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BusDriver · 07-14-2014, 10:27 PM

We are in Seward but we are leaving tomorrow morning.
We have not decided if we are going back to Cooper Landing or start heading to Valdez.
We have to check on the fishing in Cooper Landing and then decide in the AM. We still have about 3 weeks before we have to be home to Olympia, WA

Where are you?

**Nelson428** · 07-16-2014, 08:11 AM

Nice, keystone canyon and Valdez are worth the drive. I will be in Dawson City and Moosehide for another week then the Demepster to Inuvik before heading to Haines and Juneau then back to Whitehorse.

Nelson

BillB44 · 07-16-2014, 01:05 PM

Hmmm, Nelson. I've heard Dempster can be pretty rough on Airstreams. Will be anxious to see what you think as we are leaving for AK in two weeks. Bus Driver, love your blog. (Ours is at silverspud.com)

espradlin2 · 07-16-2014, 03:23 PM

I towed my 25 foot airstream to Alaska from Florida in 2007, A great trip. I used the milepost for the entire trip I towed with a F150 and had no problems on the trip and I did go over the top of the world highway. So glad I did, great views and you have to camp in Chicken
My big suggestion is take your time. I went into Canada from Glacier NP on July 3 and did not get back to the lower 48 until the first of September.
I plan to go back next year and do not plan to even begin to leave Alaska before the middle of September.
Some of the RV parks in Fairbanks and up north start to close down the middle to late September.
Take advantage of the Provincial parks In Canada, great views, low prices, but no hookups, still a great stop for a few nights.
Also on the way back, be sure to stop in Hyder AK, not much of a town, but it hosts a great NP place to see Grizzlies and you can drive up to seen great glaciers from above rather than from below.
my email is Airstreamtw@yahoo.com. If I can help you with your trip, please let me know. safe travels.

BusDriver · 07-16-2014, 10:25 PM

Silver Spud, thanks. We are really enjoying our trip. As you can see I'm a few days behind on my blog.

BusDriver · 07-21-2014, 12:24 AM

Valdez, then Tok and head for Skagway, stay tunned.

Silver Goose · 07-21-2014, 04:58 PM

Was gong to ask where y'all were. I saw one Airstream in Trailer Village II in Banff then nothing for 5 days until 2 passed me headed west between Fort Nelson and Liard River Hot Springs. Think I caught a glimpse of them stopped at Strawberry Flats on Lake Muncho. Right now the Silver Goose looks like it's been flocked with dust from the chip sealing projects we've encountered so far. Spending night near Watson Lake, hope to cross border by week's end. If you see a very dusty 27 footer behind an equally dusty red Expedition, I hope you'll wave. John

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GettinAway · 07-22-2014, 05:15 AM

You guys have really fired up my interest in getting back to Alaska. I just have to patiently wait five years... A bit easier said than done.
Thanks for posting your updates and progress.
Jeff

OregonVista · 07-22-2014, 08:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Silver Goose

Was gong to ask where y'all were. I saw one Airstream in Trailer Village II in Banff then nothing for 5 days until 2 passed me headed west between Fort Nelson and Liard River Hot Springs. Think I caught a glimpse of them stopped at Strawberry Flats on Lake Muncho. Right now the Silver Goose looks like it's been flocked with dust from the chip sealing projects we've encountered so far. Spending night near Watson Lake, hope to cross border by week's end. If you see a very dusty 27 footer behind an equally dusty red Expedition, I hope you'll wave. John

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You may have seen part of our group. WBCCI Alyeska Caravan of 35 trailers/motorhome/interstate. We are now in Whitehorse (after a great day at Skagway yesterday) and will leave tomorrow for Carmacks for one night and then on to Dawson City for 3 nights

Safe travels!

BillB44 · 07-22-2014, 11:59 AM

We are still in Sagle, ID, Silver Goose...getting very antsy to hit the road. We have to wait until 8/3 for sad reasons (memorial services) but at least we live only 60 miles from Canadian border. Am prepping the Spud with front foil shields, gas line covers, etc. Thanks to all on this thread for great advice and pics and pointers.

Silver Goose · 07-29-2014, 02:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OregonVista

You may have seen part of our group. WBCCI Alyeska Caravan of 35 trailers/motorhome/interstate. We are now in Whitehorse (after a great day at Skagway yesterday) and will leave tomorrow for Carmacks for one night and then on to Dawson City for 3 nights

Safe travels!

Well, actually I did see some of you yesterday. Was overnighting at Tok and drove up to Chicken and some of your caravan was already there and many more had arrived via the TOW from Dawson City by the time we had finished lunch. Spoke briefly with who I assume was your wagon-master. We're spending a few days in Fairbanks before heading to Denali for awhile and then on to Homer. Need to get mine washed before anyone sees it!

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Silver Goose · 07-29-2014, 03:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BillB44

We are still in Sagle, ID, Silver Goose...getting very antsy to hit the road. We have to wait until 8/3 for sad reasons (memorial services) but at least we live only 60 miles from Canadian border. Am prepping the Spud with front foil shields, gas line covers, etc. Thanks to all on this thread for great advice and pics and pointers.

We came via the ALCAN starting at Dawson Creek to Fairbanks over the past 10 days (no dates to make). Nothing but smooth sailing until 3 short sections near Muncho Lake where they were doing some chip sealing. Those were 1-way with a pilot car escort so little concern there for damage but lots of dust or sticky dirt if rainy. Last hundred miles or so between Haines Junction and Alaska was different... Lots of gravel and dirt stretches, only one section I recall had a pilot car, but everyone was slowing down and giving wide berth. Some wash boarding on the gravel, watch for orange tape markers on paved sections indicating frost heaves or pot holes. Whatever isn't secured will find a new location so slower is better. Traffic was much lighter than I had anticipated. Once into Alaska, road was very good with only a couple of marked frost heaves. Spotted about 6 stone sheep, 4 black bear, 1 grizzly, 2 moose and a small herd of bison along the road. There may have been more but the scenery is very distracting!

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BillB44 · 07-30-2014, 12:09 PM

Thanks, SG; sounds encouraging. I am printing out theses reports and will refer to them when we get closer. How goes the cell phone reception? I'm sure it is spotty if at all. We are on Verizon and bought their Canada package; mainly for researching campgrounds and calling for reserve, etc.

Silver Goose · 07-30-2014, 02:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BillB44

Thanks, SG; sounds encouraging. I am printing out theses reports and will refer to them when we get closer. How goes the cell phone reception? I'm sure it is spotty if at all. We are on Verizon and bought their Canada package; mainly for researching campgrounds and calling for reserve, etc.

We turned our cell phones off when we entered Canada and so I can't say what the coverage was like. I expect yours may work near the population centers, but doubt there's any service along the remote stretches. I was pleasantly surprised to find pay phones everywhere. Yes, phone booths! I dug down in my wallet and found an AT&T calling card I hadn't used in 10 or 12 years and found I still had 500 minutes on it! These pay phones gobble up the minutes, but that worked very well for us to call ahead for reservations.

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BusDriver · 07-31-2014, 07:17 PM

Hello everyone, We have just arrived in Houston, BC after leaving Hyder/Stewart this AM. No Verizon in Skagway, Cassiar Hwy or in Hyder/Stewart. Now it's just roaming but anticipate good cell service as we get closer to Prince George. Just got internet too. So I will start getting caught up on the blog.

check it out..!

BillB44 · 08-12-2014, 08:30 AM

We finally were able to hit the trail and have been driving for five days. I sit this morning at the edge of Meziadin Lake and am gobstruck by the view. (Even have wi-fi!) Yesterday we did the side trip to Stewart and Hyder and it's stunning. Gorges, grizzlies and glaciers. This is why we spend hours stuck behind the wheel, to intake such splendor. And I know we've only done 95 miles of the Cassiar but SO FAR it is a perfect gentleman. Paved, smooth and painted. Northward to Istuk (sp?) tomorrow.

BillB44 · 08-21-2014, 12:58 AM

Cassiar wasn't all that bad. The last (northern) 30-40 miles were sucky with lots of gravel stretches but nothing terrible. All in all, much better than I had imagined. The Alaska Highway--as of August 18--from Whitehorse west was bumpy and "swaley"in places, but not bad until Tok, then it went downhill (figuratively) fast. Many crappy stretches of construction and pilot cars with loose gravel and wetted portions that throw up mud. And then from Nenana to Denali today (8/20) some miserable construction sections, one right before Denali with serious off-road-like terrain I couldn't believe we had to drive on, but had little choice in a parade of traffic following the pilot car. Just went super slow and let the rest run on ahead.

GettinAway · 08-22-2014, 09:42 AM

Very cool. Thanks for the update! Good to know your impressions of the roads, and the scenery!
Thanks

BillB44 · 09-03-2014, 11:53 PM

I always thought of Valdez as an industrial/oil pumping city with little natural beauty. I was wrong. There is a strong presence of pipeline as it terminates here, and plenty of distant oil refineries, but for the most part this is a gorgeous place on Prince William Sound ringed by glaciated mountains that are hard to believe. And the Richardson highway that delivers you here is a stunner. It's also a shaker, as it is full of dips and frost heaves. Sometimes I think all the good road engineers grow up and leave Alaska for the lower 48.

StreamlineAK · 09-04-2014, 05:48 PM

Anyone have winter ALCAN experience? Planning on going down in November. From my experiences in AK, I know I will need bright lights (getting a set of lightforce halogen lights). Diesel stations open? Cassier plowed?

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