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Old 01-10-2013, 05:59 PM   #1
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Rivet Boondocking through the Yukon ?

The wife and I are headed up through Canada to Alaska next summer
and were wondering if recent veterans of this outing had any tips as to what to expect along the Alkan and Dawson City detour in the Yukon.
Made a trip up there back in 1970 with a Ford Bronco pulling a homemade chuck wagon trailer , camped out every night and did all the cooking beside the road wherever we found a spot to camp. This was about 25 years after the Army cut the trail up there and it was still pretty much just as they had left it in the 40's. There were lots of abandoned camps and a few airfields that had been left . These made for good boondocking spots if we couldn't find a stream to camp by , the wet camps were preferred because the stream water could be used for dish washing and general washing up .

Any heads up would be appreciated !
We greatly prefer boondocking to paid campgrounds.
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Old 01-10-2013, 07:05 PM   #2
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There are still lots of places to camp along side the road. Many of them now are where the old original highway was, and where materials were stored on the side of the road for building the newer sections of the highway. And, it's still legal and accepted.
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Old 01-10-2013, 07:38 PM   #3
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If you go to the "Canada and Alaska Forum" of "RV.Net" and do a search on Boondocking you will find an incredible wealth of information - pay particular attention to posts and threads by Sue.T:

RV.Net Open Roads Forum: RVing in Canada and Alaska


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Old 01-10-2013, 08:00 PM   #4
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Thanks for the RV site look forward to working through it.
Cheers
Barry & Karen in Mi.
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Old 01-11-2013, 04:53 AM   #5
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If you go to the "Canada and Alaska Forum" of "RV.Net" and do a search on Boondocking you will find an incredible wealth of information - pay particular attention to posts and threads by Sue.T:

RV.Net Open Roads Forum: RVing in Canada and Alaska


Jay
Thanks , that site has a wealth of information in it .
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Old 01-11-2013, 04:56 AM   #6
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There are still lots of places to camp along side the road. Many of them now are where the old original highway was, and where materials were stored on the side of the road for building the newer sections of the highway. And, it's still legal and accepted.

Thanks ! did you have any trouble filling water jugs and tank along the way ?
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Old 01-11-2013, 06:35 AM   #7
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Made the trip to Alaska last summer. Roads were in good shape, left Michigan in June. Be prepared for high fuel prices all through Canada. A lot of the small stations are closed or for sale. Buy the current issue of Milepost ,well worth the money.
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Old 01-11-2013, 06:36 AM   #8
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Thanks ! did you have any trouble filling water jugs and tank along the way ?
None at all because we actually stayed mostly at parks.

We had a small dog with us, and big fear of bears.
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Old 01-11-2013, 07:51 AM   #9
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When we went in 2000 we either parked along the roadside or used provincial campgrounds. In Alaska we did the same or used state parks. We never had any problem finding water except in Chicken, where we got it from the creek and chlorinated it.
That trailer (54 Safari) had a porta Potti which we could dump in a toilet or porta john. The same can be done with a regular toilet by dumping every 2 days into a 5 gallon blue tank for "transfer" purposes.
We were gone 3 months and never used any private campgrounds.
As previously mentioned the Milepost is a must have.
The roads were not nearly as bad as the horror stories you hear and we even went above the arctic circle with the trailer
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Old 01-11-2013, 09:06 AM   #10
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We did it in 2008, and beside the Milepost, the next best source of information on places to stop, things to see and do and camp is to ask at every official local state and provincial information center. They have the most up-to-date maps, weather data and data on road conditions and maintenance work. Good luck.
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Old 01-11-2013, 09:15 AM   #11
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As a forum member posted, get a copy of the "milepost" travel guide. I used to live in Alaska and have driven the Alcan several times and flew it in small plane last year. Fuel is a lot more expensive in Canada, especially the further north you go as it gets more remote. I would recommend carrying some extra if you can in storage cans. The good thing is people are friendly and most of the places you can just pull over in a good spot without paying fees. You cannot travel through Canada with a pistol, but I recommend having a short shotgun with big slugs in case you have a bear encounter. They charge $26 for bringing gun into their country, you can download the short form to fill out online and pay them at the border. Bears can't see that well but have great noses and love the smell of food. If you don't have a gun, at least get a big can of bear spray, you can also buy "UDAP" brand spray which the Alaskans prefer. You would have to be pretty brave to let them get close enough to have it be effective though. I had a friend scare them off camping once by beating on pots and pans with a big metal spoon.

It goes without saying that you should have tools/spares/etc. and be reasonably self sufficient. On one of my trips to Alaska I made a mistake and decided to try the "shortcut" Cassier highway which goes further west along edge of B.C.. The Rand Mcnally atlas showed it to be paved. Well it was for the first 100 miles then dirt and gravel for the next 200. Car got trashed/filthy, almost ran out of gas even with extra gas cans. The weather along Alcan is pretty good from mid-April through October, May is a great time before bug and forest fire season. Once you get to early June the road north bound has a lot more traffic. My first exposure to the interior of an Airstream was when we were driving Alcan and a bridge washed out near Burwash Landing. The road was blocked off a few hours and we parked behind an Airstream. The owners put out the awning and lawn chairs and we had tea and cookies while the road crews repaired road crossing.

Last thing, do what you can to protect windshields/glass on Airstream. Every time I drove it I got broken windshields from logging trucks going by me the opposite direction. Every one of our friends did also, so if you can do that without cracks you are very lucky.
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Old 01-11-2013, 09:19 AM   #12
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The road is generally in pretty good shape. It is paved but gets frost heaves every winter, (worse as you go further north). The average winter temps there are bitterly cold and hard on the pavement. They scrape the pavement with bulldozers every summer once it warms up and pave it again, but you will often travel a few miles of pavement, then a short stretch of gravel, then pavement again for miles and miles.

Since there is lots of sunlight in the summer, use solar to your advantage. I had multiple solar cells with me on plane trip last year and kept phone/computer/gps/everything fully charged without ever plugging anything in for a week.
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Old 01-11-2013, 10:07 AM   #13
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Just to add to the discussion here - when we took our once-in-a-lifetime trip to Alaska in 2011 we used mostly campground facilities in Provincial, State, Territorial or National Parks - the exceptions were larger destination centres where we stayed in RV Parks.

In general we found the government agency campgrounds to be well maintained, well designed with large well spaced campsites, usually located within or adjacent to a scenic setting and inexpensive. Sometimes they may have been very basic in amenities (i.e. no electricity, vault toilets etc.) but that has never been an issue with us.

Also, in general, we found the RV Parks to be more serviced gravel parking lots than campgrounds, very small sites, not particularly well maintained and very expensive.

These websites are helpful for government campgrounds:

BC Parks: BC Parks - Province of British Columbia
Yukon Territorial Parks: Yukon Campgrounds
Alaska State Parks: Alaska State Parks
Denali National Park: Denali National Park & Preserve - Denali National Park & Preserve

I believe the Cassiar highway has been paved in recent years - we drove it, had no problems and would highly recommend that it be used as either the trip up or the trip back. Having said that - it is true that you will run into gravel stretches (on all the highways) - some lengthy - where resurfacing is being done - so yes - protecting the front of your trailer is a good idea - you should be able to find at least a couple of threads in this forum on what folks have done to protect the front of their Airstreams.

In addition to the "Milestone" there is another magazine that we found very helpful:

Travelers Guide to Alaskan Camping: Traveler's Guide to Alaskan Camping by Mike and Terri Church

Both books are terrific - but we found their greatest value to be in short-term planning (i.e. the night before or the day of travel) - not so much long-term planning from your home. The best long-term planning is what you are doing now - getting the advice of others who've "been there done that".


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Old 01-11-2013, 10:30 AM   #14
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Originally Posted by mtbguy View Post
As a forum member posted, get a copy of the "milepost" travel guide. I used to live in Alaska and have driven the Alcan several times and flew it in small plane last year. Fuel is a lot more expensive in Canada, especially the further north you go as it gets more remote. I would recommend carrying some extra if you can in storage cans. The good thing is people are friendly and most of the places you can just pull over in a good spot without paying fees. You cannot travel through Canada with a pistol, but I recommend having a short shotgun with big slugs in case you have a bear encounter. They charge $26 for bringing gun into their country, you can download the short form to fill out online and pay them at the border. Bears can't see that well but have great noses and love the smell of food. If you don't have a gun, at least get a big can of bear spray, you can also buy "UDAP" brand spray which the Alaskans prefer. You would have to be pretty brave to let them get close enough to have it be effective though. I had a friend scare them off camping once by beating on pots and pans with a big metal spoon.

It goes without saying that you should have tools/spares/etc. and be reasonably self sufficient. On one of my trips to Alaska I made a mistake and decided to try the "shortcut" Cassier highway which goes further west along edge of B.C.. The Rand Mcnally atlas showed it to be paved. Well it was for the first 100 miles then dirt and gravel for the next 200. Car got trashed/filthy, almost ran out of gas even with extra gas cans. The weather along Alcan is pretty good from mid-April through October, May is a great time before bug and forest fire season. Once you get to early June the road north bound has a lot more traffic. My first exposure to the interior of an Airstream was when we were driving Alcan and a bridge washed out near Burwash Landing. The road was blocked off a few hours and we parked behind an Airstream. The owners put out the awning and lawn chairs and we had tea and cookies while the road crews repaired road crossing.

Last thing, do what you can to protect windshields/glass on Airstream. Every time I drove it I got broken windshields from logging trucks going by me the opposite direction. Every one of our friends did also, so if you can do that without cracks you are very lucky.
Thanks for the update ! The trailer has rock shields on it, but am going to put some mudflaps on the Dodge and some behind the rear wheels of the trailer to cut down on the amount of gravel chunked up into the drain and gas lines back there. was planing to come back down the Cassier route,It did not exist the last time I was up that way I think. ???
We drove to Alaska from Houston back in 1970 in a Ford Bronco pulling a homemade chuckwagon trailer, had a white gas stove and a 9x9 umbrella tent. camped out every night and cooked all the food along the way. Managed to avoid being eaten by bears, but had a 30-06 rifle and a little M-1 30 caliber carbine at the ready just in case. Could still have the 30 round clips for the carbine back then.
Bought a couple of plastic headlight bubble protectors in Dawson Creek BC and they managed to save the headlight from damage , but the windshield was busted up pretty bad on the trip. The road was pretty much the way the Army left it after WW two so gravel ,rocks, and mud were an every day thing. We fixed a load of flats at the campsites , brought along tire tools, patches and boots as well as several spare tubes to compliment our half dozen spare tires and wheels .same wheels on the trailer as the Bronco. Aired em up with a huffer puffer that screwed into a spark plug hole , idle the engine and it worked fine. Only had one spare left 10,000 miles later at home.
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Old 01-11-2013, 04:19 PM   #15
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That past trip sounded pretty rough! The road is 100 times better than that now, I drove a Mazda Miata on one of my trips about 5 years ago (on the Alcan only). No flats just really dirty car and cracked windshield. I have never heard of spark plug inflation device- pretty clever!
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Old 01-12-2013, 01:38 PM   #16
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dannydimitt View Post
Thanks for the update ! The trailer has rock shields on it, but am going to put some mudflaps on the Dodge and some behind the rear wheels of the trailer to cut down on the amount of gravel chunked up into the drain and gas lines back there. was planing to come back down the Cassier route,It did not exist the last time I was up that way I think. ???
We drove to Alaska from Houston back in 1970 in a Ford Bronco pulling a homemade chuckwagon trailer, had a white gas stove and a 9x9 umbrella tent. camped out every night and cooked all the food along the way. Managed to avoid being eaten by bears, but had a 30-06 rifle and a little M-1 30 caliber carbine at the ready just in case. Could still have the 30 round clips for the carbine back then.
Bought a couple of plastic headlight bubble protectors in Dawson Creek BC and they managed to save the headlight from damage , but the windshield was busted up pretty bad on the trip. The road was pretty much the way the Army left it after WW two so gravel ,rocks, and mud were an every day thing. We fixed a load of flats at the campsites , brought along tire tools, patches and boots as well as several spare tubes to compliment our half dozen spare tires and wheels .same wheels on the trailer as the Bronco. Aired em up with a huffer puffer that screwed into a spark plug hole , idle the engine and it worked fine. Only had one spare left 10,000 miles later at home.
A picture of the trailer and Bronco at a campsite North of Watson Lake headed for Ross River , Yukon Territory. 1970
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Old 04-05-2013, 05:25 PM   #17
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I have done the roundtrip AZ, AK for the last ten years. I either tow an Airstream, or take the Land Yacht motorhome. Through the highway is paved, gravel is a constant problem. I have had rocks take out the drain valve on the trailer's water tank, put a hole in the window rock guard and innumerable dents in the trailer. If you lose your water valve, take out one of the bolts that holds the jack to the frame, it will seal the leak and you can fill up again. It also pays to have a "water thief" along to fill up from a non-threaded spigot. Folks who bring up trailers to AK for resale attach carpeting to the front of the trailer for rock protection.

Once on the Alcan, and past the oil traffic, turnouts provide ok to great stops. Provincial Parks are also very nice though I find Laird too crowded. I stop there for the hot springs then continue North and look for a turnout. As others have said fuel is pricey. I have a 100 gallon tank in the bed which helps.

Great trip though, I look forward to doing it it year.

Good luck.
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Old 04-08-2013, 06:38 PM   #18
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Originally Posted by Soiree View Post
I have done the roundtrip AZ, AK for the last ten years. I either tow an Airstream, or take the Land Yacht motorhome. Through the highway is paved, gravel is a constant problem. I have had rocks take out the drain valve on the trailer's water tank, put a hole in the window rock guard and innumerable dents in the trailer. If you lose your water valve, take out one of the bolts that holds the jack to the frame, it will seal the leak and you can fill up again. It also pays to have a "water thief" along to fill up from a non-threaded spigot. Folks who bring up trailers to AK for resale attach carpeting to the front of the trailer for rock protection.

Once on the Alcan, and past the oil traffic, turnouts provide ok to great stops. Provincial Parks are also very nice though I find Laird too crowded. I stop there for the hot springs then continue North and look for a turnout. As others have said fuel is pricey. I have a 100 gallon tank in the bed which helps.

Great trip though, I look forward to doing it it year.

Good luck.
Great info ! have one of those water thief dodads on the way ! Couple of questions?
Where does one get past the oil traffic ? and if heading up mid June and returning mid August , would you suggest doing the Cassier route on the way up or on the way back ? or does it not make any difference ?
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Old 04-13-2013, 07:55 AM   #19
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Sounds like you are going to have a wonderful trip. I have spent the last 28 summers in the Yukon it is a beautiful place.

ENJOY, maybe i will see you there.
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Old 04-13-2013, 09:07 AM   #20
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The Cassiar is paved and a pretty good highway. You can go north on the Alaska Hwy and return on the Cassiar. The conditions improve constantly on the major highways. Gravel is a problem during construction season as sections of the road break up each winter. Also, frost heaves along the way cause bumps and gravel breaks. They get fixed pretty quickly, but there will be lots of them and you have to watch carefully. They put red flags on the berm for most, but not all of them. You will be going pretty fast and have to slow for them quickly when you see them. It gets tiring to drive some sections, but it is worth the to see all the things you will see. The further north, the more gravel breaks, especially when you get to permafrost.

Gas, food, campgrounds are available, but try to not let the gauge go below half and buy gas when you can and bring some extra gas cans just in case. Some areas are especially expensive for gas (and everything else). There are fewer campgrounds, gas and food on the Cassiar, but just plan ahead. The Alaska Hwy. has been straightened and improved greatly in the past generation and most is quite good highway. The worst section was in the last 150 miles in Yukon before arriving at the Alaska border in 2010.

When you enter the US, the border guys were more interested in whether you had fresh fruit than anything else. Check the gov't websites for what is prohibited and what is ok. The food requirements for the US change frequently and confuse many. There are a lot of new border guards in the US. They are inexperienced and treat everyone as suspicious. Few even say "hello" or welcome you back to the US. Canadian border guys are a lot friendlier.

Bear spray is a good idea though we have never had a bear problem. They can smell food from very far away and will come to check it out. Do not leave food outside for long. Even a table cloth or other items with food on them will attract bears. If you bring a "long gun" (Canadian for rifle) you will have to declare it. Trying to hide firearms to get across the border will mean serious consequences if you are caught.

Yukon has some very nice provincial campgrounds (you'll have to have Canadian money to pay). There are many, many large turnouts which could be used for overnight camping, but many are not level. Check on the provincial website for restrictions.

The Milepost and good maps are essential. Once you get past the big cities such as Edmonton, things are far apart and it is many, many miles to everywhere. You will see more trees than you ever have before.

Have good road insurance such as Good Sam. Fixing a serious problem can take days while they wait for parts. Good Sam will tow people hundreds of miles to a garage that is qualified. If in Yukon, that would usually mean Whitehorse because that's where just about all the car and truck dealers are in that province. Make sure you tow vehicle and trailer are in great shape before you leave. bring tools to fix minor things. A tire repair kit and a compressor are important because if you get a flat, you may have to fix it yourself. We have had one flat in 3 trips to Alaska (about 30,000 miles driving). Bring an extra oil filter in case you have one that is not too common. You will see warnings some gravel roads are known for flats, but those days are over and the chance of a flat is not much more than further south. We have also gotten windshield damage, but not much more than anywhere else. It is part of the trip. Years ago people used to put big cages on the front of their vehicles to protect from gravel, but no more. If you travel off the paved roads, you will get very dirty vehicles. Mud will stick to the inside of the wheels causing them to get way out of balance sometimes—wash them carefully. Car washes are usually just a high pressure hose outside and it costs about $10 to clean everything, but there are sometimes gas stations that have a free wash with a fill up—look for those.

Since the sun will be up most of the time, you can drive in daylight all the time and may feel energized by the midnight sun. You do fine for a few days of staying up late and waking up early, but then you'll need to catch up on sleep. June and July have the most sun and above the Arctic Circle, it will circle in the sky and never go down. Dark curtains in the trailer help you sleep—we put Reflectix on the bedroom windows to keep it dark when the sun is still up. Mosquitos are most active in early summer and noseeums in the second half of summer. I'll take mosquitos over noseeums because you can see them. Mostly, mosquitos are not a problem, but you'll run into areas where they swarm and make you run fast for shelter. Anywhere wet, such as tundra, are the worst places for flying bugs.

Liard Hot Springs is a favorite stop. Free for the hot springs! Last time we went by it was raining, so we didn't stop. Canadians don't call it "The Yukon"; it is Yukon. "Alcan" doesn't seem to be used anymore for the Alaska Highway and along it it is just "The Highway".

It is a great trip. You need to check all this stuff out and prepare carefully, but it is a trip of a lifetime, and we've had 3 lifetimes so far.

Gene
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