kind of following Equipt's Alaska Solo Trek

[NMBruce]

I am also going to Alaska a couple days behind Equipt's trip

here is where you can see all the pictures, since I can only load so many here
http://s1371.photobucket.com/user/coop2014/library/?sort=3&page=1

For me this trip is will be tracing the first part of a trip that I did with my Mom & Dad & Aunt (dad's sister) back in 1982 in a brand new 1982 Mercury Grand Marquis station wagon. The second part would be taking the ferry back down, but I am skipping that because of cost.

There are very few set plans for this trip, on June 20th I pick up my sister (Judy, her first real camping trip) & brother in law (Ray) in Calgary and drop them off in Anchorage on July 4th, other than that, everything else is open. Then on July 4, I have some friends flying in to spend two weeks with me, again, nothing really planned. On my way to Canada, I will go through Yellowstone & Glacier National Parks. After picking up Judy & Ray, will go through Banff National Park and head for the Alaska Highway or Alcan. On my trip back, I will visit with friends on the west coast.

this was Monday, just about ready, I will change oil and finish packing, but JK & trailer ready to go

today started out in the mountains of South Central Colorado around 8am and headed west into Utah. The weather was nice, temps in the 60's. As I reach Durango the winds started to pick up, mostly a cross wind.

230 miles; $80.00 year pass
I stopped at Arches National Park, spent a couple of hours there and had lunch. Part of the park was closed because of the road, the wind was really bad. Temps in the low 90's.

311 miles; $61.00
Gas, Green River UT. JK = 18.7MPG Gas Buddy (GB) = 18.9MPG
After Green River the winds got really strong and the weather started to get bad, while at the Arches it was 92degs and as I reach Price UT the temps had dropped to 50degs, by the time I reached Provo, it was 38degs and wet.

512 miles; $44.00
Gas, Murray UT JK = 17.1MPG GB = 15.8MPG
Since it was cold and wet, I am staying at a hotel in Evanston WY.

597 miles $78.00
Hotel in Evanston WY

Tuesday was mostly about covering some miles, so I am staying in a hotel, its 33degs outside and wet with some snow on the ground.

 

[NMBruce]

Date = 6/18
Day = 2
Start/stop Evanston WY to Butte MT
start milage = 597
Stop mileage = 1124

597 miles = Gas $17.80 JK=15.8 GB=16.7

758.9 miles = Alpine Junction, WY
Gas = $31.74 JK=18.8 GB=18.2

830 miles = Grand Teton National Park, Jackson Lake Junction entrance
Raining & 42degs, leaving the park on the north side it was snowing

859 miles = Yellowstone National Park
Raining & 40degs

1013 miles = Livingston, MT
Gas = $49.60 JK=19.1 GB=18.2

today I got up early, wanting to see the Grand Tetons (thinking the weather would keep that from happening, which it did). I took the east route through Yellowstone, because I hadn't done that in a long time.



this is snow

Grand Tetons??

Snake River

Snake River

Lewis Lake

 

[Ranchero]

Bruce - I'm ten days behind you. Looks like a great trip so far!

 

[stangcolts]

Man, I envy you guys right now!!!! Looks like an amazing trip so far!

 

[heehawhardy]

Very Very awesome report! I will be following this everyday, and looking forward to your updates. SUCH AN AWESOME SETUP

 

[NMBruce]

Today is a day in Calgary, my sister & bother in law flight was cancelled last night by United, they suck for us (less than a 25% on time rate with my family). We are hoping they can get in tonight and we can start tomorrow morning.

Anyways, it raining, so not sure what I can see or do, but after posting some stuff here, I will head out.

 

[NMBruce]

Stop Mileage = 1430

1125 = Butte Gas stop
decide to fill up before heading out this morning. Last night I was doing 70-75 on I90 wanting to get to the hotel
$28.81 JK=14.8 GB=13.9

1355 = Just west of Glacier
Gas Stop
$46.25 JK=18.0 GB=17.9

My goal today was to get to Glacier National Park, about a 160 miles drive, so an easy day. The weather was finally nice again. At Glacier I found a camp site and set up the tent, then dropped the trailer and headed out into the park. The "Road to the Sun" was closed 14 miles into the park because of snow and an Avalanche. A ranger said that over the last 8 years the road has only been open an avg of 45 days each year. Snow or road work work has kept it closed. Next time I do this trip, it will start later in the year, after the 4th of July or mid July. Well I was able to check out the lodge and get a few nice pictures, but ended up at the camp site around 6:30. Had dinner and then visited with some other campers next door. Around 9 went to a ranger talk about the park back in the 1900's, back then it was a "dude ranch". The park had about 2000 horse and 200 wranglers. the most popular trip was a 5 day hours back ride through the park. the cost in 1924 (?) was $75 and that included everything, or about $650 today for 5 days.

Moving day, wanted to get out and take this picture, but there where cars behind me and not much room to pull over

nice house, was on a island and just to the right you can see the 3 car & 3 boat garage

gotta eat lunch someplace

 

[NMBruce]

home for 6/19

 

[NMBruce]

 

[NMBruce]

 

[NMBruce]

6/21
Day 6

my sister & brother in law made it to Calgary last night/early this morning but their bags are still in Chicago, thanks to United airlines.

 

[NMBruce]

some pictures up loaded to photo bucket, trip info will have to wait a little longer, my luck finding working wifi has been bad at best

 

[Ranchero]

some pictures up loaded to photo bucket, trip info will have to wait a little longer, my luck finding working wifi has been bad at best

Bruce, I would love to hear where you have had good luck with wi-fi as you go along. I'm leaving tomorrow and will be following a similar route. I need to work a bit on the road unfortunately.

 

[NMBruce]

6/22
Day 6

1823. Leaving Calgary

1957 miles.
Lake Louise
Gas. $53.90
JK=13.5L/ GB=20.7

This is one beautiful place, if you ever get a chance to go here, it is well work the trip. The lake is a beautiful Turquoise color and very clean. NEED TO COME BACK HERE

North of Banff is Jasper National Park, every turn was a postcard picture. It seemed we could get enough and wanted more, Jasper gave it to us. This part of the drive should be done both ways and maybe a couple of times

2024
Stop for the night

6/23
Day 7

2024 start

2075
Sunwapta Falls

Nice little side trip

2118. Gas $45.63
Jasper
JK=13.1L/. GB=20.8

2380. Gas $75.30
Grand Prairie
JK=13.3L/.

2465. $20.00
Dawson Creek, Stayed at Mile0RV campground


6/24
Day 8
Dawson Creek. Look around This was our start of the Alaska Highway, we took a detour and did part of the old road and the curved bridge

2763.7 miles
Fort Nelson Gas
$6.05/gal. $93.65
JK=12.9l/.


6/25
Day 9
2875 miles
Stayed at Toad River lodge $129.00. Storms in the area

2917.3. Gas just to be safe, just a little station on the side of the road, this was the most expensive gas so far on the trip, the price works out to be $7.48/gal
$50.00. $1.989/L.
22L

3003 miles
Stopped at Whirlpool Canyon for lunch

6/26
Day 10
3260 miles
Stayed in Tenles, camped $15.00
Coldest night so far in the 40's

3299. Johnson crossing nice looking campground

3330 gas. Unknown
$50.00. 35.016L. $1.439/L

3438. Skagway, AK
Took a side trip to Skagway, visited this place with my Mom & Dad & Aunt, via a ferry, but since we would not be on the ferry, we drove down.
Lunch = $75.00
Gas = $4.838 gal
$ 64.76
jk=16.1. Gb=15.8
Canada units 14L/

3558
Camped outside of Whitehorse $25.

6/27
Day 11
3558
McD's for breakfast & internet to up load pictures $22.00

3557
Gas. $40.45
JK=13.9L/. GB=18.8mpg

3899.2. Dawson YT
Gas. $113.35. $1.609/L
JK=12.4L/
GB=22.1

Dinner $55.65
2 bags of ice $8.00

Hotel $165.00

Show tonight, $36.00

will try to upload pics later, but there are some new ones on photo bucket tonight, if the upload works????

 

[NMBruce]

Bruce, I would love to hear where you have had good luck with wi-fi as you go along. I'm leaving tomorrow and will be following a similar route. I need to work a bit on the road unfortunately.

I thought I could get WiFi at camp grounds and a few other places, but twice the WiFi was shut down because of gamers, LOL and a few times it was too cold to sit out at the office just to load pictures. Today, McD's & Starbucks & hotel let me get some stuff done.