Trail Report: North to Alaska – Part 4 (The Journey Home)

[Russ Chung]

After our visit to Denali National Park, the group split up to allow each of us to do whatever interested us and then return home at our own pace. I had five days to get to Haines, AK to catch the ferry. The ferry would depart on the morning of the sixth day, with me or without me. I decided to head south to see Anchorage and the Kenai Peninsula, then turn around and head to Haines via Tok and Haines Junction.

Saturday July 16 to Monday July 18 – Anchorage and the Kenai Peninsula

The afternoon was sunny and the temperature was in the high 70s when I passed through Wasilla, AK. The temperature was about 10 degrees above normal for this time of year. Wasilla Lake was a popular place on a nice Summer day:



Anchorage is Alaska’s largest city. Its population of 291,826 is 41 percent of the state’s population. Downtown Anchorage:



The Kenai Peninsula:









View of Chigmit Mountains across Cook Inlet from the Kenai Peninsula:



I met two other group members in Homer, AK for dinner. They had traveled there separately for fishing and kayaking. Kevin, who is seated in the middle is the member whose axle bearing seized up in Montana. He never caught up to the rest of the group. This picture is proof that he made it to Alaska:



I camped at the end of the Homer Spit:





Sunset was at about 11:00 pm AKDT. These pictures were taken shortly before sunset:





The next morning, I visited the Seafarer’s Memorial at Homer Spit before driving to Anchorage to spend the night:



(continued)

[Russ Chung]

Tuesday, July 19 – The Tok Cutoff

On Tuesday, July 19, I left Anchorage and headed to Tok, AK. The weather was cloudy with occasional rain showers as I looked down on the Matanuska Glacier from the highway. I checked my GPS and was amazed because I was looking DOWN on the glacier and the highway viewpoint was at less than 2000’ elevation:





A little further along the highway, some vehicles were stopped on the highway. As I got closer, I saw what had caused them to stop. I watched as the beaver cut down the plant and then dragged it toward his lodge:







I lost sight of the beaver as he disappeared down the shoulder of the road.

Wednesday, July 20 – The Alaska Highway and the Haines Highway

I left Tok, AK on Wednesday, July 20. My destination was Haines, AK where I planned to catch the ferry the next morning. I would cover the same section of the Alaska Highway between Tok, AK and Haines Junction, YT that I had taken ten days earlier, then continue another 150 miles to Haines, AK.

After crossing the border into Canada, I was driving at highway speed (90 kmph) when the low tire pressure warning light came on. I stopped and walked around the Jeep but I didn’t see anything at first, so I got out my tire pressure gage. I found that my right rear tire was low, and after a little more investigation I found the puncture that had caused the slow leak. A few minutes later, I had plugged the hole, aired up and was on the way again. I am very glad that I was driving a Grand Cherokee with a low tire pressure warning system. If I had been driving my 05 Jeep Wrangler I would not have noticed the problem until the tire was flat and I probably would have ruined the tire.



Some of the scenery along the Haines Highway:











Boat Harbor at Haines, AK:



A Cruise Ship docked at Haines, AK:



Sunset was at 9:55 pm AKDT, so I had plenty of daylight to set up camp that night.

(continued)

[Russ Chung]

Thursday, July 21 – The Inside Passage to Juneau

The official name for the Alaska ferry is the Alaska Marine Highway System (AMHS). It is operated by the State of Alaska. It is part of the National Highway System and receives federal highway funding. The routes even show up on my Garmin GPS map; when I searched for the shortest way from Haines, AK to Juneau, AK, my GPS routed me via the AMHS.

When planning my Alaska trip, I knew I wanted to take the ferry through the Inside Passage to return home. I found three possible routes that I could take:
1. I could go from Whittier, AK (near Anchorage) to Bellingham, WA. This trip would take four days and five nights, and cost about $1,600 plus about $500 for a cabin (optional). If you don’t get a cabin, you can sleep in the passenger lounge and use the public restrooms and showers. It operates every other week.
2. I could go from Haines or Skagway, AK to Bellingham, WA. This route would take three days and four nights, and cost about $1,300 plus about $400 for a cabin (optional). This route operates once a week.
3. I could go from Haines or Skagway, AK to Prince Rupert, BC, then take the BC Ferry to Port Hardy, BC, drive the length of Vancouver Island to Victoria, BC and then take the Washington State Ferry to Anacortes, WA. It would take three days and two nights to get to Vancouver Island, one day to drive to Victoria, BC and about three hours on the ferry to Anacortes, WA. This route would cost about $1,200 plus about $150 for a cabin (optional) and operates every other day. This was the route that I chose for my return trip through the Inside Passage.

The first leg of my trip was on the M/V Malaspina from Haines, AK to Juneau, AK. The Malaspina was built in 1963. At the time she was built, she was the queen of the AMHS fleet. She was renovated in the 1980s and is 408 feet in length and cruises at 16.5 knots. She was scheduled to be retired from service a few years ago, but was given a reprieve and is shuttling between Skagway, Haines and Juneau on a daily basis.

This is the M/V Malaspina approaching the ferry terminal in Haines, AK:



Leaving the Haines Ferry Terminal:



Looking north up the Lynn Canal. Haines, AK is up the inlet on the left, Skagway, AK is up the inlet on the right. Although Haines and Skagway are less than 20 miles apart, a highway journey between the two towns requires a trip of over 350 miles.



Davidson Glacier:



Finback Whales:



Eldred Rock Lighthouse:



Sentinel Island Lighthouse:



Herbert Glacier:



Finback Whale:





Vehicle Deck of M/V Malaspina:



Upon arrival in Juneau I had about nine hours until my departure for Prince Rupert, BC so I did some sightseeing. I drove to the Mendenhall Glacier Visitors Center which was about midway between the ferry terminal and downtown Juneau. (If you have taken the ferry in the past, please note that the Juneau Ferry Terminal has been moved from the Juneau harbor and is now located at Auke Bay, about 14 miles from downtown).





The Alaska State Capitol Building in Juneau, AK:



Downtown Juneau:





A cruise ship docked in the Juneau harbor:



(continued)

[Russ Chung]

Friday, July 22 – The Inside Passage to Prince Rupert, BC

Just after midnight on Friday morning, July 22, I departed Juneau aboard the M/V Matanuska. The Matanuska is the sister ship of the M/V Malaspina. The sun had set at 9:40 pm AKDT, so it was dark by the time the ship departed Juneau. I had reserved a cabin, so I went to bed and arose on Friday morning to gray, overcast skies. This is the Patterson Glacier:



Shortly after passing the Patterson Glacier, we entered the harbor at Petersburg, AK.







The M/V Matanuska is 408 feet in length and draws about 17 feet of water. A crewmember explained that it is one of the largest ships that can negotiate the narrow channel between Petersburg, AK and Wrangell, AK. Larger ships must take a 200 mile detour so they usually bypass those ports. This is the ship in the Wrangell Narrows:



Passengers in the forward passenger lounge watch as the ship navigates the narrow channel between Petersburg, AK and Wrangell, AK:



This is Wrangell, AK:





The next port of call was Ketchikan, AK. The Ketchikan airport is adjacent to the harbor:









We arrived in Ketchikan, AK shortly before sunset which was at 9:10 pm AKDT. We departed Ketchikan about an hour after sunset. It was dark so I retired to my cabin and slept for a few hours until it was time to prepare for arrival in Prince Rupert, BC. We arrived at Prince Rupert, BC in a light rain at about 5:00 am PDT, shortly before sunrise on Saturday morning, July 23. We disembarked and cleared Canadian customs. I had made reservations at a campground near Prince Rupert, so I drove to the campground and took a nap for a few hours. I had a 26 hour layover to spend in Prince Rupert before catching the BC Ferry for Port Hardy, BC the next morning. It rained all day Saturday, so I drove around Prince Rupert, but did not do much sightseeing that day. Everyone who I had talked to in the campground had gone to Prince Rupert for one purpose--to go fishing in the Inside Passage. They told me that it had rained the past few days and I told them that the forecast was for more rain for the next few days.

(continued)

[Russ Chung]

Sunday, July 24 – The Inside Passage to Port Hardy, BC

Sunrise in Prince Rupert, BC was at 5:40 am PDT. I got up before dawn, broke camp, packed up the Jeep and headed to the ferry terminal. I arrived shortly after 6:00 am for the scheduled 7:30 am departure. The ferry was already at the terminal, so the vehicles were loaded immediately, and I went to the cafeteria on the main deck for breakfast. The rain had stopped but it was foggy as the M/V Northern Expedition left Prince Rupert for the 15-hour trip to Port Hardy. Whereas the two AMHS ferries were over 40 years old, the M/V Northern Expedition is only two years old. She is 492 feet in length and cruises at 19 kts.





The first point of interest on the trip was the Grenville Channel. The channel is about 40 miles long. The narrowest portion is 1400 feet wide. The fog prevented us from seeing the 3500 foot peaks surrounding the channel:



The skies began to clear by mid-morning. After the voyage, while doing research for this report, I learned that the M/V Queen of the North, a predecessor of the M/V Northern Expedition ran aground at night in this area of the Inside Passage and sank in March, 2006 with the loss of two lives:









Butedale, BC is a ghost town on the Inside Passage. It was established in 1918 as a fishing village. The cannery operated until the 1960s and is collapsing into the sea:





Boat Bluff Lighthouse:



Finback Whale:





Bella Bella, BC is a fishing and logging community. It is the largest community on this section of the coast.



Namu, BC is the oldest settlement on the coast and has a cannery that operated from 1893 to 1970.



More whale sightings:



Sunset was at 9:30 pm PDT, and the M/V Northern Expedition arrived at Port Hardy well after dark at 10:30 pm PDT. I had reservations at a campground in Port Hardy and for the first time on this trip, I had to set up my camp in the dark!

(continued)

[Russ Chung]

Monday, July 25 – Vancouver Island

It is about 500 km (300 miles) from Port Hardy, BC at the northern end of Vancouver Island to Victoria, BC at the southern end of the island. I was not in any hurry, so I took the scenic coastal road along the Inside Passage instead of taking the highway. It was a sunny day, and although it was not very warm, I found some kids who enjoyed playing in the water:







I arrived at my motel in Victoria, BC shortly before sunset, which was at 9:00 pm PDT. A few weeks earlier I had to get adjusted to the midnight sun and now I had to get reacquainted with nighttime darkness.

Tuesday, July 26 – Seattle, WA

On Tuesday morning, I took a brief drive through downtown Victoria, BC before I headed to the ferry terminal.

Victoria, BC:





The BC Provincial Parliament Building in Victoria:



I had to hurry to the ferry terminal, which was about ˝ hour drive north of Victoria. There are hourly ferries between Victoria, BC and Vancouver, BC, but only one daily ferry between Victoria, BC and Anacortes, WA. I arrived at the ferry terminal at about the same time as the ferry. This is the M/V Chelan. She is 328 feet in length, and cruises at 16 knots.



On the Inside Passage, we rarely saw another vessel or any communities, but Puget Sound and the San Juan Islands between Victoria, BC and Anacortes, WA were full of activity. This is Friday Harbor:



We saw plenty of sailboats and powerboats on the water:





After disembarking in Anacortes, I met up with one of the group members who had driven back from Alaska, and together we drove to Seattle. We drove to Queen Anne Hill just north of downtown Seattle to take some pictures, but regrettably, clouds hid Mt. Rainier:





We went to the Seattle waterfront where we ate dinner, then returned to the hill after dark for more pictures:



We checked into a motel near SeaTac airport and I sensed that the end of our trip was getting close.

(continued)

[Russ Chung]

Wednesday, July 27 – Saturday, July 30 – Washington, Oregon and home!

We checked out of the motel and began our journey home. We stopped at the Mt. St. Helens Visitor Center and saw Mt. St. Helens shrouded in clouds:



We drove past Mt. Hood and spent the night in Bend, OR:



On Thursday July 28, we stopped to visit Crater Lake. There is still plenty of snow on the ground at Crater Lake:





We spent Thursday night in Klamath Falls, OR. On Friday, July 29, I headed home via I-5. I stopped to take this picture of Mt. Shasta:



I also stopped to take a break at the Sundial Bridge in Redding, and I turned on the air conditioner on the Jeep for the first time in a month:



By the time I got to Lost Hills, CA, I was tired and decided to get a motel room for the night. I drove the rest of the way home on Saturday morning, July 30. I unloaded the Jeep, went to the post office to pick up the mail that was on hold for me, and cleaned up the Jeep. On Sunday, July 31, I drove to Arizona to return the Grand Cherokee to my daughter and pick up my Wrangler.

The Bottom Line

Gasoline:

I drove a total of 9,095 miles, and consumed a total of 466.6 gallons of unleaded regular. My average MPG was 19.5 mpg.
Total gas purchases = approx. US$1,943.89 (based on exchange rate of CAD$1.00 = US$1.05)
Average gas price = US$4.166 per gallon
Highest gas price = US$5.679 in Ft. Nelson, BC (CAD$1.429 per liter)
Lowest gas price = US$3.269 in Cave Creek, AZ

The 4.7L V-8 Grand Cherokee has a 20 gallon gas tank, so I could drive almost 400 miles before refueling. I carried an extra 5 gallons of gas but I only used it once to avoid paying high prices on the Dalton Highway. I could have done the entire trip without carrying the extra gas can.

My 2005 4.0L Wrangler averages about 15 mpg on the highway. I would have used about 600 gallons of regular unleaded gas for this trip at a cost of about $2,500. I saved about $550 by driving the Grand Cherokee.

Meals

Although I brought my camping gear, I never used any of my cooking equipment.
We usually ate our meals in an inexpensive restaurant or café.

Lodging

I had planned to camp about 20 nights, and stay in motels or on the ferry about 10 nights. Because of bad weather and/or fatigue, I actually stayed in motels or in a cabin aboard the ferry on 19 nights and I stayed in campgrounds on 12 nights.

Ferry:

Haines to Juneau: $114.00
Juneau to Prince Rupert: $633.00
Prince Rupert to Port Hardy: $656.25 (CAD$625.00)
Sidney to Anacortes: $48.00
Total ferry fares for one driver and one vehicle: $1451.25

Communications:

Since I was driving my daughter’s Grand Cherokee, I used a handheld CB and handheld ham radio with mag mount antennas. The U.S. and Canada have a reciprocal agreement, so ham radio operators don’t need to get a Canadian permit. I didn’t try to contact any repeaters, but the repeater maps show good coverage of the Alaska Highway.

We had continuous cell phone coverage until we got to the start of the Alaska Highway, then we had cell phone service only when we were passing through a town. I had arranged with my cell phone carrier (AT&T) for International roaming service while I was in Canada. We had good cell phone coverage in Alaska, but there is no cell phone coverage along the Dalton Highway except in Deadhorse. I discovered that I could also use my cell phone on the ferry from about an hour before arrival at each port until about an hour after departure.

Iridium loaned us two satellite phones and they worked well; I never had a problem getting a dial tone.

[Mitch]

Russ,

Thank you for sharing your incredible adventure. The pictures while traveling via ferry brought back lots of memories for me. I lived on Lopez Island for a year and traveled between Victoria, San Juan, Orcas, Lopez, and Anacortes many times. What a great report and history lesson.

[FishPOET]

Thanks for sharing your incredible adventure.

[RallyeX]

Wow! I got to live my dream road trip thru you! I hope to do this trip some time in the near future. Thanks for taking the time to share your experience with us.

Jeff & Robin

[Britain]

Just fantastic!

[Jason]

I said it before, the ultimate road trip. Thanks for sharing that with us.

[sandjunkie]

Incredible trip. No stop at the Red Dog in Juneau?

[Russ Chung]

Incredible trip. No stop at the Red Dog in Juneau?

I had Ziggy with me, so I walked by it, but I didn't go in. In hindsight, I should have gone to the Red Dog souvenir shop and bought a t-shirt or a hat. This picture was taken one block north of the Red Dog Saloon.

[Jeeperator]

Wow! someday id like to visit up there. Great adventure Russ!