dhansen871
Big Bear Lake
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We are planning our Alaska trip for 2012. In the last couple of years has anyone driven their Coach/MH from Whitehorse to Dawson City and onto Tok? How was the condition of the road? Just curios if you ever got concerned about the road and your Coach.
Thanks
Dave & DW Jodi
Max the Cat
SoCal Mountains
2007 Country Coach 430 Allure
2012 Jeep GC Overland
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Johnny G1
Clearwater, British Columbia ,Canada
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Did the road in May last year and no problem except a wee bit dusty, great road once you get past Boundry, that 4 miles from the border is like a cow trail but after that good all way to Tok
1998 34' Newmar Mountain Aire,210 Cummins Puller, 542 Allison 4 speed, BD Performance Exhaust Brake, BD Torque Convertor, Hendrickson Air suspension, 4 wheel disc brakes. 4-120 Watt 2-80 Watt Kyocera panels 8-T105s Toad 2003 VW Jetta TDI.
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GrandmaCarol
Cadiz, KY
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I've heard that the roads in the Yukon could be much worse than usual this spring due to the rough winter. Guess we'll have to wait until spring to really find out.
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joe b.
Florida
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Probably the best thing to be said about the road, on west of Dawson Town, is to take it as you find it. Some times it is dry and dusty, other times it is wet and muddy. The Canadian side is normally much better than the Alaska side, just due to maintenance and where the road was built. The Canadian side was built along the tops of the ridges, hence the name "Top of the World" Hwy. Highway is probably somewhat an exaggeration to call that road though. LOL The Canadian side was built to supply the mines in the 60 Mile Mining district of Canada. Most of the US side was built to supple the village of Eagle and the mines of the 40 Mile Mining district of Alaska. For some reason, the Alaska side was built along side rivers and creeks when possible, much easier to build there than on a mountain top. But the Alaska side is much more prone to flooding and wash out in the spring than is the Canadian side. Plus Canada just spends more money to maintain their side than we do our side.
The Canadian side was paved with chip and seal, but that hasn't been maintained too well. Lots of gravel places but they do grade it frequently, put calcium chloride down to keep the dust down. (make sure you wash it off when you get to Tok or where ever as it is salt. We have driven that road, 8 or 10 times I would guess over the years, just never kept track. If the road is open, i.e. no wash outs,l then I have never found the road to be impassable. Last summer, 2011, we found the Canadian side to be dry, sunny and then we had a flat from a sharp rock, my first flat ever on that section of road. By the time we crossed into Alaska, it was raining the road was a mud bath. Just a matter of driving even slower than normal, especially when meeting other vehicles or letting a faster driver pass you, especially tour buses or fuel tankers. It is a great drive and the town of Dawson is first rate fun, especially for anyone interested in the gold rush history of the north. An easy two or three days can be spent in the Dawson area in an RV.
Leaving Dawson, headed on to Alaska, the first leg of the journey is getting on the Yukon ferry, George Black, and getting to the west side of the Yukon River. It is always somewhat nostalgic for me to see the Yukon River, as I lived on the banks of it downstream in Alaska for 8 years when I was much younger. LOL
Looks as though the ferry has about 5 RVs on it for this crossing, as we waited our turn.
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The dry side of the "Top" /first trip I didn't bring my 12 volt air compressor.
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And the wet side just over in Alaska, Boundary area before you get to Jack Wade Junction. Lots more adventuresome to be able to take a photo like this than one when the weather and road is all nice. LOL
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Time to slow down even more.
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This was on the Canadian side just as it was starting to rain, middle of July.
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joe b.
Stuart Florida
Formerly of Colorado and Alaska
Chevy 3500 DRW Dmax CC - Rockwood 8281 SS 5th Whl & 2008 Lance 845 TC
www.pajbcooper.com web site
Alaska Trip 2011 posted
Alaska-Colorado - photos
"Without challenge, adventure is impossible".
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Peg Leg
Anderson, IN
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If your going in May, check the ice out condition. The ferry will usually be operating a week or two later. We went in mid June this last year and it was raining and muddy. The campground we stayed in at Tok had a nice vehicle wash.
2012 Chevy 3500HD Dually 4X4
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dhansen871
Big Bear Lake
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After reading what people say about the road and the great pictures, I'm not sure about taking our motor home and toad down or up the road. Looks like maybe we find nice RV spot and just take the AWD vehicle back to Dawson City and not worry about the MH in the dirt/dust/mud. Thanks for the info. Having a 40' and tow vehicle, not sure about the Ferry trip either.
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sue.t
Ibex Valley, Yukon
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GrandmaCarol wrote:I've heard that the roads in the Yukon could be much worse than usual this spring due to the rough winter. Guess we'll have to wait until spring to really find out.
Hmmmm ... in my area of the Yukon the winter has been milder than usual. There is less snow than usual in most places too.
Top of the World and Taylor Highway are on my list of favorite drives. We drove through in 2010 soon after the road reopened after spring flooding. Then drove through again in 2011, both times towing a 25' fifth wheel. Will likely drive it again in 2012.
Taylor Hwy: http://suethomas.ca/TaylorHwy.html
Top of the World: http://suethomas.ca/TopOfTheWorld.html
In 2011, passed oncoming coaches on the same road, moving along without issue.
http://suethomas.ca/20110722_TopOfTheWorldHwy.html
sue t.
Pictures from our many RV Adventures to Yukon & Alaska
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sbishop
Eagle Rock, CA
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I haven't driven it since 2000, didn't find it too bad. My opinion is you'll find worse spots along the way with absolutly no way to avoid them. Alaska is a truly great experience but not for someone who worries about a little mud or dust. Don't under any circumstance take the Cassiair Hwy. It has been known to be paved all the way one day and have long streaches of construction the next. We had about ten miles of construction on the Kenai and it had been paved forever n 2000, rain and calcium chloride made the dirt stick like glue, but it was the only road to Deep Creek St Pk. Can't see any of the dirt now.
"I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel's sake. The great affair is to go". R. L. Stevenson
David Bishop
1990 Bounder 27D
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joe b.
Florida
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Travelers that understand their own comfort level and what they want to see and why they want to go to Alaska, have the best time, IMHO. Alaska and northern Canada are so large, huge, gigantic, etc. that it is impossible to see "it all", even you spend a lifetime trying. So whether a person takes a certain side trip or not, has little bearing in the long run as to the enjoyment they will get from their trip north.
The very small percentage of travelers that don't enjoy their trip, for some reason, didn't find what they were looking for in some way. People that travel to Mexico seem to have the same experiences. People that take the North Klondike Hwy to Dawson and on, most have a great time, most that take the South Klondike Hwy to Skagway have a great trip. Most that take neither, also have a great trip. There is so much to see and do, that everyone has to pick and choose between it all. It is impossible to ever see it all, IMHO.
Some travelers will try to convince others that "you" have to make your trip exactly as they made theirs or you will have a horrible trip. I don't agree with that "opinion" at all, as we are all different and enjoy different facets of any trip. Many first or second timers to the north country will spend many hours planning their trip and when they have a great trip, they credit much of the success of the trip to "their" prior planning. Not realizing that hundreds, if not thousands, of other RVs made the same trip and had a great time, doing it to fit their needs and wants, with or without a great deal of planning.
My wife and I don't always enjoy seeing the same places or doing the same things. So we compromise and do it her way. Any guy that doesn't understand how that is a compromise, is not married. LOL
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RangerJay
Northern Ontario
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Barring an actual road closure, the issue of road condition is directly related to driving style - the secrets are to take your time, adjust for real-time road conditions (if that means travelling in first gear then so be it) and be prepared to handle forseeable issues.
Last years trip from Dawson City to Chicken took us over 8 hours - we knew it would be rough and recognized it would be a slow day - on the Canadian side we rarely got out of 3rd gear - on the American side (between the border and Chicken) we spent lots of it in 2nd gear and more than a few chunks in 1st gear. That drive was one of the highlights of our trip - to miss it because of some bumps and mud is to miss a lot.
Jay
2002 Bambi 19' - the "Toaster"
2003 Nissan Pathfinder - the "Buggy"
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