Alaska Bound

[SLO]

Starting our journey to Alaska in a couple of weeks. Would love to know if anyone else is going so I can keep my eye out for you. Entering BC on 6/6 via Osoyoos. Denali 7/8 via Dawson City and Top of World. Kenai 7/18 and then Valdez 7/29. Down to Haines then south to US on 8/23. Already have scheduled, float trip on upper Kenai for big Bows and 6 pack for Homer halibut.


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[DougS]

We are also headed to Alaska this year starting out from Florida on June 1st and our only reservation so far is Denali NP for 5 nights of dry camping. We will be passing through Dawson City on the way up. We are traveling light this trip leaving our Bighorn on the side of the house. We bought a used Truck Camper for this trip. So if you see a Arctic Fox Truck Camper on a Maroon Ford F-350, give us a wave. Have a great trip.

 

[wdk450]

Years ago on this forum, Alaska travelers talked about the permafrost areas frost heave damaged roads. Let us know if this is still a problem.

 

[8404fmfvet]

Starting our journey to Alaska in a couple of weeks. Would love to know if anyone else is going so I can keep my eye out for you. Entering BC on 6/6 via Osoyoos. Denali 7/8 via Dawson City and Top of World. Kenai 7/18 and then Valdez 7/29. Down to Haines then south to US on 8/23. Already have scheduled, float trip on upper Kenai for big Bows and 6 pack for Homer halibut.


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The bow fishing isn't good until the fall, but the fishing for reds should be starting to pick up around that time. As far as frost heaves go pretty much from Destruction Bay in the YT to just north of Glennallen, AK, is where you typically see the worst of it. I will pass you on the way out, I am heading south same route.

 

[SLO]

The bow fishing isn't good until the fall,

The fishing is always good, even if the catching is not. ;-)



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[SLO]

As far as frost heaves go pretty much from Destruction Bay in the YT to just north of Glennallen, AK, is where you typically see the worst of it.

Good to know. Thanks. Will be on part of that route on the way up and part on the way down.



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[8404fmfvet]

The fishing is always good, even if the catching is not. ;-)



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Well that I guess is up to interpretation, I grew up fishing in Alaska, and while it is "good," it is nothing like it used to be. But true any day on the water is better then anything in my book. Probably the one reason I stayed put for so long.

As for the road conditions your welcome, those frost heaves can be nasty and come out of now where, I can imagine the damage they can cause when they sneak up on you. As a matter of fact I am considering taking two days to get to Whitehorse on my trip south due to the roads.

 

[travelin2]

Make sure you have a current copy of the “Milepost” an excellent information source for anyone traveling to Alaska
Stop in at the Dawson Creek visitor center for current road conditions
As for frost heaves and road conditions, in 2015 the Alaska highway was in great shape until we were somewhere north of Destruction Bay in the Yukon. Keep an eye out for the red flags along the roadway marking imperfections in the road surface. Not all hazards are marked this way but most were
Travel safe


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[Nabo]

Years ago on this forum, Alaska travelers talked about the permafrost areas frost heave damaged roads. Let us know if this is still a problem.

In 2017 - permafrost were a big problem. Ya would look for the little flags on the side of the road. This is how the road crew would mark the permafrosts weekly.

 

[Jim Posz]

We drove up and back in 2014 and 2018. Put the rig on the ferry from Prince Rupert to Haines both times with intermediate stops.
Frost heave was an issue both trips. It's not the crash of potholes but a deep bouncing that can be tough on the suspension. My advice is to consider having your spring brackets reinforced if you have not already done so and consider bringing along a couple of extra leaf springs.

We broke two springs on the 2018 trip and met a couple folks with the heavier rigs who had their brackets break. There have been other discussions about how the brackets should be beefed up.

Please don't let this post deter you. The 2014 trip was the fulfilment of a bucket list thing, and 2018 was to pick up some of the things we missed the first time. The Lord willing there will be a 2022 trip. Take your time and enjoy.
Jim

 

[SLO]

We drove up and back in 2014 and 2018. Put the rig on the ferry from Prince Rupert to Haines both times with intermediate stops.
Frost heave was an issue both trips. It's not the crash of potholes but a deep bouncing that can be tough on the suspension. My advice is to consider having your spring brackets reinforced if you have not already done so and consider bringing along a couple of extra leaf springs.

We broke two springs on the 2018 trip and met a couple folks with the heavier rigs who had their brackets break. There have been other discussions about how the brackets should be beefed up.

Please don't let this post deter you. The 2014 trip was the fulfilment of a bucket list thing, and 2018 was to pick up some of the things we missed the first time. The Lord willing there will be a 2022 trip. Take your time and enjoy.
Jim

We did the MorRyde IS last Sept. No more springs, hanger brackets or axles. But I’ll still slow down for frost heaves. ;-)


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[2PawsRiver]

The bow fishing isn't good until the fall, but the fishing for reds should be starting to pick up around that time. As far as frost heaves go pretty much from Destruction Bay in the YT to just north of Glennallen, AK, is where you typically see the worst of it. I will pass you on the way out, I am heading south same route.

July is a great time to be on the Kenai Penn.

In Hope, check out the Seaview, right on the bay at the mouth of Resurrection Creek, which will be chock full of Pinks. At the mouth we have seen Whales and Seals, on the creek Grizzly and Black Bear. Great views, cool Museum, original buildings and incredible place with great fishing and hiking.

Near Hope is 6 Mile Creek, might as well go white water rafting.....world class rapids and a great trip with NovaAlaska White Water rafting.

Near Sterling...Alaska Raft and Canoe Campground, the owner is Max Finch, incredible guy and an unbelievable source of information. I have bothered him 100s of time as I plan trips, everything from hiking from Mountain Lakes, coordinating canoe trips and raft trips, fishing info, hunting info, everything...….what others will spend a thousand dollars to do he will help you do it yourself for so much less.

If you make it to Homer, then go out to the end of the spit to the Homer Spit Campground, fish right from shore, we caught everything from Cod, Skates, Halibut, and stuff we couldn't name and the views are unbeatable.....Sea Otters are cool as well.

When you head north Past Palmer and Wasilla, before Talkeetna take the road to where the Forked Road Tavern once was and dry camp there. You will catch Grayling and Rainbows. You will also hook kings, but can't keep them.

You could stay busy on the Peninsula for a month without any problem and see all there is to see.....​

We will be making the drive up summer of 2021.....I will be interested to see how your trip goes...if you need any info on the Peninsula let me know......or call Max.

 

[SLO]

When you head north Past Palmer and Wasilla, before Talkeetna take the road to where the Forked Road Tavern once was and dry camp there. You will catch Grayling and Rainbows. You will also hook kings, but can't keep them.

We’re heading south from Denali, I’ll see if I can find that spot. Will try for Graylings while in Fairbanks.



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[SLO]

Getting close to finishing up our Alaska adventure. We’ve only seen about 1/2 dozen Heartlands on our trip, mostly passing on the road. Hoping to meet more Heartlanders but made many new SOB friends. Glennallen to Destruction Bay was about the worst of the frost heaves as was predicted above. Also, the Tok cutoff was pretty bad because of road construction. We did see a few of these at Hyder AK though.

https://vimeo.com/354437968


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[8404fmfvet]

Getting close to finishing up our Alaska adventure. We’ve only seen about 1/2 dozen Heartlands on our trip, mostly passing on the road. Hoping to meet more Heartlanders but made many new SOB friends. Glennallen to Destruction Bay was about the worst of the frost heaves as was predicted above. Also, the Tok cutoff was pretty bad because of road construction. We did see a few of these at Hyder AK though.

https://vimeo.com/354437968


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I also didn’t see a lot of HL brands on my way south, but Cyclone was the most typical of the HL brands I saw. But traveling around the states I don’t see many toy haulers made by HL they regular campers/5th wheels.