timandsusan
San Antonio, Texas
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Joined: 11/15/2006
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To bad you can't stay longer in AK! We stayed until about the middle of August this year and will stay another 3-4 weeks next time up the road north. We arrive in AK around mid June. We really enjoyed the fishing from mid July on the Kenai to August in Valdez (and I hear it is even better in late Aug or Sept in Valdez).
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Veebyes
Devonshire
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Joined: 11/24/2003
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Thanks for the advice. Although we do not like cold (see home location) we dislike being part of a huge crowd even less. This is one reason why we travel in the shoulder season months if possible e.g. our rig was in storage from early June till after Labour Day this year. We like to trave slightly ahead of 'the wave' or behind it.
Middle to late May in the Whitehorse area sounds like a plan. If we get a bit of snow & have to stay put an extra day or 2, oh well, things happen. We had a few nights down in the high teens/low twentys in Bryce Canyon last month. No big deal.
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javan114
Mechanicsburg, PA 17050
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Joined: 11/10/2004
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Veebyes wrote:We are just doing preliminary plans for our first trip to AK. At the moment the timing puts us passing through Edmonton around 5/11 & entering AK around 5/21.
In 2005, we passed through Alberta at about this same time, and found the weather quite agreeable. Pictures of our trip to Alaska, starting in Alberta, may be seen here:
Alberta border.
We're going back in 2008, and will going again in May.
Mike
2003 Ford F350 Lariat 7.3L
2001 Alpenlite 32RL
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Hook
Kenai Peninsula, Alaska
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Joined: 12/20/2003
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Veebyes wrote:Thanks for the advice. Although we do not like cold (see home location) we dislike being part of a huge crowd even less. This is one reason why we travel in the shoulder season months if possible e.g. our rig was in storage from early June till after Labour Day this year. We like to trave slightly ahead of 'the wave' or behind it.
Middle to late May in the Whitehorse area sounds like a plan. If we get a bit of snow & have to stay put an extra day or 2, oh well, things happen. We had a few nights down in the high teens/low twenty's in Bryce Canyon last month. No big deal.
Looks like you made up your mind for a early spring arrival. Yes you will be ahead of the crowd, not much for greenery showing, probably alot of dirty plow berms along the road, most tourist establishments don't plan on opening until Memorial day. Salmon does not start its run until July (few Kings in June) If the crowds are your issue do a August 15th arrival and stay thru September. Our vegetation is at its fullest, the Sockeye is still being caught with the Silvers just starting. Our fall is the best time of the year in my opinion not our spring.
Hook
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Ozimo
Resolute/Oz
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Hook: Another vote for the fall when the salmon are running and most have left for the lower 48. Too many people in Summer ruins the sightseeing for others, who aren't in a hurry. Same as happens at home - everyone wants to see the bears and whales. They are there nearly all the time, so what's the rush?
Veebyees: If May is the only time you can get away - then do it, but remember that most businesses won't be open yet and the snow may not all be plowed. You may need to lay-up a few days if the road isn't open.
Capt. Abraham Quasuittuq, Jr
Lizard Isl, Great Barrier Reef
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Jackie & Tony
Tampa, Florida
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We too crossed over the border into Canada on May 15th and spent 10 days traveling through Canada to Alaska. We had three days of light snow at Dawson Creek -this turned out to be one of the highlights of our trip. we would definitely recommend going up at that time - as you can see we are from Florida and also have no experience or desire to travel through "thick white stuff". Oh I'm envious of anyone going up in 2008 - we have planned to return in 2009.... but we certainly left part of our hearts there.
2002 Winnebago Chieftain
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59022
MT
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Joined: 08/04/2004
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I went up this past Fall and while we enjoyed the interior, you can have Anchorage. It's just changed so much from when I worked on the haul road.
George
Lifelong tipi, wall tenter/mule packer. 850-ac in Montana.
61 U404, 99 Dodge V10, 79 Airstream www.nativeradio.com
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doodles
USA
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Joined: 10/22/2004
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We too are spending the winter planning our first trip to Alaska in 2008. We should all plan to meet up 
doodles & mr doodles
2007 Savoy LRX 33 ft
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dmartin
Tennessee/South Dakota
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Joined: 10/26/2006
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We crossed the border in Sweetgrass mid-May and saw lots of snow, lakes still frozen. On the return trip, we left Tok Sept. 12th and had the best rip south. The trees on the AH were golden by then, the traffic on the roads was nothing at that time of year and we still saw plenty of bears in Hyder.
Our next trip will be later in the season and we will stay longer in the fall. Wanting to visit Denali Nat'l Park again after the crowds leave...............
2005 Newmar KSDP 3910
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Veebyes
Devonshire
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Joined: 11/24/2003
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Thanks all. We should be in Edmonton around the first or second week of May. We are planned drifters by habit. We make a rough plan but if something, anything, comes along to change that plan we do not hesitate to follow our noses. We plan on not being where we planned to be months before. Gotta love flexibility.
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