Date: Fri, 30 Jan 2009 17:52:58 -0600
Reply-To: John Rodgers <inua@CHARTER.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: John Rodgers <inua@CHARTER.NET>
Subject: Re: Trip to Alaska, summer 2009
In-Reply-To: <BLU144-W77AEBAE619882EEF5424AB8C60@phx.gbl>
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Ellen,
I lived in Alaska for 30 years, and have been up and down the Alaska
Highway many times by road and by air. It's an awesome journey, one I
never tired of, and still look forward to.
Mark Tuovinen, a list member who lives in Anchorage is an excellent
resource. Give him a shout. Also, get on the internet and order a cop of
"The Milepost". It is the definitive travel guide to Alaska and includes
maps as well as mile by mile description of every highway North of
Dawson Creek in Canada, which is the official start point of the Alaska
Highway.
Although I have driven the highway from Alaska to Birmingham - 4500
miles - by myself in 8 days, I don't recommend it. You can just count
the days and see that up to Alaska and back down again would total 16
days of 12 hour a day driving. And that is over half of your allotted
vacation time. You really do need 6 weeks to do this even close to
right. It is a much bigger journey than most realize, even though
conditions along the highway have vastly improved.
You need to be sure you have adequate time if you encounter bad
conditions anywhere along the way - and on that highway that can happen.
Especially in the days not long after spring thaw - and in the north
country at higher elevations - spring breakup is still happening in late
June and you will find muddy roads, broken pavement, washouts, and Ice
on the lakes. You will go through Watson Lake in Canada on the Alaska
Highway and the last frost there every year is around the end of the
third week of June. So, be prepared for the cold, and wind, and rain -
and mud - even thought the Alaska Highway has been paved for years now.
It is permafrost country, and the ground heaves and pavement comes
completely apart under those conditions. There will chuckholes enough to
blow all tires at once, and maybe some sinkholes from melted permafrost
deep enough to disappear a car. Because of distances between fuel
points, and places to get help, I would take at least two spare times. I
made one trip up one time and lost five tires between Watson Lake and
Anchorage. There will be more traffic on the highway in summer, and
therefore greater opportunity for assistance if needed, and people are
pretty good about stopping to help. But there is also the dark side to
people stopping, so stay alert.
From memory - and mine isn't what it use to be - it's about 1450 miles
from Dawson Creek to Fairbanks. I don't remember how far it is from
Dawson Creek to Anchorage.
But like I said - first thing is to order "The Milepost". It will answer
a miriad of questions for you. Second, call Mountain View Sporting Goods
- phone: (907) 563-8600 - and get them to send you a box of Buhach. It
is a box of powdered pyrethrium flowers and is the best mosquito
repellent ever. All the old Sourdoughs know about it and use it. You put
a little in a tin and burn it in a smoldering burn. . The smoke drives
all mosquitoes away.
Good luck.
John Rodgers
88 GL Driver.
Ellen wrote:
> Never too soon to start gathering ideas for this! After the five-week, 7000-mile cross-country trip last fall (which went fairly well) I am anxious to take Lola up to the GREAT LAND on a four week jaunt this summer. Any input is welcome, as well as potential traveling partners. I feel traveling up to Alaska is different than around the lower 48 in that there are fewer resources should something go wrong. I am open to traveling in a group of Vanagons, as opposed to just myself. Places that are on my must see list are Anchorage, Denali, and Fairbanks. Everything else is negotiable. I am located close to Portland, Oregon.
>
> TIA,
>
> Ellen
> Lola, '85 Vanagon ASI
> Coee, Traveling Cat
>
> Don't wait for a light to appear at the end of the tunnel; stride down there.....and light the bloody thing yourself." ~Dara Henderson
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