I was in Delta Junction when the Pipeline was built. The lowest mark on the thermometer was -65. In '74 we spent 3weeks out of school as the temp hit -50 (with wind chill) then kept dropping. After the first week, ambient was below that last mark! We lived in a log basement that was built in the late fifties. I think it was a good thing that most of the house was in the ground.
On the other side of the mountains to the south, my dad then my little sister started out in Kenai, then Palmer, then Talkeetna. It does get cold there, but not as cold for as long as it does in the interior. They also get more snow in the south. We had dedicated winter/summer tires on the vehicles. Cars and trucks 2wd/4wd studs all around in the winter.
The last time I drove the Al-Can it wasn't paved all the way;) the roads WERE better in the winter. My older sister and I drove from D.J. to Houston, TX starting in early March. We were in a Mercury Comet. We had a roof rack with 2 mounted spares, a 5 gal gas can. Extra food and water. We could even sleep in the car if needed. We made the most of the limited room in the car to make sure we were prepared for just about any emergency and still have room for some personal stuff. We mailed boxes ahead to relatives so we could minimize.
AK/CAN WINTERS ARE NO JOKE. Be prepared! It's a long stretch between gas stations that are open. Most camp grounds are closed and almost no tourist traffic. That leaves: Locals, long haul, and the occasional person that is moving at the wrong time of the year.
I would love to make the drive again.
