A L A S K A - Getting There - Part 1

  Prince George, British Columbia, Canada
Monday, September 3, 2007

Start of Trip: September 4, 2007

A L A S K A: Getting There - Part 1

A major consideration in our moving to Prince George, BC was to explore Northern BC and the Far North - meaning the Northwest Territories, the Yukon and Alaska.

My memorable trip to the Northwest Territories has been chronicled in EXCURSIONS: Blogs 13 - 19.

Alaska was always on my radar screen but due to previous commitments it was out of reach.

Therefore, September, the so called "shoulder season", is the last window for visiting Alaska and that is what I intend to do starting Tuesday, September 4.

This is obviously not a one week trip and my conscience is somewhat assuaged by the fact that Barbara herself will again be traveling, this time to the Nass Valley as part of her work during this month.

Without engaging in a lot of planning, I am motivated by the following paragraph to give me a starting point and I shall see from there.

September is also a prime time to visit Alaska. Fall comes early to Alaska and many of the deciduous trees are blazing yellow and red by Labor Day. Combine the bright yellow colors of the aspen and willow trees with the blazing red tundra plants and you have the best fall colors experience Alaska has to offer. You will see why Polychrome Pass in Denali National Park earns its name! As a backdrop, the tallest mountains will have fresh snow on their peaks while the lower elevations are still dry. Wildlife search opportunities also improve in late season, as the larger mammals begin feeding in the lower elevations in an attempt to pack on as much winter weight as possible. Weather is characterized by large temperature swings between warm days and chilly nights. In fact, it gets dark enough in the Interior of Alaska to see the Northern Lights!
source:http://www.princesslodges.com/tips-when-to-go.htm

Therefore my first destination will be Polychrome Pass in Denali National Park.

Or is it?

I will have to make a decision upon reaching Fairbanks. My sense of adventure has me driving the Dalton Highway (another gravel road like the Liard Highway) to Prudhoe Bay and the Beaufort Sea.

Common sense has me turning south from Fairbanks towards Denali National Park and Mt. McKinley.

when faced with a branch in the road - take it

How to Get To Alaska

From Prince George there are two options:



Option 1: Via Dawson Creek

This is the exact same route that I took to reach the Liard Highway and which is documented in EXCURSIONS:



Blogs 9 - Prince George to Dawson Creek
Dawson Creek is "Mile 0" of the A L A S K A H I G H W A Y, while Fairbanks, Alaska is at milepost 1520.

Dawson Creek - MIle 0 of Alaska Highway

a historic spot

the marker

just to prove I was there

Blog 10 - Dawson Creek to Fort Nelson
This stretch is along the Alaska Highway

Blog 11 - Liard Highway
The Liard Highway is accessed by driving the Alaska Highway till Mile 328. At this point Highway 77 goes north to the Northwest Territories and the Liard Highway.

To get to Alaska from here, just follow the road to Delta Junction via Whitehorse, Yukon.




Option 2: Via the Stewart Cassiar Highway

The Road Trip - Prince George to Alaska

Head west from Prince George along the Yellowhead Highway (Highway 16) direction Prince Rupert.

The route will go through the towns of Vanderhoof, Burns Lake, Houston and Smithers.

Smithers is a beautiful town with an alpine character in the Bulkley Valley.

From Smithers the route continues to the Hazeltons, Skeena Valley to finally reach the intersection of the Yellowhead Highway and Highway 37 at Kitwanga Junction. Distance from Prince George at this point is 483 km.

Kitwanga Junction

the Stewart Cassiar Highway

PHOTO_ID_R=to-alaska---short-or-long.jpg]

to the Alaska Highway

I have fond memories of Kitwanga Junction since that was the start of last year's blog:






EXCURSIONS: Blog No. 1 Bear Alley - Highway 37 to Stewart/Hyder, Alaska

That was a memorable trip for two reasons. Firstly, on the short drive from Kitwanga Junction to Meziadin Junction I saw a total of 7 black bears (not to mention 7 on the way back). Secondly, Hyder, Alaska was my first visit to Alaska.

Bear Alley

It is a bit like kissing your sister since this is the most southerly part of Alaska accessible by car, but only from British Columbia.

The area is however noteworthy for the Bear Glacier and the Salmon Glacier.

beautiful Hyder, Alaska and Stewart, BC

To get to the rest of Alaska, continue driving north along Highway 37, the so-called Stewart Cassiar Highway, to Meziadin Junction, Dease Lake and Watson Lake where it joins Highway No. 1 the A L A S K A H I G H W A Y, 724 km later.

the Stewart Cassiar Highway

This is the route I will be taking: via the Yellowhead and Stewart Cassiar Highways since for the most part the Stewart Cassiar Highway is unknown to me.

To get to Alaska from here, just follow the road 435 km to Whitehorse, Yukon. The border with Alaska, USA is 484 km further while another 295 km will bring on the bright lights of Fairbanks.

Once there, one can mull over the thought of driving 493 miles on gravel road to Prudhoe Bay. If that isn't depressing enough one can dwell on the return trip of another 493 miles. That's a cheery thought.

If after all this I still have the urge to drive this road, there is still the $5 per mile towing charge which applies to this 500 mile highway, if you can find a tow truck.

Well there is always Denali National Park and all the other wonders of A L A S K A.

Next Report:

How Many Bears Did I See on Bear Alley This Year?