Yukon in one more week!

[Wegotone]

Next weekend we leave for the Yukon! From the Prairie provinces up the Alaskan Highway - I'm so excited and scared at the same time. I don't deal well with heights, and I have heard some crazy stories about those roads....

I'm just glad we have the ol' airstream to haul behind - I feel alot safer with her than I would with one of those other units I see on the roads.

[streamer23]

Have a great trip.Post some pictures for us if you can.

[RUSSELL]

The roads are not the problem or the hights. The road is good except in few places where they are working on it. So slow down and you will be OK. The biggest grade is about 6%. I have been up that road 3 times and wish I was there now. But due to health issue I have to fly to Alaska.
Watch out for animals on the highway and the dumb tourist that want to have their picture taken with the wild critters.
The road between Haines Junction and Beaver Creek is the pits. It is 30mph road. Stop in Beaver Creek Yukon and see the show at Wesstin Hotel. They have a nice camp ground there next to the hotel.
Have a great trip. Regards from Russell in sunny and hot Tucson Az.

[Wegotone]

Oh wow - thank you for that! I'm writing all this down - and thanks so much for putting my mind at some ease! If you think of anymore places that we should definitely stop, please let me know!

[Alaska1966]

While you travel through Fairbanks try to check out The Riverboat Discovery or Eldorado Goldmine. Pioneer Park is a great place to check out shops. Of course stop and take a picture of Santa in the North Pole. It's 12 miles or so from Fairbanks. Last but not least...The Pipeline.
Stop by The Moose Is Loose in Soldotna. Fresh donuts and coffee.
If you eat in Homer, I hear Fat Olives is delicious. Have a great trip. You'll love it.

[RUSSELL]

When you get to Tok Alaska head for Fairbanks and take a ride on the paddle Wheeler, Then take the highwayTo Anchorage on the way stop ar Denaly national Park. Camp outside the park since the park camp ground are small and no service. They only have 6.5 million acres but do not have enought room to put in a decent camp ground.
Also after Anchorage go to Seward and Homer. On the way you can camp at Quarts Creek on the lake. Get an Outpost Book it is worth the price.
Regards Russell

[Darol Ingalls]

Please wave at Valleyview, Alberta as you go through. I taught Jr/Sr High Industrial Arts there for three years in the mid 70's. At that time, the population was about 1700 but it fluctuates up and down with oil/gas booms. There's a fairly large campground at Sturgeon Lake just west of town, but watch out for the winged beasts! Darol

[TBSarfari28]

I wish I was heading that way this summer also. Try Cottonwood RV Park it is 16 miles south of Destruction Bay on Lake Kluane, Yukon. Many sites are right on the lake, the views are GREAT!. The store bakes freash bread and cinnamon buns in the morning, tastes great in the morning. You may want to stay a couple of days. Have a great trip!

[dmac]

You absolutely must get the book entitles "The Milepost". It describes every mile of every road in the Yukon and Alaska. Everything to see and do...

Don't worry about heights... I don't recall any cliff-hugging segments of the Alcan.

Have fun!

[AirsDream]

Ditto what dmac said about The Milepost. It has mile by mile listings of all services, fuel, lodging, etc. on every highway in Alaska. Plus ads by anyone with enough money to advertise. It is THE BIBLE of Alaska roads. It's probably too late to get a copy except vie FedEx or some such, but I wouldn't think if going there without its three some pounds of data. Go here: The MILEPOST: Alaska Travel Guide and Trip Planner - Home ... probably you can buy a copy enroute.

One other tip. If I recall correctly, every Tesoro gas station in Alaska (I think that's the brand) has a dump station (free when I was there last) and potable water also. They've also got a few rv necessities like new dump hoses, etc.

Have fun!

[MJBear]

Denali Natl. Park is a must and do try to camp in the park. There is no service but it is worth every minute. Savage river is awesome and you walk to the end of the camp road with your coffee in hand and have the best view of Mt. McKinley in the morning when it is most likely to be "out". We didn't find anything we didn't like in Alaska from Anchorage, to Gates of the Arctic Natl Park, to Homer and Seward. There is more to see and do than one trip - we plan to go back too! And the Milepost is a must - get it at Amazon.

[pmclemore]

I agree with MJ - camping inside Denali is part of what you're going for.

If your dry-camping skills are up to snuff, then see if you can camp at Teklanika. This CG is about 25 miles in - and is the farthest they will normally allow private vehicles. You have to commit for three nights, and you cannot drive your vehicle again, except to leave.

But it is a great place to be.

A note about Liard Hot Springs - that is a very popular spot, just south of Watson Lake, IIRC. But as nice as the springs are for you, the mosquitoes like them better. So if you stay, one night should do the trick.

And while I'm thinking about it, there is a provincial CG on Muncho Lake (McDonald CG) - it is dry camping, but you are on one of the most beautiful lakes I have ever seen. It is about 25 miles south of Liard, so you could day-trip to the springs.

Have a great trip.

Pat

[Wegotone]

Wow, you guys are GREAT!!!! I'm getting the Milepost book - hopefully it will be here in time - and I'm writing down EVERY other bit of info you guys are giving me too!

Truly, thank you all so much - this is the trip of a lifetime for me - I have never been anywhere this far before.

Keep 'em comin'!

[AirsDream]

If you get to Homer and drive the highway that runs down the "Homer Spit", which is a narrow piece of land that juts out into the ocean on the way to the Homer Boat Harbor (worth a visit in itslef - some interesting restaurants and boat charters, etc.), when I was there last, you could just pull off the road onto the gravel / sand, and camp right on the ocean, maybe 30-40 meters from the surf. Hard to beat if you're self contained!

[Gene]

Wego,

Check out other road trip threads on Alaska, Alaska Hwy., etc. I, too, wish we were going this year. Most of the Alaska Hwy is a wide, well paved and maintained highway. When you get far enough north, the road starts deteriorating with frost heaves (well marked with red flags by the highway plus signs), but is generally a good road. There's always construction somewhere. I can't remember any particularly scary heights, though some other roads can have those problems. The roads in Canada are generally better than the ones in Alaska.

We love to visit northern Canada. Good paved road all the way to Dawson City. There's a very good Italian restaurant in downtown Whitehorse that I can't remember the name of. You can drive to Inuvik on the Dempster—400+ miles of well maintained gravel, but if it's wet, stay put with a trailer—very, very slippery. You also need very good tires for the Dempster or most other dirt and gravel roads up north—many have shale mixed in and that stuff eats tires. The ferries over the rivers on the Dempster can be a problem if you have a long overhang. You can also drive to Yellowknife, NWT, on a paved, though sometimes bumpy road. Great things to see there too.

If the Milepost doesn't arrive before you leave, surely they're in large bookstores in Calgary and Edmonton. I've seen them in Colorado bookstores, though I have always ordered them by mail. You have to have it. CAA/AAA tour books is weak, map is too small. Get one or two other travel books—lots to learn, to know. The trip is better if you read up on everything you can.

Mosquitos are being born now and waiting for you. The little ones seemed to be the worst ones. Some days are awful, others not bad.

We've been to Yukon twice, NWT once, Alaska twice. Maybe again next year if we can deal with the gas prices.

Let us know how it's going and send pictures.

Gene

[Darol Ingalls]

Another side trip in BC: West from Dawson Creek on 97 to Chetwynd then north on 29 to Moberly Lake. Good campsite there. Then to Hudson Hope. Go look at the W.A.C. Bennett dam, a HUGE earthfill that backs up the Peace River way into the mountains. Then northeast on 29 to Fort St. John to rejoin the Alcan. A great side trip IF you have the time. Darol

[Wegotone]

Well, we leave tomorrow morning - I just have to finish packing the AS, and double check my lists - thanks to the thread, "If I had only remembered to bring..." I found a few other items I had forgotten!

You guys have been amazing with your tips and well wishes - I promise to post pics when I get back! I'm SO excited!!!!

[Gene]

Don't worry, no matter how many lists you have, it is inevitable you will forget something. That's why money was invented—to stop at a Walmart because they have a lot of parking area and most anything you need (though watch for poor quality).

Have a good trip. I'm envious. I have fantasies of being on "The Highway" again.

Another tip. The Cassier Highway runs straight south from Yukon—I think just west of Watson Lake—to central BC. In 2002 it was 20% paved, the rest well maintained gravel. Not a lot of traffic (gas up when you can, true anywhere in the north country, and have a couple of full gas cans with you), beautiful alternate route back. A side trip is to Stewart, BC., where they have a toaster museum (unfortunately closed when we were there) and little known Hyder, Alaska, a down and out town with road access and some pretty sites outside of town.

Gene

[pmclemore]

Cassiar was paved when we were there in 2006 - so that's a good reason to go. Amen to Hyder; not only do you get that little end-o-the-road treat, but then continue on to the bear viewing station. And then, further on, you can drive up to a pass where you can look down on a glacier. Not too many places you can do that.

And that is the area where the original "The Thing" was filmed. And Stewart BC is a treat as well.

Pat