Top-Of-The-World Highway and The Dempster Highway

[lajuene]

We're doing the Dempster Highway in Northern Yukon tomorrow to Inuvik and back with a 40 foot diesel towing a Wrangler. Assuming 4 days total. It's 457 miles each way and not paved. Will report current conditions after that. If I never report again send the Mounties!!

We did Top of the World highway from Chicken, Alaska to Dawson, Yukon and it was a piece of cake. Had some rain and some dust. Took 2 days although we could easily do it in 1 since it's about 100 miles but we wanted to overnight just east of the border crossing at a hilltop with 360 degree view.

[Skip426]

Mounties don't respond up there do you speak Eskimo ?

[scenic route]

I admire your sense of adventure...looking forward to the details.

[1ciderdog]

We crossed the Top of the World highway about four days ago from Dawson City to Chicken. I wouldn't say it was a piece of cake. It is certainly do able but there were several stretches where I drove at speeds between 20 and 30 mph for long periods of time. A lot of time in lower gears and I don't think I hit 6th gear until alfter I left Chicken. Perhaps I am overly cautious. I did wave two 5th wheels and one trailer to pass me on straight stretches of dirt/rocky roads. Also, road maintenance crews were watering the road in places and I picked up a lot of dirt/mud on the sides of the RV and trailer. There is also a stretch of new road construction west of the border crossing that is/was quite rough - 13 miles I think it is.

As a side note I was concerned about the ferry at Dawson City but it was not a problem even though I am a bit over 65 feet with the trailer I'm towing. Would I do it again? Yes but not this year.

[RV735]

You can see our travels on the Top of The World Highway on our blog form 2012. It was an adventure that had to be done.

RVGR8escape

Safe travels and THE JOY IS IN THE RIDE

[lajuene]

Originally Posted by 1ciderdog

We crossed the Top of the World highway about four days ago from Dawson City to Chicken. I wouldn't say it was a piece of cake....

Well ok, not really great cake

We never got out of 3rd I think and some in 2nd. Same here on the 20-30 mph.
We took 2 days to do it so it was only easy because we savored it. awesome trip but will never do it again. been there done that considering the downsides of dirt and wear and tear on all systems but what a story at the campfire!!

[lajuene]

Ended up stopping at the NWT border just past the Arctic Circle on the Dempster. just too long a drive with the rough spots taking there toll on us and the dust just as advertised!

We will never do it again (in an RV, maybe in our jeep) but I'm really glad we did it. 80% of the 290 miles north was not bad at all, pretty smooth but that 20%? no speed made it smooth 10-20 was still rough, too many bumps and small holes to drive around. If they made that 20% as good as the other 80% the trip would have been all good (but the dust).

We will be de-dusting for months. Wife has been doing inside and I've been doing the bays and outside.

3 windshield chips were repaired but the last one was a big bullseye and it spread a foot right away so 1 side of the windshield will have to be replaced. We kind of expected that on this trip. thousands of miles even if all paved would bring some issues. Actually the big bullseye was on the paved Alaska Highway a couple hours north of Dawson Creek on our way back south 2 days ago. We're in Dawson Creek for 2 weeks now to lick our wounds.

[Superslif]

Thanx for the your personal view on that section of the Yukon. Were planning a 2016 trip and are on the fence about the TOW route. Can I ask a ? here.

We have a hybrid RV trailer, do you think it will be any issues boon docking at pull offs or state parks along the Alcan?. We camped in bear country of Northern PA., Shenandoah NP. We have tent camped near Valdez 10 year ago, have seen tent campers in some of the sate parks around Fairbanks.

[1ciderdog]

On our trip up we just pulled off at wide spots and spent the night. We did not have any problem - no one stopped to check on us or to bother us. We crossed at Sumas WA and spent the first night at the Walmart in Abbotsford. Went in and picked up a few items and changed some US currency for Canada currency. Took several nights to get to Whitehorse where we stayed three nights at the Pioneer RV park. Then spent overnights along the highway up to Dawson where again we stayed in an RV park. IF you stay in Whitehorse try to see the Frantic Follies. Pretty good entertainment in my humble opinion.

[lajuene]

Originally Posted by Superslif

Thanx for the your personal view on that section of the Yukon. Were planning a 2016 trip and are on the fence about the TOW route. Can I ask a ? here.

We have a hybrid RV trailer, do you think it will be any issues boon docking at pull offs or state parks along the Alcan?. We camped in bear country of Northern PA., Shenandoah NP. We have tent camped near Valdez 10 year ago, have seen tent campers in some of the sate parks around Fairbanks.

TONS of pull offs and most have no signs prohibiting overnighting. We stayed in pulloffs most of the time. If you don't HAVE to have hookups then by all means camp in pulloffs. Some are hard to get a level spot some are great. if you don't like one drive 10 miles or so and you'll see another one. Sunset was really late for most of the trip including some places where it didn't set. We took photos of the sunset at one place and it was 1:25 AM on the top of the world highway near the US/Canada border. Awsome spot by the way for an over night stay. no one around and 360 degree view from the top of a hill. you can read about it here:



and here:
http://walkaboutwithwheels.blogspot....-in-yukon.html

Go... but take your time and figure on cleaning a lot afterwards.

[1ciderdog]

Two areas I noticed no overnight parking signs were on the Alaska highway, Yukon Territory, to the west of Watson Lake and the other was at rest stops near Denali National Park. But in both areas there are pull offs not identied as rest stops without those no overnight parking signs.