I quit counting the days. There’s such a gap between when wifi is available on this trip, that I just decided to contribute to the blog whenever I can. As I type this, we’re spending a couple of days in Fairbanks, AK. We’re a day ahead of schedule and tried to add another day in Denali, but reservations aren’t available for the extra day. Our reservations are for August 1 – 3.

If you’ve read anything about the AlCan highway you’ve undoubtedly read the part about the ‘rough road between Destruction Bay and the U.S. border in Beaver Creek.” Disregard whatever you imagined while reading it because IT’S WORSE THAN YOU CAN IMAGINE! Actually, the road started to change as you cross the bridge at the Donjek River. While climbing uphill, the road worsens with the passing of each kilometer. There are deep holes in the road where your tires will sink clear to the rim. My problem is that my 6-Wide Sport is wider than my Ram 1500, so, as I looked for areas without potholes for my truck, my LG was tracking wider. Mike was behind me and said that it reminded him of a pinball machine as my LG hit the potholes and swayed back and forth. To make matters worse, it was raining heavily while we were climbing. The only saving grace was that I could see the potholes better because they were filled with water. I just didn’t know how deep they were. This went on for at least 20+ miles. I had to come to a complete stop several times just tp try and figure out how to circumnavigate the numerous potholes. I felt sorry for the motorcycles that were ahead of us. I’m thankful to say that all three of us made it through without a flat or broken axel. We probably averaged about 15 mph.

The rest of the road was a piece-of-cake. Granted, there were frost heaves that created bumps and rolling areas, but nothing like we just experienced. It was a good feeling to drive up to the U.S. border just past Beaver Creek. We stopped and took a few pictures before crossing. We were asked a few questions and welcomed back to the U.S. by the border officer. I changed my odometer from KMs to MPH and headed toward Tok; the first large (?) town in Alaska after crossing the border. In Tok, we found a campground after stopping at a restaurant recommended by other travelers that we spoke with; “Fast Eddy’s.” We sat down to a meal of halibut and a salad bar. John and I stopped by a grocery store in Tok to pick up a few items. As we were walking around the aisles I heard someone say out loud, “Is that Greg Seely?” I looked up and saw Stan Burt, a friend of mine from Boise, ID that I had worked with for 20+ years. We hadn’t seen one another in over 10 years. What are the chances of running into an old friend 3,000 miles from home? What are the chances of recognizing one another after so long?

The following day; that would be yesterday, we left Tok and headed to Fairbanks; where we are currently staying. So far on this trip we’ve seem 5 moose, several Stoner Sheep, 3 bears, an elk, and several herd of bison. I’m taking advantage of this 2 day layover with a hot shower and was able to do a load of laundry. It’s still hard to get used to daylight well into the night. We haven’t seen dark since we left home!

Have I mentioned that it’s rained every day since we started out on this trip? It’s only for a couple of hours each day, but it always seems to coincide with the time of day that we’re trying to set up camp. I’m not talking little showers. These storms come with a vengeance and loud bouts of thunder.

It’s been a while since I’ve been able to post on the blog but as Greg noted connectivity has been difficult and the drive up is long and requires attention.   Tom English and I talked about the drive this morning and agreed that this drive is extremely long, grueling, mentally tiring and for anyone considering driving from the Midwest up across the provinces and to the start of the Al-Can highway, we drove over 2300 miles (from Michigan) just to get up to the starting point at Dawson Creek in British Columbia.  This trip definitely isn’t for the weak of heart, takes a long time to get here and will make you think twice about what you have bitten off mileage and physical/mental stamina wise.  I won’t attempt it again, but would consider flying up to Fairbanks, grabbing a car rental and traveling Alaska that way.  I’ve traveled from coast to coast and this trip is by far the longest trek of them all and one I will always remember.

We spent the first night in Dawson Creek (prior to beginning the Alaskan highway) at a campground called Tubby’s RV park.  It was a basic, on gravel style park with decent facilities and with a German shepherd guard dog that reminded me that he was “king of the hill” from behind the fence that butted up next to the bathroom/shower facilities that were attached to the park owner’s home and office.  That part wasn’t as annoying as him barking at 5 AM, waking me up in bright light (grow accustomed to a well lit night ) and not being able to get back to sleep.  It’s almost eerie going to bed in the light, not hearing or seeing others up and about, looking at the time and realizing that it is very late and that it is time to hit the hay!  Tom and I have laughed about this and now are in a 4 hour time differential from Eastern Standard Time.

As a side note, after arriving at the Alaskan border after the arduous drive up from White Horse in the Yukon and along the miserable, muddy, rut pocked road up from Destruction Bay to Tok, Alaska, the experience was like and day coming through customs and back into the US.  The border guard was cordial, a gentleman and asked the usual questions of where are you going, where have you been, vehicle license plate number, any guns or others on-board, etc.?  It took me about 3-4 minutes and I was back home in the US again!

From left to right – Tom English, Mike Smith and Greg Seely

Greg Seely travels along the Alaskan Highway in Alaska

A few things learned along the trail as I write this morning from beneath my Paha Que XLT canopy:

• The light of day is long, sleep can be difficult and almost eerie at time.
• Leave eggs and citrus at home or hard boil the eggs before entering customs.
• Credit card should contain a chip for travel in the provinces.
• Things are expensive in Canada, bring bottled water, snacks, lunch meat, bread, chips, etc.
• The mosquito fear generated by others has been a myth as they are here, but have not been the feared predator or state bird that others proclaimed. I bought and brought along a survival assortment of varying applications for these insects and have yet to use any of it!  Yes, I’ve been bitten a few times but Michigan’s Upper Peninsula was by far the worst encounter on this trip the entirety of the way.
• Road work has been ongoing along the Alaskan Highway and will continue on into the various places we will visit.
• People have reported flat tires and cracked windshields from passing vehicles. So far, so good!
• When on gravel move over as far to the right as you can and always maintain an interval between vehicles as gravel is being kicked up by cars in front and those coming at you.
• Be on high alert as deer often run across the roadways, as do elk, moose and bear. One man reported that he spoke to a guy driving a fifth-wheel who had to slam on the brakes when a grizzly came up onto the roadway, causing him to jack-knife, drive down into a ditch and back up onto the road, sustaining some damage.
• Internet connectivity will be sparse and limited, even at McDonald’s in Canada. Try using a Wendy’s or Tim Horton’s as it was better there.
• AT&T’s international plan is a joke at best! Yes, you CAN text at times but are using the Roger’s phone system in Canada as there is no AT&T in Canada and it amounted to futility and angst while traveling across the provinces.  Tell your loved ones to be patient as the best you will get is an occasional text and most campground Wi-Fi access is garbage, since every other camper is trying to use up whatever resources are available, often resulting in more futility and the inability to check email, etc.
• 4G AT&T is available just over the border into Tok, Alaska and it is with you in the major cities.
• Mountains will obviously limit phone/internet access, but you still can text occasionally when line of site is available between larger cities in Alaska.
• Bring rain gear (rain coat, rubber shoes, etc.) as it does rain along the way.
• Bring a warm jacket, jeans, long sleeved cotton shirts and a warm sleeping bag. The nights are cool and these items help out as the temps change quickly with weather fronts and elevation.
• Obey the speed laws as although you might not see the police, they are waiting in the small towns and they mean business!
• KM or kilometers are the norm across the provinces and you will have a steady diet of them traveling across Canada.
• Keep up on the fuel and expect to pay higher prices along the long stretch of road.

That is about it for now and I am having a good time, enjoying the fresh air and we have met some nice people along the way, even a few friends from the forum traveling in T@B units.   Will post more later and attach photos when we find a decent Wi-Fi system that allows us to do so!

Cheers!

Morning came early. Too early! I awoke at 5:00 and no one was up yet, so I took a shower and came back to the LG and put some coffee on. Slowly, everyone started to wake up and start packing up. We hit the road around 7:30. Another long day on the open road. I was telling John that driving the AlCan is like living the movie, Groundhog Day. Everything is starting to look familiar and the road seems to never end. That being said, I don’t want to minimize the beauty and splendor of the drive. It’s gorgeous, but seems to never end.

A large part of the highway was under construction. There were times when we had to wait for a pilot car to guide us through a maze of thick dust and potholes. Sometimes it seemed like it was never going to end. Would be ever see pavement again? Once we got back on the paved road we had to contend with loose gravel segments about every 100 yards; for miles and miles. It was difficult to see the road for the dust kicking up; and even more difficult when on-coming traffic threw up the gravel.

After driving 328 miles we stopped at Liard Hot Springs Provincial Park for the night. Even without a reservation we were able to get a campsite, but it’s a good thing we got there around 3:30 in the afternoon. Solid traffic was rolling in to the park for hours after that. The Hot Springs were great! They were so relaxing and helped take the aches and pains from our bones and overall weary bodies. Since we were staying overnight there was no extra fee for the hot springs. They are open and accessible 24 hrs. Afterwards, we fixed dinner and had some wine around my Little Red Campfire.

Here it is late July. It’s 10:30 PM and the sun is still up and shining like it’s 3:30 in the afternoon. It never really gets dark, so the dark blinds my wife made for my LG were definitely helpful. I’ve been getting some good sleep on this trip.

It’s easy to forget what day of the week it is. Even if I could remember, it just doesn’t matter up here in the middle of nowhere. John and I left Whisker Point Provincial Point and hit the road toward Dawson Creek, the beginning of the Alaska Highway; Milepost “0”. It was beautiful drive from McLeod Lake to Dawson Creek. We stopped in Chetwynd and were amazed at the intricate chainsaw carvings displayed throughout the village. I stopped and took a picture of a giant praying mantis which just happened to be outside a Tim Horton’s Donut Shop. It seems that every town, village, or burg in Canada has at least one Tim Horton’s and an A&W restaurant.

We rolled in to Dawson Creek around 10:00 AM. I tried calling Tom and Mike to let them know we arrived, but evidently they didn’t have phone service. I guess it depends on your particular service. My service by Verizon worked well. Tom has Sprint and Mike uses AT&T. I had left voice messages telling them that we were at the “0” Mile Marker, but they never replied. As 11:00 rolled around we finally met up with them and took pictures at the Famous Mile Marker “0.” We were off onto the Alaska Highway; commonly referred to as The AlCan. We had planned ahead to have walkie-talkies in each car on Channel 4.0. That’s helping us stay in touch while on the road.

We drove 436 miles and decided to camp at Sikanni Chief campground, about 150 miles south of Ft. Nelson. We didn’t have any reservations, but that wasn’t a problem. We checked in around 3:30 and were given campsites along the river. Eventually, a couple from Florida, who had been on the road since March, pulled up next to us. When we were hit with a torrential downpour, they invited us into their motorhome where we shared travel stories and “adult beverages.” Later on, we met a couple from Canada and we all seemed to hit it off. We shared our wine. They shared their Tawny Port. For dinner, Tom used his portable Camp Chef Camp Oven and baked a lasagna. Mike put together a fine salad. We provided more wine and our appetites. After dinner we took turns showing our Teardrops to interested people in the campground. We’re already finding out that we run in to almost the same people throughout our drive along the AlCan. We seemed to party around the campfire until late. (Actually, it’s difficult to tell how late it is because it’s light out well into the night.) Another good day on our Journey to Alaska.

Afterthought: I believe I had mention earlier that my 12v system in the LG had gone out when I arrived in Portland to pick up John. We checked the fuses on the converter and took the battery to Batteries Plus Bulbs and had it checked out. Nothing for a couple more days. When I mentioned the problem to Mike, he immediately suggested that I check the battery fuse. Prior to reading about a battery fuse on the forum, I had no idea there was one. Well, Mike was right. We replaced the fuse and the 12v system is working fine! Another problem solved.

It’s easy to forget what day of the week it is. Even if I could remember, it just doesn’t matter up here in the middle of nowhere. John and I left Whisker Point Provincial Point and hit the road toward Dawson Creek, the beginning of the Alaska Highway; Milepost “0”. It was beautiful drive from McLeod Lake to Dawson Creek. We stopped in Chetwynd and were amazed at the intricate chainsaw carvings displayed throughout the village. I stopped and took a picture of a giant praying mantis which just happened to be outside a Tim Horton’s Donut Shop. It seems that every town, village, or burg in Canada has at least one Tim Horton’s and an A&W restaurant.

We rolled in to Dawson Creek around 10:00 AM. I tried calling Tom and Mike to let them know we arrived, but evidently they didn’t have phone service. I guess it depends on your particular service. My service by Verizon worked well. Tom has Sprint and Mike uses AT&T. I had left voice messages telling them that we were at the “0” Mile Marker, but they never replied. As 11:00 rolled around we finally met up with them and took pictures at the Famous Mile Marker “0.” We were off onto the Alaska Highway; commonly referred to as The AlCan. We had planned ahead to have walkie-talkies in each car on Channel 4.0. That’s helping us stay in touch while on the road.

We drove 436 miles and decided to camp at Sikanni Chief campground, about 150 miles south of Ft. Nelson. We didn’t have any reservations, but that wasn’t a problem. We checked in around 3:30 and were given campsites along the river. Eventually, a couple from Florida, who had been on the road since March, pulled up next to us. When we were hit with a torrential downpour, they invited us into their motorhome where we shared travel stories and “adult beverages.” Later on, we met a couple from Canada and we all seemed to hit it off. We shared our wine. They shared their Tawny Port. For dinner, Tom used his portable Camp Chef Camp Oven and baked a lasagna. Mike put together a fine salad. We provided more wine and our appetites. After dinner we took turns showing our Teardrops to interested people in the campground. We’re already finding out that we run in to almost the same people throughout our drive along the AlCan. We seemed to party around the campfire until late. (Actually, it’s difficult to tell how late it is because it’s light out well into the night.) Another good day on our Journey to Alaska.

Afterthought: I believe I had mention earlier that my 12v system in the LG had gone out when I arrived in Portland to pick up John. We checked the fuses on the converter and took the battery to Batteries Plus Bulbs and had it checked out. Nothing for a couple more days. When I mentioned the problem to Mike, he immediately suggested that I check the battery fuse. Prior to reading about a battery fuse on the forum, I had no idea there was one. Well, Mike was right. We replaced the fuse and the 12v system is working fine! Another problem solved.

Today was another good day. We woke up around 6:00 at Cache Creek, BC and decided to hit the road around 7:30 AM. On our way into town we decided to gas up. This seems to be a recurring thing on the way to Alaska. Even though we haven’t started out on the Alaska Highway (AlCan) yet, we make sure the gas tank doesn’t go below the half-way mark. I guess we’re getting in practice for, not only the AlCan, but also the Cassiar Hwy. on my way back to the lower 48.

Today was a really nice and enjoyable day of driving. We only drove 356 miles today; from Cache Creek to Whisker Point Provincial Park on McLeod Lake along Highway 97. It was only a 6 hour drive. We stopped in 100 Mile House and bought a few items at Safeway before hitting a Tim Horton’s for donuts and coffee. From there, we continued our drive through the northern BC countryside, admiring the quaint towns (They call them Villages in Canada.) and countryside. We passed many lakes was well as followed the Fraser River. It rained for several hours throughout the day, but that didn’t deter us from enjoying everything.

We stopped for a late lunch in a Provincial Park. Rather than try and find a restaurant anywhere, we drove off the road into a park and made sandwiches from the back of the Little Guy. Luckily, it had stopped raining and the air was fresh and clear.

I had made overnight reservations at Whisker Point Provincial Park about 3 hours outside of Dawson Creek. We rolled in to the park around 3:15 and found that our site #8 was occupied. The occupants weren’t anywhere to be found, so I looked at their reservation and noticed that were supposed to be in #7. Rather than blow a gasket, we just decided to take #7 and leave it at that. When they returned I pointed out the problem and (in a typical Canadian fashion) they were apologetic and said they would change with us. The park attendant told them the site was vacant until tomorrow. I told them things would be fine and they could stay there. When the park attendant came to collect I told her the problem and that I had already paid for #8. She was embarrassed and said the computer (or her boss) had made the mistake and that she would refund my $20. I told her, “No problem. We have a great spot and I don’t need a refund.” I should also point out that the couple that was in our assigned spot were equally embarrassed and invited me, Mike, and Tom to their house in Prince George (on our return trip) to their house for a BBQ and wine. They gave me their names, house phone number and cell phone to make sure they would be around when we return. That’s how a lot of the people here in British Columbia are; friendly and hospitable. Once we told them of our trip up to Alaska and back, they were sharing side trips that we should take to make the trip more memorable along the Cassiar Hwy.

I received a text from Michigan Mike tonight and see that they are in Dawson Creek, We’ll meet up with them about 11:00 tomorrow and start our trip up the Alaska Highway. Although we have no reservations for tomorrow night we’re looking at camping at Sikanni Chief on Hwy. 97 N. That would allow us to spend a couple of hours in the Liard Hot Springs the next day. We’ll just have to see how things go. One thing about the Journey to Alaska is that there’s nothing definite. Things could change in a minutes. We’ll keep you posted.

Tom and I arrived in Dawson Creek, British Columbia this morning after spending the night at Walmart in Grand Prairie, Alberta.  Not by choice, but because the area is a camping mecca and the local campgrounds were booked solid.  The 2300 mile trip up from Michigan has been grueling, but the payoff will be very rewarding and is the culmination for me of a life long dream of traveling up the AL-CAN highway to Alaska.  Words cannot describe the feeling one haves arriving at the starting point of this legendary stretch of highway that was constructed during war time and is a testament to those who built it.

Parking and camping at Walmart was a last resort, as we’d traveled many miles, we were exhausted and our options were few.  We’d traveled through rain, traffic, road construction and changing road conditions.  And to our advantage many of these people had already been up to Alaska and we were able to learn from their experiences.  Many people reported cracked windshields from rocks thrown up by oncoming truck traffic along the highway.  Also reported were punctured tires and close encounters with animals crossing over the roadway.  We found this out too as three deer ran across the highway just before we arrived in Dawson Creek this morning.  This isn’t an easy drive and is challenging if you come unprepared.

One additional note and something that Tom and I enjoyed was the stretch of Highway from Winnipeg to just beyond Edmonton – The Yellow Head Highway.  The highway is lined for hundreds of miles with rolling fields of yellow and I’d imagined that the name was because of these lush fields but this is not the case.  The yellow fields are actually home to the canola plants and the purple flowered plants that can be seen are flax seed plants.  Let me just say that this years crop is bountiful and is something that I will always remember for the beauty we enjoyed throughout the provinces of Canada.

We will meet Greg and his friend on Sunday morning around 11 AM (1 PM EST) and this begins the Great Alaskan adventure.  This is the culmination of something we discussed nearly two-years ago on the Little Guy forum and is a trip that many people dream about.  This isn’t for the feint of heart because it is a long journey and requires traveling over roads that lead through both the US and Canada and requires complete attention while driving these long stretches under ever changing road and weather conditions.   I think we are ready and the excitement is just beginning.  It is late night here in Dawson Creek and time for me to hit the hay as it is nearly 1:30 am (4:30 EST) and a new day beckons!  We will report back soon and as Internet access permits!

We got up at 5:00 AM and were ready to hit the road at 6:00. We (John and I) double checked everything and hit the road.  We knew that it was going to be a long day and we wanted to start out early in order to miss the Portland and Seattle traffic on our way north.  It worked out just fine. There were some delays around Seattle, but nothing like we had experienced in the past when we visited the city.

Once we got away from civilization we enjoyed the northern Washington country-side even with the couple of detours. We arrived at the Sumas-Abbotsford border around 11:20 AM. We were a bit apprehensive after reading Mike’s and Tom’s border experience, but had no alternative.  It was time to see what happens!  The line of cars was long and we watched several motorhomes being pulled into stalls for thorough inspections.  When it was our turn, we were asked (1) Where were we going?; How long were we going to be gone?; How did we know one another?; Did we have any fruits, vegetables, alcohol, mace or bear spray?” I told him we had 4 bottles of wine and two bear spray containers.  He told us to have a nice stay in Canada and be safe.  We were on our way after about 5 minutes.  We even asked him to stamp our passports.

It started raining once we entered into Canada and last for about 3 hours. John and I finally made it to Cache Creek at the Brookside Campground around 4:00 after driving 468 miles.  It felt good to sit and relax while enjoying a fine bottle of wine. We were looking forward to a good night’s sleep.

I left home about 7:00 this morning and had a rather uneventful drive to Portland, OR to pick up my friend John. Since our wives had no interest in driving to Alaska, we both decided that we would do it together. At least, partway.  John will be flying back to Portland out of Anchorage in about 2 weeks, as I continue my journey with Mike and Tom.

When I arrived at John’s house, I wanted to make sure that my battery was charged while driving here, so I insert my Battery Monitor into the 12v receiver in the galley. DEAD!  Nothing!  No power! None of my lights nor my Fantastic Fan had power. So, I started the process of trying to track down the problem. I found that my #6 fuse was burnt out, so I replaced it. (I should preface this with the fact that I had a new WFCO Converter installed last Spring; replacing the Hung Elixir that went out twice.) I hooked up to shore power and another fuse blew. I hooked up to my generator and the fuse blew again.  Still, no power to my 12v system.  I disconnected my battery and took it to Battery + Bulbs and had them check it.  The battery is fine. I was getting very frustrated and thought about bagging the trip to Alaska, but decided to go ahead anyway.  Since my LG seems to work fine plugged into shore power AND when I hook it up to my generator, that should be good enough to get us through the 6-weeks. It’s just frustrating trying to figure out why things aren’t working like they are supposed to.  I planned for surprises, but this was not one of them!

Tomorrow will be an interesting day. I was surprised at what Mike and Tom had to endure when they passed through Customs. I brushed up on what we can and cannot take into Canada and was even aware of the egg-ban; but not bear spray. We are carrying two cans of bear spray and I have a copy of the Canadian Rules & Regulations dated January 23, 2013 Memorandum D19-13-2(c) that allows for bear spray as long as (i) the label of the container indicates specifically that it is for use against animals only. I’m thinking, too, that the Canadian Customs in British Columbia may be more lenient on this subject because of the number of bears in their Province compared to Manitoba.  We can only wait and see. Stay tuned!

Tom and I pulled into Regina this morning and are on our 5th day on the road. We are roughly 1425 miles into our trip after having spent nights in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, Minnesota, and Saskatchewan where we spent the night at Fieldstone RV Park.

I think the biggest hurdle thus far was clearing customs at the border above Grand Forks, ND on Interstate 29.  Tom English was asked to pull beyond the entry booth and it was my turn.  After answering many questions and seemingly the agent’s efforts to trip me up I was also asked to pull into an inspection station.  The questions asked were general in nature, “what is your destination, how long in Canada, any guns, alcohol, no pepper spray/bear spray allowed, do you own a hand gun (yes), have you a long gun/ammo/hand gun on board (no), do you have chicken/turkey or eggs (yes, I have eggs), etc.  And since customs has all of this information the interview was rather terse from the agent and I felt as though I was in a court room, that I was considered suspect and was then ordered to pull into an inspection station.  After gathering up my eggs I walked into the office, was interrogated again, asked for my keys and followed the agent outdoors and unlocked my vehicle and trailer and told to go back inside.  The vehicle and trailer were gone through, nothing found and we were cleared to leave.

Let me just add that I respect the efforts of the border agents and after 9-11, ISIL, etc. and I understand the importance of these antics and questions.  It just felt a bit over the top as the questions were twisted in a compound manner and they asked me why I wouldn’t be carrying a gun into Canada (of course not, it is illegal, not permitted and I never intended to take one along), which was rather strange, but I knew what their intent was and it is behind me at this point in time.  So for future reference, no eggs allowed in Canada from the US and if you are a gun owner or hold a concealed carry permit, expect some push back and enhanced interrogation.

Our stays in the Little Guy have been pleasurable, the weather rather nice and we have met some nice people along this long journey.  When entering Canada and traveling along the Trans Canada Highway from the US expect poor cell coverage as AT&T has no service up there and thus far, Rodgers is the provider in the provinces of Canada.  I did get the international plan for $30 and can only send text messages which is fine and calls are $1.00 per minute.

As for today, we had heavy thunder, lightning and rain last night but it was nice hearing the rain hitting the roof and knowing that the Aeroflo vent cover was performing nicely and I still had a cool breeze entering the trailer without any dampness from the heavens.  Time to get going as we are averaging around 400-425 miles a day and have found the yellow field beautiful, but do not want to take the drive out of Winnipeg anytime soon with the exceptionally bump and rough road.  Will report back as internet connectivity allows!  Later!