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Woodmiester View Drop Down
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Joined: 03 Aug 2018
Location: Greenwood IN
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Posts: 142 		Direct Link To This Post Topic: Alaska Planning
    Posted: 23 Jan 2020 at 8:41am
As far as the fear of traveling alone, rest your fears.  There are so many RVers on these highways and  unlike in the lower 48, everyone helps everyone.  We have made this trip and have encountered RVers with a multitude of problems but have never experienced anyone being left on their own.  We (and others) always stop if we see a problem and do whatever we need to do to get these folks back on the road.  

Please don't let this fear keep you from traveling to Alaska.  I promise you will meet the nicest, most helpful people you can imagine.  I cannot imagine traveling on a schedule.  You will want to pause and enjoy every moment of it.

JUST GO!!
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ronahue View Drop Down
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Posts: 316 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 23 Jan 2020 at 8:53am
I agree with Woodmiester. We did this trip in 2017 it was really a piece of cake. Get the latest copy on "The Milepost" which will be out in March have the navigator keep it open on their lap and enjoy the trip. The one caveat is plan more time than you think you will need we spent 74 days on the trip from Boston to Alaska and back 16,000 miles and only saw the south east corner of Alaska. Don't miss Liard Hot Springs for at least one night and if you can get reservations at Teklanika campground in Denali plan at least 3 nights there. "The Milepost" is indispensable on on any trip up to Alaska. If you have specific questions and want to PM me please do.
Ron & Sharon
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StephenH View Drop Down
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Joined: 29 Nov 2015
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Posts: 6285 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 23 Jan 2020 at 10:50am
Originally posted by ronahue

I agree with Woodmiester. We did this trip in 2017 it was really a piece of cake. Get the latest copy on "The Milepost" which will be out in March have the navigator keep it open on their lap and enjoy the trip. The one caveat is plan more time than you think you will need we spent 74 days on the trip from Boston to Alaska and back 16,000 miles and only saw the south east corner of Alaska. Don't miss Liard Hot Springs for at least one night and if you can get reservations at Teklanika campground in Denali plan at least 3 nights there. "The Milepost" is indispensable on on any trip up to Alaska. If you have specific questions and want to PM me please do.
Thank you. This is helpful.
StephenH
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ouR escaPOD mods
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ronahue View Drop Down
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Posts: 316 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 23 Jan 2020 at 11:52am
One more thing We went up the ALCAN and down the Cassiar Highway the Cassiar is more isolated than the ALCAN but worth the extra planning. We stayed at Boya Lake PP and Meziadin PP with a day trip down to Hyder, AK to see the bears. 
Ron & Sharon
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StephenH View Drop Down
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Posts: 6285 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 23 Jan 2020 at 12:14pm
Now I am going to have to go to the maps to see the routing and places. I take it PP means Provincial Park.

What about gasoline stations? I guess that with the ALCAN, there would be sufficient stations to not have to worry about running out. What about the Cassiar Highway?
StephenH
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ouR escaPOD mods
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ronahue View Drop Down
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Posts: 316 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 23 Jan 2020 at 12:40pm
We carried 5 gallon and 2.5 gallon cans on the trip down the Cassiar and did not need them. However you are correct it can be tight if the station run by a First Nation settlement south of Boya Lakes is not open. We towed a 179 with a Nissan Frontier so we had a safe 200 mile range without the extra gas. It looks like gas is available at AH146 (that's 146 miles from the ALCAN junction), Iskut AH198 and and Bell II AH 353. Yes PP is Provincial Park if you don't mind dry camping they are the best. However be advised dump stations can be hard to find so use your black water tank judiciously.  
Ron & Sharon
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StephenH View Drop Down
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Posts: 6285 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 23 Jan 2020 at 3:11pm
Good advice! We have found that the gray water tank fills up first though. But by then, the fresh tank is empty so we would need to find a place to dump the full tanks and fill the empty tank anyway. If we take (and I don't see where we would't) our generator, I would be carrying at least a 5 gallon gas can anyway. Is there any trouble at the borders (US and Canadian) if one is carrying gas cans?
StephenH
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Wendell View Drop Down
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Posts: 4 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 23 Jan 2020 at 3:47pm
We visited AK in '17 also. If you're comfortable in a semi-primitive campground, I recommend Kusawa Lake CG https://yukon.ca/en/outdoor-recreation-and-wildlife/camping/site/kusawa-lake. 
Finding gas wasn't really a problem, but next time I'll pay more attention. I didn't really like refueling at self-service facility(don't recall where) 
and a similar one in Burwash Landing. 
We returned on the Cassiar Hwy and I don't recall any problems with gas. 
I was disappointed by all the people at Denali NP, it was like Yosemite, Zion, and Smoky Mtns. Finding a site was a problem in Seward(the weekend, an RV park 3-5 mi. N was better than the overflow lot) and Lake Louise/Banff(very, very popular, but the McLeod Meadows CG, Kootenay NP was almost empty).  
We took 6 weeks to/from Alaska and it wasn't enough time. We had a house-sitter, so mail wasn't a problem, and our postmistress has been very nice to us. The one time we did a mail-order while gone, we got it from the PO General Delivery where we knew we'd be in a few days. 
Alaska is an extremely interesting place, and I wish I'd visited there sooner. I know I'm going to enjoy going back again.
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StephenH View Drop Down
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Posts: 6285 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 23 Jan 2020 at 4:05pm
Thank you. I don't mind semi-primitive campgrounds.The link for Kusawa Lake Campground states that it is closed for construction until further notice. Perhaps it will be open when we head that way.
StephenH
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ouR escaPOD mods
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ronahue View Drop Down
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Posts: 316 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 23 Jan 2020 at 7:04pm
Taking gas across the border was not a problem. Check the Canadian website for the latest rules. Two things to note you can bring bear pepper spray across but you can not bring people spray (personal protection spray) into Canada also a DUI (driving under the influence) conviction is considered a felony in Canada and you will not be allowed in. Their are ways to mitigate this ahead of time so if anyone traveling with you Has a DUI convictions you should do some research.
Ron & Sharon
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