Roll Call Alaska 2014

[sljohnson1938]

Anyone traveling to Alaska in 2014? We ,my wife and I, are planning a trip and was wondering if anyone is planning on going in 2014 also.
Would go this year, except we have two weddings to go to in MI, one in late June the other in early August.
So next year we are planning to leave home in NC in mid July, we plan a 2 month trip. We were there in 2004, only that time we were with paid RV tour. Loved it, and would take another paid tour in a 'heart beat', but the cost is now too much.
The reason for the mid July date is looking at the 2013 Alaska postings the wx, road conditions and insects are at their worst. Later in the season all three are better. Plus I want to travel back on the Cassiar Hwy in Sept is supposed to be the best time of the year on the Cassiar, plus less travelers.
Finally, money is an issue with us. So we will 'boon dock', stay at
free or low cost CG's, rest areas, etc. when ever possible.


Hope you all have a great trip and hope to see you some where along the way.

[Kidoo]

Tires, it depends where you go, if you stay on the main roards, there will be someone sometimes. I had a flat crossing Denali gravel road, I fixed it with some plugs. I carried two tires while going to Deadhorse, never had a flat. Waiting for a spare tire on the road is not necessarly beside a lake cooking BBQ.

I would carry many tire plugs and a small compressor at the minimum. I would feel safer to have a spare on the back, especially over Top of the world Highway, Dalton or Dempters and Casiar.

[2gypsies1]

CA Traveler wrote:

mclee47 wrote:
Several times I have run across the topic of spare tires for the Alaska trip. I will be towing a Jeep Wrangler and it has a spare on the rear tailgate. However, what is the recommendation for a motor home? MH tires are huge, and it would be difficult to find a put one.

The recommendation is to have good tires and not worry about the spare. Sure a problem will result in time and money.

One person after getting new tires welded up a bracket to carry the best old tire sans rim on the back. He also logs 19K miles every year.

BTW I haven't had a MH spare for 10 years.

We replaced all the tires on the motorhome just before the trip as they were nearly due. That's not to say we wouldn't have had a flat but in 16 years of constant travel by full-timing we haven't had a flat. We don't carry a spare. There are many semi-trucks traveling the highways so tires can be had, if needed. Sure, you might have to wait a few days but you're in beautiful country for waiting. Don't worry about it!

[CA_Traveler]

mclee47 wrote:
Several times I have run across the topic of spare tires for the Alaska trip. I will be towing a Jeep Wrangler and it has a spare on the rear tailgate. However, what is the recommendation for a motor home? MH tires are huge, and it would be difficult to find a put one.

The recommendation is to have good tires and not worry about the spare. Sure a problem will result in time and money.

One person after getting new tires welded up a bracket to carry the best old tire sans rim on the back. He also logs 19K miles every year.

BTW I haven't had a MH spare for 10 years.

[Veebyes]

mclee47 wrote:
Several have recommended driving "according to conditions." Could you provide some examples (Speeds and location types)?

Listen to your vehicle & be considerate of it. Read the road very carefully. Don't go ploughing through holes at speed. It is a whole lot better to be moving slowly, but moving, than broken down & not moving at all.

We have done the TOW twice. Some sections we were able to cruise along at near 50. Others had us down to 15mph so as not to break things.

There are plenty of people trying to do 2 months worth of the North in 1 month. They are the ones behind you pushing you to go faster. Let them go by. There is a chance that you will pass them, broken down because of their haste.

The roads of the North are not race tracks. If you don't slow down enough to look around you won't see what is standing there looking at you.

[mclee47]

Several times I have run across the topic of spare tires for the Alaska trip. I will be towing a Jeep Wrangler and it has a spare on the rear tailgate. However, what is the recommendation for a motor home? MH tires are huge, and it would be difficult to find a put one.

[mclee47]

bgnmky wrote:

mclee47 wrote:
I heard from Amazon yesterday that the Church camping book is shipping about a month early, and I should have my copy by January 8.

Interesting I just checked my amazon order and still showing Feb shipment…I am hoping it is earlier!

I know we can read the book, but I was curious if we can get a list of people's favorite campgrounds and IF they have to make advanced reservations.

My copy

My copy of the 2014 Church book arrived from Amazon today.

[fanrgs]

Last summer, there was a long stretch of chip seal being laid down just west of Destruction Bay. There was also a major rebuilding/repaving project just west of Beaver Creek. But the worst frost-heaved pavement for us, pulling our travel trailer, were immediately west of the end of the Beaver Creek reconstruction project and a 10-mile stretch of the Tok Cutoff. The Beaver Creek pavement was cracked and heaved into giant blocks, so it was like driving across the edges of ice flows on the Yukon River! Well, maybe not quite that bad, but difficult towing a trailer none-the-less.

[Kidoo]

Yes the destruction bay highway is all about destruction, the bumps could be deadly, slow is allways my moto

[sue_t]

Destruction Bay to Beaver Creek is just over 100 miles. We plan four hours for the drive, not including our lunch stops and doggy pee stops.

Last spring there were a couple of very serious dips between Whitehorse and our place, about half way to Haines Junction on the AK Hwy. These dips weren't marked either. Towing the fifth wheel, we went over them at about 20 mph so the fiver's rear bumper wouldn't hit bottom. My car was okay going over them at 60 mph but DH's vehicle needed a slow down to about 40 mph or he'd bottom out.

Spring 2012 the Alaska Highway was closed for 4 days at Rancheria due to a bridge wash out. The Cassiar Highway closed at the same time. As did the Campbell Highway. The AK Hwy near Kluane Lake also had some washouts/mudslides that closed the highway for two days. All at the same time. Folks in Whitehorse weren't going anywhere and no one was getting to Whitehorse. Snowpack had been very high through the winter and then it warmed suddenly and the water flows were tremendous. So always be prepared to drycamp/boondock for a few days in case you hit one of these blockages.

This winter we have a LOT of snow. If it melts gradually, great. If it is a cold and late spring again, as it was in 2013, we could again be in trouble. There were several washouts in the area in spring 2013. The highway crews are amazing and get things moving as quickly as possible BUT there's only so much they can do when Old Man Winter won't leave Mother Nature alone.

[sue_t]

Regarding the cracked windshields in Whitehorse -- MOST of that damage occurs within the city limits in WINTER when the slippery streets are sanded/gravelled. Two Mile Hill and Robert Service Blvd are liberally sanded/gravelled and it's wicked being behind another vehicle powering up the incline as that spits the rocks back towards you.

Glass insurance is very expensive here so most save their dollars and only replace the windshield when it actually has a hole in it or they can't pass a safety check on the highway.

We don't live IN Whitehorse, instead doing most of our miles on the Alaska Highway, thus the windshield on my Honda Fit is in perfect condition. Same with our truck's windshield. The other car has one crack, obtained on Vancouver Island.

[CA_Traveler]

Nice plan. The one CG we saw in Whittier was marginal. On the road the Portage Valley RV park is nice and just down from there is a nice dry state (?) park with a fish viewing area. Recommend one of these and drive the truck to Whittier.

[Kidoo]

Hi, second tour, my plan:
Depart Quebec Ca: 1 June
Dawson Creek: 11 June
Deadhorse: 26 June
Denali: 30 June
Homer: 9 July
Whithier: 16 July
Valdez 18 July
Chicken 24 July
Dawson 25 July
HYder 1 Aug
Banf 9 Aug
Home 20 Aug

Drive slow, drive very slow when there is no traffic, stop often.
Camp wherever, reservation for Denali only.

[CA_Traveler]

Well the Cassiar is flooded: Conditions - wet, speed 0 for several days. :B

This occurred in 2013, early June I think and Sue.t posted other flooded roads.

[PA12DRVR]

mclee47 wrote:
Several have recommended driving "according to conditions." Could you provide some examples (Speeds and location types)?

Can't offer specific locations since I haven't driven it recently, but based on 20+ trips prior to 2000....

...If the road has swells (like ocean waves) that repeat for a long time, go slow enough that your rig doesn't start bouncing in sequence with the swells (i.e. frost heaves)

....If the road is under construction, i.e. rough gravel/dirt/rock sections, drive slow enough that you don't bounce from rock to rock. This will also reduce the number of rocks you spray up.

....If the road has broken asphalt (i.e. where the asphalt didn't move in sequence with the ground underneath it moving), drive slow enough that your rig doesn't get jarred when going over the cracked asphalt.

I understand the road is pretty good for the most part now. In the old days (in my experience, you may also want to check with Joe B), other than the stretch around Destruction Bay, it was more pleasant to drive on the Canadian portion of the Alcan which, for the most part, was well maintained gravel versus the horribly rough and patched asphalt in Alaska.

[mclee47]

Several have recommended driving "according to conditions." Could you provide some examples (Speeds and location types)?