Vancouver, BC to Alaska info needed

[tsimtcu8]

Hi folks, I am in the early stages of planning a road trip north from our new home in Vancouver, BC. We are looking to spend about 14 days in total around June, July, August 2013. We want to camp (Pickup camper) along the way rather than use hotels. We really want to hear ideas of where to stop, stay, and best routes for up and back. Also, contact info of outfitters you really liked for some outdoor adventures, really anything you think will help us plan our trip. Oh and we have not even settled on an ultimate destination in Alaska so that is up for discussion as well, I think it's more about the journey anyway. We want to do some river fishing, camping, hiking, fun outdoor activities along the way where possible. I was considering a Ferry one way and a drive one way, but it's all up for discussion.

[paulj]

Banff National Park

June 2013 Flood - Information for Park Visitors

[garyhaupt]

tsimtcu8...what the heck are you guys doing? Going to see the misery from the flooding? Seeing's as you are heading east, perhaps look at the Kootenays/Banff/Jasper and stay out of Calgary and most southern Alberta. There's nuttin to see right now but mud, trashed homes and the bugs will be plentiful.

You could map out a fabulous camping trip..south to north...up thu the Kootenay Valley and on up to Revelstoke, go left to Kamloops and up the Yellowhead into Jasper and down the Parkway to Banff. Just sayin, ya know?



Gary Haupt
currently IN Vancouver.

[tsimtcu8]

paulj wrote:
https://twitter.com/BanffNP

https://twitter.com/JasperNP

RT @banffnp: Campground Update Banff, Yoho, Kootenay: Open:Lake Louise; Tunnel Mountain.; Redstreak; Kicking Horse; Monarch.

AB road map
It appears from this that Icefields Parkway (93N) is open between AB11 and Jasper. That includes the glacier visitor center. It's the part further south towards Lake Louise that is closed.

--------------
Sat evening - Banff twitter says Icefields is now open.

This is great, thanks for sharing. It looks like things are finally moving in the right direction. Now we just need the Banff to Calgary section to open up by Thursday of next week and we'll be good. We have now officially decided we'll continue with our original plan of the Jasper, Lake Louise, Banff, Calgary trip. Hopefully we'll get up to Yukon next year. We've got a pretty good itinerary lined up as long as things aren't too destroyed, hoping all the scenery, hikes, campsites along the Icefields parkway are okay.

[daveB110]

We got as far as Dawson City, Yukon, a few years ago in a truck and camper, with a little more than two weeks at our disposal. We never spent more than one night anywhere, left via B.C. Ferries from Port Hardy, to Prince Rupert, drove the Cassiar Highway, and returned on the Alaska Highway. We've always wanted to return, but at a much more leisurely pace, since we've long since retired. As Joe said, GO! It will be something of a Whirlwind Tour, but will whet your appetite for a longer trip later.

[paulj]

https://twitter.com/BanffNP

https://twitter.com/JasperNP

RT @banffnp: Campground Update Banff, Yoho, Kootenay: Open:Lake Louise; Tunnel Mountain.; Redstreak; Kicking Horse; Monarch.

AB road map
It appears from this that Icefields Parkway (93N) is open between AB11 and Jasper. That includes the glacier visitor center. It's the part further south towards Lake Louise that is closed.

--------------
Sat evening - Banff twitter says Icefields is now open.

[tsimtcu8]

paulj wrote:
According to drivebc, you can now drive to Banff from the west. It's the connection to Calgary that's cut off. Highway through Jasper is fine, but I think Icefields Parkway is still closed.

Thanks for the info, please keep me posted on what you all hear in this are. Icefields parkway is an area we were planning on spending a lot of time so we'll see if they open that.

[paulj]

According to drivebc, you can now drive to Banff from the west. It's the connection to Calgary that's cut off. Highway through Jasper is fine, but I think Icefields Parkway is still closed.

[tsimtcu8]

Update- given the flooding in Alberta I'm now thinking northern BC and Yukon may be the plan again. We leave in 7 days and any additional info for routes or ideally key sights/hikes that must be seen along the way would be very helpful. Thanks

[tsimtcu8]

paulj wrote:
For a 2 week trip, I'd second Gary's Bella Coola suggestion. For example, from Vancouver you could:
cross to Vancouver Island
drive north to Port Hardy (doable in 1 day, but you'd see more with 2 nights)
BC ferry to Bella Coola
2 or more nights in the valley (great hiking if you can take forest roads)
up The Hill to Williams Lake (more like the Alaska Hwy than the Yukon)
south to Lillooet
Sea to Sky via Duffy Lake and Whistler.

I took 2 months to visit Alaska from Chicago. Since moving to Seattle I've taken a number of 2 week trips to BC, but haven't gone north of Prince Rupert.

Incidentally Vancouver to Prince Rupert is 1500 km, 2 full driving days by most standards. On one trip, to Prince Rupert and QC Islands, we took 5 days to get up there, and 5 to get back, with 6 days on the Islands. The return did include 2 nights at Wells Gray.

Or how about making Whitehorse your turn around point:
Vancouver Island, Port Hardy - Prince Rupert
PR to Skagway
Skagway to Whitehorse
return via Cassier and Prince George
I'd prefer to have 3 weeks for that loop.

Hi Paulj thanks for the info, this is great to have such detailed feedback. We did just recently spend some time on the Island around Mt. Washington and Cowichan Valley camping. We also spend a lot of time in and around Whistler and Birkenhead and Garibaldi. I also travel to Fort St. John a lot for work. Overall we havent seen all the areas you mention but have been near most of them. This is the reason I had thought perhaps hopping on the ferry and shooting as far north as i can get initially and then just exploring on the drive back down south may be a good option. But i also understand that since i have never done it then it may take longer. So in that light I am also now considering the route east to Jasper, Banff, Lake Louise, etc as an option as well. Keep that advice coming, i appreciate it all! I really like the outdoor activity advice you give about where we can get some hiking in because we want to hike and fish as much as possible along the way.

[paulj]

For a 2 week trip, I'd second Gary's Bella Coola suggestion. For example, from Vancouver you could:
cross to Vancouver Island
drive north to Port Hardy (doable in 1 day, but you'd see more with 2 nights)
BC ferry to Bella Coola
2 or more nights in the valley (great hiking if you can take forest roads)
up The Hill to Williams Lake (more like the Alaska Hwy than the Yukon)
south to Lillooet
Sea to Sky via Duffy Lake and Whistler.

I took 2 months to visit Alaska from Chicago. Since moving to Seattle I've taken a number of 2 week trips to BC, but haven't gone north of Prince Rupert.

Incidentally Vancouver to Prince Rupert is 1500 km, 2 full driving days by most standards. On one trip, to Prince Rupert and QC Islands, we took 5 days to get up there, and 5 to get back, with 6 days on the Islands. The return did include 2 nights at Wells Gray.

Or how about making Whitehorse your turn around point:
Vancouver Island, Port Hardy - Prince Rupert
PR to Skagway
Skagway to Whitehorse
return via Cassier and Prince George
I'd prefer to have 3 weeks for that loop.

[tsimtcu8]

DesertHawk wrote:

tsimtcu8 wrote:
The good news is there are 2 of us and we are young so covering ground is what we like to do. On our drive from Texas to BC we once covered the distance between Trinidad, CO and Boise, ID in one day no problem.

If you plan on using your Chevrolet Silverado Crew Cab 2500HD Duramax Diesel Allison Transmission with A.R.E topper should make it much easier in either driving the route or not bad for taking the ferry up and/or back. No worries about being too tall, just have to figure the length. We have an A.R.E topper on a 8' bed, my wife & I did a couple of nights in the back of it this past April/May. If younger it wouldn't be too shabby for touring Alaska (if it had the walk-in-door in back it wouldn't be bad at all even at our age).

Sounds like you two could do well in crossing country quickly, especially if you drive in shifts & if the one not driving sleeps while on the fly, one might be able to never stop except for fuel. Might want to get fuel whenever it can be had.

Should have plenty of light for it, more & more daylight as you go north.

Might want to estimate the cost of fuel per mile (kilometer, I assume in Canada) vs the cost of taking the ferry vs cost of flying & cost of sleeping arrangements (their seems to be some hostels in Anchorage) & rental cost.

But having your own wheels & bed is always the nicest (to me at least).

Thanks - great information. Based on the feedback we are planning a ride up on the ferry since we only have a short time and then a drive down south. Yes we're using our Chevy/ARE setup and have gotten pretty comfortable with it so we're excited to expand our territory a little bit. Thanks for all the feedback!

[joe_b_]

Sue, I understand what you are saying. I think it will be interesting for you and Steve to look back in a couple of years to see if you still spend as much time out in your RVs, now that you live there, as you did when heading to the Yukon evert year for a vacation.

I would suspect that we may average sleeping more nights in our RV in Alaska, now that we live in Florida than we did while living in Alaska. Going every other year, we spend about 60 nights in Alaska and northern Canada, averaging then 30 nights a year. Not sure we would spend that many nights in our RV when we lived there. Some years maybe. The winter trips we would take to Chena Hot Springs we would rent a cabin. For our river boat trips and for winter camping I would use a tent. The same with my camping trips out of my airplane. For fishing tips to the Kenai, we had a 5th wheel set up semi-permanently on a river front lot we owned, so I don't really consider that to be a RV. Once the concrete blocks go under an RV, it just becomes a place to eat and sleep, just sub-standard housing, IMHO. 🙂

So it will be interesting to talk to you in a few years to see if you are still doing a lot of camping or have switched to more day type trips. Until you and your husband both actually retire, it may be more difficult to find/make the time to go camping. Somewhat like so many of the Alaska residents, find it difficult to do much camping when the only get the standard two weeks vacation. Plus many residents have to work all summer to make it through the winter. Sometimes winter jobs are not easy to find as you know. You can't get far from Anchorage on a weekend, where most residents live.

[Veebyes]

14 days!!!! I take it you are not planning on getting out of BC. BC is huge. Then there is The Yukon to get through. Non of it is scenery to be rushed through.

[Johnny_G1]

Sue, Is that your new sled dog, nice lookin puppy.