KL7j
Active Member
Re: 2011 Alaska Trip..
I live in Alaska (past 40 years and near Soldotna on the Kenai Peninsula. Now retired and have a BH parked here but we do not full time or snow bird by choice), and have traveled the Alaska Highway 27 times.
I have brought 5th's up and down the highway, plus travel trailer and campers.
If you have any specific questions, give a holler.
The Alaska Highway is remote by 'south 48' standards, many like groups and that security, but also quite a few do the trip by themselves. The groups do more of the tourist trap stops and are catered and requested by tourist businesses (they often are summer out of state residents). Individual travel has a bit more local flavor.
I dry camp all the way every year and security has not ever been an issue. The large groups adn tours pull into the RV parks but usually there are some spaces left (not always without reservations tho).
If you dry camp, you can travel when the wildlife is out till your tired then take the next dry camping area in the late evenings as the sun sets near midnight in summer. Many don't see near the wildlife and are disappointed by pulling into the RV parks by say 5 PM. I get asked often where is the wildlife. There are some interesting side trips too. I would not miss going to the Arctic Ocean, or to the Northwest Territories via Dempster Hwy, but in some areas I would drop the 5th for a day or over night like the Arctic Ocean Dalton Hwy in AK or the Dempster in the YT. Also a 5th is easy tow to to Dawson City, YT and Homer, AK or Atlin, BC.
The Mile Post is a good reference for what your considering on a first time trip basis. Fuel this Oct was $5 US gallon in some long stretches (Toad River) so be ready for sticker shock but it is a 326 mile section out of Fort Nelson mainly of mountains and passes so you might want some fuel from a relatively high volume (low water in fuel risk) spot
I have GPS mapped the dry camping pull offs and gravel pads, plus the infamous frost heaves (about a 120 mile section near the Yukon/Alaska border.) from Dawson Creek, BC to near Anchorage. It is in Garmin POI format or generic GPX file format if your into GPS and POI's, and would like a copy.
Enjoy your trip, slow down in that bad section, I see so many 5th's with over hang and springs damaged from under estimating the tilted heaves, cracks and too much speed when tired or in a hurry.
June is a good month, lots of young wildlife, a dry month, and spring just really starting.
I just read the thread by aatauses and thought it might be nice to start a thread just about going to Alaska.
I thought I might list those that are going so maybe we could look each other up and see where we are and what we are doing to prepare to take the trip.
Books:
Mile Post
Mike and Terri Church Traveler's Guide to Alaskan Camping
Bob & Pat Curry Starting from Rayford Crossing in April
Dave & Julie Bennington from Goshen IN in June
Dean and Terri around april from VA
I hope there are others wanting to use this thread.
BC
I live in Alaska (past 40 years and near Soldotna on the Kenai Peninsula. Now retired and have a BH parked here but we do not full time or snow bird by choice), and have traveled the Alaska Highway 27 times.
I have brought 5th's up and down the highway, plus travel trailer and campers.
If you have any specific questions, give a holler.
The Alaska Highway is remote by 'south 48' standards, many like groups and that security, but also quite a few do the trip by themselves. The groups do more of the tourist trap stops and are catered and requested by tourist businesses (they often are summer out of state residents). Individual travel has a bit more local flavor.
I dry camp all the way every year and security has not ever been an issue. The large groups adn tours pull into the RV parks but usually there are some spaces left (not always without reservations tho).
If you dry camp, you can travel when the wildlife is out till your tired then take the next dry camping area in the late evenings as the sun sets near midnight in summer. Many don't see near the wildlife and are disappointed by pulling into the RV parks by say 5 PM. I get asked often where is the wildlife. There are some interesting side trips too. I would not miss going to the Arctic Ocean, or to the Northwest Territories via Dempster Hwy, but in some areas I would drop the 5th for a day or over night like the Arctic Ocean Dalton Hwy in AK or the Dempster in the YT. Also a 5th is easy tow to to Dawson City, YT and Homer, AK or Atlin, BC.
The Mile Post is a good reference for what your considering on a first time trip basis. Fuel this Oct was $5 US gallon in some long stretches (Toad River) so be ready for sticker shock but it is a 326 mile section out of Fort Nelson mainly of mountains and passes so you might want some fuel from a relatively high volume (low water in fuel risk) spot
I have GPS mapped the dry camping pull offs and gravel pads, plus the infamous frost heaves (about a 120 mile section near the Yukon/Alaska border.) from Dawson Creek, BC to near Anchorage. It is in Garmin POI format or generic GPX file format if your into GPS and POI's, and would like a copy.
Enjoy your trip, slow down in that bad section, I see so many 5th's with over hang and springs damaged from under estimating the tilted heaves, cracks and too much speed when tired or in a hurry.
June is a good month, lots of young wildlife, a dry month, and spring just really starting.
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