North to Alaska 2024

[SnoopLoggyDog]

Laying here in my sleeping bag listening to the howling wind and feeling the cabin shake. Decided it was a good time to detail some random observations.

Indiana time is four hours ahead of Alaska.

The ALCAN through Canada is rougher than the American sections. The last section from Destruction Bay to the border is gravel washboard hades. Max speed for most of it was 20mph.

Brand new 10 ply quality trailer tires get beat up pretty good on the ALCAN. Two spare tires for each trailer is a must.

Having an easy to access floor jack saved lots of time with tire changes.

Hubs with grease fittings are a must. We added grease to all the trailer hubs halfway through the trip and to any hub than got extra warm.

Having a spare trailer hub, bearings, nut and cotter key saved us when we were 200 miles from the closest town.

Stores in small town Canada are only open from 9am to 5pm Mon-Fri. Most resturants close by 9pm.

Have Canadian cash, because some places would not take credit cards or claim their internet/card reader was down. They like American $$ since the exchange rate is .75 Canadian for each American dollar. In the small towns, they only offer 1:1 exchange rate.

Carry a good tool set, extra fuel, spare fuses, terminals, multimeter, oil, DEF (if diesel), lug nuts, and air compressor. Make sure your vehicle has been gone over by a top notch mechanic prior to the trip. New or newer brakes, a vehicle alignment and good shocks are a must.

 

[SnoopLoggyDog]

Helpful links for making the drive to Alaska.

DriveBC Road Conditions and Events

www.drivebc.ca

Alaska 511

Provides up to the minute traffic and transit information for Alaska. View the real time traffic map with travel times, traffic accident details, traffic cameras and other road conditions. Plan your trip and get the fastest route taking into account current traffic conditions.

511.alaska.gov

511 Yukon

Provides up to the minute traffic and transit information for Yukon. View the real time traffic map with travel times, traffic accident details, traffic cameras and other road conditions. Plan your trip and get the fastest route taking into account current traffic conditions.

511yukon.ca

https://rvalaskacampgrounds.com/

Highway Observations

The MILEPOST

Alaska's legendary trip planner and travel guide.

themilepost.com

Alaska Highway: Driving to Alaska on the Alcan in 2024

Drive to Alaska safely with our Alaska Highway Maps and mile by mile description of the Alcan Highway. Discover what to do on the Alaska Highway and camping.

www.bellsalaska.com

Alaska by Road

This is the place to discuss road trips to, from and within Alaska, including travel on the ALCAN.

forums.outdoorsdirectory.com

 

[dsears2]

In a few weeks, I will be making my annual trip to Alaska. This trip will be different though. Instead of flying, I will be driving up the Alaska Highway.

The plan is to fly out to Salt Lake, Utah and meet a friend who is driving up. From there, we will head to Great Falls, Montana, then north to Canada. Our first destination is Anchorage. He is selling his house near there and moving to Soldotna. I will help him pack up and move his household goods. After that, I hope to spend 4-5 days at my cabin before I fly home.

In preparation for the trip, I picked up a new copy of the MILEPOST. It contains updated info on travel up the Alcan. It is a great resource for planning and making the trip. View attachment 348627
As I prepare and make the trip, I will post updates.

Bro! Have a great trip! If you have not visited AK before soak it all up as much as possible! I have a Harley there and back twice! It is a beautiful State, no doubt!

 

[dsears2]

I have ridden to AK on a Harley twice and would do it again in a heartbeat! It is expensive there too! You will love it no matter your method of transportation! I rode from Indiana to Dawson City Yukon and crossed into AK, via Top of the World HWY to Chicken AK. About as far North as I could ride on a Harley. Toured the rest of the State from there. Try to visit Denali NP if you can. Try to put Hanies and Skagway on your route too. Absolutely beautiful scenery! If you have any questions/concerns I would be happy to try to answer them dalesears@me.com. Not sure if you are camping or hotels but the hotels can be expensive so check ahead to help you plan.

Safe trip and enjoy the State!

 

[dsears2]

I'm sure you have your route planned, there are only two ways up, the Alaska Highway from Dawson Creek and the Cassiar Highway in British Columbia.
I would suggest going up on the Cassiar and make the side trip to Hyde when you get to Mezindin Junction. The Cassiar joins the Alaska Highway just west of Watson Lake. Super scenic and you'll see lots of wildlife. Then come back on the ALCAN and you've seen it all.

We did it on a motorcycle in 2018. Great trip.

AK is an amazing State, especially on a Motorcycle! I have been to AK twice and would do it again in a heartbeat! Good times! Safe rides!

 

[SnoopLoggyDog]

Just to provide a little background;

Wife and I have been coming to Alaska since we got married in 1990. Her sister lives up here with her husband on the Kenai Peninsula, in the town of Sterling. We've been here many times at the height of summer and the depths of winter.

Twenty years ago, my BIL built a cabin on an island on a Skilak lake.
Soon after that, some more property came up for sale near their cabin. We went ahead and bought a couple lots and started planning on building our own cabin.

Cabin building started in 2017. There are no roads, utilities or infastructure on the island. It is 100% off grid. We are up on a hill. The advantage is that is lots of wind and fewer bugs. The disadvantage is that we have to haul water up from the lake.

I was out on the island for six weeks in 2017. This was what I got done the first year.

 

[SnoopLoggyDog]

In 2018, we brought over three more barge loads of supplies and worked on the deck and interior.

After four weeks of work, the cabin was starting to come together.
90% of the work, I've done by myself. The cabin sleeps six and is used as a guest cabin for family, when we are not here. It is also our home base for seeing the rest of Alaska.

 

[firecadet613]

In 2018, we brought over three more barge loads of supplies and worked on the deck and interior.
View attachment 354493
After four weeks of work, the cabin was starting to come together.View attachment 354495
90% of the work, I've done by myself. The cabin sleeps six and is used as a guest cabin for family, when we are not here. It is also our home base for seeing the rest of Alaska.

@SnoopLoggyDog I thought this thread was epic, THAT is epic!

 

[tscherry70]

Thank you for journey! One day i hope to go.

 

[SnoopLoggyDog]

Now for the reality of being out here on the island.

It helps that we have family and friends up here to greatly assist us with getting to the island, moving supplies and having boats, barges and trucks that we can use. Since we only come up here for one month or so, every other year, it is not practical to have my own truck and boat up here.

Because we are on an island 15 miles by road, and 5 miles across the water from the nearest fire station, we have been unable to get insurance on the cabin. If we lived in Alaska and had Alaskan insurance, I could cover it on a rider.

Being out here is hard work. From the time I get up, until I go to bed, I am working on something or helping someone else out here. Despite the best planning or quality materials or equipment, something is always in need of maintenance, repair or improvement. Then there is the matter of being 50 miles from town. You also have to know how to fix it. No plumber or electrician will come out here.

Alaska is hard on buildings. All along the ALCAN are the destroyed remains of houses, cabins and stores built in the 1950s-60s-70s. Cabins out here seem to have a 50 year lifespan. After that, the floors rot and roofs sag and fall in.

If you decide to buy your "dream cabin" in Alaska, make sure you visit it before you place a bid. There have been cabins listed out here that were listed as flawless. Only problem was, the foundations were built on logs that had turned into soggy dust. Then, there is the fact that the electrical in most cabins was installed by a "do it yourself" autistic hampsters.

There are cabins here that have only been visited once by their owners, over 20 years ago. Since then, wind, rain, freeze, fallen trees, broken windows, rotten beams have taken their toll.

 

[Griz375]

In a few weeks, I will be making my annual trip to Alaska. This trip will be different though. Instead of flying, I will be driving up the Alaska Highway.

The plan is to fly out to Salt Lake, Utah and meet a friend who is driving up. From there, we will head to Great Falls, Montana, then north to Canada. Our first destination is Anchorage. He is selling his house near there and moving to Soldotna. I will help him pack up and move his household goods. After that, I hope to spend 4-5 days at my cabin before I fly home.

In preparation for the trip, I picked up a new copy of the MILEPOST. It contains updated info on travel up the Alcan. It is a great resource for planning and making the trip. View attachment 348627
As I prepare and make the trip, I will post updates.

View attachment 348640

Very nice; built by you?
Always interested in seeing floor plans if available.

 

[SnoopLoggyDog]

Very nice; built by you?
Always interested in seeing floor plans if available.

Little House

countryplans.com

Yes, built by me. The above link is the original design. It is the 14’ x 24’ version with steep gable roof. I modified the plan to add extra framing and lowered the first floor ceiling to 7 feet.

When I get back to Indiana in June, I will post pictures of the modified floor plans.

 

[bgcatty]

SnoopLoggyDog I’ve enjoyed your travel log tremendously! I’ve never been to Alaska; but, seeing the pictures of your epic road trip has my butt and credit cards vibrating to make a road trip from Carmel, North to Alaska! Thank you!
Carpe Diem!

 

[Griz375]

SnoopLoggyDog I’ve enjoyed your travel log tremendously! I’ve never been to Alaska; but, seeing the pictures of your epic road trip has my butt and credit cards vibrating to make a road trip from Carmel, North to Alaska! Thank you!
Carpe Diem!

The Alaska Hwy in itself is worth seeing.
Had a GF in Dawson Creek so made a few trips there and drove the AH for the experience (1967) hard on tires and help was spotty so planning & prep was critical.

People thought I was nuts but . . .

That's never really stopped me

Little House

countryplans.com

Yes, built by me. The above link is the original design. It is the 14’ x 24’ version with steep gable roof. I modified the plan to add extra framing and lowered the first floor ceiling to 7 feet.

When I get back to Indiana in June, I will post pictures of the modified floor plans.

Thanks - given location I'm guessing it was plans only

 

[SnoopLoggyDog]

The Alaska Hwy in itself is worth seeing.
Had a GF in Dawson Creek so made a few trips there and drove the AH for the experience (1967) hard on tires and help was spotty so planning & prep was critical.

People thought I was nuts but . . .

That's never really stopped me

Thanks - given location I'm guessing it was plans only

Yes. Then I modified the plans to fit our floorplan. Bought all the material at the Kenai Home Depot and used a car hauler to move it 50 miles to the boat landing. Then 5 miles across the water by barge.


Came into town today for some supplies. Here is Mt Redoubt from the town of Soldotna.

 

[tscherry70]

Where is your cabin located, on Skilak lake?

 

[SnoopLoggyDog]

Where is your cabin located, on Skilak lake?

On Caribou Island on Skilak Lake. It was originally homesteaded in the 1930's by a Norwegien named Andy Andersen. He sold the island in the early 1960's to a land development company. They subdivided the island into lots.

Ninty percent of the lots are either swamp or steep hillside forest. The lots that are for sale usually butt up to another lot, such as this spectatular engineering marvel...

It is known on the island as "the big ugly". This one was started 20 years ago. The guy who was building it contracted an illness and died. His family still pays the property tax, but that's about it. Like many other cabins out here, it needs to be torn down. In time, this one will tear itself down.

I also get the impression that if there is ever a forest fire that threatens the island, the Forest Service will order a madatory evacuation and let the island burn. They tried in the past to take all the property by eminant domain. If the properties burn, they will not allow replacement structures.

There is also an issue on the island with a twelve to twenty foot error in the survey lines. The original survey had many errors. Now with ArcGIS, the errors come to light and there are cabins built over property lines. That is why I had to buy three lots and put my cabin on the middle one.

I plan on selling my cabin by the time I hit 70. By then, it will be fifteen years old and have thirty-five years of life left in it. I will also sell it to someone local. Hopefully a family member or friend, that I know will take care of it.

 

[tscherry70]

Thanks for the history and pictures. It's interesting to me to know a place's history. I looked at google maps satellite and you're right, there are a lot of cabins there.

I had bought 20 acres of land in the upper panhandle of Idaho and there are many... what I like to call, "Ramshackles". After I bought the property, I learned from a close neighbor that the woman who owned it before me tried to build a sandbag and barbwire type of structure to live in full time. No idea why she went with something like that, maybe because it was cheap. She was warned from the locals that it wasn't a good building spot, but she ignored them because it had a view. In the spring that building spot became a literal river from snow melt and washed her half-made ramshackle down the mountain. I cleaned up many of the bags and wire and other thrown together structures. I ended up selling the property because a developer was bringing in a subdivision.

 

[SnoopLoggyDog]

Denali National Park bridge crew ordered to stop flying American flags

According to the contractor, Denali National Park Superintendent Brooke Merrell contacted the man overseeing the federal highways project, claiming there had been complaints about the U.S. flags…

alaskawatchman.com

Just like everywhere else, there are conflicts up here between liberals and conservatives. Even on the island, we have a self-appointed enviromental watchdog that raises cain over ATV riders, ATV trails, blue tarps, property lines, number of outbuildings, cutting firewood, quite hours and anything else they can take offense at. They are located on the other side of the island and I've never met them. I'm sure it will be an interesting day when I do.

Meanwhile, we have places like this cabin rotting away on the island. From a satellite view, it is just another cabin. The inside makes for a great rabbit and bird habitat.

 

[tscherry70]

As a vet, that Denali Park article makes my blood boil. They wouldn't have a 'park experience' if it wasn't for the patriots that enable her freedoms. Wish I was there so i could ride in there with my flag especially this weekend.