I want to drive up the Al-Can hwy to go to Homer and ride the ferry to Kodiak. Has anyone done this and what is the expected time to take to do this? Also are there diesel fuel outlets on the way? My car is a VW diesel. I live in Kalispell and usually drive 800 miles a day. (70mph-120kph)
Hey Canada has anyone traveled the Al-Can Hwy?
Moi. I've driven the Ala-Can and always carry extra gas cans,. I've a gas car, not diesel so don't really know about that. Can'tr remember timing..
BNuy Milepost if you don't already have it.
WEhat about the paddling.
inanda
The paddling will start in about 4 weeks on the N Sask above Edmonton and down 2 or 3 weeks. I am going to work out the bugs of what I need for the next phase. I will see how the deet works, and how I hold up to the long paddle. Also it will give me a refrence to how many miles I can do a day. I will start about June 12th. Oh yeah how many supplies I can buy vs take to make the trip. When David Thompson took it he could take a gun but Canada is afraid when I bring one over the border so I won't.
We drove it, but in 1980. In those days it wasn't paved. I think it is now though. We flew to Calgary from Ottawa and took my Father-in-law's truck with camper which was advantageous because it put us up higher than most of the flying stones. I would second the recommendation to buy Milepost.
We planned out ahead how much we hoped to acomplish each day and we were successful in doing so; even with two small kids (aged 5 3/4 and 8). But my sister in Alaska was amazed that we showed up the day we had planned to do so. And it wasn't much later in the season that parts of the road were closed due to wash-outs. That may happen less frequently with more pavement, but it's likely a good idea to be flexible in your planning.
Hope you have a good trip.
Ann
Steve, I've got a friend that just did it, in the past few days! here's their quick email about it. They are driving a regular gas vehicle. They already had to replace a windshield. (When I drove it in the mid '90's it was fine and don't remember anything about gas trouble but we used regular as well. You MUST take the time to go to Liard hot Springs..... Linda
We're in a chilly Whitehorse, arrived this afternoon. The water is
frozen to the campsites where we are staying. We woke to snow
showers this AM in Teslin. We were in the most beautiful campsite of
the trip thus far, right on the edge of the lake. The added benefit
was we watched the third period of the hockey game and watched
Edmonton trounce San Jose and had a great supper too.
We have been amazed by how good the highway has been, the light
traffic, the large number of people travelling in vans and motorhomes
and the amazing number and types of wildlife we have seen. The lakes
are just starting to thaw and there is snow on the mountains. The
scenery has been spectacular.
Liard Hot Springs were wonderful. They are basically natural. Parks
BC has added some gravel to the stream bed, change rooms and some
benches, but done nothing to control the water temperature in the
stream. The temperature changes from moment to moment and gets much,
much warmer as you approach the spot it comes out of the ground. One
fellow was joined in the cooler pool by a young moose just before we
got there. We saw a couple of moose from the walkway in. It was a
great place to talk to lots of different people.
Prices are much more reasonable than we expected. In fact, gas is
less than it was at home. It is $1.19 a liter here.
Thank everyone for the info. But being German I need to know how LONG did it take to go from point A to point B. I am trying to schedule a haul up to AK and need a general idea.
now that depends...
If you are a friend of the cops, and want to drive through without really seeing the place, you can make Whitehorse to Calgary in ~20 hours. If you want to really see the place, you would probably stay in either Calgary or Edmonton. Then another night along the way and then you'd be in Whitehorse.
When I drove from Yellowknife NWT, I came down through Grand Praire then over to Dawson Creek and up through Fort Nelson etc on the 97. Plan on at least a couple of days if not 3 from Vancouver to Whitehorse, Calgary to Whitehorse.
Steve
Our friends took that route last year with a race car in an enclosed trailer. The frame on the race car was broken when they arrived !!
It was a bit bumpy.
Enjoy and I think you will need your deet there too. LOL
Ann
I always take my race car out of the trailor before I drive it. Maybe your friends should too. LOL Yeah the road is paved all the way but I'm sure frost heaves are quite a problem right now through June.
Very few vehicles manage to escape without a cracked windshield. I also have a bra I wear up there plus wire thingys over the headlights. Also take a couple of extra tires, belts, headlights, WATER. I can dig out my list of spares if you want. Your vehicle probably isn't a 71 VW however. Don't forget the fishing rods.
No they didn't make Passat back then. Your memories are coming out inanda. If it were a 71 I could probably find parts along the road all the way up. LOL Yeah I will cover the front with a bra, and the headlights with some home made rock deflector. I think now it is paved all the way. I have a lot of Coast Guard people who travel it up here but they all take their time cause they travel it between bases. (job changes)