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RE: Denali Hwy 8
Although I haven't driven the entire Denali Highway since 2001, I doubt much has changed at all....
The eastern half of the Denali Highway route has always been quite a bit rougher than the western side, as it can get pretty rough along the MacLaren Summit corridor....
Especially if it rains hard, or after a significant rainfall - the entire unpaved portions of the Denali Highway can be just plain rough period - and particularly along the MacLaren Summit area during rainfall are known to have poor to zero visibility conditions also as I got caught up in that more than one time....
Two to three days is generally ideal to experience passing thru the entire Denali Highway upon excellent to light rain type weather conditions while taking your time as I drive pretty slow thru this stretch with my old 1970 Ford Truck and cabover camper on it (5 to 10 mph if needed) as I would generally average in the low 20 mph range on the unpaved portions that were not rough....
I would say wear and tear will not be an issue if one would allow "in general normal conditions" 6 hours driving time on the unpaved portions and a total of 7 to 8 hours total driving time on the entire 135 mile route.
I would allow an extra day stretch of travel along the Denali Highway upon bad weather conditions of three to four days time while leasuring in between - for those who care about their rigs and not constraint for travel time.
As the other posts were spot on, large area turnouts and parking to accommodate a large rig are limited, however one should appear no more than a 30 mile gap distance at the most (safely for a large rig) if my memory serves right....
As far as for other potential travelers reading this post taking on the Denali Highway regarding fuel distances as being a concern, my sound advice would be to always carry extra spare fuel and ONLY count on fuel supply available in Cantwell (west end of Denali Highway) and Delta Junction (81 miles from east end of Denali Highway)....
Rule of thumb for those upon traveling in the far north of Canada and Alaska :
Never truly rely on fuel supply from any remote location of a lodge or roadhouse for even those handful of remote reputable places who know how to pay their bills and have a great credit line for automatic fuel delivery, as there have been more than enough times where the fuel companies themselves are the major problem upon delayed delivery or supply issues as these remote out of the way places are not priority for fuel deliveries when those logistic glitches happen.
Paxson Lodge (east end junction of Denali highway) over the years was hit and miss for fuel availability -
Open and maybe fuel available -
Open and maybe NO fuel available
Closed up for business
Reopened for business and maybe fuel available
Reopened for business but no fuel available
Closed for business again, etc, etc....
The Denali Highway is truly scenic in every aspect as I have also taken on both directions of travel, and in my opinion it is a bit more scenic and enjoyable while viewing the trip enroute from east to west direction as you deal with the more rugged half side first and have more downhill and less ascend in the westbound direction from MacLaren Summit - the only minus grade from east to west direction of travel here would be if one were to commute during the time of 900pm and later, as the sun will be staring right at you for 2 to 3 hours until it lowers toward the horizon....
The Denali Highway route also has the least amount of general traffic and hardly any commercial traffic at all out of all the Alaskan "major highway" routes too, even less traffic busy than the Dalton and Taylor Highway remote routes as you get the least "I'm Joe blow and I'm in a hurry" type of drivers from behind to deal with.
This posted message is from YOUR - 2023 Nenana Ice Classic Winner !!!!
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AKsilvereagle
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05/13/23 09:05pm |
RVing in Canada and Alaska
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RE: Best itinerary for Alaska
X 3 on the current boondocking status in Alaska these days....
Upon my analysis of the past few years speaking for someone like me equipped with a cabover camper, small travel trailer or equivalent of 20 to 30 feet of space - if one included the Dalton and Denali Highways in the entire Alaska road system, I'd say one would be lucky to find between 150 to 200 places total to freely "roadside boondock" entirely in Alaska nowadays....
Although I have not visited Canada since 2019, I doubt there are much changes between Delta Junction and the border at Port Alcan on the Alaska Highway for free boondocking spots that still exist, however I can clearly speak for the status of the Parks Highway and all the significant changes since 2016.
PA12DRVR is spot on with the posted comment pertaining to all the major road construction and remote roadside properties getting bought up as most of the access trails and gravel pit yards off the highways now have metal gates, concrete slab pylons, large boulders and other barriers blocking access to these areas that used to be available for boondocking because people abused these spots as mentioned leaving trash, junk vehicles, dead bodies, animal carcasses etc, and whatever else unimaginable....
Most day use waysides along the Parks Hwy. now have metal gates they secure at night to eliminate overnighters....
Even in Anchorage now, most former permitted overnight sites that now prohibit overnight parking have 24 hour security patrols to ensure no one violates overnighting stays....I had to resort to Cabelas in south Anchorage the past two years that permits overnight parking, as they still patrol pretty heavy there too - I witnessed security escorting someone off of the property after they observed their camper there for three days (while I stayed for two nights and did not get bothered)
Since 2016, the Parks Highway between Nenana and Willow (mile 300 and mile 74) now has 15 intermittent stretches of extra passing lanes in both directions ranging one half mile to 2 mile length intervals, which removed a handful of boondocking spots and turnouts....
Not to mention the major 2015-2017 projects of the Broad Pass mile 194 Chulitna River and rail under bypass, Goose Creek mile 91 rail under bypass, and Sunshine Creek mile 100 rail under bypass that were way overdue.
The reason I say they were overdue :
A friend of mine that works for the Alaska Railroad back in 2000 told me of this 30 year planned project starting in 1985 of eliminating all rail "roadside" crossings along the Parks and Richardson Highways between Anchorage and Eielson AFB...
14 total rail- road, over and under crossings on the Parks Hwy....
My time in Alaska since 1982, 9 of the 14 rail crossings were "road", as 5 were already established over and under pass crossings.
7 of the 9 "road" crossings are now converted rail- "under" crossings thru 2017 with only two rail-"road" crossings remain on the Parks Hwy. now (mile 169 and mile 235).
The mile 45 North Wasilla rail- "under" pass construction started the 30 year planned project of eliminating the road crossings.
3 total rail- "road" crossings on the Richardson Hwy....
They only converted one of the three "road" crossings in 2014 (southbound) and 2015 (northbound) to rail "under" crossing at mile 345...
Two "road" rail crossings still remain on the Richardson Hwy (at mile 350 and mile 359).
So thru 2022, they have 4 more road crossings yet to convert - which was projected to get done seven years ago.
In 2016, the state started expanding the Parks Hwy. on extending a 4 lane divided highway badly needed from mile 45 to mile 49 and got the squatters out of that area....
In 2021 and 2022, the state even expanded further north converting the 4 lane divided highway thru mile 52 at Big Lake Junction.
The state had more highway improvement projects in 2021 and 2022 at Chulitna Pass in a 5 mile stretch (mile 188 to 193), and (mile 229 thru 233), Montana Creek (mile 96) and Sheep Creek (mile 87) areas.
As noted - all of their infrastructure, materials and machinery were staged along any turnout and clearing they could use which were places that others used to boondock.
Pretty similar to the Cassiar Hwy. with the power transmission intertie project during 2013 where the south corridor between Bob Quinn and Tatogga Lodge at the time hoarded up every single turnout, space or clearing to use to where I could not boondock anywhere - staging their infrastructure, materials, atco buildings, machinery, etc.
With all the more road projects and added infrastructure, there will be even less roadside access boondocking within the highways of Alaska - it ain't what it used to be.
The few turnouts along the Nenana River and the Broad Pass turnouts are still permitted overnight parking along the Parks Hwy.
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AKsilvereagle
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01/16/23 09:34am |
RVing in Canada and Alaska
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RE: Early Television
Growing up in Los Anchorage, it was always a special treat to go with the parents to Seattle for a trip. Not only was it cool to travel ("Look, this has 4! propellers"), but back in those days of taped shows, one would see all the shows in Seattle, fly back to Anchorage a few days later, just in time to see the same episodes.
Pretty similar when I first arrived in Fairbanks 40 years ago...couldn't believe network shows were on one or two week delay at the time - I was like, all these shows were already televised in the states.
A friend of mine worked at one of the TV studios and called me up asking me if I wanted to see the Super Bowl at the studio, said sure and even got a grand tour of the studio to boot !!!
Reminded, the Super Bowl was already televised 5 days prior as the beta tape itself arrived at the studio but it could not be locally broadcasted for another two days yet until Sunday in it's scheduled time slot so I got to see the matinee sneak preview - even knowing the result...
Then after broadcasting any network shows on the air, my friend says he has to mail the beta tapes to Hawaii - sheesh !
Now me growing up in Los Angeles (Hollywood) when I was a kid, all of our black and white TV's were either burglary, Goodwill, or pawn shop purchases - and most of the time we were a two TV household as they were stacked one on top of the other - either the sound or the picture vegged out on a particular TV so we made sure we always had picture AND sound !
I used to sneak into the studios when I was a little misfit, KTTV channel 11 and KBSC channel 52 were the easiest ones, KTLA channel 5 I only succeeded once (I still watch them on streamline) as they had pretty tight security...I lived a half mile from these studios at the time -
Me and a friend interrupted the game show 'Concentration' when they were on the air doing a tape segment in studio 4 at the KTTV channel 11 studios - yes red light at the door and all and went right in - as the host Jack Nares was rubbernecking watching us walk around and Johnny Olsen was wearing a tuxedo standing on a podium reading off the prizes as he stopped to turn around to look at us, then security ran right at us as we bolted and got away.
KABC channel 7 (ABC) studio I succeeded once also but got caught rather quickly and escorted out....
KHJ channel 9 at the Paramount studios I succeeded a couple times but security was real tight during live studio audience taping of primetime shows....
KNXT channel 2 (CBS)- Television City, KNBC channel 4 Burbank studios and Warner Brothers - forget it ! those studios were security fortresses.
Never did try to sneak in 20th Century Fox or MGM Studios as they were too far away.
After moving out to Palm Springs, our first ever color TV wasn't until 1981 as we all had to pitch in to get that $300 Sears touch tune color TV that was a $199 sale special (no remote) - it finally felt like luxury watching color TV like everybody else.
Those are just a handful of my early television memories.
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AKsilvereagle
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09/08/22 05:31pm |
Around the Campfire
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Bowled two 300s, a 299, with 2nd lifetime 800 series !
All this occurred in the past three weeks -
Tue August 16, 2022 - 8th lifetime 300 game #8324 overall (game 2 of session) -
For all you bowling buffs, the ball was Motiv Fatal Venom (30* x 3.50" x 20* layout) on the 145th game bowled with it :
https://i.postimg.cc/tJ6nv2cZ/009.jpg
Sun August 28, 2022 - 9th lifetime 300 game #8375 overall (game 5 of session) with second lifetime 800 3 game series - 288 300 216 - 804
Series B (game 4, 5, 6) was with a new Motiv Jackal Ghost (90* x 2.00" x 60* layout) was on the first three games out of the box bowled with it - 288 300 216....
Series A (game 1, 2, 3) was with a new Motiv Venom Shock - 203 203 194 = 600 series out of the box as well (game one not shown on monitor) with a 1404 six game session (13th lifetime 1400 series) :
https://i.postimg.cc/3RrM3FDk/078.jpg
Sat September 03, 2022 - 4th lifetime 299 game #8390 overall (game 2 of session) -
Left a weak 10 pin on the final shot - was with the Motiv Venom Shock (35* x 4.00" x 25* layout) on the 8th game bowled with it :
https://i.postimg.cc/VvDqTTSk/005.jpg
https://i.postimg.cc/gjF8nZ58/001.jpg
Now reached 8400 overall games since March 2014 getting back into bowling (1400 six game sessions) as I logged every game for the past 8.5 years -
Game 1 average is least dominant, game 5 average is most dominant.
Never had a back to back 288 and 300 before, got two open frames in game 3 and still managed to reach the rare 800 series feat again for the second time, so that shows my first 800 series was not a fluke after all !
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AKsilvereagle
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09/08/22 06:41am |
Around the Campfire
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RE: Looking for best route from Modesto ca to Yuma Az
On a second note...
If heaven forbid or hell in this case - one "somehow" does end up in the Indio-Coachella area during mid summer -
If proceeding via eastbound I-10 thru Blythe and US 95 :
Either leave Indio no later than 630am or leave Indio after 1100pm during the night when ascending uphill out of the valley due to avoiding extreme hot daytime temperatures enroute towards Chiraco Summit to avoid potential overheating an engine while commuting - Outside temps in the Coachella Valley start at 90 to 95 degrees F as soon as the sun pops up over the horizon during mid summer...
If proceeding via southbound thru the Imperial Valley to reach El Centro and I-8 via Yuma :
I would much rather commute on the CA 111 route (east side of the Salton Sea) for two reasons....
1 - It is more scenic
2 - A bit safer than the CA 86 route known as the "killer highway" between Coachella and Salton City as there are more head on collision accidents that occur, while having to deal with a higher volume of semi truck traffic...
One will be present at over 200 ft below sea level on the CA 111 stretch along the south end area of the Salton Sea , so be prepared to do a lot of yawning if not adapted to the elevation climate and somehow maintain full alertness when commuting along the Salton Sea area on a prolong commute....
As noted, the desert southwest is very very hot at this time of year, and especially both the Coachella and Imperial Valleys are no joke - how I know is I was raised there in my teen years after being raised in the Los Angeles basin prior to that and in my late teen years.
Also noted - I too would opt to commute via CA 58 via I-40 with the addition to Needles, cross River Rd. into the Arizona side for a couple miles in Mohave Valley and top off fuel tank(s) at the Arco AM-PM mini mart station in order to NOT pay for someone elses retirement (if you know what I mean) - head back to Needles and proceed south via US 95 to Vidal Junction via CA 62 to Parker via AZ 95 and US 95 south at Quartzsite via to Yuma.
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AKsilvereagle
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06/25/22 04:26pm |
Roads and Routes
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RE: Lowest grades Calgary to Spokane towing trailer
I never driven thru the Crowsnest Pass so I cannot compare, as I taken BC 93 northbound thru Kootenay Nat'l Park in my 70 Ford 2WD Truck with my camper in Sept 2012 when I visited the Kootenays...
Driven BC 93 again thru Kootenay Nat'l Park in Oct 2018 southbound in my 75 Ford 2WD Truck with my camper in which I had to time it just right after their early 10 inches of snowfall and before the next stormfront on my way to Sandpoint ID via Spokane WA via Redding CA via Bellingham WA while having to revert taking the Alaska Ferry home because the roads in central and northern Canada were snowy and icy....
Their are two gradual grades on that BC 93 route between Trans Can 1 and BC 95 in my opinion that should be OK for a loaded U Haul trailer and a Toyota Rav 4 to accomplish the feat....
The North end on the Banff Nat'l Park side is around a long gradual 5% to 7% grade, and the South end is a little more hilly and winding with 5% to a short 9% grade and is not as long as the gradual mellower grade on the north end - neither of the two major grades on the entire route seemed bad to me.
Once you reach Radium Hot Springs at BC 95, the rest of the way is a much easy travel and relatively flat without any mountainous driving all the way to the Kingsgate-Eastport Border Port of Entry.
Hope this helps the OP.
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AKsilvereagle
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06/25/22 03:08pm |
Roads and Routes
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