Looks like I'll be driving from Phoenix to Anchorage at the end of the month. Yep, bucket list item of driving the ALCAN. I've got The Milepost book which is a wealth of information and have tentatively planned my route and travel dates. Confident in the truck, 2015 Ford F-150 Supercrew 4x4 with a decent set of BFG All Terrains on it and a ginormous 36.5 gallon gas tank. But as the time gets closer it's like, "Holy shit this is actually happening!"

So asking the collective oracle of knowledge which is SigForum, what do I need to know before heading up to the great white north?

https://www.themilepost.com

Most of what I’ve heard involves tires and broken windshields. Might think about better jack a good base and better wrench.

Take snacks

It’s not bad, I rode it a few years ago. Getting gas at night can be difficult because everything closes early. I would have some ability to repair a flat. Outside of that it’s like any other state highway.

Make sure your spare tire(s)is accessible, can get it off. A few years back I was in a loose convoy going hunting. One guy got a flat but his spare tire release was corroded/frozen shut. It took a sawzall and other tools to release it.


Have fun.

If you have to change a tire watch your ass. I lived in/near Anchorage for 7 years and never once saw a bear outside of the zoo. Until we drove out and we saw 4 or 5 of them not far from the road on the alcan.
You shouldn’t have anything to worry about, just be mindful of your surroundings, for a good long part of the drive you are in the middle of nowhere

My kit now has OEM bulbs for everything important, low-temp washer fluid, and jumper cables. Breaker bar w/socket for the lugs. TP, small shovel, wipes. I'd like to add a tire plug kit. T-25 Torx driver to get the air box out of the way if I have to change the RH low beam bulb.

A 2-day gear bag with essentials in the cab in case the truck box freezes shut. A door remote on its own snap ring permanently tethered to the belt. A little extra 'extra' cash buried out of the way.

The back seat made up as a bed. The front cab uncluttered.

A couple safety cones, vest, orange watch-cap are with the truck as well as nitrile gloves and flashlights/headlamp.

I have driven it three times, BUT, it was Sept 1997, April 1998, and September 2000.

I think the Milepost is the single best piece of information you have.

I did 600-700 ish miles per day.

Great Falls to Edmonton
Edmonton to Ft Nelson
Ft Nelson to White Horse
Whitehorse to North Pole

Spend a day in Edmonton, largest mall in the world, 900 + stores, 140+ restaurants, Indoor water park, amusement park, hotels, car dealers, dolphin show in middle etc. Really a neat thing to at least see.

Make reservations, long distances in between if no vacancy. Keep half tank gas at all times. Gas is expensive in Canada.

Be ready for snow, you will see it.

Lots of beautiful scenery, and wildlife.

Construction seemed to be happening a lot. I had biggest dealings with it near Ft Nelson, but it has been 18 years. :-)

If there are warning signs to slow down, DO IT, Canadians were frugal with signage, and if they put it up, they meant business.

Good tips on extras for vehicle, I would replace your serpentine belt before trip, and keep you current as an emergency spare.

Change oil before, and when you get to Anchorage.

Notify your CC about travel. Have 2 CC's.

Passports, NO firearms or Mace... Be friendly at borders, they can and will empty your vehicle.

I enjoyed the ALCAN very much, in fact I prefer it to most US interstates.

Enjoy!

Watch a couple of seasons of ice road truckers before you go!

Plan on a cracked windshield. That way, if it happens, you are not surprised. If it doesn't, consider it a gift.

I drove from Houston to Anchorage in Oct ‘09. I always filled up 2x per day just to be safe. I had a full size jack but fortunately never needed it. I had tire chains but never needed them.

600 miles per day on windy roads in the mountains and following rivers is a long day.

I was traveling with pets and pet friendly hotels dictated my stopping points.

quote:

Originally posted by Dreamerx4:
Great Falls to Edmonton
Edmonton to Ft Nelson
Ft Nelson to White Horse
Whitehorse to North Pole

Between Mapquest.com and Milepost, I've got a preliminary route planned out.

Phoenix to Ogden, UT
Ogden to Lethbridge, AB
Lethbridge to Grande Prairie, AB
Grand Prairie to Fort Nelson, BC
Fort Nelson to Whitehorse, YT
Whitehorse to Anchorage

The last 2 legs are the ones that concern me. They're 2 of the longest on the trip and there's just about nothing in between them.[/QUOTE]

quote:

Originally posted by Dreamerx4:
Passports, NO firearms or Mace... Be friendly at borders, they can and will empty your vehicle.

Planning on being polite and the passport. Still trying to clarify firearms, it's actually part of the reason that I'm driving up there. According to the relocation rep in Anchorage, the Alaska Fish & Game website, and the RCMP website, rifles and shotguns are not that big of a deal as long as they are not, "Assault weapons". They have to be declared and a one time permit fee of $25. Knives seem to be a gray area.

Handguns are another matter. According to the RCMP website, as long as handguns are in their, "Restricted" category I can transport them provided I have the necessary permit in advance. If a handgun fall into their, "Prohibited" category I'm not allowed to transport them.

Here's the kicker, the website has instructions to call the RCMP to request the permit for transporting restricted handguns. Every time I have tried to call the number I've received this message,

"We're sorry but we are currently experiencing a high volume of calls, please try your call again later." CLICK!

Do NOT try to "get around" any of the handgun Reg's. They are crazy , when it comes to handguns up in Canada. You'd think a guy was trying to bring in deadly radioactive material, or the like.

Irrational out of control crazy ,when it comes to handguns.

Trust me, I'm not going to try and, "get around" or sneak anything past. Whenever I read things like, "Vehicle Confiscation" it's kind of a red flag not to attempt anything that might be the least bit in question.

I made the trip up/down the ALCAN or Cassiar a number of times in the late 90s. All in a little old toyota tercel 4x4 station wagon. Your Ford is a huge step up from that I assure you!

Only had one spare tire so I brought along a plug kit -- which I did end up using. And a spare gas can on the roof.

Otherwise I had no issues. Muddy and slippery. Cracks in the windscreen. All part of the fun.

I drove it in June 1996 in my 3 month old Jeep Cherokee. Got a windshield crack but no flats. Didn't have spare gas (good idea, though) but I never let it go below half tank.

I had a tent and camped out at gas stations for 3-4 days each night I stopped. September was cool in my part of AK (near Fairbanks), but lots of light still.

Bring a good camera; the scenery is astounding.

I drove from Portland to Alaska in July 2000, up the Cassiar through BC in my F250 diesel with a big camper on it. There were a couple hundred miles, maybe, of construction through BC, but otherwise the roads were good all the way. I'd expect they're even more so by now. Never had any trouble finding fuel. No flats, no cracked windows, only a few little rock chips on the front of the hood. Mosquitoes were a lot more of a problem in BC than in Alaska, but by the time you get up there I think their season will be long over anyway.

We took one gun with us, my 870 loaded with slugs. I always told them about it at border crossings and nobody ever batted an eye. I'm not sure if long gun rules have changed since then or not, but a passport wasn't required back then either so I suppose other things could have changed too. I have no idea what the rules are regarding a bow .

By late September the possibility of snow is getting higher, so you might throw in a set of chains. Blankets and maybe some kind of space heater in addition to the usual 2-3 day emergency pack in case of a middle-of-nowhere breakdown (there's still a fair amount of "nowhere" up there).

Don't forget spare batteries and memory cards for your camera. A good pair of sunglasses, prescription if necessary.

New battery for the truck, trickle charger to top it off, a case of HEET gas de-icer, maybe a engine block heater, if you're really wanting to be prepared for the cold.

You sound pretty ready.

Enjoy,

Bruce

So after being on hold for 26 minutes, I finally got to talk with a real person at the Chief Firearms Office Services Unit. Talked with a very nice and helpful lady that was almost apologetic over their firearms laws.

Yes, I can transport, "Restricted" handguns through Canada. I do have to apply for a Non-Resident Authorization to Transport (ATT) which takes 5 business days to process and list all firearms that I am transporting along with their serial numbers. I have to declare my point of entry, date of entry and have 7 days to complete my travel within Canada. All firearms must be secured, unloaded in a locked case.

Restricted firearms are basically handguns with a barrel length longer than 4.1" and hold less than 10 rounds. Shorter barrels, capability of higher capacity magazines and, "Assault Rifles" are prohibited. Yes, it's a PITA, but I can take my 1911's and Smith & Wesson revolvers that have a longer than 4" barrel.

quote:

Originally posted by 2000Z-71:
I've got a preliminary route planned out.

Phoenix to Ogden, UT
Ogden to Lethbridge, AB
Lethbridge to Grande Prairie, AB
Grand Prairie to Fort Nelson, BC
Fort Nelson to Whitehorse, YT
Whitehorse to Anchorage

The last 2 legs are the ones that concern me. They're 2 of the longest on the trip and there's just about nothing in between them.

White Horse to Anchorage is a LONG drive and by the end of September there will only be 11.5 hours daylight which means you’ll be driving through a mountain range in the dark. Additionally, when I drove it 9 years ago my 4x4 truck with off-road package I could only safely drive 30-35 mph the last 60 miles in Canada since the road was so frost heaved (I caught air a couple times). That section might be fixed but someshere in that drive between White Horse and Tok is likely to be severely frost heaved since the highway is built on a bog.

One alternative could be checking on a hotel in Delta Junction, Alaska. That would give you 9 hours of driving one day and 5.75 hours the second day.