Texas to Alaska to Texas. 2020 Honda Accord Hybrid driving on the Dalton Highway and the Dempster Highway. July/August 2023.

[PetitFrereArmada]

Okay, so I'm sure you know all the numbers but I looked them up (I like numbers ) ...

Dawson to Peel River crossing is ~575 kms. 10am depart to 2 am stop at the first ferry queue to rest is 14 hrs**. Say averages at 41 kph (25 mph) driving. Clearly doable and you'll be going faster.

Or put another way, 9 hrs at 65 kph (40 mph, a slowish rate but maybe good for the car) and 5 hrs for stops. Still doable.

The second leg to Inuvik has plenty of time, likewise the day trip to Tuk.

So yeah, I hope that all works out you.

Good question on the wildlife at night. Don't really know. We've been up a few times and frankly didn't see much. Found a couple caribou antlers tho .. but you have to stop and look around for those!

Safe trip !

** edit: or 16hrs if you round it up :smh:

Thanks a lot for this breakdown. I do like numbers like you. I use numbers in almost everything I do. It helps me easily understand and remember things since I am good with numbers.

Your breakdown really makes sense and aligns with what I have been calculating already on paper. I hope I do not get a flat tire on this trip, even though I am prepared with 2 spare tires. But I plan to stop 100% if I see someone with any sign of distress. I have 2 first aid kits and a tire plug kit. Those are things that I will gladly give away if I meet anybody on the road who needs help. I have been helped before on the road and I was more than grateful. So, I see it as a good thing to always be helpful to others on the road.

You really put it very well in numbers. So, that is basically what I will do. Now I just hope I get to see some wildlife.

1st river crossing is Peel River Crossing which opens at 9am and closes at 1am.

2nd river Crossing is MacKenzie River Crossing which opens at 8 am and closes at 12 midnight.

My goal is to cross the Peel River Crossing just before 1am. Then drive an hour to get to MacKenzie. But MacKenzie will be closed by the time I get there, so that is where I plan to stay until 9am when it opens.

Then I slowly take my time to complete the remaining 3 hours to Inuvik.

 

[rgv]

I enjoyed your trip report, it brings me back to when road trips were run-what-you-brung affairs.

I'm like you, I hate paying full whack for a motel when you check in at 11pm and roll out before daylight.

Curious why car camping is out? A simple tent, air mattress, and a jet boil to make coffee doesn't take up much room and once you are north of central BC it's a free for all to siwash on a pull out or logging road access.

 

[PetitFrereArmada]

I enjoyed your trip report, it brings me back to when road trips were run-what-you-brung affairs.

I'm like you, I hate paying full whack for a motel when you check in at 11pm and roll out before daylight.

Curious why car camping is out? A simple tent, air mattress, and a jet boil to make coffee doesn't take up much room and once you are north of central BC it's a free for all to siwash on a pull out or logging road access.

Thanks a lot for liking my trip report and making time to read it.

I see we definitely share the same idea about hotels. It is truly painful to pay a lot of money for one night for a hotel only to check in very late at night and be gone by 5am the next morning.

Camping is out mainly because it is an option I have never taken the time to fully exploit. Maybe I will start considering it. But tent camping on the Dempster sounds a bit scary to me. That is bear country and I would hate for one of them to come knocking on my tent because of the sardines I had for dinner time.

 

[PetitFrereArmada]

My main concern about the Dempster is rainfall. I posted a thread on tripadvisor and someone recommend a weather app. Well, I ended up downloading a weather app and it shows there will be rainfall on one or more days on my trip on the Dempster Highway. And a single rainfall quickly turns that road into a mud pit. Now I do not know how my Accord will handle that, but I hope it is up for the challenge and adventure.

June 25: Driving from Dawson City through Eagle Plains to Fort McPherson. I see rain in Eagle Plains and Fort McPherson. That means serious mudding with very slipper roads. I am glad I am planning to take 2 days to get to Inuvik.

June 26: Driving as from midnight from Fort McPherson to Inuvik. Arriving in Inuvik after 12 noon. There will be rainfall in Inuvik on this day. Mud pit!

June 27: Day trip from Inuvik to Tuktoyatuk and back. There will be rain in Tuk. More mud pit!

June 28: Leaving my hotel in Inuvik at 4 am to drive for 4 hours to get to the MacKenzie River Crossing which opens at 8 am. The plan is to drive all day from Inuvik to Dawson City. I hope there is no rainfall on that day.

 

[ITTOG]

My main concern about the Dempster is rainfall. I posted a thread on tripadvisor and someone recommend a weather app. Well, I ended up downloading a weather app and it shows there will be rainfall on one or more days on my trip on the Dempster Highway. And a single rainfall quickly turns that road into a mud pit. Now I do not know how my Accord will handle that, but I hope it is up for the challenge and adventure.

June 25: Driving from Dawson City through Eagle Plains to Fort McPherson. I see rain in Eagle Plains and Fort McPherson. That means serious mudding with very slipper roads. I am glad I am planning to take 2 days to get to Inuvik.

June 26: Driving as from midnight from Fort McPherson to Inuvik. Arriving in Inuvik after 12 noon. There will be rainfall in Inuvik on this day. Mud pit!

June 27: Day trip from Inuvik to Tuktoyatuk and back. There will be rain in Tuk. More mud pit!

June 28: Leaving my hotel in Inuvik at 4 am to drive for 4 hours to get to the MacKenzie River Crossing which opens at 8 am. The plan is to drive all day from Inuvik to Dawson City. I hope there is no rainfall on that day.

Hopefuly the weather will turn to your favor.

^I don't know what the acuracy of weather forcasts are in the States. But if the above are Canadian ones, I'd wait until the dates are closer 😁.

It is a long route tho, so some rain may fall ...

No better than yours.

 

[AlwaysRoaming]

Thanks a lot for liking my trip report and making time to read it.

I see we definitely share the same idea about hotels. It is truly painful to pay a lot of money for one night for a hotel only to check in very late at night and be gone by 5am the next morning.

Camping is out mainly because it is an option I have never taken the time to fully exploit. Maybe I will start considering it. But tent camping on the Dempster sounds a bit scary to me. That is bear country and I would hate for one of them to come knocking on my tent because of the sardines I had for dinner time.

You might consider a small SUV for your next purchase if you can find one that gets great MPGs. Making a bed in the back seems like it would solve a lot of your needs. Just my .02

 

[PetitFrereArmada]

You might consider a small SUV for your next purchase if you can find one that gets great MPGs. Making a bed in the back seems like it would solve a lot of your needs. Just my .02

Great idea. But you might be a bad influence echoing the thoughts I already have in my mind after going to look at a Toyota RAV4 hybrid and a Honda CR-V hybrid. I think I should stop swiping at them online and avoid stopping at the dealership or I might walk out of a dealership with a new car since this one is already paid off.

But this Accord is a keeper because it has been amazing. I hypermile in city driving and get some very good numbers. 55 mpg to 65 mpg in the city.

For example I just went out to my car right now and took this picture. This is my current tank of gas. I am getting 62 mpg after 707 miles out of this tank of gas. This is 50% city and 50% highway. Top speed of 65 mph. I hypermile in the city and I am always guaranteed over 55 mpg in the city with this car. My gas tank is 12.8 gallons, but I get over 600 miles in city driving, up to 700 miles some times.

 

[AggieOE]

Great idea. But you might be a bad influence echoing the thoughts I already have in my mind after going to look at a Toyota RAV4 hybrid and a Honda CR-V hybrid. I think I should stop swiping at them online and avoid stopping at the dealership or I might walk out of a dealership with a new car since this one is already paid off.

But this Accord is a keeper because it has been amazing. I hypermile in city driving and get some very good numbers. 55 mpg to 65 mpg in the city.

For example I just went out to my car right now and took this picture. This is my current tank of gas. I am getting 62 mpg after 707 miles out of this tank of gas. This is 50% city and 50% highway. Top speed of 65 mph. I hypermile in the city and I am always guaranteed over 55 mpg in the city with this car. My gas tank is 12.8 gallons, but I get over 600 miles in city driving, up to 700 miles some times.

Wow! Is yours a plug in? I just can't believe those numbers. The Accord isn't a super light car either. I wonder if its mostly aerodynamics or what.

 

[PetitFrereArmada]

Wow! Is yours a plug in? I just can't believe those numbers. The Accord isn't a super light car either. I wonder if its mostly aerodynamics or what.

My car is not a plug in.

Yup, I got 62 mpg to the tank. I hypermile. The car is amazing in the city. It competes with the Prius in mpg numbers in the city, if you hypermile the car.

My best tank of gas from this car has been 65 mpg from a whole tank of gas. Let me find that picture and post it.

This is the picture. I got 65 mpg from a whole tank of gas. This is 50% city and 50% highway with a top speed of 60 mph and tires set at 36 psi. I just like to hypermile when in the city.

 

[PetitFrereArmada]

Accident on the Dempster Highway on June 14, 2024.

I saw a closure online today on the Dempster Highway and called the visitor information office in Dawson City at 1-867-993-5566. They told me that there was a collision of 2 vehicles heading in opposite directions, so the highway has been closed as from 12:30pm today (June 14th) from Tombstone to Eagle Plains. I asked how long the closure would last. She said probably only 24 hours or until they get medical personnel out there.

I guess one has to be very careful this season on that road.

 

[PetitFrereArmada]

My odometer when I took off for my roadtrip last night after work.

 

[PetitFrereArmada]

I left work last night with an ambition to drive 20 hours straight. I realized it wasn't going to happen, so I drove for 4 hours and found a hotel to spend the night. I slept from 1am to 5:30 am. I woke up, took a shower and left for a 16 hours drive today.

I just got into Amarillo, TX, in seriously bad weather. Cars can barely drive the speed limit. I stopped to get gas. I am back on the road in the very bad weather with poor visibility.

I stopped for gas and saw this rig and just took a picture of it. It has foreign license plates and it is right hand drive.

 

[PetitFrereArmada]

WELCOME TO......

All the states I go through

 

[ITTOG]

You are a driving beast.

 

[crazysccrmd]

Why is there a number on your car?