Leaving Nor Cal in Early March

[buylow12]

We have been considering making the drive to the Anchorage area. My wife is a travel nurse and will be finishing up her assignment here in Pacifica, CA (about 25 minutes south of San Francisco) in early March, our plan would be to leave then and take approximately two month to drive up there, then spend May, June and July in the Anchorage area (my wife would take an assignment in the area), then drive back August and September(or maybe catch a ferry?Too expensive?).

I've been doing a bit of research and it seems we may be getting there too early and leaving too late. We have an F250 with the 7.3 and a 35 ft fifth wheel. We have done very little real cold weather camping(a few nights below freezing) and zero driving on ice or snow. I have had plenty of experience driving narrow mountain roads with no guardrails and large potholes though(thanks Baja, lol). We also have a lot of experience boondocking and would hope to be able to avoid campgrounds as much as possible again. I wanted to get ya'lls opinion on this plan. Is it doable? Special precautions to make it more doable? We can't really leave any later and make it in time with her taking an assignment in the area. We like to take our time and enjoy our trips so I can't see making a drive that long in any less time, especially since we now have an infant.

[buylow12]

Thanks for the info. I think we've decided that my wife is going to extend here till the end of April so we'll hit BC in the middle of May. Also, instead of her taking a job there, we're area just going to drive there and then somewhere back down here four months later. That seems to be the only way we'll want to do the trip. Plus she makes better money down here anyways. The only thing is, she usually doesn't like to take that much time off in a row, it makes it harder to go back, lol.

[stickdog]

In 15 we crossed the border May 1st at Sweet Grass MT. Spent 1st night at Fort McLeod, bad head winds. Moved on up to Banff for 3 nights great sunny days then headed for the Icefield anyway. Got to Lake Louise and the weather turned rain, sleet, snow couldn't see anything but the temperature stayed above 30 and the road was only wet. Drove on to Hinton AB for an overnight. Stayed 2 after overnight snow 3-4 inches wet slushy snow. Advised it would be gone in the morning. Next day drove to Grand Prairie on 40 the muddist highway ever, with all the oil patch work trucks flinging mud as they pulled onto it.
The rest of the trip was uneventful except for the scenery and wildlife.

[Veebyes]

Lesson learned the hard way on the first trip north. Got caught by a late winter storm in late April & no CGs open yet & this was WS. Second week of May we crossed the Yukon on on the 3 rd day of the ferry running. Plenty of snow on the ground still & mountaintops spectacular but CGs open still somewhat hard to come by. No road problems.

If you are on a mission & have to leave early, leave as late as possible & plan on motelling it.

[PA12DRVR]

FWIW, I'd second calling the ferry office if you're thinking of an extended trip on AMHS. Realizing that other's experiences have varied, I've had nothing but good luck when calling to either get a complete itinerary or to confirm that Ferry X travels from A to B on Y day.

PgHBob is correct: you'll pay based on length and the type of accomodation you seek. FWIW, I would ask (if you pursue AMHS) for a day or two layover at each stop on the way. They will happily provide a "straight-through" itinerary but (having done that) it is not always enjoyable: 4 hour stop here, 3 hours there, 8 hours, then 1.5 days in Juneau to switch from SE Mainlines to Cross-Gulf, etc.

As noted, if you take the ferry/AMHS, accomodations run the gamut from pitch a tent on deck, to sleep in the "day" lounge (you have to vacate for portions of the "24-hour day", get a bunk room, get a stateroom with bathroom. Cost goes up accordingly. At nearly 60, I wouldn't contemplate anything less than the stateroom....and being a paranoid type, I'd get one with a bathroom; tenting on the deck and using the shared facilities was low cost and interesting when I was younger and had hair, but, while that's still low cost, I no longer have interest in "roughing it" on the ferry.

[MDKMDK]

Based on my brief history of driving northern BC and the Yukon (97) in Canada, and my equally brief encounter with the Alaskan highway system, I think Crazy4silvers and PA12DRVR know of which they speak.

Good luck with it, whichever way you travel.

[PghBob]

Give some thought to calling the Alaska Ferry Office, and let them help with the planning. You might be able to take a leg north to Juneau (reportedly their "hub"), lay over a few days and take another Ferry to Whittier which is only a couple hours away from Anchorage.

The Ferry system charges by length. Again, more accurate info on cost if you call. Additionally, there are charges if you want a stateroom. You, can save some money by just sleeping in lounge chairs or pitching a tent on the rear deck (pretty cold given when you want to travel.

My understanding is you can save money by boarding the Ferry in Prince Rupert BC, rather than boarding in Bellingham WA. Again, a call would clarify.

We took the Ferry on our return trip from Alaska. One Ferry from Haines to Juneau (layover), and another to Bellingham via Sitka and Ketchikan. Very enjoyable trip, beautiful scenery, pleasant employees, good dining, and a nicer state room than we expected.

Good luck with your plans.

[Crazy4silvers]

For the last 5 or 6 years we have left Fairbanks in February and returned the end of April to early May pulling 26' TT. Roads are always much worse in spring than February so keep your eyes open for frost heaves and potholes. Most of all slow down, for many miles 45 is too fast for me with the trailer.
Also very few campgrounds open in northern Canada much before mid May. We are ahead of that so have our planned stops. Many motels etc will rent you a electric plug in. Only 20 amp so have the correct cords/adapter along. Roadside pulloffs can be very muddy if they aren't paved and many/most are not. We have driven all day in snowy conditions in late April.

[MDKMDK]

Overall length over 26", barrel length over 18.5 inches, if it's a semi-auto. Magazine capacity for semi-auto long guns is 5. All other action types are unlimited. Your shotgun is considered "non-restricted" up here, so that makes it easier. Transport unloaded, with a trigger lock and in a lockable case if possible. The locks are overkill, but it will impress the CBSA (customs) folks on our side. Ammo can be stored in the same locked case or container with the firearm. Sorry for all the goofy rules, but we don't have a 2A.
There are form(s) that need to be filled out, beforehand if you download them. Then declare it at the border, show them the form, and I think you need to go to secondary to sign it in front of someone important. If in doubt, call the toll free number and ask. I find them pretty easy to deal with, and reasonable. They would rather you asked the questions, than just show up at the border and have problems.

[PA12DRVR]

Tried to post earlier, but got shut down for some reason. Some thoughts:

- I don't RV in Alaska but have lived here (more or less) for 50+ years; have taken 20+ trips to/from Los Anchorage and the Northwest
- While I've driven the road in all seasons, for a pleasure trip, hitting the Canadian border (south) might be better in mid-to-late May rather than earlier
- Leaving Alaska / Anchorage in September (early) is not too late IMNSHO. Yes, you might see snow (more likely in Canada than on the departure roads in AK), but it wouldn't likely stick enough to unduly impact your trip.
- I've traveled the AMHS a fair amount: it is a spectacular trip and worth taking as a passenger or perhaps with a passenger car: taking an RV (or a boat, don't ask me how I know) strikes me as prohibitively expensive.
- Other than a few spots (Wal-Mart, Fred Meyer's, Cabelas) there's not much "parking lot camping" up here. In fact, many "campgrounds" are gravel parking lots with aspirations. 😉
- There will be some campground-type places that it will be tight with a 35' 5th wheel ....but there should always be a spot of some sort available; every summer, hordes of RV's of every description clog the roads up here: Big Class A's, popups, big and small TT's and 5th wheels....apparently it works for them.
- "Boondocking" often means pulling off in a road cut, gravel pit, or wide spot on the side of the road as long as not specifically prohibited. However, unlike many places in the L48, one can simply stroll from such spots a few hundred yards to see scenery, possibly animals, babbling brooks, etc.
- A trailer/5th wheel + truck combo is ideal: find a spot to stay for a few days, use the truck to explore the backroads or to tool around
- Roads in AK aren't interstates but also aren't that bad. Within the past 3 weeks, I drove from Los Anchorage to Cantwell on the Parks and to Glennallen on the Glenn.....both were fine and I averaged (including stopping for gas and one sit down meal on each trip) about 60 MPH from door to door...but I was trying to make distance, I was in a pickup, and there was limited traffic. Go slow enough to enjoy the scenery and the roads won't be an issue.

[buylow12]

Yea I've already looked into it a bit. I have a 12 gauge shotgun I plan to bring with me. Especially since we do a lot of boondocking. I also have bear spray, which is legal since it's specifically for animals.

It doesn't sound like it's to big of a deal to import a gun like that, no?

[MDKMDK]

That sounds like it would work better, travelling and staying up there from May to September. This may not apply, but don't forget to look into transporting firearms/ammo through Canada if you are bringing anything with you. Info at this website...
http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/cfp-pcaf/index-eng.htm
Click left hand column topic "Visitors / Non Residents" for the details.

[buylow12]

Well we're from Savannah Georgia actually, but I was born in Wyoming.... Anyways we're rethinking our plan totally. Probably cut out her working there and have her extend her contract here till the beginning of May. Then leave May and come back around August or September. It's not so much that I don't think I can do it in sure we could, it's that I really don't want to. I've taken this trailer a lot of places I probably shouldn't have, lol. Boondocking in parking lots isn't boondocking to me. We want to enjoy our trip and so far that sounds like it's going to be much less enjoyable than if we find another way to do it. And the ferry unfortunately is too expensive no matter how much I'd like to justify it.

We could also do something else(pacific north west or maybe mountain west, or maybe even southwest? Unfortunately we've been to a lot of these areas,but of course there is always more to see) for now and head to Alaska later. I'm planning on getting a used four wheel drive truck and a used truck camper next year as a rig for driving México and central and south America. I suppose Alaska would make a great shakedown cruise beforehand. It'll also provided better capabilities all around, other than comfort...

[ppine]

Way too early for the North with a big trailer. Take the Alaska State Ferry to Haines, but then you still have almost 500 miles to drive to Anchorage. For a nice couple from California you are going to be in over your head. Don't do it. You have to drive through the Yukon to get there. I have been snowed on in August there.

You could drive up without the trailer, but still have to face the cold and snow and the remoteness. Buy a trailer up there and sell it when you leave.

If you insist on going anyway, plan on stopping by the side of the road with no hookups when it is below zero. If that sounds fine, have at it. The gas stations are 100 miles apart. There are few RV parks and they will mostly all be closed.

[MDKMDK]

I think you're going to have to rethink, based on that estimate and some I did myself. All were very spendy. I used Whittier and Homer as arrivals, from Bellingham.

Best bet might be to sit tight where you are, and keep an eye on weather in central BC, the Yukon, and eastern Alaska, where you would exit/enter. Use Tok, AK as your weather sample as it's the north/south decision point for whether you go to Fairbanks, or Anchorage.
If/when the weather appears to break along the route, make your final departure decision.
The Glenn Highway to Anchorage from there has some spectacular views but it's up/down and desolate in places, and wasn't in great shape in September 2016 when we drove it in a 20' camper van. However, we've driven worse in northern BC and the Yukon.

Good luck with it.