Alaska pre planning 2022

[uncle_bob]

Originally Posted by gypsydad

After your last trip and posts, I felt we had journeyed there with you and decided we didn't need to go! Now, looking at a caravan of ASers here at Alumalina...talking about the trips they have organized...still, getting across Canada border seems to be the issue with covid...we shall see. Getting the urge to go again...may need to revisit your trip and pictures!

Hi

Assuming this is a plan for next spring and not a dash to be there for Christmas ...

It's not very clear at all what the restrictions at the boarder will be next spring, let alone next summer. They may still want test results, they may not. Worst case, the boarder could be shut down again.

If I was going to place a bet, I'd bet on them dropping the test requirements by mid-summer. I most certainly would not put much on that bet.

Further complicating things is the fact that this isn't just a boarder issue. Various localities and communities (both in the US and Canada) also have restrictions. Sotting all that out ahead of time .... yikes ....

Bob

[Gene]

I can think of some well know Forum members that did not get excited by Alaska, but otherwise everyone is glad they went. Take all the time you can and Alaska, Yukon, northern BC and Alberta and NWT are really big. One trip is not enough to see it all. It cost about a dollar a mile. Use the winter to read up. There are lots of Alaska books including Fodors and other travel books, but individuals write some interesting ones.

We used heavy duty light truck tires with aggressive tread—what used to the called 10 ply and then Load Range E. If you go off paved roads, nice to have. But the stories of yore about the Alaska Hwy are out of date—lots more facilities and pavement. It is not the lower 48, but it also is pretty civilized. A sat phone is overkill. News travels fast on the Alaska Hwy and help will come.

[gypsydad]

Originally Posted by uncle_bob

Hi

Assuming this is a plan for next spring and not a dash to be there for Christmas ...

It's not very clear at all what the restrictions at the boarder will be next spring, let alone next summer. They may still want test results, they may not. Worst case, the boarder could be shut down again.

If I was going to place a bet, I'd bet on them dropping the test requirements by mid-summer. I most certainly would not put much on that bet.

Further complicating things is the fact that this isn't just a boarder issue. Various localities and communities (both in the US and Canada) also have restrictions. Sotting all that out ahead of time .... yikes ....

Bob

Thought we would connect with someone at Alumalina last week on Alaska trip in 2022, but did not. Anyone coordinating a trip mid to end of summer?

[uncle_bob]

Originally Posted by gypsydad

Thought we would connect with someone at Alumalina last week on Alaska trip in 2022, but did not. Anyone coordinating a trip mid to end of summer?

Hi

Right now, our plan is to pull out of here in April and get back in October. That also was our plan this year and our plan the year before. Obviously plans don't always work out ....

Bob

[Nelson428]

My plan is leaving mid April and returning mid September. However I’m gonna remain flexible as usual.

Hope to see and visit folks along the way.

[Jeff7176]

We’re leaving the lower 48 from Montana in early June and plan to return there in September.

[gypsydad]

Thanks for the information. We are discussing, but 4 months too long...April too early...(even in MT it is sometimes very snowy in April/May; imagine Northern Canada during that time.) Was thinking June departure and Aug return? But....
May end up just doing a cruise and rail trip this year after discussions with DW.

[uncle_bob]

Originally Posted by gypsydad

.....April too early...(even in MT it is sometimes very snowy in April/May; imagine Northern Canada during that time.) .....:

Hi

Thus my question back in post number 9.

One thing that is in your favor: The base altitude of the mountains drops as you go north. Taos NM is at 7,000 feet. Jasper AB is at 3,500 feet. ( Yes this *is* part of the "Visit Jasper" sales pitch ...). (Denver is almost 5,000', Edmonton is at 2,100'.) The net result is that it's not *quite* as cold as you might think "up north". Yes, for fun you could toss Bute MT into that mix ...

That said, no, I would not plan on the Icefields Parkway as my primary route in May. ( though it *is* a terrific drive ....). According to this:

https://www.pc.gc.ca/en/pn-np/ab/jas...hiver-ipwinter

Snow tires are only *mandatory* through April 1. Their warning about moose wandering in the road early in the morning is spot on ....

Bob

[Gene]

Being "trapped" in tin can for months in unfamiliar places could be a strain on a relationship. How well you travel together for several weeks or a month will tell you something about yourselves. Our longest trip together was 8 weeks and we did fine, but not everyone is so fortunate. Some people just need alone time and that needs to be considered.

Border rules can change frequently. Keep checking. Canada generally is easy to deal with, not so with US rules. But if you want to bring a gun into Canada, you better reconsider. Rifles ("long guns" in Canada) are ok for hunting, but not for protection. I believe you need to show you are going hunting. Hand guns are not allowed (if there are certain exceptions, I am sure Canada is very, very strict). Trying to sneak one in can result in substantial penalties.

Learn to multiply by .62. Speed limits are in kilometers per hour, thus 100 kph is 62 mph. Canadian speed limits are often lower than in US and more drivers there drive the speed limit. The good news for speeders is that there are far fewer police. When they predict rain or snow in centimeters, I am helpless.

While Canada is much like us in many ways, they are definitely not like us. An old joke is when you step on a Canadian's foot, they apologize. The cultural norm is to be polite, honest and fair. You can judge for yourself how good Americans are at those norms. Like any large country there are regional differences. Remember not to ask where the "interstate" is—they do not have states, they have provinces and territories. To us Canada feels like the US 50 or 60 years ago—much nicer, much more in agreement on national norms. Canada usually keeps it currency (also a "dollar") at a rate lower than the US—today one Canadian dollar equals 81¢ US. This gives American tourists a bonus on many items. Once you get a hundred miles north of the border you start to notice how few people are around (Edmonton and Calgary are exceptions and fueled by oil, something that is soon coming to an end). There are far fewer 4 lane highways. But the highways are better maintained. There are fewer road signs, so pay attention. Canadians know far more about us than we know about them.

Satellite receivers will work for a while going north, but eventually they will be out of the beam. I don't believe they work in Alaska either, but never checked. You do see satellite TV dishes in Alaska, but they may be for the Alaska state satellite. Things may be different now. CBC is the government network (sort of like BBC, though not quote as stuffy).

Gas is sold in liters and 4+ equals an American gallon. Gas is heavily taxed and is much more expensive than in US. Postage is quite expensive too if you want to send postcards and they even tax stamps. All these taxes pay for a social safety net, far more comprehensive than in the US. Canadians seem to be quite happy with that.

[uncle_bob]

Originally Posted by Gene

......
Learn to multiply by .62. Speed limits are in kilometers per hour, thus 100 kph is 62 mph. Canadian speed limits are often lower than in US and more drivers there drive the speed limit. The good news for speeders is that there are far fewer police. When they predict rain or snow in centimeters, I am helpless.

......

Hi

Some modern vehicles will let you switch from miles to KM on the speedometer. It's well worth looking into before you cross the border.

Snow in CM? Multiply by 4 and move the decimal. 4 cm of snow => 16 => 1.6 inches.

Bob

[Gene]

Originally Posted by uncle_bob

Hi

Some modern vehicles will let you switch from miles to KM on the speedometer. It's well worth looking into before you cross the border.

Snow in CM? Multiply by 4 and move the decimal. 4 cm of snow => 16 => 1.6 inches.

Bob

After a few days, I can multiply by .62 in my head as to speed limits. As to distance, I hate it when it says 500 km. when it is "only" 310 miles. Just sounds like more. Hasn't snowed when we've been in Canada, but the multiply by 4 thing does sound easy if I could remember it. With my wife's aging parents, Covid and our own stuff to take care of, driving to Canada has been on the back burner. We renewed our passports a few years ago, but haven't gotten to use them.

[jcwall]

Are there really only 4 boarder crossings if you want to go to Alaska? Anyone traveled to Alaska since they opened things up?

[uncle_bob]

Originally Posted by jcwall

Are there really only 4 boarder crossings if you want to go to Alaska? Anyone traveled to Alaska since they opened things up?

Hi

Assuming you are traveling by land ( and not by sea or air) and you want to get to the main part of the state ( and not just this one little town ). There aren't very many choices at all. If snow has not all gotten out of the way the choices are even more limited.

None of that has to do with Covid. It's been that way for many decades. There just aren't that many roads into Alaska. The only ones that folks seem to use are the main one on the Alaskan Highway and the "open in summer" route that comes down in through Chicken.

Bob

[Titus]

Unrelated to your question, but check out Alaska TourSaver coupon book (~$100) to save far more than that on BOGO and $ off coupons. Great deal. No, I am not associated with the company, just a satisfied customer.

[Gene]

Three more road border crossings from Canada to Alaska: on the way to Haines and Skagway and the forgotten one from Stewart, BC, to Hyder, Alaska.

[uncle_bob]

Hi

The three "forgotten" crossings are all pretty much dead ends. If you are planning a trip to more than one town AK by land, there are only two that work. One of those two may or may not be open at this or that time of year.

Bob

[jcwall]

We had planned on taking Interstate 29 north but, it is not one of the 5 north bound ports of entry. You'd really be out of luck if you were going to Alaska from the Northeast. Now we have shifted west and will be entering at North Portal.

[Pete B55]

Originally Posted by jcwall

We had planned on taking Interstate 29 north but, it is not one of the 5 north bound ports of entry. You'd really be out of luck if you were going to Alaska from the Northeast. Now we have shifted west and will be entering at North Portal.

If you are fully vaccinated you can enter Canada at any border station. The restriction to the 5 border stations only applies if you are not vaccinated and are transiting from the lower 48 to Alaska - and then a bunch of other rules apply also

[uncle_bob]

Originally Posted by Pete B55

If you are fully vaccinated you can enter Canada at any border station. The restriction to the 5 border stations only applies if you are not vaccinated and are transiting from the lower 48 to Alaska - and then a bunch of other rules apply also

Hi

This is a change as of the start of April. You will find a lot of now incorrect information running around that was posted some time ago.

Bob

[Gene]

The concept of a "dead end" is there is nothing there, but the roads to Haines and Skagway take you to real places. From either you can take the Alaska Ferry, but with a trailer you may have to back up narrow gangways or inside the ferry while ferry employees get impatient because it takes you too much time in their estimation. The road to Hyder goes through a pretty ugly town, but there is bear viewing outside of town during salmon season and a road up to mines and an occasional bear. That road goes in and out of Canada and the US numerous times, but no one cares and eventually dead ends. The ferry will take you to places that cannot be accessed by road from BC or Yukon or the US. You could leave your trailer in Skagway or Haines and go to Juneau and other stops with your truck or SUV. Not sure where you would leave it, but perhaps the campgrounds have some space for that.

The Top of the World Highway is a spectacular road with views of numerous mountain ranges while you are the top of a ridge. The road usually has lots of potholes and rough spots, but the view is worth it. The ferry in Dawson City can be backed up for a pretty long time, but we lucked out when we got there.

The Alaska Hwy. crossing is the most common one. They like to inspect RV's and a truck driver was being hassled when we were there.

Don't forget there is a lot to see in northern Canada too and we spent almost half our time in Canada seeing sights and driving past several trillion trees.