My young female German Shepherd and I made the trip in May and June of this year pulling a 32' Avion conventional travel trailer. We left home about May 1st and returned home by mid-June. It was a perfect time to go in my opinion. We were ahead of the bugs and the most of the other tourists. The nights were cool, as low as the 30s one night in Prince George, BC, but overnight lows were mostly in the low 40s. We drove 11,651 miles and experienced only one problem. The left rear trailer tire was punctured, probably by a chunk of steel broken off a road plow blade, on a dirt section of the Cassiar. I noticed the soft tire before it deflated, installed the spare, and had the original tire repaired at the next town and reinstalled it. I didn't even suffer a rock chip on the paint or windshield. The highways were fine. I think I traveled a total of about 200 miles, maybe 250 on dirt and gravel. The rest was paved. The trip was a great experience and I highly recommend everyone see Canada and Alaska. When traveling on gravel, 99. 9% of oncoming drivers would slow to 5mph as I did when meeting then resume speed after passing. For my next major adventure I'm going to go back to Saskatchewan where I left Canada and turn right and cross all of Canada to Halifax, NS.
The only identification I carried and showed was a retired military ID card and my driver's license, both of which contain photos. A passport was not necessary. A friend suggested carrying my voter registration but I was already in Walla Walla, WA so it was too late to take it. I took a computer-generated statement signed by my veterinarian that stated my dog was in good health and her vaccinations were current. I carried no liquor, tobacco products, or weapons of any kind. The only time my trailer was inspected was by the US Customs at the reentry point on US 85, north of Fortuna, ND. (Fruit and beef are a concern so avoid carrying either when crossing borders. ) The road leading to the last US Customs on the Canadian side was literally a dirt road. It was such an obscure border crossing I think US Customs thought I was a smuggler.
We left the US going north at Sumas, WA. We took side trips into Alaska at Scagway and Haines northbound and Hyder, AK off the Cassiar Highway southbound. We visited Valdez, Seward, Homer, Anchorage, and Fairbanks. Northbound we traveled the Alaska Highway. On the return trip we detoured north through Chicken and Dawson and then traveled south via the Cassiar Highway. We didn't try the haul road. The thought of 800 to 1000 miles roundtrip of rutted road and gravel was not enticing. The scenery was breathtaking throughout the entire journey and we saw lots of wildlife along the highways. On our return trip we ventured east through Alberta and Saskatchewan finally reentering the US in North Dakota. This allowed me to see more of Canada.
The "Milepost" travel guide warns travelers that sleeping overnight in "turnouts" or "pullouts" alongside the highways is not permitted but I did it all the way northbound and southbound through British Columbia, Yukon Territory, and in Alaska. A RCMP car passed by as I "made camp" alongside rushing rivers beside the highway several times and never even gave us a second look. I suspect the law is not enforced except for troublemakers and abusers of the privilege. It may be enforced later in the travel season as the numbers of RVers multiply. We "camped" at Wal-Marts in Dawson Creek and Whitehorse, Yukon, at a truckstop in Prince George, BC northbound and southbound, just outside the gate at the huge Alyeska oil pumping station at Valdez where the Exxon Valdez fueled before running aground departing, at various road side rest stops in Alaska, at a shopping center with other RVers in Alberta, another truckstop in Saskatchewan, and so on. The only nights we spent in RV parks were on the US Army posts in Fairbanks, Anchorage, and Seward. Food and supplies are readily available anywhere along the trip. Fuel was clean and readily available, only a little more expensive than in the US but by the time you convert from liters per CN dollar back to gallons per US dollar it was not a significant difference, certainly not enough to discourage anyone from going.
I changed my engine oil and filter twice and my fuel filter once during the trip. The first time at the Wal-Mart at Dawson Creek. The kid in the TLE was clueless so I changed it myself and instructed him. Wal-Mart didn't even charge me. The second time was done (without spilling a drop) at a roadside park along the Cassiar Highway where we spent a night.
The highways through BC, YT, AB, and SK ranged from excellent, same as the US, to adequate for slow travel during the last day of travel in YT before entering Alaska. Every mile of road on the entire trip was better than I-40 through Oklahoma City. Each day we traveled farther north, we experienced more and more severe frost heaves. Speed limits are a little lower in Canada but we averaged 45 mph until the last day of travel before entering Alaska. Frost heaves slowed us to an average of probably 25-30 mph that day.
Every single Canadian customs official I encountered was friendly, pleasant, and welcoming. I was told by an RVing couple from Yukon that BC learned several years ago that US tourists were avoiding BC due to customs hassles. Someone must have given them an attitude reset because they were very polite to me. It appeared to me that all US Customs officials have a database
of state registrations and probably driver licenses. I say that because as I approached each station I was required to stop a few yards away. Customs officials seemed to be keying in the number from my front license plate. I also had the impression they were matching my name (and address) from my military id and driver license to the plate. That is my opinion, not necessarily accurate.
Canadian citizens were very friendly and helpful throughout my entire journey. I talked to lots of them along the way. My young dog loved the trip also. She got to run and play with strange new dogs in lots of city parks. We spent several days in Whitehorse, YT and visited the city park there every day. My dog ran and played with all sorts of dogs, even a huge male half-wolf, half-German Shepherd.
I changed US dollars to CN dollars at a local bank in BC. I used CN dollars throughout. I used a US calling card to call home each evening. My cell phone didn't work in Canada.
If I had to summarize the trip in only one phrase I might say it was the trip of a lifetime (and I've been traveling since I entered the Navy at age 17). If you have the opportunity to go, GO!
If I can answer any specific questions I'll be happy to help.
Harvey
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