Sweet Anticipation

[kamalamak]

Our latest post: Charley and Kamala Sunshine Travels: Sweet anticipation

[james kent]

How are the road conditions of the highway these days. Only a few years back it was known for causing flat tires. Is an extra spare a necessary requirement?
Jim


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[kamalamak]

Jim, hmmmm. An extra spare? We hadn't thought of that. We'll take a bicycle (lol) in the TV. We take off in May from El Paso. We'll keep you posted via the blog: Charley and Kamala Sunshine Travels

Thanks for reading!

[trainjunkie]

If you're referring to the Alaska Highway, aka "Alcan", I drive it from one end to the other twice a year. The whole thing can be treacherous in bad weather but the only really bad section of actual road is in the Yukon territory from appropriately named Destruction Bay to the hamlet of Beaver Creek near the Canada/Alaska border, about 115 miles. Parts of this section are unpaved gravel and dirt. Which part is always the million dollar question though. There seems to be a perpetual repaving project up there that never seems to end but always moves around within that stretch. I guess the frost heaves tear the road up pretty good.

I tow a 17 foot Bigfoot and you just have to take it easy, keep an eye out for the roadside red flags, which in Canada means "We can't fix the road here". I've never had a flat (knock on wood) and I carry one spare for my truck and one for my trailer.

Of course, now that I've said this, I've probably jinxed myself.

Here's a couple shots of the dirt/gravels section I took on the southbound trip last fall. My next trip, going north from California, starts in a about a week. Have fun!

[kamalamak]

Mike, while we've a lot of place, Alaska will be new to us. Twice a year--wow! Thanks for the info. Actually any information is appreciated!

[rgrugg]

I've driven to Alaska three times. The first time was in 1994. I've never had any reason to carry extra tires or extra gas. Though I did see people carrying those and with a sign saying Alaska or Bust. Seems to me that information must be around 40 years old. I did get a window in the pickup camper broken but that happened in Montana. All the truck got in AK was dirty. All three times there was construction but that seems to be normal, especially where there's permafrost. I'd like to go again if I could find somebody to go with me. That's a really long drive to make alone.

[kamalamak]

A construction worker one time told me that there are two seasons in Alaska: winter and construction (lol). I like dirt on my Casita and/or truck because it says we're going places and doing stuff.

[trainjunkie]

I have always done this journey alone. Well, me and my two dogs. I enjoy the tranquility but unfortunately I only get to do this journey in the off-season, which is after September and before May. I am either going to work in Alaska, or coming south to visit family in the winter, so I always end up doing this drive outside of the "tourist season".

In the "off-season" a lot of places along the way are closed such as campgrounds/RV parks, museums, gas stations, etc., especially the farther north you get. I'm also usually in a hurry anyway, either rushing to get to work, or trying to outrun old man winter, so I rarely have time to dwell along the way. It's probably a blessing that most things to see are closed for the winter otherwise I'd be stopping all the time to look at different things and it would take a month of Sundays to make the journey. As it is, it takes me six days and I do make a point to change up the route a little every time, plus I try to stop to see at least one attraction. Last fall I made a little detour through British Columbia to visit the West Coast Railway Museum in Squamish. That was well worth the detour.

During the summer season gas stations are pretty easy to come by, even up north. But when I make the journey, many of the ones in the smaller towns are boarded up for the winter. I only get about 10 to 12 miles per gallon towing and my stock 24 gallon tank didn't provide the range I needed for some stretches, so I had a high capacity (46 gallon) replacement fuel tank installed in my Tundra so I don't have to carry much extra gas. I still carry one 5 gallon jug though.

All I can recommend about buying gas is to try to do it in the larger towns where it's significantly cheaper, and when you are down to a 1/2 tank, start looking for gas.

One campground/RV park I've driven by many times and always wanted to stop at is near the White River in the Yukon. It's always closed when I drive by but if I ever get to do this drive at some other time of year, I would definitely be stopping here.

Discovery Yukon Lodgings: Cabins, RV and Tents

If you have any specific questions, post them here and I'll try to provide a useful response. But I'm getting ready to hit the road myself, probably leaving Southern California on Sunday, so I may be off-line for awhile after I depart.

[kamalamak]

Well, those two will go on my 'to do' list. If I think of anything else, I'll post it here. Thanks for the insight