My epic roadtrip:

[zluster]

Stacking rocks to spell something along the hillside where the road makes a cut was pretty common all over northern CAN and AK.

Outside of Chitna AK heading towards McCarthy, crossing the copper river:

Must always be open season on signs in AK, because just about every one is shot to hell:

some of the old rail line going up to the mine:

The mine:

Back in the 20's the glacier was so high you couldn't see the mountains behind the glacial moraine/till.

This was the meathouse:

 

[zluster]

There were very few Jeeps in AK, so I was happy when I saw this one:

Some pistons:

The power generating house:

For some reason I just like this photo, it almost looks like photoshop or post processed, but its not.

Wheels and gears!

 

[zluster]

Engine:

Formans house:

Fishing on the Copper river:

Just let the basket catch the fish and then dump them out the side:

 

[zluster]

Heading into Valdez:

Very Wet down by Valdez:

Lots of people fishing:

I don't think they want you to speed:

Beer n Fish:

Bears:

Bears and lots of dead fish:

 

[zluster]

Salmon run:

This guy was trying to make his way over the rocks:

Some small glacier:

Lake Kluane in northern CAN. It was along here, at a small place called destruction bay, that the van started having mechanical problems. Took all day to limp into whitehorse(google it to see where it is) and we spent a day trying to repair the van before we got it fixed and were back on the road

Small autopark graveyard:

Sunset in northern CAN:

 

[zluster]

When you see it, you'll $h!t bricks:

got a shower here, then took a different route back down south through BC:

This was the most perfect clear little lake with a nice camp spot, if it hadn't have been so early in the day I would have camped there that night:

The old road, being overgrown:

Back on the main road:

BEARS!

Mud layer starting to come off:

 

[zluster]

Hyder AK(google it):

Capt Jim:

another small glacier:

Old mine:

 

[zluster]

Ok thats it for today, down to the last 400 photos or so to look through, so I'll post more tomorrow.

 

[JJacobs]

Awesome.

 

[Gaidge]

Thanks for sharing your experience! I really enjoy reading and looking at pictures about other peoples trips and expeditions along with any stories they may have.

Much appreciated!

 

[KRONIK]

thank you for taking the time to share all of these photos with us!!!!

 

[zluster]

well thank you for taking the time to look and comment

 

[YELLAHEEP]

Super jealous of that trip Sam...... I actually dig the fact that it was done using your "add-a-westy-to-it" bus. :thumbup:

This is one old school flatty. I think the newest thing on it is the winch and dare I say that looks to be an '80's era one at that...... Can a person still get tires like that? I'd have guessed that pic would have been taken in the late '70's early '80's had it not been attached to this thread....

 

[jimgrms]

Neat photos Troy i think those tires are some sory of tundra type tires for the airplanes up there might be able to google something up

 

[zluster]

Super jealous of that trip Sam...... I actually dig the fact that it was done using your "add-a-westy-to-it" bus. :thumbup:

This is one old school flatty. I think the newest thing on it is the winch and dare I say that looks to be an '80's era one at that...... Can a person still get tires like that? I'd have guessed that pic would have been taken in the late '70's early '80's had it not been attached to this thread....

Ya I had the same thought when I saw it too, I hadn't seen tires like that in forever it feels like. But there they are.

The westy makes a great vehicle for trips like that, easy to climb in back and sleep, get some food from the fridge, drink etc. Heck I even cooked popcorn on the stove and used the pressure cooker to make a stew driving down the road.

I sleep up top and its about like sleeping in a single, so its plenty of room for me or two kids, sleeping on either bed with two adults means that your fairly close so its needs to be someone you can put up with.

 

[xj-grin]

Awesome trip, Sam, Thanks for sharing.... This is on the to-do list, we're thinking when the kids are 9-11 or so they'll appreciate it, so its looking like maybe 2013 or 2014 for us.

 

[.40CalPatriot]

When you see it, you'll $h!t bricks:

Who is peeing?

 

[zluster]

Awesome trip, Sam, Thanks for sharing.... This is on the to-do list, we're thinking when the kids are 9-11 or so they'll appreciate it, so its looking like maybe 2013 or 2014 for us.

Its definitely worth doing, lots of people do it with rental RVs. I wouldn't want to make the trip tent camping because its so wet and mosquito ridden up there. A VW westy or a sportsmobile is about the perfect thing for this sort of trip.

We debated about taking the dogs with us(the big dog Zeus is mine and the little dog Sandy is my Dads) because they can be a pain to have around, gotta feed em every couple of days, let em poop and pee, they get dirty etc. But having them along made the trip that much more enjoyable for us. They are always full of energy and happy to be there and with us, so it adds to the fulfillment of the trip.

I kinda wanted to take the diesel KJ because getting 25-30mpg would have been better than 16-20 with the van. But we would have just been so cramped in the KJ that it would not have been enjoyable.

 

[xj-grin]

we'll be in the WJ with the Wildernest/MJ trailer behind us. 15mpg will likely be the ticket, but man that looks like its worth the cost of admission.

 

[old_man]

Can you give me an idea of how much the gas was per gallon and how much it was here before you left? I am hoping to go up later this year if I can get my offroad teardrop trailer finished.