cramer@kontron.UUCP (Clayton Cramer) (01/22/86)
I would be interested in hearing accounts of travelling to Alaska by car on the Alaska Highway.
ken@birtch.UUCP (Ken B) (01/23/86)
[distribution changed to na] In article <479@kontron.UUCP> cramer@kontron.UUCP (Clayton Cramer) writes: >I would be interested in hearing accounts of travelling to Alaska by car >on the Alaska Highway. In the summer of 1978, I traveled from Sacramento, Calif. to Anchorage, Alaska via the 'Alkan' and 'Cassiar' (sp?) highways. We spent only 5 weeks doing so, {next time, 2 months minimum} but we had a really great time. The parts of Canada that the Alkan and Cassiar go thru are some of the most beautiful areas I have seen. (I have traveled thru most of the U.S. [North, East, South, West, Middle]) The people along the highways are wonderful (except for those darn accents :-) In a couple of years, I would love to travel up that way again. Take about 3 months, a four-wheel drive, and go. The only problems we had were: 8 flat tires (about average, at the time) 1 broken axle (on the trailer we were towing) Many mosquitoes The next time I go (eventually) some things to make sure to bring: more film at least two extra spare tires (make sure they are tubed tires) gas cans some method of heating water, for a shower (not a spit bath) lotsa bug repellent warmer sleeping bag (even in summer) If you can, for safetys sake, try to have at least one more vehicle, if only for a backup. We were lucky that the axle broke on the trailer, not the blazer. Note: even if you can't drive up, the ferry trip is supposed to be a nice trip, also. -- uucp: ...{!glacier!oliveb,!trwrb!scgvaxd} !felix!birtch!ken These ramblings are my own, and are surely not those of my employer.
jerryp@tektools.UUCP (Jerry Peek) (01/26/86)
In article <257@birtch.UUCP> ken@birtch.UUCP (Ken B) writes: > In the summer of 1978, I traveled from Sacramento, Calif. to Anchorage, > Alaska via the 'Alkan' and 'Cassiar' (sp?) highways. We spent only 5 > weeks doing so, {next time, 2 months minimum} but we had a really > great time. > > The only problems we had were: > 8 flat tires (about average, at the time) > 1 broken axle (on the trailer we were towing) > > If you can, for safetys sake, try to have at least one more vehicle, > if only for a backup. We were lucky that the axle broke on the > trailer, not the blazer. I guess things have changed a lot since then. I drove the Alaska and Cassiar Highways (also the Campbell and Dempster) last summer -- no problems. The roads were generally excellent, though there were a few rough stretches between Fort Nelson, BC and the Yukon border. The Alaska Highway is almost all paved. I *would* carry a couple of spares (tires, I mean... not axles). Keep your gas tank full, especially if you need unleaded. By the way, I think the Cassiar is by far the more-beautiful road, though it's dirt/gravel. A short and fun side trip is past the Bear Glacier on the highway to Stewart, BC and the tiny town of Hyder, Alaska, right next door. The only way to reach Hyder by land is through Canada. There's a little store, as you come into town, that feels strangely American after spending time across the border in Stewart (which, by the way, is a nice town on its own). And Hyder has way more than its share of bars, per-capita... --Jerry Peek, Tektronix, Inc. US Mail: MS 74-222, P.O. Box 500, Beaverton, OR 97077 uucp: {allegra,decvax,hplabs,ihnp4,ucbvax}!tektronix!tektools!jerryp CS,ARPAnet: jerryp%tektools@tektronix.csnet Phone: +1 503 627-1603
smh@mhuxl.UUCP (henning) (01/30/86)
**** **** From the keys of Steve Henning, AT&T Bell Labs, Reading, PA mhuxl!smh > I drove the Alaska and Cassiar Highways last summer -- no problems. > The roads were generally excellent, though there were a few rough stretches > between Fort Nelson, BC and the Yukon border. The Alaska Highway is almost > all paved. > > I *would* carry a couple of spares (tires, I mean... not axles). > Keep your gas tank full, especially if you need unleaded. I drove around Alaska and the Yukon for 3 1/2 weeks last summer and also found most roads paved. However almost every local car had a cracked windshield. There is still a lot of construction and cars running around with stones lodged in their tires waiting to pop out and into your windshield. My candidate for the most beautiful drive is from Whitehorse to Skagway and then from Haines to Haines Junction with the link from Skagway to Haines on the Alaska Marine Highway (ferry). It has mountains, lakes, eagles, ghost towns, some of the most unique geological formations in Alaska, glaciers, and Whitehorse and Skagway which are two of the most fun areas. The drives from Anchorage to Fairbanks and from Valdez to Anchorage are gorgeous also. The only drive that tended to drag was from Fairbanks to Whitehorse. It probably ranks higher than 99% of the highways in the lower 48, but is bland by Alaskan standards. The wildlife tour at Denali is a must and the ferry to Juneau/Mendenhall Glacier, Ketchikan/Creek Street/Totem Parks, and Sitka is worth the time. Probably the most interesting place in Alaska is Glacier Bay, but you can not drive there and virtually no one trys to take a car there. You need to take rather expensive trips by boat/ship through the prongs of Glacier Bay looking for whales, eagles, puffins, glaciers, ice bergs, and about every other natural wonder of Alaska.