Alaska Highway report

[corprimo]

We just got back to Palmer, Alaska after spending the winter on the road with our 5th wheel. I think I've driven the "Highway around 16 times. We took the western Cassiar Highway this time, as we hadn't been on it for 7 years. Road from Prince George to the Cassiar was very good, and the bottom half of the Cassiar is good - 55-60 mph. Top half of the Cassiar is bumpier - 50-55, and slower on a few short gravel stretches - maybe 5-10 miles of gravel in 3 different areas, but smooth. Once on the Alaska Highway just north of Watson Lake, the road is great as far as Kluane Lake (N. of Haines Junction). That section between Kluane and the border is always rough - not as bad this time of year - we drove 45 most of the way, slower in the worst areas. I can't tell you much about the road from the border to Tok because we hit a winter storm just before the border. No fun pulling a 30 foot 5er in 6 inches of snow - 2 ruts down the middle of the road, tires spinning in 5th gear in 4 wheel drive on the hills, so you just sort of ease up to the crest of each hill and pray you don't meet someone else coming down. Tok to Glennallen was fairly good - usually 55, and same with Glenn Highway to Palmer.



Time to build a new house so we can move out of the trailer...



Dan Heynen

 

[DIESELMAN]

Dan - I am heading up on the 15th of May for a couple of months, headed to Anchorage to take my wife flying over the glaciers, then up near Circle for about a month (working)



- So is all construction done between Haynes Jct and Kluane?



- Did you notice if the little RV / resteraunt stop at White River was still open, the one at the old Alascom Radio Tram / Airfield site (funded by ShakWak)



Anybody else headed up at this time? I'll be on Radio 2M 146. 52Mhz and 40M around 7. 240Mhz and 7. 275Mhz if anyone headed up at that time is a ham.



John - NO7AZ

 

[corprimo]

Haines Junction to Kluane L. is in good shape. Some construction on north shore of Kluane is about done - even a bike trail along there now! White River Lodge was closed when we went by, but that might be a seasonal thing. I think that was where they were putting in a new bridge, but with 600 mile days it gets a bit blurry...



Dan

 

[Jack in Alaska]

I just made the trip both ways. The const. at Kluane Lake is done except for paving. The base gravel is just like pavement though. Kluane to the border is in the usual frost heavey, broken pavement etc. condition. The Tok cutoff is in real good shape and they are working on the few bad spots.

Fuel in Whitehorse $1. 09 Can /liter which is $3. 80/gal US. It was $1. 27Can/liter ($4. 36 US)in Watson Lake. Oo.

 

[Grizzly]

Just got back from Alaska by way of the Cassier Hwy. The road was good with only 12 miles of gravel and two other smaller stretches. The lower half was better then the upper half. The Alcan Hwy in Yukon before the Alaska border was very rough. Diesel prices on the Cassier Junction and on down the Cassier were extremely high. The Cassier Hwy is far more scenic and has more wildlife then the Alcan Hwy from Dawson Creek to Watson Lake.