Possible Alaska trip

[Donat]

For the pass ten years, my wife and I have been planning an Alaska trip, and still have not. We are going to try again this year (2011). We have a 24' 5th wheel camper and I'm looking at going up to Dawson Creek,BC using the West Route, then the Alaskan Highway, as described in the Milepost in late May early June.

If anyone has any experience with this Route, I'd appreciate any info. I have some problems with heights.
Thanks

[Rawthumb]

Heights will be the least of your problems on that route. Potholes, construction delays, slow traffic jamming up the road, and gravel flying up and striking your rig face exceed any heights. I don't remember that much incline or altitude to it, until you get around the Stone Mountain area.

When you are talking about traveling to Dawson Creek to pick up the AlCan, I presume that you are talking about driving up from the south and east to DC, from Idaho or MT.

If I were doing it, I'd probably drive to Smithers BC and west and north to pick up the Cassiar Hwy. You can always drive up one route and come back the other. By early September, most construction on the roads is done and you can make better time, but by that time, the winter has almost set in. The earlier in the year one travels up there, the less construction is complete.

[Rawthumb]

BTW, oil prices are projected to go up a lot over the next year.

With fuel prices being what they are now, considerably higher than the last time that I did it, and if money is a part of your calculus, I'd have to work through several options. One would be the Alaska Marine Hwy, but it would mean reconsidering taking a camper trailer. I'd see if I could get up to AK or near AK as light as possible to cut driving and fuel expense and then rent and consider tents and a hostel.

The point that I am making is that gas expense may eat up a lot of your budget and provide a low return, particularly on the drive to parts of CN where it starts getting wild.