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.

[sljohnson1938]

veebyes , hope to see you at the chickenstock event. plan to get there on June 12th and stay 3 nites.

[Veebyes]

Lovely 70 degree day here yesterday so I spent most of it rearranging, for the umpteenth time, our 128 day door to door, Alaskan trip. Subject to change on the fly of course but roughly 66 trailer stops, 6 Walmart overnights give or take, as many provincial parks as can be worked in, as many state parks as can be worked in, the rest commercial parks for WIFI & laundry.

This will be the 3rd trip so there is much duplication of route. Not that there is much choice in roads. Some we will do in the opposite direction. The Cassier from South to North this time. The challenging part has been timing to be at the Chickenstock bluegrass festival outbound & a set date in Billings, MT to pick up guests to do Yellowstone & Teton then dropping them in Denver at a set date.

Looking forward to it as much as the first time but it is nice to have the previous experiences to draw on to weight more time here & less time there, e.g Fairbanks will be a fuel top off & grocery stop only. Anchorage won't even rate a stop. Ninilckik gets extra time just to watch the eagles & hope to get some special pictures.

[sue_t]

Beautiful day in Yukon today. Unfortunately, much snow has gone already!

http://suethomas.ca/20140126_IbexValley.html

[sljohnson1938]

Four months to go. Time to start really planning. Order my Mile Post and Church's book.

[JANETRUPP]

Sounds like you are all getting ready and excited for your big adventure. Be safe, travel slow, take tons of pictures and have a wonderful time. We did in 2013 so read all the past posts and get tons of info.
Milepost



If you have the time don't miss the Icefields Parkway

Icefields Parkway

Banff, Lake Louise and Jasper and too beautiful for words...

Janet

[dennis45]

We are booked with Adventure Treks to depart from Dawson Creek, BC on June 22nd for a 50 day caravan. We picked this one because it is a max of 15 rigs. The reviews by previous participants were all good and the operators in Grapevine, TX are also very easy to talk to.
Have never been north of Whitehorse so really looking forward to spending the summer in the north country.

[trcgolf]

My wife and I are planning a 2015 Alaska trip with our fiver.... reading all of these and the 2013 posts have been educational and entertaining and we can't wait to get started for real.

[PA12DRVR]

Joe....was really just being facetious.


I will be back in Alaska for an extended period (primarily Los Anchorage) in March and I do have a timeline for my final return, but have to keep it under wraps a bit as there are some of my work colleagues who troll this board infrequently; they would undoubtedly be worried sick at the idea of me leaving the company! 😉

[VegaSaurus]

We've been trying to plan a trip to AK with our fifth wheel for 3 years now. So FINALLY ... it looks like 2014 will be the year we make the long journey. The plan is to take the southern route to the California coast and meander up the California, Oregon and Washington Coast. Not sure how much time that's going to take but we're flexible and are looking forward to making the best of the entire trip.

Our trip back will be on the Ferry stopping at Wrangel before debarking at Prince Rupert. Then to Banff, Lake Louise, Glacier NP and Custer in SD. Then home. At least that's the initial plan. All subject to change depending on whatever. Just upgraded our 2010 gas GMC sierra 2500 to a 2014 sierra 2500 Duramax diesel truck. The extra power and larger fuel tank as well as the exhaust brake should make the drive a bit easier. We'll leave in May and spend about 3 months.

In 2008 we rented a 29 foot Class C RV from Great Alaskan Holidays in Anchorage and loved every minute of our 3 and a half weeks Alaska trip. Well every minute of the trip except the close encounter with a log cabin on the back of a flatbed trailer that met us in the middle of a narrow bridge. If there was another coat of paint on our rental RV it would have been a head on collision. That will get your heart pumping.:E

The Kenai Penninsula was without a doubt our favorite part of the trip. Loved Seward. At coopers landing area we camped next to a couple who were from Wasilla and the guy was an airline pilot who had his seaplane with them camping. We got to be friends and he gave me a couple rides in his piper cub seaplane that were BEYOND amazing. In the Kenai area we saw a lot of wildlife. Sitting on a riverbank one sunny afternoon we looked across a river and saw a mama moose and a baby. Several minutes later we watched as a very large grizzly came out of the bush trying to get at the baby. And then it got interesting. The moral of the story is don't mess with a mama moose, even if you're a grizzly. After the moose departed, there was one frustrated bear stomping around over there.

Anyways, the anticipation of our return to AK is killing us. Can't wait until May gets here. 🙂

[joe_b_]

PA12DRVR, back to Anchorage or back to the cabin near Chitna/McCarthy or both? This summer? or do you have a time line yet.

[PA12DRVR]

sue.t wrote:
Well, it's official. Not one of you will be the first to RV to Alaska this year, unless you're the fellow I saw hauling about a 35' fifth wheel north on the Alaska Highway this morning at about 7 a.m.

Shh! Don't tell anyone: I'm moving back early! 😉

[sue_t]

Well, it's official. Not one of you will be the first to RV to Alaska this year, unless you're the fellow I saw hauling about a 35' fifth wheel north on the Alaska Highway this morning at about 7 a.m.

[fanrgs]

joe b. wrote:
Not only is it warmer up on the hillsides around Fairbanks, but it also puts a person up above the obnoxious ice fog they have there often, in the winter time. Plus a person can get away from the worst of the ice fog by living out in North Pole as does Silver eagle. The super cold is still there but not the ice fog to the extent that encases Fairbanks from all the people, cars, heating, wood stoves, etc of town.

Joe's comment reminds me of a billboard I saw in College in 1972, the first time I was in Fairbanks. It was advertising "Homes Above the Ice Fog" for sale. Being from Colorado, I had to ask someone what ice fog was. After his explanation, I started seeing all the electrical outlets on posts in parking lots and the number of cars with small plastic sheets stuck to the inside of their car's side windows and plugs hanging out of their grills. That's when it really dawned on me that Alaska wasn't just Colorado with a longer winter!

It's hard to believe those homes the billboard was advertising are now 40+ years old.

[CA_Traveler]

For everyone considering a visit to Whittier: Click here for some information including the Portage RV Park.

[joe_b_]

Sue, I know what you mean, -41°F and -14°F, do look a lot alike at first glance, LOL. The Whitehorse airport is now giving -14.8°F.

If a person was wanting to buy a home in Whitehorse they would sure want to check the local weather patterns. I have landed a few times in Whitehorse, when the Alaska Highway and the Whitehorse Airport, running parallel to it, are in the clear, whereas the Yukon River and downtown are not visible due to low clouds and fog, that has settled into the lower places.

Much like Fairbanks, where it is often 20 or more degrees warmer in the winter, out by College and the Farmer's Loop section of town, both of which are at a higher altitude than is downtown Fairbanks. Not only is it warmer up on the hillsides around Fairbanks, but it also puts a person up above the obnoxious ice fog they have there often, in the winter time.

Plus a person can get away from the worst of the ice fog by living out in North Pole as does Silver eagle. The super cold is still there but not the ice fog to the extent that encases Fairbanks from all the people, cars, heating, wood stoves, etc of town.

So the Princess Car, may get dirty in a few days. Wonder how Barbie would handle the situation? Ah, the trials and tribulations of living in the north country are hard to imagine. LOL It has been hot and rainy here in the swamp recently. A couple of days ago we got almost 13 inches of rain, in 7 hours here at the house, as two weather front collided over our house and became stationary. Temps running in the mid 80s during the day.