Driving the Alcan in late December w/no snow experience (Lakes: home, living)

[blueflames50]

take music CD's or something to listen to....no real radio reception for thousands of miles!!!......long silent drive if not!

[roadfamily6now]

Originally Posted by blueflames50

take music CD's or something to listen to....no real radio reception for thousands of miles!!!......long silent drive if not!

I could not agree more.

Good Luck! Our first trip up the AlCan was in May 1996. We encountered extreme road construction (the kind where you are positive you have taken the wrong path and are lost), snow, blizzards, caribou, flat tires, shocks shaken off the truck, etc. But it was a blast!
Since then we have drove the highway 8 more time, in all types of weather and in a variety of different vehicles. Each time was different then the last, each time we experienced a new "thrill". Most memorable was the time we ran out of gas in the Yukon (so when they tell you to FILL UP at each gas station you see, they are serious) and it was -40F and we had no friggen clue just how far from Watson Lake we were. (very very few road signs) Turns out it was just 6 miles but 6 miles in the Yukon at -40 at 2am, we might as well have been on the moon. The kids and I hunkered down in the back of the car with our winter-gear that we kept in the trunk. DH took off on foot to get gas or flag down a car. About 30 minutes later a car goes by in the other direction (on a split highway so they were well over 200 feet away). I kept praying they would see us and notify someone!
Not 20 minutes later headlights glow in the frosted up back window of our car! And at the same time DH came back. He had seen the car and felt like he needed to come back to our car. As luck would have it, the car that passed and stopped for us was a TAXI from Watson Lake that had just dropped off a passenger. He graciously gave us a free ride back to town (6 miles)......... Long story short. You never know what kind of situation you are going to be faced with. We had almost filled up in Toad River, but did not top it off. We then had a flat tire between Toad River and Watson Lake so we had to stop in the next place (no gas by the way only service) to get it fixed. Being so cold out we keep the car running while DH put on our spare and again while we waited for our flat to be fixed. Assuming all that idle time wasted just enough gas, is the reason we ran out just prior to reaching Watson Lake (the next gas stop).

Don't assume you know anything about driving to Alaska. Just head our advice and be prepared. But most of all be patient, drive safe, rest often, and take TONS of pictures! It will be a trip you never forget.

[nwcountrygal]

If you have an address in AK already, ask at hotels (know for sure the Best Western in Yukon) for Northern discount. They give you a discount if you live in Alaska and are driving the Alcan. Again stress the take your time. It makes the trip sooo much more enjoyable.

[Lakester]

I'd still like to hear any winter driving situations you guys were in.

Not on the Alcan or even a car but, coming out of Seward in a 24 wheeler - tri axle trailer, no load after dropping off a crane, temps at freezing ice then no ice came around a corner and the trailer went loose into the snow bank started to pull the tractor in to - floored it and just bearly kept it on the road till the trailer came back. Moral is watch out for trucks trailers coming at you on corners, some like to take their half of road out of the middle. Make sure your going slow enough and in a lower gear when going down icy hills - half way down is not the time to try shifting down or braking very hard, once you loose traction down hill it's hard to regain it. There's been times when I've driven with 2 wheels in the snow because there was no traction on the road it's self, bad bad iceing, snow will give you some traction, if you gotta do this be very careful or you'll get sucked in or spun around. Not for the faint of heart. If you think your going off the road chance's are your going to - drive it till it stop's or as a pilot would say, fly it all the way into the ground. You probably know but here it is again, you crash where your looking, it's a natural instinct to steer where your looking. Don't be shy at that driving school - slide that thing every which way and then some. Something I've only had to do twice in 35 yrs - is if your sliding or trying to back down a icy hill, is to apply a little e brake this will allow you to steer and brake some without the front wheels locking up and sliding the front end around. Might want to get one of those electric defrosters also. You'll learn that sometimes it's better to stay on the gas than to let off or try braking. Me thinks you'll do fine, seems you got good ears AH ERR eye's?? Your getting it.....

[Grannysroost]

Before you leave...let your bank(s) know you are going to traveling, especially through Canada so they don't cut off your funding. Even in the lower 48, you will not be pulling over and just sleeping in some spots as it will be too cold... If the diabetic cat won't eat in the vehicle while traveling or stopping, what are you going to do? I know my dogs have issues with routine, but cannot imagine that with a medical issue with a cat... If you insist on driving 24/7 even part-way...let the wife do her schedule during the day...if you are military, you can sleep while comfortable with her driving and you drive during the off hours. Personally, if I don't the know the roads, terrain, etc., I will not drive in the dark. I did that a couple years ago going from AK to Seattle on a plane, then picking up the car and on to El Paso...I am not a night driver anymore... I did at least a 20-mile detour one night to get the motel we had reserved as I missed the last exit for the town our motel was in, due to being in the fast lane next to a semi and couldn't get over with cars behind me....and if you can sleep during the day with the animals in the truck...your's are way better than mine, one wakes up and wakes the rest....ya know? Have you taken them on a long trip before? and sorry if I missed something that answers this in the rest of the thread....

[Moose Whisperer]

A general rule of winter driving: When approaching a stop or another vehicle and you realize you can not stop, better to intentionally steer for the nearest ditch or snow bank, rather than plow into another vehicle or slide uncontrollably into a busy intersection or opposing traffic. One choice usually requires a simple call to a tow truck, the other often requires an ambulance!

[blueflames50]

ummm Lakester....didn't your tractor once put a mobile home up on the guard rails due to bad road condition's or is that what your talk'n about. if people have never driven in ice/snow road conditions.....well....beware...many times rather than hit the brakes it is " throttle out when in doubt" ice and black ice driving takes lots of practice! especially when your adding thousands of pounds of trailer behind that vehicle!

[Lakester]

Originally Posted by Moose Whisperer

A general rule of winter driving: When approaching a stop or another vehicle and you realize you can not stop, better to intentionally steer for the nearest ditch or snow bank, rather than plow into another vehicle or slide uncontrollably into a busy intersection or opposing traffic. One choice usually requires a simple call to a tow truck, the other often requires an ambulance!

Great advice - many people just freeze up and press harder on the brake and look right into it. Always look for a out or a softer object to run into.

[starlite9]

For headlights, you can buy Sylvania High intensity light bulbs (about fifty bucks or so a set) to replace your standard ones you have, that will just about double your vision range at night. Installing additional driving lights is also good, but they should be on a relay switch so when you dim your bright lights they dim as well at the same time, seems it is a pain when you are on an icy curve and trying to find a switch to turn off half a million candle power aux lights that are shining into the oncoming traffic.

On my GMC truck, I put a relay to my hi/low switch so they both stay on during the high beam use. Normally the two outside lights come on for low beam and then turn off and the two inside lights come on for the high beam. Now they are all four on with the higher output bulbs. Works very well.

It is easy and quick to do just the headlight bulb switch and it will make you a lot more comfortable.

Didn't know they had winter driving classes down South, seems like a good idea if they in fact do teach you about this kind of environment verses just some ice on the road.

Your trip will be just fine, although like Warp said, you will have some pretty hard snow berms on both sides of the road, so depending on how high they are plowed to get the snow off the road, you may just bounce off them should you have something to avoid on the road, so don't outdrive your lights and road conditions. Thousands of people a week/month make the drive and don't have any issues, so keep that in mind.

[Moose Whisperer]

Originally Posted by blueflames50

take music CD's or something to listen to....no real radio reception for thousands of miles!!!......long silent drive if not!

That's what the wife is for!