CTDs to Alaska

[Swamp Donkey]

I live in Fort St John... ... ..... which is mile 49 of the Alaska Highway. Not sure what my schedule is but if you contact me, maybe we can hook up. Also I am not in the travel companion... ... well I am going to sign up now! If you need any help/service in the area let me know. I know who the good guys and bad ones are in town.

 

[GeneA]

I returned from the CTD to Alaska on July 18th. So it was 22 days and about 8000miles. Not enough time to see everything but had to get back. For the benefit of my fellow travellers, I got a light and an innercooler boot at Anchorage. Unfortunately I did not install the boot and relied on our temporary fix of duct tape and bailing wire and egt gauge. Just south of Billings, MT my exhaust manifold went. It split right through the hole which had been drilled for the thermocouple. So that does weaken the metal, especially when you run it at consistently high temps (occasionally bumped over 1300 degrees. Went back to Billings (bob-tailed) to Montana (now Lithia) Dodge for new manifold and install the boot. (This was BIG bucks) However the tech told me if I had continued I would probably have burned the valves. The would not drill the manifold, but the boost worked normally and I assumed the temps were within limits. Especially I did not get my foot too far into it. The rest was without incident. My story. GeneA

 

[mbaston]

Welcome Home Gene.



I am glad you made it home. Sorry to hear about your truck. However, the ol' bailing wire and duct tape fix worked for a long time. I am happy that I met you and hope to see you again.



Marty

 

[BRUTUS]

I'm Home!

Hi everyone!



Got back Thursday night after a wonderful 40 days and forty nights of sightseeing, picture taking & enjoying good company/travel companions. Took hundreds of pictures and two hours worth of videos...

Total miles from Florida to the top of the world and back was 13,057. Stayed within my hoped-for budget of under $3,000 bucks

Not bad for a million dollar adventure!

The trustworthy old CTD growled and smoked proudly on all types of terrain and came though like a charm with no ill effects.

The gasket in my power steering pump that fell in when I checked the fluid level has not been a problem.

Got a little homesick towards the end of the trip and was anxious to get home, so I stayed on the intersate highways and pushed it to 600 - 700 miles per day.

Filled up with unleaded gas in Beaumont Texas at the Flying J where all the pumps have green nozels... The truck started fine and ran until I stopped for a burger, but would not re-start. Had it towed to The Dodge dealer in Orange Texas. They pulled the tank and drained the sysytem, installed a new filter and sent me on my way. Total cost of that lesson was a relatively modest $ 250 bucks. Coudda been worse.

Got a post card from Maxine and Jerry the day I got home. They are still having fun and catching fish.

Will post more later when I get over the jet lag and get my doodoo together.

Thanks again Marty, Cathy and family for the being great hosts.

Hi Moogly.

 

[radar doctor]

ALASKA REPORT

HAS ANYONE HEARD FROM ANY OF THESE PEOPLE THAT WENT ON THE TRIP???? I'd love to hear about howmany of them met and where and about the trip?????Oo. Oo. Oo.

 

[radar doctor]

ALASKA REPORT

HAS ANYONE HEARD FROM ANY OF THESE PEOPLE THAT WENT ON THE TRIP???? I'd love to hear about howmany of them met and where and about the trip?????Oo. Oo. Oo.

 

[WyoJim]

I am with radar doctor. I wonder what ever happened on this trip. Seems nobody wants to talk about it. I can't help but think that maybe Alaska just does not measure up to its hype.



Had a guy from back east come over the Big Horns to visit on his way home from Alaska. He was totaly dissapointed with Alaska and said we have as much or more in the Big Horns as they have in Alaska. I thought WOW he is really full of it.



Well in 2002 we did a tour of Alaska and came home with the same feelings he had. It was a great trip and I can recommend it to any one, but don't let the hype get your expectations too high.



A friend asked about our trip and I explained our dissapointment, where by he said a friend of his expressed the same feelings after making the trip the year before.



Maybe if we had been from Pittsburgh, or Los Angles we would have been more dazzled. But I think I expected too much after living around Yellowstone, The Tetons and the Big Horns for so long.

 

[GeneA]

Well, I was along on that gaggle. I have waiting for Brutus of Florida to give a report on that trip. He had said that he would write up a complete report possibly for the TDR mag. So I am not going to steal any of his thunder. As for the trip itself, I expected a much tougher route than what it was. A lot of the rigors of the Alaska highway are a myth IMO. As for Alaska, I don't know how anyone could badmouth that. I have been all over thelower 48 plus Hawaii and there is nothing to compare. GeneA

 

[mbaston]

I shake my head when people tell me that they were dissappointed in their trip to Alaska. The number one complaint is "I didn't see the wildlife I expected". Alaska is not a zoo. Our animals are wild. 95% of Alaska is uninhabited. The wild animals will often get away from the humans. You need to go to them ie: get off the highway system.



However, on our trip, we had no problems spotting wildlife. Black and Grizzly bears, sheep, and the like. We caught grayling, salmon and halibut. We saw incredible scenery from the north slope's tundra to the Kenai's rainforest. We also spent quite a bit of time in the Yukon, an incredible place.



If you come up here:



1. Get away from all the tours.

2. Charter a river boat or a small airplane.

3. Talk to a local

4. Get off the highway!!!!

5. Get off the cruise ship!!!



I will be interested in leading a similar trip next year if others would like. Brutus will have pictures up soon I am sure.

 

[Matt42]

Circle, AK

Were any of you at Circle, AK on August 16?

 

[BRUTUS]

The awaited trip report...

Matt

I think that most of us were back home before the middle of August, though I have not heard from Jerry C. and Jerry B. yet.

I was in your neck of the woods on 7-27 while visiting my son in Tonopah.



Gene

My hoped for plan was to send trip reports as we were traveling on the road to Alaska via my laptop and available internet connections. My laptop broke two days before I left on the trip and was in California for a couple of weeks being repaired. Anyway, I do not remember seeing more than a couple of internet connections, and they were in the cities, not along most of our route.

Since both you and Marty are pointing the finger at me to write something ( I think I'm being manipulated here ) I will do so. Don't feel that you are taking my thunder by adding your views and comments.

I will try to send the promised pictures(if I can manage to attach them to the post) and something with a CTD issue to keep Robert and Robin happy.



Sarting with some general info:

Over the course of this thread, more than a dozen people expressed an interest in joining Marty's group. Life's dictates changed some peoples minds, but five rigs actually showed up on Jun 30th at the agreed upon place in Dawson Creek, mile 0 of the Al-Can highway.

-Gene A and spouse with a big red dually and a humongous 5th wheeler with three slide outs.

-Jerry C and spouse with a CTD powered motor home.

-Jerry B and spouse with a 2003 Ferd or Chebby or something and a large 5th wheeler with slideout. His rig was diesel powered, so we let him come along as long as he remained out of our way.

-Marty and two of his little kids with a shiny new dually and a huge slide in camper.

-Then there was me with a shortbed CTD and a tiny crappy pop-up camper.



All felt that the rigs they had were the best for this trip.

I felt superior because I could make U turns...



Everyone had a different goal in mind of things to do and see along the way, and also the places to visit in Alaska. Upon reaching the end of AL-Can highway, we seperated and went to follow our special interests. Jerry C and I went to Dead Horse together, an adventure in itself.



To be continued...

 

[BRUTUS]

Trip report part 2

The drive on the Canada-Alska highway from Dawson Creek though B. C. , the Yukon and on to Fairbanks was a slow paced scenic route (and only route) with frequent photo-op stops and also included a stop in the Liard hot springs.

We communicated by CB radio and my fellow travelers became my wild animal spotters. We took pictures of buffalo,caribou,wolf, white tail deer, black bear and hawks.



When Jerry C and I set out for Prudhoe Bay on the Dalton highway, the weather was rainy and the muddy washboard road nearly discouraged us from continuing. We decided to go on at least to the Yukon river crossing. The rain stopped by the time we got there, so we took a walk and a few pictures and continued on to the Arctic Circle. There we took more pictures, then drove on to Coldfoot, ate a huge omelet and kept going north. Exept for a few rough spots, the road surface improved and the mud turned to dust. The scenery was worth it. Jerry was leading and there was no stopping him. We drove the entire lenght of the 497 mile haul road on the same day, over the Antigun pass and on to Dead Horse. The 19 hours of daylight made it seem easy.

The Arctic Ocean was frozen two weeks before we arrived but by the time we got there it was a balmy 63 degrees and well thawed. On the way we saw Dall sheep, white swans, geese, falcons and as an unexpected treat- thousands of migrating Caribous. Truly awesome. After the tour to the oilfields and the ocean, we headed back the next day to Coldfoot, and this time spent the night there before returning to Fairbanks the following day.

We de- mudded our vehicles, and headed for Denali State Park. Jerry C and wife took a short tour and continued on south, while I chose the 8 hour bus trip into the park. Got to see a grizzly and her cub, an Alpha male wolf at his kill, a large falcon, more elk, and also the lower third of Mount Danali (formerly misnamed McKinley) then spent the night in their RV park before continuing to Marty's house in Palmer and meeting up with the rest of the remaining group.

Marty's house is situated on a big wooded lot near a large river. A glacier is nearby and snow capped mountains are all around. A classic Alaskan setting at it's best.

He personally prepared a gourmet fresh salmon dinner for all of us.

A many-talented gentleman he is.

The next day we again went our separate ways.

Jerry C and wife wanted to visit a few more places and then head back home to a big family reunion. Jerry B and his wife were headed for renowned fishing spots in Seward and beyond. Marty let me park my camper at his house and took me to the Anchorage air port for a flight to Unalaska that did not happen. He later rescued me from the aiport and took me back to the truck

so I could catch up to Jerry B. We hooked up at the Seward RV park.

To be continued...

 

[DIESELMAN]

Here's a couple of pictures from my Alaska Summer this year...

#ad




And while you were driving in the rain, we were dealing with snow on July 17th!



#ad




The Caribou were really nosey... .



#ad




We frequently had to throw rocks at them to get them out of the way



And when the roads were to muddy, we just went over the top



#ad

 

[BRUTUS]

Some hobby

Hunting / Fishing / Anything but Workin'!

... copied from your profile.



I am envious of your "not workin'! That's some fun you are having.

I'd also like to know how you managed to post all those nice big pictures. Mine all get kicked back for being too big and having too many bytes

 

[BRUTUS]

Alska trip report part 3

The day's headline in the local paper was" Russian Angler Mauled"

That translates that a fisherman was in the wrong place at the wrong time while fishing on the Russian river. A momma bear and two cubs claimed their territorial rights.

We poked around Seward and decided to continue on to Soldotna and Homer.

We pulled into a little park which is situated on the Russian River to see the fishin' hole. The water was boiling with salmon where we stood... but we were not allowed to fish there. One had to take a small ferry to the opposite bank of the river. Only fly fishing was allowed. We had no fly fishing gear. The fishing crowd was nearly shoulder to shoulder. Combat fishing with fly rods? Nah! The bear warning signs were not comforting either. So we moved on.

Our next stop was yet another combat fishing situation, but at least we tried to catch some. Two salmon got hooked and two got unhooked by straightening the hook.

Caveat on Alaska fishing, as Marty stated: Ask the locals and watch what they use and how they fish if you want to catch a few.

We kept going south on the Kenai Peninsula toward Homer. Cook Inlet was to our right and a group of snow capped mountains was on the opposite shore. Several cone shaped inactive volcanoes over 10,000 feet tall towered over this scene. Few places in our hemisphere equal this kind of beauty.

We landed on Homer Spit and after checking into the campground, walked to town to make fishing arrangements. This was Friday night. No openings for charterboat fishing (halibut) until next Tuesday... drat. Jerry and his wife signed up for Tuesday.

At that point someone called to cancel a reservation for the next morning. Man did I jump on that!

The next morning at 6:30 the boat headed out and after a brief run to" the spot" we began catching good sized halibut. About 20-30 pounders.

The boat captain threw them back in.

Sez I: Hey man what'cha doin'? That's the biggest dang fish I ever caught in my life...

We all got our limit of two good sized fish for the day.

The only girl on the boat fished right next to me. She hooked into a barn door and after a long exhaustive drag came up with a 177 LB halibut. The biggest fish of the day for the entire fleet. The summer's record was a 295 LB monster.

Jerry B told me that he and his wife got nigh on 80 Lb of sweet white halibut filets the morning they went out. Also a bunch of sockeye salmon later on while river fishing in a different spot.

World class setting, good fishing, a CTD that purrs and runs like a charm. Can't get much better then this.

Alaska rocks! As the kids say.

To be continued...

 

[BRUTUS]

CTD to Alska part 4

Hang with me folks, not much more to tell.

The halibut were fileted right off the boat, then shrink wrapped and frozen. The next morning I FedEx-ed overnight 10 lbs to home and shared some with Marty as I went through Palmer on my way back to Tok.

From there, yet another gravel road called Top of the World Highway or Taylor Highway headed north into more mountains and nice scenery. Chicken was a noteworthy old mining town for a quick visit. The U. S. /Yukon border was a nice crossing. The costoms official was a very pleasant and attractive lady who stamped my passport with a neat picture of an old prospector and his mule. "Little Gold Creek,Y. T. " Not mandated, but a unique souvenir.

The highway ended west of Dawson City. We crossed the Yukon river yet again, by ferry this time (free) to Dawson. A delightful little touristy town. A clean, full service R. V. park in town within walking distance of everything. A neat First Nation Cultural Center. Diamond Gerties Gambling Hall, Saloon, Can Can Show.

They took my picture with the dancer's legs draped accross my shoulders... (think clean here)

I wish I could have gone to Inuvik. The next time up there I will.

From there is was all down hill, on the Klondike Highway along the Klondike River back to Whitehorse. Continued on Highway 1 for a short jaunt to Highway 37, Cassiar Highway, yet another two lane gravel road though some super scenery and many small villages. An unhurried, uncrowded, laid back way to head south toward home, trying to avoid big cities, heavy trafic and crowds.

Approaching the border at Osoyoos, the ambient temperatures got very high. Some roads were closed due to forest fires. I wanted to turn around and go back to the cool, clean air in the mountains.

Instead, partly because I got homesick by then, I set the cruise control on 75 and staying on the boring intersates worked my way home.



Gene A has posted his trip report and sentiments.

After leaving the rest of the group, Jerry C and wife wound up doing more sight seeing and having more fun. They essentially followed back the same route that I chose.

Jerry B stayed gone longer than any of us, they caught more fish too. He and his wife are happy campers.

Marty is back at his regular day job and is moving into a big house to accommodate his growing family.

I have been doing a major detailing job on my truck and camper, including the under carriage, the engine compartment, the cab,and all the places in between. Retirees and penitants have the time and inclination to do that. I love my truck!

More later...

 

[mbaston]

These photos were taken by Brutus



This is where it all begins. Four Dodges and a Cheby.

 

[mbaston]

Our now famous photographer and travelouge writer Brutus (Les) getting his toes wet in the Arctic Ocean.

 

[mbaston]

The rest of the Crew. Do you notice the common hair inpairment with the men?

 

[mbaston]

Of course, our Mascot for the Trip. A Stone Sheep Ram.