Roll Call Alaska 2015

[trcgolf]

I know its early but we have been planning for the past 3 months. I know its another 15 months at least till we leave but we are just going crazy...
So here is our very rough plan overview. Leave mid June from western NY; travel west up through Ill., Wis., Min., ND, into Canada.
Diagonally across Saskatch. and Alberta, BC, and YT...
Our first destination is Fairbanks, via Top of the World Highway... thinking of doing the Dempster to the Arctic Circle. I know there will many stops... some short, some long but all will be great.
Fairbanks to Homer with the obligatory Denali stop for a few days.
Homer to Portland Or; Oregon to San Fran; San Fran to home via the Northern US.

We have so much planning yet to do but reading all the Roll Call posts in 2013, and 2014 just keeps us going. Started to plan finances which brings us to the first major question.
I have heard all the diesel advantages and draw backs of the gas engines. We invested in a 32' fifth wheel and 2013 GMC 2500 HD with 6.0L Crew 4x4. The fiver weighs about 8K empty, I would guess 10,500 loaded. ( I will get that checked for sure)Brand new to Rving

The truck is my every dayer.... need the 4 wheel drive here in winter. The decision with gas was pure economics. A Cummins diesel and matching tranny was $9500 more. Doing the math it was going to take a bunch of miles to save enough in mileage to pay for the increase in price. About 100000 mile by my calculation. We not going to be full timers; one long trip a year to Florida.
Traveling around NY and Pa and maybe Florida, that all makes sense but going on a trip like this, I am not so sure gas was the way to go. So I am asking for those who used a truck like mine to haul a fifth wheel through Canada...Alaska...et al... What kind of mileage can I expect? Sorry for the novelette...I will get better at this.

Edited to add 'Alaska' within the title.

[tralertrash]

3%exchange fee on most credit cards

[CA_Traveler]

tralertrash wrote:
pet peeve? gas stations that don't convert currency. $100 ($110 can), buy $50 in gas and get $50 in change, they make $10 extra. GGGRRRRR

Why not just use a credit card? For ours current exchange rate and 5% cash back.

Plus no extra cash needed on board.

[tralertrash]

just not a lot of banks open on sunday, plus MOST merchants do convert, just had 2 that didn,t, relax...

[Orion]

tralertrash wrote:
pet peeve? gas stations that don't convert currency. $100 ($110 can), buy $50 in gas and get $50 in change, they make $10 extra. GGGRRRRR

Are you kidding us! What do you think would happen if I tried to buy gas in KC with a Canadian hundred dollar bill?

[sue_t]

tralertrash wrote:
pet peeve? gas stations that don't convert currency. $100 ($110 can), buy $50 in gas and get $50 in change, they make $10 extra. GGGRRRRR

Well, the easy solution is to carry Canadian currency that you've already converted from American. When you're in Canada, do as Canadians do... 🙂

[tralertrash]

pet peeve? gas stations that don't convert currency. $100 ($110 can), buy $50 in gas and get $50 in change, they make $10 extra. GGGRRRRR

[Kidoo]

stickdog wrote:
We saw plenty of wildlife in BC a little before Muncho Lake and plenty after it.
Bears 7-8 the wife kept count one was a grizzly for sure and another could have been. Sheep on the side of the road and on the hills above, many woods bison, Caribou, a wolf, eagles, hawks, snowshoe bunnies still changing to summer camo.
Keep the windows clean and the camera ready, pull off don't block traffic, we did have to slow down for Caribou on the road.

Take your time, this is the strech of the trip where you will see the most animals on the road side. If I return one day, I think I will drive and overnight stop a every oportunity. This time of the year is also the best time to see animals, they where all over when I went in May 2012, not as much in Jusne 2014.

[Tee_Jay]

Any open lane is fine.

[Chiefelectusn]

Going to enter Canada at Sumas next week, any special lane for a 40' RV with a toad?
Are they well marked?

[Nukengineer]

Don't know about the other CG's in Dawson City, but am currently at Bonanza Gold Motel & RV Park and there are plenty of empty spaces. Apparently, Gold Days was celebrated over the weekend where gold trade people came in to make deals. The ferry is operating and per the Info Center, the TOW & Border Crossing is projected to open May 21st.

[stickdog]

We saw plenty of wildlife in BC a little before Muncho Lake and plenty after it.
Bears 7-8 the wife kept count one was a grizzly for sure and another could have been. Sheep on the side of the road and on the hills above, many woods bison, Caribou, a wolf, eagles, hawks, snowshoe bunnies still changing to summer camo.
Keep the windows clean and the camera ready, pull off don't block traffic, we did have to slow down for Caribou on the road.

[garyhaupt]

Folks driving up to the 49th state will see lots of wildlife. Especially bears. Always always be bear aware.

This is from Yellowstone, last week.


https://youtu.be/tkkm-JtrPfk


That no one got it was just pure luck. That the bears are sorta used to humans probably accounts for the luck. The north? isn't Yellowstone.



Gary Haupt

[sue_t]

A head's up if you're headed to Dawson City in Yukon. If you prefer a commercial campground, phone ahead for reservations. Word on the street is that the campgrounds are full of workers - people who don't have oil-field work in Alberta or gas-field work in northern B.C. this summer so have come north to work in the Klondike gold fields.

Dawson has an accommodation shortage for summer workers as it is, and now there is this influx of roughnecks with their trucks and trailers.

BTW, the Yukon River ferry went in today BUT the Top of the World Highway still is not clear of snow so it remains closed.

[dahkota]

Beautiful images, Sue. They make me want to rush to get up there!

[sue_t]

The sheep are usually over the other side of the mountain this time of year. It's too warm on the south side of Sheep Mountain for their pleasure so they seek the cooler temps. You might see them if you hike up Sheep Creek on the west side of the park - watch for brown bears too.

Here, the sheep in March on the highway at the base of Sheep Mountain