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snowedin's avatar
snowedin
Explorer
Jul 02, 2016

Just Returned From Alaskan Trip with Travel Trailer

One the way to Alaska I took the Alaska Hwy but on the return did the Hwy 37, Cassiar Hwy. Road building in this part of the country must be a challenge with the permafrost, muskeg, and whatever else they face so expect the roads to be a little rough in places, just prepare to slow down. There was the usual construction. I found the Cassiar hwy north of Dease Lake to be a bit narrow, with no lines, and no shoulders, sharp drop-offs off the shoulders but again slow down and don't expect to cover a lot of miles in record time. It got so I would pull over and stop for oncoming traffic at times as I did not want to drop a wheel over the edge of the road. I did see moose and bears.
  • tonymull's avatar
    tonymull
    Explorer
    Jul 02, 2016
    In 1990 we moved down from AK and U-Haul required an agreement that we would not use the Cassiar. It was still gravel back then. At Kluane Lake I stopped because we were losing power steering fluid fast through a hole in the reservoir made by a rock I guess. That was when I figured out that sure U-haul will send you another truck, in a day or two, but then you have to move all your stuff to the new truck... The guy at the gas station plugged the hole with bubble gum and had me switch to brake fluid since it's thicker. I bought a case and had 3 cans left when we rolled into Everett a few days later. I told the guys at U-Haul but I saw the truck broken down on the side of the hwy a couple of days later. Alaska Hwy and the Cassiar are much improved since then.
  • mockturtle's avatar
    mockturtle
    Explorer II
    Jul 02, 2016
    I took the same route last summer and the only really bad stretch of the Alaska Hwy was in the YT east of AK. I enjoyed the Cassiar, though, as you say, it is narrower and not as well maintained.
  • RoyF's avatar
    RoyF
    Explorer
    Jul 02, 2016
    snowedin wrote:
    I did see moose and bears.


    On the Cassier, we came upon a black wolf standing over road kill. It stood its ground until we got pretty close (100 feet?).
  • stickdog's avatar
    stickdog
    Explorer
    Jul 02, 2016
    We also drove the Cassier on our return last year. My thoughts it was a much better drive than reported the only section I didn't care for was an area they were chip coating. My wheel wells still have a coating of Canadian tar and chip. I'm sure we'll drive it again when we return in '18'.

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