How's the drive from Haines to Anchorage? (Bethel, Wasilla: beach, ferry)

[warptman]

More reasons to drive the Alcan Highway...


















my ride


Indian Head Mountain










You can put a sign up at Watson Lake Sign Post Forest.

[Classic Satch]

Dammit warptman, why are you making me vacillate on my decision? I drive 50-100 miles every day just to do my job, that's why I'm more than ambivalent about taking my CR-V from the Soviet Socialist Republic of California all the way to the Anchorage area.

However, those pics that you posted are truly awesome. I can't wait to upgrade my armory from it's current anti-human state (snubby .357 and semi-auto Steyr .40) to a full-blown rifle and shotgun ensemble. I plan on getting into some serious hunting and fishing when I get up there. I want my daughter and her future sibling (God help me) to be well-versed in those aspects of life which are most traditionally grounded. Here that User 2..user 2....user....2.......

[rotorhead]

Glad to hear that your one-year-old is going by air. Although modern air travel manages to emulate the less pleasant aspects of a simultaneous colonoscopy and a tax-audit, at least it'll be over relatively quickly. The Alcan roadtrip is a very scenic and adventurous drive for adults and maybe some older kids, but it's basically an eternity in the carseat for the little guys.

A couple other things to consider, and it's important if you're a gun owner. It's basically impossible to transport a handgun through Canada...at all...even if you're just driving through. All handguns and most semi-automatic rifles are on their "forbidden" list, and even those firearms that they do currently allow are a significant paperwork burden, a delay at each border crossing, and an additional expense.

Firearms aren't an issue on the ferry...PROVIDED you leave from Bellingham and not Prince Rupert. You have to leave them locked in your vehicle and won't have access to them during the trip but you can carry both firearms and ammunition without an issue. Surprisingly (for a screaming liberal pseudo-communistic nanny-state), the Canadians don't seem to have an issue with the ammo, just the weapons themselves. Moving companies won't ship ammo at all and the airlines drastically restrict how much you can carry, so if you're planning on bringing some up, bring it in your car.

Also, if you're driving up in a car as small as yours plan on driving at least the Yukon portions in the daylight only. Those baby caribou are cute as the dickens, but their adult companions are unnaturally stubborn about getting off the road for oncoming traffic. The buffalo don't seem to notice that cars even exist at all; they move the same speed whether you're stopped and taking photos of them on the roadside or bearing down on them with all 18 wheels locked up and smoking in a semi (I've seen both). To make matters more interesting, they're always along the roadway in a couple areas and they're so dark it's almost impossible to see them in the headlights at night. If you thing hitting a deer is bad new, it ain't nothing compared to hitting one of those at highway speeds.

[Classic Satch]

Originally Posted by rotorhead

Glad to hear that your one-year-old is going by air. Although modern air travel manages to emulate the less pleasant aspects of a simultaneous colonoscopy and a tax-audit, at least it'll be over relatively quickly. The Alcan roadtrip is a very scenic and adventurous drive for adults and maybe some older kids, but it's basically an eternity in the carseat for the little guys.

A couple other things to consider, and it's important if you're a gun owner. It's basically impossible to transport a handgun through Canada...at all...even if you're just driving through. All handguns and most semi-automatic rifles are on their "forbidden" list, and even those firearms that they do currently allow are a significant paperwork burden, a delay at each border crossing, and an additional expense.

Firearms aren't an issue on the ferry...PROVIDED you leave from Bellingham and not Prince Rupert. You have to leave them locked in your vehicle and won't have access to them during the trip but you can carry both firearms and ammunition without an issue. Surprisingly (for a screaming liberal pseudo-communistic nanny-state), the Canadians don't seem to have an issue with the ammo, just the weapons themselves. Moving companies won't ship ammo at all and the airlines drastically restrict how much you can carry, so if you're planning on bringing some up, bring it in your car.

Also, if you're driving up in a car as small as yours plan on driving at least the Yukon portions in the daylight only. Those baby caribou are cute as the dickens, but their adult companions are unnaturally stubborn about getting off the road for oncoming traffic. The buffalo don't seem to notice that cars even exist at all; they move the same speed whether you're stopped and taking photos of them on the roadside or bearing down on them with all 18 wheels locked up and smoking in a semi (I've seen both). To make matters more interesting, they're always along the roadway in a couple areas and they're so dark it's almost impossible to see them in the headlights at night. If you thing hitting a deer is bad new, it ain't nothing compared to hitting one of those at highway speeds.

I think you just sealed it for me. I have a friend who was a cop and(as soon as 1 yr ago and now an AK state investigator) giving me heads-up also. I think I'm taking the ferry at this point. A few hundred bucks won't break the bank at this point.

Plus, I think that I'll have my guns shipped up via gun dealers. I'll be damned if I'll rely upon the idiocy of the current Canadian government. MY pieces aren't cheap.

[rotorhead]

The gun dealer thing is definately an option, but of course it does cost some $$$. If you board in Bellingham you don't have to worry about firearms till you hit Haines (or Skagway). Either way you'll have to cross through The Peoples Rebublik of Kanada to get to Anchorage. The ferry doesn't go all the way through to Seward or Whittier until the spring, for some reason regular crossings of the Gulf of Alaska in wintertime don't seem to appeal to most people. If your spouse is flying all the way to ANC, it might be best to check them with your luggage, you never step foot in Canada that way so there's no customs issues. The whole issue has the rank smell of hypocricy all over it; it seems that the Canadians national gun registration program is such an obvious failure that they're trying to seem tough by cracking down on us at the border.


BTW, the gulf crossings are the only legs where they chain your vehicle to the car deck. On the regular Inside Passage crossings you just put it in park, set the brake, and walk upstairs. Thats the reason why you have to show up earlier for the Whittier and Seward stops southbound, and for the legs crossing the gulf northbound, so they can secure the vehicles to the deck.

[warptman]

Just Drive.

[Blueberry]

Originally Posted by warptman

Just Drive.

Ah, but if he takes the ferry, he has a high likelihood of seeing sea critters as well as all those cute fuzzies you showed! There's plenty of amazing scenery to go around. The ability to kick back, relax, read a good book, and talk to good company are added bonuses.

Please don't kick me!

[warptman]

Kicks.....um....shoves blueberry.

[Classic Satch]

Eh, my decision is still up in the air. It's looking more and more like we won't be moving until the end of April. What would the road conditions be like?

[warptman]

It'll be fine. Some frost in the Rockies and possibly snow. This was my Alcan trip at the end of March trip to Washington/Oregon a few years ago for the Seattle Supercross.

Bethel Alaska Photo Gallery - Joe Joe's Alcan Trip 2006