Cait Reality Tour '07 - From Calgary to Alaska to Ontario

[Cait 0]

So I've decided to take a trip.. a rather long trip...Here are my very very VERY preliminary plansAugust 14 Leave Calgary, drive to Dawson Creek BCAugust 15 Dawson Creek to Watson Lake YTAugust 16 Waston Lake YT to Whitehorse YTAugust 17 Whitehorse for the dayAugust 18 Whitehorse YT to Tok AlaskaAugust 19 Tok to AnchorageAugust 20 Anchorage for the dayAugust 21 Anghorage to TokAugust 22 Tok to Whitehorse YTAugust 23 Whitehorse YT to Watson Lake YTAugust 24 Watson Lake YT to Pringe George BCAugust 25 Prince George BC to Vancouver BCAugust 26 Vancouver for the day then Ferry to Nanaimo, Drive to Campbell RiverAugust 27 Campbell River for the dayAugust 28 Campbell River for the day, Ferry to Vancouver (maybe I'll see how far East I can get this day)August 29 To Calgary ABAugust 30 Calgary AB to Regina SKAugust 31 Regina SK to Winnipeg MBSeptember 1 Winnipeg MB to Madison WisconsinSeptember 2 Madison Wisconsin to Windsor, ONAll in all about 11 690 km HOLY SCHNIKEYS!What do you think?Do you know of anything fun to do in/near any of these towns?

[Guest kwaldron]

Yukoner can certainly tell you what to do in Whitehorse. I won't do it justice.The train trip in Skagway is great but it is a bit out of the way (2 hours drive). However if you go on your return trip you can just turn right at Carcross and avoid the drive back to Whitehorse.It's too bad there isn't a car ferry from Haines to Skagway as the road down to Haines is supposed to be spectacular, but you wouldn't want to have to retrace that much driving. Maybe you can convince them to let you put your car on the passenger ferry. Are you driving down 37 to Prince George or taking the other route?

[RoySkyBell 0]

Dawson Creek, Watson Lake and the drive to Anchorage are beautiful! As is Skagway (best seen on July 4th though especially if you like to par-tay!)Sounds like fun!

[Speedie 4]

Get a tire (or two) as it would take a while to get one in at some of the spots - other than that it should be a cool trip - good sunglasses are a must since it is light up there a good part of the day at that time.Cheers,Cameron

[Cait 0]

Well if someone wants to lend me their spare and some tools and a jack.... then i'll take it along if it fits, but I'm not going to buy one... no money or space!

[RoySkyBell 0]

Actually, I think you REALLY want a spare with you. Forget the jack, Mr-Nice-Towtruck-Guy can change it for you, but if you don't have an extra wheel/tire you could be sitting in Who's Ville for a long time!

[Guest kwaldron]

Actually, I think you REALLY want a spare with you. Forget the jack, Mr-Nice-Towtruck-Guy can change it for you, but if you don't have an extra wheel/tire you could be sitting in Who's Ville for a long time!

That's assuming that Mr. Nice Tow Truck guy isn't 500 km away. Doing that trip I would be sure to have the means to change a tire.I would love to do that trip by the way. Especially 37. That looks like a great trip. Cait: what you need to do is convince a few other smarts to go with you and do 37. Support in numbers if you will.

[Cait 0]

Any and all are welcome to join!

[Cait 0]

So.... I don't have a spare tire here.. i've got my winter tire set back in Ontario which does no good right now..So does someone with a spare prehaps want to lend me theirs for my trip? I don't really think I'm going to need one, but if everyone is so fussy about me not having one (like y'all were last year too) then the ball is in your court to do something about it....If i get one i guess i'll have to ship some things home cause a spare won't fit with all my stuff right now

[garry stearns 0]

So.... I don't have a spare tire here.. i've got my winter tire set back in Ontario which does no good right now..So does someone with a spare prehaps want to lend me theirs for my trip? I don't really think I'm going to need one, but if everyone is so fussy about me not having one (like y'all were last year too) then the ball is in your court to do something about it....If i get one i guess i'll have to ship some things home cause a spare won't fit with all my stuff right now

What a BRAT!!! Cait......heed the advice. Now 42Kruiser has a "spare" tire, if you know what I mean . He just can't ship it anywhere without the "attachment". Since you are out west perhaps a fellow smartie can loan you a spare. Eventually, it is good to buy one on a rim. Mine sits behind my seat and does not interfere with storage space etc. Garry

[Cait 0]

yeah... but i dont have room for one with all my stuff... when my cr is all packed up and ready to go there's no room for a passenger, let alone a spare tire! AND I bought a jerry can so that's going to have to find somewhere to fit in my car as well...

[yukoner 9]

I can get you new tire if you need it and send it south on the bus. Just trucks going north, but someone will step up.If I can suggest:Its a long way to Watson, why not break at Muncho Lake? Grants Highland Glen/Rocky Mountain Lodge. Clean, beautiful views, good grub.Drive an hour from there and have a soak at Liard hotsprings. Site's going to kick me out, I'll PM you a few other things.Carl

[RoySkyBell 0]

Liard River hot springs is worth a stop - went there for our honeymoon!

[David 0]

Take Yukoner's advice about Muncho Lake and your itinerary looks almost exactly like mine last year (exactly this time last year, actually, as we were in Alaska for solstice). Our return trip was different; we hopped on a ferry at Haines and spent a couple days floating down to Prince George. Yes, the Fortwo does get a discount, paying the same as a bike.

We didn't take a spare, but I did make arrangements with a friend to ship out one of my winter tires if we ever phoned.

Being away from a certified repair shop was a little scary, but the only problem we encountered was a burned out bulb. Not a huge issue, due to the constant sunlight, but it became an issue when we headed south.

If you don't have it already, get an insurance package that covers rock chips. The Alaska Highway is great, but huge sections will be under repair (there are two seasons up north, winter and construction). Don't be surprised to find yourself driving on course gravel for half an hour at a time. Gravel, combined with oncoming traffic driving 120 through a 60 zone is a great recipe for a cracked windshield.

The amount of construction was greater on the Canadian side, but it was all properly marked. Keep an eye out for the orange markers on either side of the road indicating where the rough spots are. The Americans often didn't bother with this nicety and you'd find yourself swerving to avoid a giant pothole on the other side of a crest.

Don't worry about the jerry can. There are plenty of fueling stations on the Alaska Highway. I think our longest stretch between fills was 350 km. Make sure you stop in at the information booth at Dawson Creek. They have pamphlet listing every gas station and campground from there to the Alaskan border.

Once you hit the American side stations are a little less frequent. Also, their definition of "town" is misleading to say the least. We had driven 250 km and skipped a diesel pump since the map showed a town 60 km away. Turns out this "town" was just two houses and a mail drop. Luckily, 50 km away there was another town; this one with a station. Moral of the story, don't skip fill ups.

A lot of the stations only had "highway" diesel, which has even more sulfur than our old low sulfur diesel. This may have changed with the switch to ULSD. Filling up with this stuff gave me a empty feeling in my stomach, but the little car never complained.

In case you're curious, the entire trip from Regina to Achorage to Haines and back from Prince George via Calgary cost $300 in fuel.

Be prepared to answer a lot of questions. Bring pamphlets/brochures if possible. I could have literally sold my car twice for enough money to fly home and buy another Smart (it was tempting) I also had a lot of people phoning their local Benz dealerships asking for more info and demanding that they bring the Fortwo over. (This was a few days before the official announcement of the US launch.) RV types in particular loved it, wanting one as their runabout.

You've driven through Saskatchewan, so you know the kind of highways I usually deal with. I totally fell in love with the twisty roller coaster mountain roads of Alaska and the Yukon. The Smart stuck to the road beautifully and ate up all the hills. We easily flew by all of the giant RVs and trailers.

There were two of us along with a full complement of camping gear. To make everything fit I purchased an external box from Smartie Parts. It was a considerable investment (around $1000 for a custom order from Germany plus getting the raw fibreglass painted) but the trip wouldn't have been possible without it. The box held all the gear (tent, sleeping bags, stove, pillows, ground mats) leaving lots of room in the hatch for food and clothes. If you would like to borrow the box I'm sure we can work something out. (This offer goes for others, too. PM me if interested.)

I also agree with the trip to Liard hot springs. Fabulous place. Just don't try jumping in the hot end first. Start on the "cool" side and work your way up.

The best piece of advice is to enjoy yourself. The scenery is stunning and I have never met a friendlier bunch of people. If I had the time, I would join you in a heartbeat.

[David 0]

One more tip. The mosquitoes up there are unreal! Find the DEET-iest repellent you can find and they might decide to leave you alone. Otherwise, expect them to take a pint at a time and maybe fly off with your tent (or your car if they choose to team up).

[Cait 0]

WOW thanks for all the advice! I'm intrigued about this box.... can you post a picture? does it matter that I have a cabrio?

[David 0]

The box screws into the accessory / bike-rack plugs and sits low enough that it doesn't interfere with the trunk. It works on either the coupe or cabrio.The detail shot was taken before I attached the latches. I used a couple of small padlocks to keep it secure. You don't want the lid blowing off on a mountain pass.

[yukoner 9]

At any given time 10% of the highway is under reconstruction. It does grow in memory though. Stone chips are directly related to your closing speed with the oncoming vehicle. Most of the gravel they raise, and that you raise goes out more or less sideways. So if you reduce your speed, and move to the right, that sideways flung stone has a whole lot less impact. Our only stone chip so far (touch wood) came from following someone who had just pulled out in front of us, going the same way, and fired a rock at us as they accelerated.David's photo looks like Stone Mountain area just before Muncho.Carl

[yukoner 9]

He's right about the mosquitos. Caught one sizing up my dog today, but he's too dense.Carl

[yukoner 9]

Know what Cait? I think you should forget about Alaska and do the Dempster to Inuvik instead. Show all these heated seat wimps what driving's all about. Carl

[Cait 0]

David - very interesting.... I'm going to think about it! I need to plan out what im doing with my whole month of august... cause i dont want to pay rent for a place i'll be sleeping in for about 10 nights.. maybe i can mooch off freinds :DI just need to decide where all my stuff is going - that is am I bringing EVERYHTING with me or can i leave some things in calgary and get them on the way home.Carl - maybe next summer!!!! but this summer im coming your way!

[smartzuuk 167]

I strongly advise that you borrow a spare, that is a long way, some on gravel and rough surfaces... When was you last service done. A clean air filter is nice to have as well. (under $20.00)Very ambitious trip. Good luck.

[RoySkyBell 0]

Know what Cait? I think you should forget about Alaska and do the Dempster to Inuvik instead. Show all these heated seat wimps what driving's all about. Carl

I've been up the Dempster to Invuvik! On the topic of mosquitos, though, the population there is 10 times Alaska and the Yukon put together! We had the average driving experience to Inuvik - one flat on the way up and one on the way back!!! Oh, ya and the roads washed out in a major storm that followed us out - only one vehicle made it out after us and the highway was closed for a week. We woke up to snow the next morning - that was in July.It was the most awesome trip I ever had - beautiful, beautiful country; I tell everyone to go there.BUT, I would never take my baby smart up that road!! She does NOT go on anything but pavement.

[yukoner 9]

Know what Cait? I think you should forget about Alaska and do the Dempster to Inuvik instead. Show all these heated seat wimps what driving's all about. Carl

I've been up the Dempster to Invuvik! On the topic of mosquitos, though, the population there is 10 times Alaska and the Yukon put together! We had the average driving experience to Inuvik - one flat on the way up and one on the way back!!! Oh, ya and the roads washed out in a major storm that followed us out - only one vehicle made it out after us and the highway was closed for a week. We woke up to snow the next morning - that was in July.It was the most awesome trip I ever had - beautiful, beautiful country; I tell everyone to go there.BUT, I would never take my baby smart up that road!! She does NOT go on anything but pavement.

Well, it does cross the Arctic circle, and you do have to make allowances...Personally I'd take a spare and two litres of fuel, but in '98 we put four Vincents over the Dempster and a Triumph 650 and another Vincent over the Dalton highway to the north slope in Alaska. Typical Vincent owners, they took some nuts and bolts, a spare mag and an inner tube. Backup was right here at Horse Creek. There might have been a fifth Vincent over the Dempster. I'm trying to remember if the people who rode two up to Tierra del Fuego started at our rally or not.Carl

[Not2Swift 0]

Hey, my winter tires are doing nothing for a few months.Take one of mine along.It'll cost you an ice cream.Let me know if/when you want it.I'm gone a lot lately.CheersMike