Lucy is Finally Going to Alaska

[Gene]

We have been three times—2002, 2006, 2010. We kept going back because we enjoyed the uniqueness, the remoteness, the beauty. Impossible to see it all in one trip and stay a bit relaxed. You'll know soon enough whether you want to go back again. You live farther away, so good you are taking more time than we did. Our first two trips were 6 weeks, the last 8 (the only one with trailer). Fairbanks is roughly 3,500 miles from us, probably 5,000 for you. Northwest Canada has a lot to offer too, so it is not only Alaska you are visiting.

[dstalzer]

Originally Posted by moosetags

We have another question for those of you who have been to Alaska multiple times. What are the features that keep you coming back to Alaska?

Brian

We have driven to Alaska two times, once pulling our Airstream in 2015 and with our Truck Camper in 2018. There is so much to see because Alaska is a very big state. Our first trip was 91 days and our second trip was 88 days driving 13,000 miles + on each trip. We took the truck camper in 2018 because we wanted to go up the Dempster highway to the Arctic Ocean and we are glad we did on that trip because of the road conditions. In 2015 we spent a fair amount of time in the Kenai Peninsula going to Seward, Homer and staying six days in a State Rec area along Cook Inlet at Ninilchek. There are numerous historic sites and museums scattered around the state. We spend three days in Denali in 2018 where we got lucky and were able to see the mountain all three days. On both trips we have seen lots of wildlife including moose, caribou, elk, black and brown bears. In Ninilchek we watched lots of bald eagles day an night. The scenery in Alaska, The Yukon and British Columbia is awesome and is unlike that in the lower 48.

We plan to return in another year or two.

Dennis

[gypsydad]

Originally Posted by dstalzer

We have driven to Alaska two times, once pulling our Airstream in 2015 and with our Truck Camper in 2018. There is so much to see because Alaska is a very big state. Our first trip was 91 days and our second trip was 88 days driving 13,000 miles + on each trip. We took the truck camper in 2018 because we wanted to go up the Dempster highway to the Arctic Ocean and we are glad we did on that trip because of the road conditions. In 2015 we spent a fair amount of time in the Kenai Peninsula going to Seward, Homer and staying six days in a State Rec area along Cook Inlet at Ninilchek. There are numerous historic sites and museums scattered around the state. We spend three days in Denali in 2018 where we got lucky and were able to see the mountain all three days. On both trips we have seen lots of wildlife including moose, caribou, elk, black and brown bears. In Ninilchek we watched lots of bald eagles day an night. The scenery in Alaska, The Yukon and British Columbia is awesome and is unlike that in the lower 48.

We plan to return in another year or two.

Dennis

Thanks for that. We are looking to head up there end of July Denali and Homer on the list/destination; how were the roads? We plan to bring our 28' and I've heard mixed reviews on the road conditions, gravel, rocks, etc...is it all paved or what should we expect as of last year?

[Gene]

In 2010, roads to Homer and Denali were paved. The major highways are paved, but deterioration over the winter can mean sections are being rebuilt and will be gravel or dirt. There also will be frost heaves and broken pavement in places. They are usually marked with red flags by the side of the road, but not always. In places you will have to slow way down because of the heaves especially and when you have to do that every 100' or 100 yards, it gets old fast. Mostly, however the roads are good unless you want to go to remote places such as on the Dempster or Dalton Highways. But over the years more and more roads are paved (for ex., the first time we traveled the Cassier Hwy., it was mostly gravel, several years later it was 95% paved). I expect even more roads have been paved since 2010. The best source of information for that in one place is the Milepost—and it is good for many things while you travel the north country.

[dstalzer]

Gypsydad

Road conditions were quite good in Alaska on our trip in 2018. The Alaska Highway from Destruction Bay, Yukon to Beaver Creek, Yukon was in much better condition than in 2015. This section of road has a lot of gravel and is worked in some areas all summer. The best thing to do is take it easy on gravel and if meeting other vehicles slow down even more and stay far to the right as is safe.

The other road that has lots of gravel is the Taylor highway from Chicken, Alaska going to the Top of the World Highway to Dawson City, Yukon. The amazing thing on this route is the last 10 or 15 miles before the border has the best paved section of road in Alaska. We have driven this route in 2015 and 2018 and I highly recommend it because the scenery is awesome and this is a good way to get to Dawson City without backtracking.

A recommendation I have in Whitehorse, Yukon is Hi Country RV Park. We have stayed there twice after staying at another RV park and found it to be the best one in the area. Whitehorse has some very interesting things to see including Beringia Museum, the Transportation Museum, Art Galleries and just strolling along the Yukon river. Also in Whitehorse is Fireweed RV repair which we have utilized two times, once for a part for our Airstream and another time to have them replace a gas line for our truck camper. They are reasonable and seem to be very knowledgeable about RV repairs.

Dennis

[gypsydad]

Originally Posted by dstalzer

Gypsydad

Road conditions were quite good in Alaska on our trip in 2018. The Alaska Highway from Destruction Bay, Yukon to Beaver Creek, Yukon was in much better condition than in 2015. This section of road has a lot of gravel and is worked in some areas all summer. The best thing to do is take it easy on gravel and if meeting other vehicles slow down even more and stay far to the right as is safe.

The other road that has lots of gravel is the Taylor highway from Chicken, Alaska going to the Top of the World Highway to Dawson City, Yukon. The amazing thing on this route is the last 10 or 15 miles before the border has the best paved section of road in Alaska. We have driven this route in 2015 and 2018 and I highly recommend it because the scenery is awesome and this is a good way to get to Dawson City without backtracking.

A recommendation I have in Whitehorse, Yukon is Hi Country RV Park. We have stayed there twice after staying at another RV park and found it to be the best one in the area. Whitehorse has some very interesting things to see including Beringia Museum, the Transportation Museum, Art Galleries and just strolling along the Yukon river. Also in Whitehorse is Fireweed RV repair which we have utilized two times, once for a part for our Airstream and another time to have them replace a gas line for our truck camper. They are reasonable and seem to be very knowledgeable about RV repairs.

Dennis

Thanks Dennis...appreciate your sharing.

[gypsydad]

Originally Posted by Gene

In 2010, roads to Homer and Denali were paved. The major highways are paved, but deterioration over the winter can mean sections are being rebuilt and will be gravel or dirt. There also will be frost heaves and broken pavement in places. They are usually marked with red flags by the side of the road, but not always. In places you will have to slow way down because of the heaves especially and when you have to do that every 100' or 100 yards, it gets old fast. Mostly, however the roads are good unless you want to go to remote places such as on the Dempster or Dalton Highways. But over the years more and more roads are paved (for ex., the first time we traveled the Cassier Hwy., it was mostly gravel, several years later it was 95% paved). I expect even more roads have been paved since 2010. The best source of information for that in one place is the Milepost—and it is good for many things while you travel the north country.

Thanks Gene...I read your earlier posts, also. The recent 2018 road conditions and recommendations are also very useful as we all know the winters are very harsh on the roads up North.

[Gene]

I haven't been on the Top of the World Hwy since 2002, but I will affirm it is an amazing drive. There can be quite a backup at Dawson City because the ferry cannot take many vehicles at once; better to travel west to east so you don't get stuck in the dark on the highway. I am unsure what the hours are at the border control stations (or ferry), so you may be stuck waiting overnight. The condition of that road has changed many times. I recall information years ago that it had been paved on the Canada side, but the pavement had deteriorated badly and quickly, making it worse than it ever had been before. It seems it has been fixed, but best to check carefully. Between the Alaska Hwy and Dawson City there was little or no access to repair facilities as late as 2010, so tire repair kits and a compressor plus other tools is a good idea.

This road is worth all that trouble, though thorough research and a good attitude about fixing things are necessary. If you go to Chicken, Alaska, the road to Eagle is full of blind curves and some very narrow stretches. I would not take a trailer to Eagle (i.e., past the turnoff to the Top of the World Hwy.), but glad we drove without the trailer to see the town on the Yukon R. I picked up a broken chain link in one tire and has to fix it myself once we returned to Chicken—be prepared.

[dmand001]

Appreciate all info here, ty. Our dream an AK trip & most likely 2020.

[moosetags]

Lucy's departure is getting close. We are targeting June 3rd, a week from today. we are in the process of loading her up, and doing last minute checks and cleaning.

Brian

[pjshier]

Recent travels along the road between Haines and Wasilla a couple of times recently reflect general good conditions, with the inevitable summer construction season underway. There are a few flagged stop/go sections which are well marked in advance.

For the novice northern traveler - the insidious frost-heaves are the worst, in my opinion. Looks like good blacktop one minute, then it goes all mega-bumps and you find the interior of your coach a wreck at the next stop. Worst sections of surprise heaves are between the US Border and about 30 miles south of Tok, the Tok Cutoff between Tok and Gakona, and the Glenn Highway just south (Palmer side) of Eureka Summit. These Glenn highway seasonal heaves are back, and well marked in advance. Just SLOW DOWN and you will be fine. The Tok Cutoff heaves are typically marked right at the site - a little late if you are tooling at 60mph.

In general, the Glenn Highway between Glennallen and Palmer is in great shape, with hazards and recommended speeds marked well in advance. There are great, wide, modern stretches interspersed with the older narrow steep and windy sections that are posted with recommended speeds below the speed limit. There are frequent passing lanes on long hills and reminders for slow vehicles with five behind to pull over when possible.

The weather has been GREAT this spring. Just got back from launching the fish wheel in Glennallen last night; headed back there soon.

[xrvr]

Originally Posted by moosetags

Lucy's departure is getting close. We are targeting June 3rd, a week from today. we are in the process of loading her up, and doing last minute checks and cleaning.

Brian

pretrip jitters!? Have a great trip, keep us informed please. Hope there are not too many thread hijacks. Might be nice to get away from the heat down here.

[ROBERTSUNRUS]

Hi, as mentioned above, and from our Alaska trip, there are road markers that let you know where the road has, had, and will have problems.

[pdavitt]

Originally Posted by pjshier

I was born in Fairbanks, lived in Juneau and now in Southcentral - near what our neighbors in Fairbanks used to call "Los Anchorage." I'd wager the best land-based accessible view of Denali is from the Parks Highway northbound, just south of Talkeetna - or - at the scenic pull-out just outside Talkeetna. Certainly inside the Park or by air is spectacular - but less accessible in terms of time and hit/miss weather. Talkeetna is fun and funky little town and the hopping-off place for rail, boat and air excursions. Our favorite is the Talkeetna RV and Boat Launch. It is off the track a bit and boondock only, but near the river, walking distance to "downtown" Talkeetna by hopping the railroad tracks at the end of a short trail along the riverside. We have been able to score a riverside spot more often than not. If you get there in the rain, hang out a few days and when it clears you are short bike ride to the scenic lookout. In the meantime there is local beer and pizza.

I don't live in Alaska, but I have spent a lot of time there. (Oil Business) The most fun I ever had was in Talkeetna. It is a throw back to a simpler time with a fantastic sense of humor. They used to have a great event called the "Moose Dropping Festival" Until PETA shut them down because they thought they were actually dropping live moose from aircraft. They were only dropping "Moose Droppings (Moose S**t) from the aircraft.

Been awhile since I was up there but hopefully the festival is back.

Please don't ask me about my opinion of PETA.


Forgot to add: The best time IMHO to be in Alaska is January. I will never forget Denali looming over Anchorage with no clouds. Took the Alaska Railroad from Anchorage to Fairbanks and met great people along the way. In winter the train stops for anyone standing by the side of the tracks and flagging them down. Alaska is habit forming.


Pat

[Hittenstiehl]

Brian will you guys be doing a separate thread or using this one?

[moosetags]

Originally Posted by Hittenstiehl

Brian will you guys be doing a separate thread or using this one?

We will start a new trip thread on the day of departure.

Briam

[HiHoAgRV]

Originally Posted by moosetags

Lucy's departure is getting close. We are targeting June 3rd, a week from today. we are in the process of loading her up, and doing last minute checks and cleaning.



Brian

We are heading out a couple of days before you, going in the same general direction but will turn around somewhere this side of Canada. No real itinerary, no reservations.

[williams89]

Originally Posted by dstalzer

SuEllen and Brian,

We have been to Alaska overland two times. On the first trip we spent 91 days and on the second trip 88 days. In 2015 we pulled our Airstream with our 2011 Ford F250. We had no problems with tires on the truck which had 30,000 miles on them and we had just installed new 16" wheels and Michelin tires on the trailer before we started the trip. I installed large mud flaps for the rear truck tires preventing most of the rocks and gravel from damaging the trailer.
We drove the Stewart Classier Highway on the way to Alaska and found it to be very scenic and interesting. We were in Fairbanks on June 21 where we stayed for 3 days before leaving due to lots of smoke from forest fires. There were lots of fires in that part of Alaska in 2015. From Fairbanks we went to Anchorage and then on to the Kenai peninsula where we camped several places including Ninilchek at a State Rec Area (State Park) right on the banks of Cook Inlet for 5 days. In Seward we stayed at the city campground right on the waters edge, a beautiful location and reasonable. In Seward, a highlight was the Sea life Aquarium, a day trip on Resurrection Bay where we observed glaciers, whales, puffins and other wildlife. Exit Glacier is right out of town and has markers showing how far it has receded over the past 50 years or so. We returned to the US via the Alaska Highway and then across Alberta, Saskatchewan and into Manitoba where we crossed the border.


In 2018 we decided to go to Alaska and to Tuktoyaktuk on the Arctic Ocean. Since the Dempster Highway is more rugged, we took our truck camper instead of the Airstream. The Alaska highway was in better shape than in 2015. After spending some time in Alaska, we traveled through Chicken and on the Top of the World Highway, which we had previously traveled in 2015. The road from Chicken to the Yukon border is mostly gravel with the last 15 or so miles of the road to the Yukon border is all paved and is like a new highway. From Dawson City we traveled up the Dempster Highway to Inuvik and then on to Tuktoyaktuk where we camped on the shore of the Arctic Ocean and waded in the Arctic Ocean. While in Inuvik where we stayed several days, we made friends with several of the local people and we enjoyed the Northwest Arts Festival. I decided to risk going with tires that had 32,000 miles on them and had no problems. After all the gravel, rocks and dirt of the Dempster Highway the tires were looking quite worn out. Even though we did not have any tire issues, I decided to have new Michelins installed in Whitehorse, Yukon. The price was only a bit higher than in the US considering the exchange rate. We then went to Yellowknife, Northwest Territories via travel through part of British Columbia. The highway from Yellowknife to the Alberta border is all paved, but the stretch near Yellowknife is quite rough and required going slow to keep from bouncing around. As we traveled back to the US via Alberta, we encountered a great deal of smoke coming in from British Columbia and the northwestern US states.

As far as mosquitos are concerned, mosquito repellent with deet is recommended. We really only were bothered with big mosquito problems two times on our trip. The other thing to have is one of the bug zappers that look like a tennis racquet. This is really useful inside the RV. Mosquitos are really quite slow and do tend to go near the windows making them easy to zap.

With all the forest fires in mid and late summer, I would recommend traveling up the Stewart Cassirer Highway and returning via the Alaska Highway since it is further east and through less forested areas.

I hope this will help you with your trip planning.

Dennis

mosquitos are really big concerned i also use tennis racquet like bug zapper for killing mosquitos. also you can use oil to keep mosquitos away.

[Gene]

This thread was last year and Brian an SueEllen have gone and went.