Many questions regarding the hike to the bus

[alamad92]

Hello, this is Ahmad Alamad. Im currently a college student in Colorado. Im planning on flying to fairbanks net spring in order to hike the stampede trail to the magic bus, however i have some questions regarding the trip. please try to answer them in succession for ease
1) firstly, is the trail clear and distinct all the way to the bus, or will i get to points where i have to guess which trail to take?
2) are the trails clear at each end of both rivers?
3) is bear spray enough to deter bears?
4) is it safe to camp on the side of the trail at night?
5) do i need a permit to camp on the side of the trail?
6) is it too far to hike up to the Teklanika tram in order to cross the river?
7) where can i purchase a detailed map of the trail/area?
8) finally, will i be able to hitch a ride as far as i can on the trail, or is it just a safer bet just to begin the hike from the beginning of the stampede road?


i know there are a lot of questions, but im trying to make this trip safe so that i can enjoy the bus and scenery without posing a risk on myself, in addition, im planning on hiking it solo, do you have any recommendations???


Hope to hear from you soon

[SteveSalmon]

~SS

[ellisd]

the place to go for Topographic maps [the ones you would mainly use to navigate, if your not using a GPS] would be the USGS store. http://store.usgs.gov

they are pretty cheap on prices too.

also, mytopo.com can get you the maps you need aswell, they are a bit more expencive, but come in all shapes, sizes, laminated, have your name put on it, etc etc.

i bought maps from both places, and was lucky to win one from mytopo.com

[alamad92]

Thank you both for your help, i have gotten a huge amount of useful information. But for some reason the questions keep on popping up.
I consider myself a fit and athletic person. i dont have that much experience with hiking and navigating but i have hiked 14ers with well established in colorado thus proving my endurance.i have also done survival courses and learned how to basically live longer in survival situations
So if i learn how to navigate using map and compass, and combine it with my endurance i shouldnt have problems hiking the trail. is that right???

in addition, i am planning on making the trip three days in total, hiking 10 miles to the Tek and camping there, then crossing it early in the morning and getting to the bus and back to the Tek, camp there again and then hike back to the highway on the third day.
do you think this is a good plan? in addition the trip will most likely be in march, during the spring break. what kind of weather will i be encountering? and what kind of cloths will i need?

[erikhalfacre]

March is too early to really call it 'spring break up.' March is often one of the biggest months for new snow. If it were during the summer you would have no problem hiking the trail in three days as you described though, assuming reasonable fitness and favorable conditions. Also you can get a .kmz or .gpx of the trail here:

http://pathfinderalaska.com/stampedetrail/whattoknow.php

Also get your hands on the USGS maps. You can order them here:

http://store.usgs.gov/

And the maps you are looking for are Healy D-5 and Healy D-6

Hope that helps, and good luck!