Thinking about moving to Juneau (Anchorage, Fairbanks: extended stay, apartments, to rent)

[DannyL]

Juneau's in rough shape right now. Unless your job is in the bag, or you got 1 yr (20 grand) income, just come for a visit, and see what you can make of it.
I'm not joking for once.

[ncseakayaker]

Originally Posted by DannyL

Juneau's in rough shape right now. Unless your job is in the bag, or you got 1 yr (20 grand) income, just come for a visit, and see what you can make of it.
I'm not joking for once.

Thanks for the comment! I have spent the last 7 years in the middle of nowhere Eastern, NC so a change is in order. If I don't like it I can move elsewhere. I did get the job in Juneau and will be moving in the coming months. I work for the federal government so they will be paying for the move and I will also get a substantial raise and hopefully a relocation bonus. I like to hike and backpack and have extensive backcountry experience. A buddy from college should be coming up this summer to live with me so we can explore. Hopefully my girlfriend will also visit during the summer. I think she is looking for volunteer positions at the local parks. This is a move to experience the world not to make money or become rich. If I can feed myself and pay the bills I will be happy. If there is a good coffee shop I can be happy about anywhere.

So now I will need to be doing some deep digging on this site to prepare myself. I have lived in the south my entire life and driving in winter scares me the most. In any case I will figure it out.

[JavaPhil]

There are baristas all over. More so than Seattle. At last count, Anchorage had 2.9 coffee stands per 10,000 as opposed to Seattle, at 2.3 per 10,000. Juneau is definitely a coffee town and I can't imagine that they would have fewer than Seattle. When it cold, rainy and just plain hard to move on a morning, nothing beats a good cup of Joe!

[ncseakayaker]

Is it nuts to drive to Juneau from North Carolina in January? Money doesn't matter because the government would pay my ferry and gas so Bellingham or Prince Rupert are both options. I drive a Nissan Titan and I have no experience driving in snow or ice.

[akck]

Originally Posted by ncseakayaker

Is it nuts to drive to Juneau from North Carolina in January? Money doesn't matter because the government would pay my ferry and gas so Bellingham or Prince Rupert are both options. I drive a Nissan Titan and I have no experience driving in snow or ice.

The drive from NC to WA would be mainly on interstate freeways, so your only problem would be if a big snow storm hits somewhere on your route. If your time frame allows an extra day or three, you should be able to hold up until the roads are clear.

Is your Titan 2 or 4 wheel drive? In either case I'd get all-weather or studded tires for it. They'll be useful in Juneau. I'd also pack a set of snow chains and practice putting them on (better now than when you need to do it). Also, get an ice scraper/snow brush for your vehicle.

When you hit an icy area, find an empty parking lot and practice braking and skidding. This is more to let you know how the brakes will work and give you some confidence. For skidding, you want to gain traction back (usually means foot off the gas, no brakes), and I keep my front wheels pointed in the direction I want to go, noting that's not necessarily the way the road is going. Changing lanes is a slow process, taking a quarter mile to get over. I've seen more cars lose control when they hit the little ice/snow berm between lanes too sharply. You will slide around some, but the thing to remember is not to over-correct on your steering.

I'd also plan a couple of alternate routes, in case a major winter storm hits. Traveling a little north or south might get you around it. Pay attention to the weather reports.

[ncseakayaker]

Originally Posted by akck

The drive from NC to WA would be mainly on interstate freeways, so your only problem would be if a big snow storm hits somewhere on your route. If your time frame allows an extra day or three, you should be able to hold up until the roads are clear.

Is your Titan 2 or 4 wheel drive? In either case I'd get all-weather or studded tires for it. They'll be useful in Juneau. I'd also pack a set of snow chains and practice putting them on (better now than when you need to do it). Also, get an ice scraper/snow brush for your vehicle.

When you hit an icy area, find an empty parking lot and practice braking and skidding. This is more to let you know how the brakes will work and give you some confidence. For skidding, you want to gain traction back (usually means foot off the gas, no brakes), and I keep my front wheels pointed in the direction I want to go, noting that's not necessarily the way the road is going. Changing lanes is a slow process, taking a quarter mile to get over. I've seen more cars lose control when they hit the little ice/snow berm between lanes too sharply. You will slide around some, but the thing to remember is not to over-correct on your steering.

I'd also plan a couple of alternate routes, in case a major winter storm hits. Traveling a little north or south might get you around it. Pay attention to the weather reports.

Thank you for the info! Are studded tires okay to put on for the entire drive? I probably won't see snow and ice for a large part of the route. Are block heaters or blankets neccessary in Juneau?

[JavaPhil]

Most of the lower 48 outlawed studded tires, due to road damage. Here, it's a normal thing.

[akck]

Originally Posted by ncseakayaker

Thank you for the info! Are studded tires okay to put on for the entire drive? I probably won't see snow and ice for a large part of the route. Are block heaters or blankets neccessary in Juneau?

You can drive the entire way with them, but they may be illegal in some states. Also, driving on them under dry conditions will cause more wear. Here's a link to the various laws in each state:

Flex-Trax (http://www.flextrax.com/chainlaws.html - broken link)

Most restrictions limit them to the winter months. If you can, I'd mount the studded tires on separate rims and put them on once you hit an area where they are needed (you'll likely need them from that point on anyway).

Block heaters or blankets aren't needed in Juneau. None of my vehicles have had them here. It occasionally gets cold enough for them for a day or two, but most cars will start with no problems (just an occasional charger on the battery). Of course it doesn't hurt to have one or the other.

[DannyL]

Originally Posted by ncseakayaker

Thank you for the info! Are studded tires okay to put on for the entire drive? I probably won't see snow and ice for a large part of the route. Are block heaters or blankets neccessary in Juneau?

I wouldn't, you would probablty wear them out by the time you got to Bellingham. Studs don't like dry pavement.
In January your safest route may be take the southern then north route. Find I-20 to I-10, then 5 north. Longer but safer than taking the northern route in the winter. I-70 closes a lot.
Block heaters are for the most part not needed in Juneau unless you have a diesel. Get your self the 50 buck magnetic slap-on pan heater. Lot's of people have them.

[cobolt]

Yeah...don't take the northern route if you can avoid it. We've been getting snow in the passes on and off since Sunday and there are restrictions (chains, etc) on certain passes. Take the southern route to cut over to I-5 N to Bellingham.