be a good warm up/practice for the GDMBR.
The Alberta Forestry Trunk Road. The road runs north-south, east of Banff & Jasper National Parks. It is shown on Alberta highway Maps.
You can get to/from the FTR on the south end from either Calgary or Banff, connect on the north end to Jasper, or connect to Saskatchewan Crossing on the Icefields Parkway in the middle.

The DIRT

Name: The Forestry Trunk Road

Distance: 1000 kilometers

Duration: 2 days (For folks on motorcycles)
 
Rating: class 2

Accomodations: Camping and lodges

Creator: Erik Schmidt

Location: Western Alberta

The FTR (Forestry Trunk Road) runs for 1000 kilometers along the foothills of the Rocky Mountains.  800 +- of the road is gravel surfaced with the remaining 200+- being paved.

For many the FTR is a destination onto itself, for many others it is used as warm up and a means to get to the northern roads like the Dempster.  The scenery along the FTR is outstanding at times.

http://albertascampgrounds.com/camping-along-albertas-forestry-trunk-road/

I hope this helps you plan your trip.

Wayne