Road to Alaska

[OlJoe]

<p style="margin: 0px;">&nbsp;Dispatches ftrom the wilderness - </p><p style="margin: 0px;">Sure enough, Canada let me through, so I had a clear run up through BC,Yukon and on to Fairbanks. The roads were consistently good until the last stretch in Yukon and AK that had some serious frost heaves and potholes and freeze cracks. The weather was mostly dry and sunny, and the wildlife was amazing - just along the roadsides there were black bear, one grizzly, elk, moose, sheep,buffalo, etc.</p><p style="margin: 0px;">The towns and service stations are well spaced, so there's not much worry about fuel range between pumps. The worst I saw for gas prices was $1.74 per liter, or a bit under 7 dollars a gallon, but that happened on a stretch before Whitehorse when I had gotten reckless about fuel range, and if it had'nt been there at that price I may have been walking!</p><blockquote style="margin-right: 0px;" dir="ltr"><blockquote style="margin-right: 0px;" dir="ltr"><p style="margin: 0px;">The scenery was enough to humble even an Oregonian - amazing mountains, just incredible sunsets even at 11:00 or so at night. There's not much darkness up here now, and we're still a month before summer solstice.</p><p style="margin: 0px;">&nbsp;</p><p style="margin: 0px;">I'll try to get some photos added if I can, of the scenery - not so much the brand new Granddaughter!</p><p style="margin: 0px;">Til then, OlJoe&nbsp;&nbsp;</p></blockquote></blockquote>

 

[rvwandering]

&nbsp;Thanks for the update. Alaska is beautiful! Have a good time up there!<br>

 

[Guest]

Good report Ol Joe...makes me nostalgic....$7 a gallon! that is pretty stiff but that area has always been stiff on the price...plus they used to give the worst exchange rate back when Canoodlian money was pekid on the dollar. <br><br>Looking for more good reports and stay safe and happy trails...<br>Bri<br>

 

[Nelda]

Hi Joe,<br>Jerry and I've been wondering how you were doing. Glad to know all is well. Keep the reports up; we all love hearing traveling stories.<br>Stop by the house and say hello on your way back.<br>Nelda

 

[yesican]

<p style="margin: 0px;">Welcome to Alaska.&nbsp; You came&nbsp;up at the right time.&nbsp; It's suppose to be in the 70's in Fairbanks tomorrow...More heat than we get down on the Kenai for sure. Glad you had that beautiful trip through Canada.&nbsp; Did the same thing 7 years ago April.&nbsp; Never regretted it and never left.</p><p style="margin: 0px;">Rae</p>

 

[Seraphim]

Thanks for the update. Any info is appreciated.&nbsp;

 

[OlJoe]

<p style="margin: 0px;">Well, things have definitely warmed up here in AK, and the mosquitos have come alive in places - all the ice is off the rivers, and while there's been some rain up here the last few days it's been mostly shirtsleeve weather. The mosquitos have been arguing with the DEET, but so far the relellant has been holding its own.</p><p style="margin: 0px;">&nbsp;The new granddaughter is doing well, and I think it may be time to head back south this week - next week is approaching the barbecue season, and that starts the ManlyMan migration instinct for sure.</p><p style="margin: 0px;">The campground at Eielson AFB is still ten dollars a night, until the water's turned on, so the water conservation tips from you all have been helpful. As the season starts up here and the camping fees increase, it's a natural time to start moving back towards Oregon...and It's been nice using the calendar and weather to determine when to move, rather than the dictates of a vacation schedule or a work routine - I think this retirement business is going to work out just fine!</p><p style="margin: 0px;">Don't know if a late June competition in southern Oregon can tie in with RTR California, but I'll see; in the meantime, hope all is well with the whole group, and I'll try to post from whatever WiFi I can find along the way.</p><p style="margin: 0px;">On the road in a few days,</p><p style="margin: 0px;">&nbsp;Ol' Joe</p>

 

[OlJoe]

Back in Oregon -<br>Well, for the first major trip out with the camper, all went pretty well - I learned a lot of small lessons, but generally I'd recommend that Alaska road trip to anyone who wants to see the sort of country that makes you run out of terms to describe the scenery. There were little things that became important to remember, like "Respect those little red flags!" - where the frost heaves and potholes created a hazard, there were flags along the shoulder of the road to mark them as a warning, and turns out they mean it!<br>The value of having a readily available bed in the back is huge - you can stop whenever, almost wherever you need to and sleep an hour or a night, and be on your way..I don't think I'd like to take that trip being dependent on the motels along the way.<br>&nbsp;It really does work out well when you figure the cost of more gas vs. the savings in motel costs, plus there's so many wonderful spots to stop and enjoy.<br>&nbsp;There's another "lesson" as well - when you're independent, and on your own, the cliffs usually don't have guardrails to protect you from going over the side - you have to simply be responsible to keep yourself on the road and not have the government construct barriers to keep you safe. One stretch of awesome scenery was on a thousand foot dropoff, but the view out the window was not obstructed by barriers; you just park by the cliff and enjoy the view while remembering the hazards that are just part of the whole world you're in.<br>&nbsp;Glad to not have to calculate kilometers and liters into miles and gallons, in order to make sure I'd get to the next gas without walking.<br>Canada seems more open and friendly to US citizens coming in than do US border guards re-admitting one of their own.<br>twenty or more hours of daylight can mean going on just one more hour or two before turning in; makes the trip short but the enjoyment more as the wildlife works the early morning and graveyard shift...must be union.<br>&nbsp;Well, this is too long of a post, so I'd better wrap it up for now. Any of you who are thinking of that trip to AK, I would highly recommend it!<br>

 

[rvwandering]

&nbsp;Glad you had a good time! It is a fantastic place.<br>

 

[Seraphim]

Thanks for the update. DW and just got a tcamper on the back of the truck, so we're mobile again. We were suffering withdrawel symptoms, not having a camper.

Next June and we'll try the post retirement Alaska run.


Hopefully the price of deisel will keep dropping.

 

[wagoneer]

gonna do it with my son

 

[Patrick46]

I got to make acouple trips up the Alcan some years ago in semi trucks. One in November, and one in January!!! Ufff.....-50* BELOW!!!!! now THAT was cold!!!

but what a wonderful experience!!

I remember those frost heaves just as you're coming into AK. Lost a spare tire offa the truck because of 'em, and had to run back down the road after it, and then lug that big heavy frozen thing back onto the truck...that sucked!! Whadda workout!!

I also remember coming down a mountain in Northern BC, at around 4am, and had the Northern Lights in my face for about the next 2 hours....ABSOLUTELY SPECTACULAR!!!

I've vowed to head up there again after those trips, and plan to next year...on my motorcycle of course!

Thanx for the memories!

 

[TALLMAN]

I wonder if we could form a convoy to take a trip like this around April May 2004.

 

[westriver]

I wonder if we could form a convoy to take a trip like this around April May 2004.

Hey, any time we are heading back to the future, to 2004 that is, I'm in. LOL. Seriously, doubt you are going to want to be too far north in April. If you go to the bigger RV forums, RV.net & Irv2.com, you will find a lot of info. on the trip. IIRC, most don't recommend getting past the middle of B.C, much before mid-May since it's still the frozen, great white north before then. Have a great time if you go. I did it three times so far, and once the wife stops rolling her eyes and saying "didn't you get that out of system yet", we will make it for a fourth round. Great times, great sights, but expensive........

 

[mockturtle]

I'm tentatively planning the trip for 2015.

 

[Patrick46]

I wonder if we could form a convoy to take a trip like this around April May 2004.

.....do you happen to have a Time Machine that you might be willing to share??

 

[flying kurbmaster]

I did it in may 2004 sorry I missed you all, or maybe not, I saw this convoy of motorhomes drive by, about 15, the last one was towing a trailer, the guy that was at the layby with me told me they had a doctor and a mechanic on the convoy nothing like covering all your bases, was that you Tallman????

 

[Lifemagician]

Convoys of RVs are a regular site along the Alcan, Cassair and other highways up north. Every year certain RV companies move dozens of RVs from the lower 48 to AK, in May. These are then moved back south in late August/September.

When I was in Riverview RV park (Fairbanks) last year, on their first day open for the season, I met a few people who were driving an RV north, for that very purpose. Next day, 19 rolled in, all with Aussies on board. They too were delivering RVs up north. (The name of the RV place in Anchorage where they were to be delivered, escapes me.)

The deal was something like this: Place of pick up (some were IA, others WA) to Anchorage. About three weeks to do the trip. A maximum mileage was stipulated, but I can't recall what that was. It seemed fairly generous. Peppercorn rental. No extra charge for kitchen, bedroom kits, etc. No one way fee. Find your own way back to where you want to go.

From time to time I believe they need drivers, although I have also heard that when they have too many applications, they hold a ballot.

Lifey

 

[WheelEstate USA]

We have a friend who drives RVs for a transport company. He usually picks up in Indiana (where he lives) at one of the many mfg plants there.
He gets paid mileage, buys his fuel and flies back. Says he makes out quite well on the deal. He's made several runs to AK and often takes a week or 2 off while there.
He gets something like a buck twenty a mile.

 

[Patrick46]

Ooooooo....I'd like to get on a gig like that!!

with my over-ther-road experience, RV knowledge, a history on the AlCan, and a very flexible personal time schedule...I could do that.


Hmmmmmmm....now you're making me think this over!! I'm gonna look further into this one!!