Who got Alaska in 2018?

[TexAirS]

We plan to go to Alaska in 2019. Will be at the 49th parallel by mid-June. We missed 2018 but had a great trip to the Midwest. UP was great.


Did you make reservations in Canada and Alaska? Or wing it?


Boondocking mostly?



Trouble with customs?


How much time should we allow?


Route? We're thinking Alcan up and Cassier back down.



Thanks,


Sjohn

[azflycaster]

We did Alaska with 34 other Airstreams this past summer. The trip was 63 days with around 25 different stops. It was truly a trip of a lifetime! You can review our trip here https://www.facebook.com/groups/ak2018/

[rowiebowie]

I highly recommend this thread by Tincampers. Very enjoyable read and even more pics & info on his blog links. Note: His trip was in an Interstate, not a 30' Classic.

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f240...ka-178650.html


.

[polarlyse]

We did Alaska 2 years ago. Up and down the Cassiar Hwy due to weather related issues on the AlCan in June. We did it with no reservations. Most of the way we just pulled off the road and overnighted it with no issues ever. A great trip so do it with an organized caravan OR do it on your own ( with a friend or 2 is best).

[bibbs]

I am thinking of June 2020. I hope to learn about it

[kscherzi]

Make your reservation at
Teklanika River Campground in Denali National Park now and plan the rest of you trip around this date. It's the the most critical and impacted place.

No reservations needed elsewhere beyond a day or two in advance in Anchorage. We camped in Homer and got our fill of halibut. No problems with customs, just don't carry any guns or firewood. I'd allow all summer or as long as you can. You are bound to discover many awesome side trips that add to the trip.

[Air83]

We did the international caravan too...Overall a fantastic trip. We stayed at campground but there were plenty of boondocking spots. 63 days but Could have stayed longer. Plenty of Gas and food, just pick it up when you see it. Its expense. Look at the route the caravan takes. You will cover it all. Be prepared for bad weather and when it comes just sit still. When it clears you will be blown away by the scenery. We can't wait to go back.

[Tater]

We went last year with another couple. As another poster mentioned, absolutely have reservations for Denali and whatever you do, do not stay at the Midnight Sun RV park. The park the mentioned for Denali is the best in that area unless you have reservations to boondock inside Denali. We made reservations most places in advance. I would suggest minimal time in Canada just because of prices. You will consider the trip the one of a lifetime when you go. We plan to return in about three years. Absolute must stay at Tok, AK Sourdough Campground. Great hosts and wonderful breakfast. As a bonus the owner was a RV tech just in case you are having issues. Good luck and enjoy the trip.

[Jfreeburg]

We drove up there for a month+ this past summer. We did the Alcan up and the ferry down. We didn't have any reservations before we left and didn't have any problems getting in anywhere. We didn't start until early August, so most people were leaving as were just getting into Alaska. We boondocked some, but really appreciated hookups after the third week in August because of the cold nights. How long you want to spend really depends on your interests. You could spend a whole summer (or lifetime) if fishing, hiking, or kayaking are your interests. The drive up is long and there aren't many amenities along the way. The best stuff is in Alaska, but there are some gems on the drive (Liard Hot Springs, towns like Haines...)

[GinaNBob]

So I am wondering how the recent earthquake will affect summer trip this year. Any thoughts to those who have gone before?

[azflycaster]

Originally Posted by GinaNBob

So I am wondering how the recent earthquake will affect summer trip this year. Any thoughts to those who have gone before?

With all of the road construction that is always going on in Alaska it might be hard to notice. Remember: there are only 2 seasons in Alaska. Winter and Road Construction.

[AirUSN]

Good point @GinaNBob -

As a side note, its currently -15 at the campground

I plan to head west as well early spring from SW Florida.

[seanslatt]

We spent about 3 months in Alaska this summer and about two weeks on each end in Canada. We first crossed into Canada from WA in late May which was pretty early in the season as some places were not yet open. We ended up leaving mid-September and were fortunate to have had phenomenal and mild weather until back in WA on 1 October. We caravaned with another family and also met up with several others at various times.

We only initially had reservations for Fairbanks because of the Summer Solstice festivities. We didn't get into Denali NP when we first were then but were able to book sites for later in summer and visited other areas until then. If you are self-sufficient i.e. solar, good batteries, water, propane... you will have more options available to you. Note on RV camping in Denali NP, there are three campgrounds, Riley, Savage River and Tek. Riley is at the front of the park and has the usual amenities i.e. water, dump, cell service, laundry, etc. Tek is the furthest into the park but has a 40' overall length limit. Unless you have a 10' truck, you will likely get turned around at the ranger station when towing a 30' trailer. However, you could detach the trailer and camp in the truck while at Tek.

As we did not shy away from any roads, I can highly recommend at good spare tire, TPMS, tire repair kit, trailer-aid, and a good air compressor/tire inflator. We also now have an unmounted spare trailer tire on the roof rack. Between us and our travel buddies, we had enough spare parts to almost build a fully working Airstream! If anyone follows Less Junk More Journey, that was our water heater drain plug that sealed their freshwater tank in Dawson City, YT.

We took the Cassier Hwy up and also down. Despite the amount of time we spent up there, we didn't see everything we wanted to and will be returning!

[AirUSN]

Wow sounds exciting and a good time for everyone!

[jbroedlow]

How many days on ferry? What did you do about refrigerated items? We’re thinking of 5 days up on ferry but don’t know what to with refrigerator. Thanks.

[Jfreeburg]

We had several questions about the refrigeration issue before we boarded our 5 night/4 day ferry from Whittier to Bellingham in September. The ferry system does not allow your propane to be on during the ferry ride for safety issues and are very strict about it (no electric hookup either). We packed quite a bit of food in our cooler (ice is available on the ferry) but the cafeteria food was better than we expected so we almost always ate there. We emptied our fridge & freezer before the ferry ride. If you need refrigeration for medical supplies, I believe the pursuer on the ferry can help, but we didn't do this, so you could call the ferry to confirm this.

[daleyocum]

Is it possible to stealthily sleep in your trailer on the ferry?

[TexAirS]

Originally Posted by seanslatt

...Tek is the furthest into the park but has a 40' overall length limit. Unless you have a 10' truck, you will likely get turned around at the ranger station when towing a 30' trailer. However, you could detach the trailer and camp in the truck while at Tek.
...

I had made reservations at Tek and thought we were ok with a 22' TV and 30' TT. And we are. No single unit can be over 40' and combined length can be over 40'. And each unit must be integral. So, a car behind a motorhome must be detached and parked at the entrance.



Have not got bus tickets yet. Don't want to leave my wife with the mutt all day.



John

[Jfreeburg]

Originally Posted by daleyocum

Is it possible to stealthily sleep in your trailer on the ferry?

It would likely be very difficult/impossible, besides being unlawful, to sleep in your trailer. They only do "deck calls" a few times a day when at sea and then again while in port. So you can't come and go from your trailer whenever you'd like. And the car deck is patrolled by security so they would notice any movement/lights/etc in a trailer. You can sleep for free on the upper deck, but bring a sleeping bag. It's not nearly as comfortable as the cabins, but plenty of people do it.