What's the quickest route to Fairbanks?

[2lazy4U]

Will be leaving ASAP to get to FB to see an older relative (late 80s) and don't have tons of time. Can someone tell me the quickest way to go via automobile? Though I have a 4 by 4 I would prefer to stay on paved roads. 🙂 Flying is not an option (dogs). And any ideas how quickly I can get there w/o killing myself? Am in W. Colorado. Thanks in advance.

Oh, and will the skeeters still be really bad then?

[bobsallyh]

We came thru last week. There is quite a bit of road construction and pilot cars. So don't put much into travel time that mapping programs show.

[2lazy4U]

Thanks AKsilvereagle. Am copying all this into a text file for reference. And hope to go to North Pole while I'm there.

[AKsilvereagle]

As mentioned, quickest route is thru Alberta by reaching the QE Hwy 2, a little quicker you want to bypass Edmonton and reaching Hwy 43, which links into BC Hwy 2 however they still have mass construction just passed Toms Lake so expect delays, as BC Hwy 2 runs into Dawson Creek and just follow the same road here to the roundabout where the Alaska Hwy starts at, and stay on the Alaska Hwy throughout which links on the Richardson Hwy at Delta Junction and wellah, you will arrive in Fairbanks.

Quickest and easiest route to take as one would have to be a dummy if they were to ever get lost along the way....I can't think of more than two intersections along the entire way where someone could make an inadvertent wrong turn....Be aware in Grande Prairie that Hwy 43 is split into two different roadways once you get there....Hwy 43 west to east will take someone on one roadway to link to it, as Hwy 43 east to west will link you on an entire different roadway to reach there, unless you know the other options of sideroads to take in Grande Prairie.

[2lazy4U]

Dogs in a kennel is a no go. They're my kids, and putting kids in a kennel would probably get me arrested. 🙂 Can't leave them at home cause I have no home - I'm a camp host and live in a trailer, but it's too big to haul north. I am leaving one at my daughter's, so two with me is OK. They travel a lot and are good, bark only at squirrels and things smaller than them (great guard dogs, eh?).

I have a vet check tomorrow for the papers, thanks, Soup.

Joe, Gary's now retired, as you probably know. I spent a summer in a cabin up above the reservoir - sure enjoyed it. My parents (Gary's uncle) lived in Montrose for 45 years. I love the San Juans. If you get homesick for them, check out Jack Brauer's blog (photographer). Google Mountain Photographer. He lives in Ouray.

Thanks everyone for the help. Now if I can just find my passport... 🙂

[Grit_dog]

Leave the dogs at home and hop a plane if time is and issue. Otherwise it's almost a week driving one way.
Only issue is rental cars are scarce in AK until the end of the summer.

[sljohnson1938]

ALASKA AIRLINES.

Not trying to be smart, but I had a limited time, I would fly up, rent an RV, fly back.

Put the dogs in a kennel.

[SideHillSoup]

Don't forget you dogs will need there shots and paper work to enter canada.
Importing or Travelling with Pets

Soup.

[joe_b_]

We came down to the swamp to help out with my wife's aging parents, and then our daughters moved down to go to college in Orlando, then both got married and now we have grand kids here can't seem to be able to move away from the grandsons. They tend to go to western Colorado with us in the summers. Last summer we spent a month at the Ouray KOA, great RV park, IMHO. Then a couple of weeks at the Montrose KOA, using it for day trips to the surrounding area.

The grand kids love Ouray. The swimming pool, hiking, Jeeping in the San Juan's, visits to Silverton, etc. they never seem to get tired of camping in the area. We usually stay a couple of weeks at Ridgway State Park, our favorite Colorado SP.

My wife grew up in the Springs and her family moved to Woodland her freshman year of high school. So we end camping around the Springs for a week to visit old friends. So many great campgrounds in Colorado, especially the West Slope. The crowds on the Front Range are a bit of a turn off for me.

We really miss Ouray. When we moved there from Alaska, we bought an old Victorian home and worked on it for the nine years we lived there. We kept it for a year after moving to Florida, but didn't see us returning anytime soon, so we sold it. We have considered buying a second home there, but the increased prices have messed up that idea.

The trip to Alaska is great, no matter how much time is available to do it. We all have to use what we have for the trip. Any amount of time spent in the north country, is better than not going, IMHO.

[2lazy4U]

Thanks, Rag, for the helpful info. And Joe, maybe it's time to move back? Ouray's awfully nice...

[rag-ftw]

Depending on where you are you will want to get on 15 as soon as possible and head North to the border.
From the border take 4 North to Lethbridge
3 West to Fort Macleod
2 North to Calgary and Edmonton
West on 16 to 43
43 North until it becomes 2
2 North to Dawson Creek
97 North to Watson Lake
1 Northwest to Whitehorse, Destruction Bay, and Tok
A2 to Fairbanks

This is one of the most scenic drives in the world. It's to bad you are in a hurry.

Would NOT suggest driving form Toad River to Watson Lake at night. Buffalo sleep on the highway and you will not see their eyes!

Be aware of frost heaves and slow down when they are identified!

[joe_b_]

Sure do know Gary, Terry and the three kids. We spent about two months in the Ouray area the last two summers. We had to skip going out this summer due to some personal health issues. We lived in Ouray for about 9 years prior to moving here to the swamp country. That move made it near the top of the list, of the "Ten dumbest things joe b. has ever done." LOL

[2lazy4U]

Thanks, Joe. I'm in Glenwood. I bet you know my cousin in Ouray, Gary Miller. Your route sounds perfect for me!

[joe_b_]

We used to live in Ouray and the route we used was to go to Grand Junction, west on I 70 Green River Utah, cut NW to Provo, then north on I 15 to the Canadian boarder. Cross at Coutts-Sweatgrass and north to Calgary, Edmonton, cut NW to Dawson Creek and take the Alaska Hwy north to Delta Junction Alaska and then the Richardson Hwy on to Fairbanks.
There will be bugs up till a couple of good hard frosts, about the first week of October in the Interior around Fairbanks. We used to live in Nenana Alaska as well. Nenana is about 65 miles SW of Fairbanks.

Google thinks it is about 3,168 miles from Grand Junction to Fairbanks and they show 57 driving hours. That distance I can make in 5 days of hard driving but six or seven are more comfortable to all concerned.