Vancouver to Alaska

[jkaras7]

Thanks to all of you for sharing your experiences traveling to Alaska via the Yukon. We are planning a trip next June and the more we read the more excited we get. Geezerbob, we read the blog from your trip. Thanks for sharing that. Have any of you taken the trip up to Prudhoe Bay?

 

[Kim Gass]

Only commercial traffic is permitted that far. Others have to stop at Deadhorse short of the sea

Coldfoot is the only resupply past Livengood
You share the road with large trucks and flat tires and a shattered windshield are to be expected
As it's a stone road. You need to be able to go about 400 miles without refuelling and do basic repair

 

[jkaras7]

Only commercial traffic is permitted that far. Others have to stop at Deadhorse short of the sea

Coldfoot is the only resupply past Livengood
You share the road with large trucks and flat tires and a shattered windshield are to be expected
As it's a stone road. You need to be able to go about 400 miles without refuelling and do basic repair

Thank you. That confirms what we have read elsewhere. If we decide to do something like this we will need to take one of the commercial tours to get to the Arctic Ocean, which are quite expensive.

 

[Cranetech]

Will be sure to check out sharing creek. As for the 4 bucks a gallon in Vancouver it's anywhere between 1.10 and 1.35 a litter so us gal is 3.7 lt sounds like cheap gas in Alaska. To me lol

 

[Kim Gass]

Will be sure to check out sharing creek. As for the 4 bucks a gallon in Vancouver it's anywhere between 1.10 and 1.35 a litter so us gal is 3.7 lt sounds like cheap gas in Alaska. To me lol

It is . Relative to Liard Hot Springs. That was 1.59 a litre . Cash only

 

[Cranetech]

So I think I will buy a copy of the milepost but not sure if I should wait for the 2018 copy or if the 2017 will do just fine. Anybody use it before? Can it change that much from year to year?

 

[Kim Gass]

We have been on the Alaska Highway four times. Never saw the need for the Milepost. It has way too much info such as river crossings small bridges that aren't important to the traveler.
Things could change and what the Milepost can't tell you is that station X now accepts cash only cause their wireless crashed this morning.

It used to be a big deal going to Alaska. Now you see a lot of traffic and you seldom go five minutes without seeing a vehicle.

Be more concerned with the Stewart Cassiar Highway if you come up that way. Spectacular.. There are roadside maps indicating services at rest areas. Pay attention to them.

We found free guides in Alaska to be very informative and very portable. There are three of them for Alaska. Mini Mileposts for back and main highways.

 

[ifallsguy]

If you decide to check out the Cassiar Highway then here is a site for you to check out.

https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/...driving-conditions/highway-37-stewart-cassiar

Road conditions on the Cassiar are much improved from when I regularly used it years ago. The road is now almost hard surface, with minimal gravel. Ore trucks still are on the highway, so drive like you would around gravel trucks.

Be very aware that while the road is scenic, cell coverage, wifi, and vehicle support is not going to be nearby. Fuel is available but repairs are only found in major towns.

Travel will be much less than on the Alaska Highway. I would recommend going up one way and return on the other. If you do take the Cassiar, make sure to visit Hyder, AK, the only southeast Alaska town you can reach by road. All others are by sea or air.

Enjoy the trip.

 

[Kim Gass]

Yes. Hyde is a must Asia the sister town of Stewart AK
Do go up to Salmon Glacier. The view is stunning. Do not take your RV there
Good camping at Meziadin Junction
In late July the bears come for Salmon. There is a viewing platform just outside Hyder

 

[geezerbob]

x2 what Kim said. We carried extra fuel and spare tires good insurance just in case you need them on roads like the Cassair. Bears and Glaciers that's about it for Hyder though. This book was usefull, Travelers Guide to Alaska Camping. An example of info in the book: A gas station in Tok that had a free dump station and water if you bought gas there. Actually used this book more than the Milepost
Welcome centers had maps and some had free wifi.
Bear spray in your kit?
Bob

 

[Kim Gass]

We had bear spray as we did a backcountry canoe trip but never used it
Wise to have on hand
Some campgrounds have R V washes
Tom has several of those
That gas station last year had a low pressure hose. Useless. However it does have free water and a dump station if you need it
British Columbia has several rest areas with free dump stations but further down between Prince George and Vancouver where there is running water
The Stewart Cassiar has outhouses and no water in those rest area
Boya Lake is another beautiful campground albeit without hookups. It does have water taps around the camp

 

[geezerbob]

We also keep the bear spray handy in the camper when we boon-dock or wal-mart etc. in case of two legged varmits.
There was a wounded bear in the Dyea campground when we were there. A rookie cop from Skagway shot it with a shot gun to scare it off, he thought he was using rubber bullets. Turns out it was a slug.
A couple years ago we stopped at Whitehorse and I foolishly had the camper and truck washed I even tipped the guys doing it. 3 hours later to the north it was just as dirty. I felt like, well that was a rookie mistake, last time I did that. Maybe just a quick hose down somewhere now for me. We worked hard to get all that dust and dirt on our rig.
Bob

 

[Kim Gass]

It's not always a matter of vanity to use an RV wash from time to time
The clay on dirt roads and the chip seal on what looks like paved can seal your stairs stuck and the caps on valves also when it dries
Many campgrounds have pressure washers on timers. You can spend three bucks of quarters or 18. Self serve. Some charge by time others by the foot. We have a little unit and it never went above five bucks. Even when we had to spend time getting gunk off the drain cap to get the cap to open

 

[geezerbob]

You are right about that chip coat or seal coat it took a lot of hard work when we got home to get it off. That was the worst stuff.

 

[Cranetech]

If you decide to check out the Cassiar Highway then here is a site for you to check out.

https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/...driving-conditions/highway-37-stewart-cassiar

Road conditions on the Cassiar are much improved from when I regularly used it years ago. The road is now almost hard surface, with minimal gravel. Ore trucks still are on the highway, so drive like you would around gravel trucks.

Be very aware that while the road is scenic, cell coverage, wifi, and vehicle support is not going to be nearby. Fuel is available but repairs are only found in major towns.

Travel will be much less than on the Alaska Highway. I would recommend going up one way and return on the other. If you do take the Cassiar, make sure to visit Hyder, AK, the only southeast Alaska town you can reach by road. All others are by sea or air.

Enjoy the trip.

Thanks for the link.that is the plan go up the Alaska hwy and come back the Cassiar

 

[Cranetech]

Thanks. Just trying to be prepared.
More concerned on seeing the sites and finding a place to camp.. saw a copy on Craigslist do 15 bucks 2017. Also thought it would give me some reading material

 

[Cranetech]

If you decide to check out the Cassiar Highway then here is a site for you to check out.

https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/...driving-conditions/highway-37-stewart-cassiar

Road conditions on the Cassiar are much improved from when I regularly used it years ago. The road is now almost hard surface, with minimal gravel. Ore trucks still are on the highway, so drive like you would around gravel trucks.

Be very aware that while the road is scenic, cell coverage, wifi, and vehicle support is not going to be nearby. Fuel is available but repairs are only found in major towns.

Travel will be much less than on the Alaska Highway. I would recommend going up one way and return on the other. If you do take the Cassiar, make sure to visit Hyder, AK, the only southeast Alaska town you can reach by road. All others are by sea or air.

Enjoy the trip.

Would like to make Hyder.. my company sold a crane up that way in Stewart curious if it's still there.. how about camping? Reservations needed or can we easily find a place? To spend the night?

 

[geezerbob]

Private message

Kim.. I sent you a private message.
Bob

 

[geezerbob]

Crane Tech. Another thought for you. Even though you will be traveling paved roads there may be several miles of gravel where they are putting in new roads or repairing paved roads. Dust was an issue for us north of Kluanne lake and top of the world road. It came in everywhere. Even under our tonneau cover on the truck. I suggest that you cover up entry points where you can in those longer stretches. Water heater, furnace entry, refrigerator entry, windows closed and vents sealed etc. I know you can't do that for short stretches but just be aware. It can happen before they use chip seal that Kim talked about. A small vacuum cleaner or dust thing.
Bob

 

[ifallsguy]

Would like to make Hyder.. my company sold a crane up that way in Stewart curious if it's still there.. how about camping? Reservations needed or can we easily find a place? To spend the night?

Been a long while since I've been there and was working as photojournalist for the now defunct Anchorage Times.

But here are some web sites you might want to check out:

Hyder, AK Campground Reviews - Best of Hyder Camping - RV Park Reviews

Rainey Creek Municipal Campground - Stewart, BC - RV Park Reviews

Bear River RV Park - Stewart, BC - RV Park Reviews

You might consider camping in Stewart, BC and visit Hyder with your TV (assuming you have a TT and not Class A,B,C). Could save you time at customs going though I remember pre 9/11 as it being one of the easiest border crossings to go through.