Hello my friends to the North of me. My wife and I will be driving from Dillon,MT to Homer, AK. Bought some property in Seldovia a while back. Always wanted to drive the Alaska Highway and need to get the boat up there. So get to cover both bases at once. Leaving sometime around middle of May. Take a week or so going up.
Was hoping to put together a list of people along the way that I could contact in case things go south. Or when things go all good just to say hello.
Have met some of you already and visited with some of you as well. PM me if you would like. Appreciate all of ya. Tater

Pm sent

When in Tok, stop by and see Ted Hansen. He has a trapping supply place there.

Make sure you go through your boat and truck when crossing the border into Canada. Firearms & ammo specifically, spring assist knives are sketchy but I’ve never lost mine as they never asked about it. In lots of cases they’ll just turn you around, but sometimes they’re real dinks about minor stuff.
Good luck! I hope to make that trip one day too.

Get a front end bra hood protector and vinyl headlight covers for your truck. I made that mistake driving the Alcan with a new Ford Superduty... (it wasn't new when I got to Kenai). Big trucks coming the other way kick up speedy gravel chips.

Many Thanks to everyone for the PMs and the travel info.

if its a boat trailer make sure your bearings are good and repacked.....carry extra spare tires and gas....don't count on places being open past 6pm or 9pm in smaller places....carry tools and make sure you can loosen your lug nuts with the tools you have...something to put under your jack because shoulders can be muddy......BUG JUICE...expect the unexpected like animals jumping out anywhere....have something besides a cell phone for emergencies like a spot, inreach or sat phone....shovel....toilet paper.....snacks, water and road food....MORE BUG JUICE....

I have done similar. Up out of Haines to Fairbanks and then the Dalton with a boat trailer. I would recommend two spare loaded hubs, two spare tires, for the trailer. Keep your trailer as light as you can, carry the weight in the truck, if possible. We carried four chains for the truck and a set for the trailer. Done this in the fall, so may be different traction considerations for you.
Long stretches of nothing on the AK HWY. Done that 4x in a rig with no trailer. I went out of my way to not get broke down in Canada on both routes and it was worth it when things went south, as they will.
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Thank you both for the travel info. Much appreciated.

When I worked on a boat in Homer they told me very sternly to never go to Seldovia.

That whole Katchemak bay area/Homer is full of sus folks. Sort of interesting how they tend to gravitate to certain areas.

What possessed a mainlander to buy property in Alaska you can't drive to?
Wasn't there another forum member that lived in that area and used to post his trapping photos?
Probably have plenty of trapping country around that part of Alaska.

Ten years ago or so, we were visiting friends in Alaska and ended up traveling over to Seldovia for a few days and just really liked the place and the people. Getting close to the retirement portion of our lives and plan on summers in Seldovia and winters here in Dillon. Our next adventure, can’t wait. Thanks again for everyone’s advice and info, appreciate all of ya.

Good luck, Tater! Sounds like a fine plan.

Good luck.Let us all know how the trip goes.

Don’t believe the Alcan hype-if you can drive to the local grocery store, you can drive to Alaska. It is really not that hard.
1. Drive to road conditions.
2. Look out for bison, moose , elk, bears and deer. You will see all of them, especially bison and bears.
3. Drive a well maintained vehicle with two spares for vehicle and trailer. ( not 100% necessarily needed but allows you to keep rolling till a tire repair is convenient)
4. When you get to the Yukon, the black five gallon buckets with a flag in bucket means bad spot in road. Slowing down is not a suggestion. You will understand after you hit a couple too fast.
5. Destruction Bay to Northway will make you question why you ever thought driving to Alaska was a good idea. The entire rest of the road was in real good shape last Tuesday/Wednesday.

Have a great trip!!!

GUK nailed it for a trip May-September.

Thank You GUK for the up to date road info, I appreciate ya. And Thank you to everyone that has taken the time to post on this thread and send PMs.
Headed out this coming Friday.

Check roads before you leave, just got message on phone Alcan closed between Beaver creek and US border due to flooding. Updates 2:00pm tomorrow. Probably be fixed in a hurry but you never know.

Have a safe trip Tater and have fun.
Good country up there we enjoyed it last year.

Many Thanks GUK, my wife got the same message about the road closure last night. I would hope they have it fixed before we get there.
Thanks Chad, we are looking forward to the trip. Tell your better half we said hello.

What are fuel price like?

Fuel prices when adjusted for US -vs- Canada dollar are very similar to Alaska fuel prices.
Paid a high of $2.09 a liter for diesel . Paid a low of $4.39 a gallon for diesel in rural Minnesota.
Gas prices in the states were about like Alaska prices when this whole mess started. $3.39 gallon for regular.

Guys, I saw 6 bucks a gallon for diesel yesterday here in Illinois....I don't think I EVER saw that price before.

There is a whole lot of price gouging going on all over the place. Retailers should be hung by their delicate parts.
In remote Pilot Point Alaska, population about 60, gas and jet A/stove oil just jumped yesterday from $6 a gallon to $7.80, not pleasant, but understandable all things considered. Naknek, just up the coast about 80 miles and with better infastructure and services, gas is $11.00 a gallon. That should be criminal.

I've watched gas prices change at the local gas station three times in one day, multiple times in the last couple of months. Yet they only get fuel delivered once a week. It's all the same gas, in the same tank, they just keep changing how much they are charging for it.

But other state have alot moar state tax on their fuel than most places in Alaska if any tax. What are the prices like if you took off state and local fuel tax?

State tax is minimal in most states in the total price, often 10to 40 cents a gallon. Oregon is very high, (4th most, I think), at almost 70 cents. California is extremely high at 84 cents. Federal is low, in the big scheme of things, and the same for everybody at .184 per gallon. Of course, local tax varies considerably.

Montana to Homer!
What a trip!
1 flat tire on the trailer (in Montana), minor repairs to trailer and a couple of wheel bearings getting warm but all good.
5 days. Many Thanks to all of you for your help.

GUK, your 1-5 list was spot on. Especially 4 and 5!!!

thanks for the update

You brought the right boat. Happy fishing!

You’re welcome isnarewolves.
AV-we love the boat. Was exactly what we wanted. All of my research and previous experiences kept telling me Hewescraft. Will get it out and fishing in the next couple of days. Can’t wait. Thanks for your input on this thread.

I'm glad you're drive up was relatively trouble free ! Have fun fishing and catch a bunch and remember without pictures it didn't happen ! Haha

Nice trip.Way to go.

Thanks Allan, we will get out fishing tomorrow. I will post a fish picture, I hope!
Many Thanks Bruce, it has been quite the trip. Finally in Seldovia for a couple weeks.



Pics from Homer and the Harbor. Awesome experience getting the boat on the water in Alaska!

At least you won't be running in the dark !!

Be safe out there.
Best to you & Jen !!

Right on Tater, get a boat Shaker.
Sized fish.

Thanks Ken, the days are pretty long already, lots of daylight this far north. Jen says Hi back!!
Chad we will see what we can do. Wouldn’t mind settin the hook on a big one. Fingers crossed. Waitin on a little better weather. Kinda rough out there now.

Gotta get a picture of the Alaskan Jenny in the Seldovia sign!!!!
Love this place!!

That looks like a wonderful time up there I hope you and Jen catch a bunch for a fish fry when you come back to Montana ha ha !

How has the fishing been going?

Well? Let's see some fish, Tater.

I hope you didn’t do something I have been known to do is put in the PLUG!

Sorry for the delay. We got busy doin stuff in Seldovia and figuring things out on the property and I didn’t get a chance to update. Only fished a little bit on 2 days. Tried real quick for halibut but no luck. Couple cod but had to turn loose. Trolled for kings and put 2 up to the boat and lost both of em. My netting skills suck, lol! Caught some nice rockfish both days so had fresh fish to eat while we were there.

Oh snap, I quadruple checked the plug, lol! Hate to sink her on her maiden voyage.

On our way back to Montana now. Gonna take the Cassiar highway back down. No boat in tow, so way easier and less stressful.

Take a right at Mezziaden Junction for a side trip to Stewart BC, and Hyder Alaska. Continue through Hyder driving up the river and back into Canada. You will get up into some magnificent country like you've probably never seen before. This area is also known as the Golden Triangle, the scene of the Worlds, current, most prolific gold mining and exploration region.

Safe travels Tator !

Waggler , that sounds like a great side trip to take !

Maybe 4tater is out of wifi range now, but as I mentioned above, drive up the road out of Hyder, up to the salmon glaicer area. Once you get up on top, above timberline, the scenery is off the charts. A bit of modern mining activity too.


Jusr a couple stock photos I found online.

That looks like quite the operation ! Yes I agree what little I can see of the views they really are something else !

Thanks for sharing the pictures !

Thanks for the pictures Waggler. It was rainy and getting late in the day yesterday, so we bypassed the side trip into Hyder. Next time!
Allan we are just outside of Jasper. Getting closer to home through some awesome country.