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Old 05-28-2012, 11:45 AM   #1
RKassl
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Alaska 2013 How Early?

If you want to hit Alaska early in the year, when is a good time to leave? Is it out of the question to enter Canada the first week of May and work our way to Alaska by June 1?

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Old 05-28-2012, 01:07 PM   #2
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Two years ago I went up around June 1 (from Arizona). I was doing a lot of reading of blogs, etc before hand. Someone else had left around early May. He got up one morning in Canada (somewhere) and had 7 inches of snow on the ground!!
Personally I would shoot for arriving in Alaska around mid June at the earliest. Also, August and Sept. are the driest months. We spent almost all of July in Alaska and pretty much had rain every day and never saw a mountain top until the day we left!!!!
Hope your weather is better than mine was!!
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Old 05-28-2012, 03:42 PM   #3
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It depends on the year and the weather systems, but I can tell you this year that the campers started showing up and running around here a few weeks ago.
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Old 05-28-2012, 03:47 PM   #4
bob n pam
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We went in '08 and crossed into Canada on May 17. Because of heavy rains the previous winter lots of the Provincial Parks we were counting on were closed, but the private RV parks were open. Beautiful scenery all along the way. We wanted as much time as possible in Alaska and left mid-May because of that. Didn't cross back over until September 17, and that was only because the first snow, which they call "termination dust" was showing up in Whitehorse!
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Old 05-28-2012, 06:00 PM   #5
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Take a look at the information posted in this link on the left hand side about half way down


Destinations and Directories Alaska
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Old 05-29-2012, 07:22 AM   #6
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The rule is you can venture to Alaska any time you want, but what do you want to experience and how long do you have? The biggest concern is the weather and it is too unpredictable to "pick a day".

Early trips means you will have much more cold and rain and snow than later in the year and therefore less visibility of the scenery. But the fishing is great, there are no crowds, the facilities being opened are decent and the weather is a crapshoot. If you go early in the season allow extra time for extra adventures. Like mentioned prior you are going at just about the earliest you can.

If you have less time, then go later in the year so you can get around faster. I have been there in August (the best weather but most crowded and seems most expensive) and July, pretty much the same but definitely wetter.

We fast-tracked (3 weeks at a time) when we went, so needing better weather meant we went between end of July to early September. You can go early but be very prepared for delays and extra time needed for travel. Early timeframes means you must be much more self-sustained since facilities can be more difficult. Mid May is when most places are just starting to open for businesses that support the summer travelers and things might not be ready just yet.

Besides the Section of the RV related links mentioned by The OldGuard about Alaska, look further down in that section of the link for the "Milepost". It is well worth the cost of the book and will provide a wealth of information can help you every mile of the way throughout Alaska and much of western Canada.
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Old 05-29-2012, 09:20 AM   #7
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Another excellent book on Alaska is Traveler's Guide to Alaskan Camping by Mike and Terri Church, it is a less bias and more honest appraisal of the campgrounds along the way. We found that it was a better reference for campgrounds than the Milepost. We lived in Dawson Creek for 12 years and snow in May is not uncommon. Our last Alaskan trip 2010 was in early June. Lots of wildflowers, not many bugs or tourists and the weather was cool, but no snow.
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Old 06-01-2012, 03:51 PM   #8
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No matter when you leave make sure you pick up some of these

BUGS
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Old 06-03-2012, 03:50 PM   #9
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Don't forget the must have book for traveling the ALCAN. The Milepost. I didn't believe it until we drove it. Don't leave home without it. With fuel points as far away as they are on the ALCAN, the Milepost tells you the latest info on what services are available mile by mile. Not only services, but construction, known frost heave areas, wildlife hazard areas, etc. Your copilot will become extremely familiar with it.

http://milepost.com/
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