I'll try to give a little more detail about the trip, as people keep asking. It's truly hard to put into words, as you can tell from the pictures it's quite amazing. I would do it again in a heartbeat.
First of all, i would say don't believe the hype. When i first started planning for the trip, i read all sorts of horror stories about damage to cars and trailers. I did not put anything special on the front of the car or the trailer, and i came out fine. I did catch a stone on the windshield in the Yukon on the way back home. I think it's important to keep in mind that it's just a road like any other. Remember to keep your speed down when on the gravel and construction and you will be fine. Almost every town you pass will have a tire repair place, because people drive too fast and either blow out a tire or dent their rims. I did not experience wither of those problems while on the alcan, but many others did. I can only attribute it to pulling heavy trailers and driving too fast.
The second thing i would say is just do it. It will be the most rewarding experience of your life. It took me 8 days from Ann Arbor to Fairbanks, but i was stopping often enough to see the sights along the way. If you had two people and did team driving, you could cut a few days off of that time. Also, remember that the further north that you get, the lighter it will be. So you can drive longer if you wish. It's so easy to drive for longer periods of time up there beacuse of the
light and the spectaular scenery. I was never bored while driving at any point during the entire trip.
Alaska is a place that is beyond description. It's almost like another country. They refer to the lower 48 as "the states". Like it's a foreign place. Be sure to take the time to go to denali national park. It's worth it to take one of the guided bus tours.
The Northern part of British Columbia, and the the Yukon are unbelievable. It's just beyond description. The only way to "get" what i mean is to experience it yourself. I would often think to myself, as i was taking pictures, that these pictures just pale in comparison to the real thing. There are entire days i would have loved to capture in a picture so that i could show them to others.
When you drive the alcon through BC, the Yukon, and Alaska, you will experience The Wilderness as it truly is. The way few people will ever experience it. I drove for days, seeing nothing but trees, mountains, lakes, and rivers, for thousands of square miles. It's almost like sensory overload. This is a part of the world is where "civilization" is the exception. It's the opposite of how we view things down here.
I truly feel that this experience has tainted my view of the rest of the world. This will the be pinnacle experience that everything i do will be measured against for the rest of my life. I've picked up a saying. "It's no Alaska".
I went to yellowstone national park on the way back home. While it was a truly beautiful and wild place, it was packed with people, access was limited, and the just outside the borders of the park civilization was overflowing. There was an IMAX theatre in west yellowstone, just ouside the park border. After i left i was thinking to myself, Yellowstone was nice, but it' no alaska.
Well, i rambled on a little too much i think. If anyone has some specific questions or wants some advice, reply to this thread and i'll help out however i can...
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