So I just bought a new truck, a '17 Ram Rebel 4x4. Now I need to get it from Texas to my place in Alaska. Sixteen friends have volunteered to drive it up there for me but I think this time I'm going to drive it up myself, and I'd like to do it in late March.

Which route to take? The Trench or the Alaska Highway?

Questions I'd have about the Trench route would be "do they keep the road plowed?", "are there enough gas stops", "are there enough places to eat and spend the night?".

Would love to hear your thoughts if you've driven either of these routes, and of course from my Canadian friends who live/drive along either route. Thanks.

I've driven both, but I've only driven the Cassiar in summer. In summer, I'd definitely do the Cassiar. Lots of truck traffic, but fewer road whales (motor homes) than the AK Highway. Services are definitely farther apart, and I suspect far fewer in winter.

I drove the Alaska Highway in December, and it was great. Plenty of gas stops, roads were in great shape, etc. Bonus is in March you'll have lots of daylight.

I'd probably go the AK Highway.

MTV

I have made 12 trips on the Al-Can and 3 on the Cassiar. In March I would be driving the Al-Can. If you have any issues, your opinions are far greater on that route. Some places haven't even opened up for the summer season yet at that time of year on both routes. The Cassiar in March can be a real mess. At least is was when I drove it. Both are beautiful. It's just a long ass drive!

G

I presume by trench you actually mean the Cassiar, as MTV commented. Cassiar is plowed year-round, much less traffic than the Alcan. I've done it as early as April and know folks who have done it other times in winter. Should not be an issue other than it gets more snow (closer to the coast) than the Alcan does in most places. There is fuel but it is scattered (Meziadin, Bell II - very expensive!, Tatogga, Iskut, Dease Lake, Jade City). Worth tanking up at Kitwanga at junction of Cassiar and Yellowhead to save a few bucks. Total length is about 450 miles. Easiest place (and probably nicest) to stay on the Cassiar is probably Tatogga as they've built a new bunch of rooms there to accommodate mining and powerline construction - it's about halfway up the highway.

Greg

Put a 100gal. slip tank in the bed and takes the Cassiar.

The other option is the AK Ferry from Bellingham, WA to Haines, then drive. Takes a lot of miles off. Probably costs more though.

gbflyer wrote:Put a 100gal. slip tank in the bed and takes the Cassiar.

The other option is the AK Ferry from Bellingham, WA to Haines, then drive. Takes a lot of miles off. Probably costs more though.

I was wondering about the Ferry. If it ran that time of year and if it would be quicker or slower then the road routes.


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I drove the cassier at the end of oct last year, make sure you fuel up often and don't bank on the fuel stations being open through the night. Most places run shorter hours when they aren't in the tourist season. Fuel prices didn't seem bad, or at least I didn't think so. It was quiet on the cassier, no radio or cell service with at&t.

Barnstormer wrote:

gbflyer wrote:Put a 100gal. slip tank in the bed and takes the Cassiar.

The other option is the AK Ferry from Bellingham, WA to Haines, then drive. Takes a lot of miles off. Probably costs more though.

I was wondering about the Ferry. If it ran that time of year and if it would be quicker or slower then the road routes.


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The ferry is going to be slower.

Like AKGreg, I have done numerous trips on both routes (always to and from Texas as well). I have found the Cassier to be faster, both in the summer and the winter. After the fourth or fifth trip, I stopped using the AK Highway. I always used a 100 gallon tank, like mentioned above, so services were never an issue.

I would take the route you have mapped up I-25, then go west on I-90 and cross at Oroville like you have mapped on the other route. Fill up before you hit Canada and you should be able to make it to Tok on the 130ish gallons that you will have in the truck.

Bdiazair wrote:I drove the cassier at the end of oct last year, make sure you fuel up often and don't bank on the fuel stations being open through the night. Most places run shorter hours when they aren't in the tourist season.

+1

I've been stuck in the middle of the night somewhere in the Yukon because the gas station wasn't open and the pump didn't have a card reader. It was November and it was snowing, I still had quiet a bit of fuel but not enough to risk making the next town with fuel. This was back in 2006, hopefully more of the gas stations have card readers now but I wouldn't count on it.

I drove the Cassier January 5-6 of 2014, one of the best drives of my life. Even with truly epic snowfall in places it was well plowed. No problem for my Toyota, plenty of fuel and lodging that winter.


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Agree on the Cassier, though definitely less services. Very few card readers, and generally don't like US cards, so you almost always have to go inside to pay, limiting you to getting fuel when they are open. I always carry extra fuel with me and have needed it at some point.

The ferry is a good experience, slower, more expensive, but more relaxed. They run all year and end of March is well before the busy season. Worth the trip at least once.

Are you going to be around for awhile, or are you driving up, dropping off and headed back? I'm planning on doing my annual inspection at the end of April, so i'll be in Soldotna for a week or two.

Chris

Good recommendations above so I'll only add a suggestion, tongue-in-cheek, that you book the appointment for your windshield replacement before you leave so you won't have to wait long when you arrive.

Both those roads are hell on windshields, especially in winter.

If you take the Cassiar route you'll be running near some of my favorite fishing holes, just west of Meziadin. Not sure what would be running in March but in July the chinook (kings) are a good size.

You must have the Alaska bug pretty bad... it seems like you just left for Texas and you are already on your way back. Good for you!

slowhawk wrote:Are you going to be around for awhile, or are you driving up, dropping off and headed back? I'm planning on doing my annual inspection at the end of April, so i'll be in Soldotna for a week or two.

Chris

I'll be in AK until the TX STOL Roundup the end of September. Let's get together.


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Good recommendations above so I'll only add a suggestion, tongue-in-cheek, that you book the appointment for your windshield replacement before you leave so you won't have to wait long when you arrive.

Yep, that too

Sound good Phil, will do

Chris

albravo wrote:Good recommendations above so I'll only add a suggestion, tongue-in-cheek, that you book the appointment for your windshield replacement before you leave so you won't have to wait long when you arrive.

Last year my business partner drove my Raptor up and made all the to Anchorage before the windshield ate a rock.

Yea, I'm in love with Alaska.


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It's been 43+ years since I last drove on the Alaska Highway. Each of the four trips was memorable, but they were in either May or July, so I can't say much about March. This was before anything was paved, so it was slow--we averaged 33 mph from Dawson Creek to the Alaska border on the first one--didn't keep track of the others, but we drove equally slowly. But by going slower, we had no mechanical issues at all. Others blew tires, slid off the road, etc.

We lost a windshield only once--baseball sized rock from an oncoming motorhome. I do recommend putting protective covers, either plastic or metal grid, over the headlights--you sure don't want to lose those if you're going to drive at all in the dark.

Fuel was available then about every 25 miles, and the only problem we ever ran into getting it was that it had to be hand-pumped at Mile 222, because the power was out. They had one of those old fashioned pumps, where you pump 10 gallons into a glass jar at the top of the pump using a long handle, and then it drains by gravity into your fuel tank--a little slow when you're getting 30 or 40 gallons.

Three of the trips were on the Alaska Highway. When we left Anchorage for good, we drove to Haines Junction, then to Haines, and put the motorhome on the ferry to Prince Rupert. We drove from there to Seattle, to where the car had been shipped. That ferry trip was well worth it--gorgeous scenery, very relaxing. The only disappointment was that it went through the night, so it's hard to see what you're missing in the dark. Some really fun memories about that trip!

Get a copy of the Milepost, which is available at any major bookstore or online. It's the bible of the Alaska Highway, and really helps to make it an adventure rather than just a drudge drive.

Good luck!

Cary

Ferry leaves Bellingham on Friday evening and gets to Haines on Monday afternoon. Probably around $3K more or less for a pickup truck and a cabin. Probably shaves off 1500 miles driving?

Good stuff everyone, thank you.

Suggest the ALCAN. We did it in June '11. Great trip, plenty of gas and lodging.

Sam,
Brownsville, TX

If you end up coming through Ft Nelson on the Alaska Highway route, plan to stop for a visit and spend the night with us Phil. We generally are not too far away from the ranch and have a bunk available.

Rod
UpNorth