Driving vs Flying to AK

[Wireman07]

Does anyone have the logistics for driving vs flying to hunt the haul road? Thanks!

 

[Roguemountainhunter]

Following.

 

[Yukon Cornelius]

Does anyone have the logistics for driving vs flying to hunt the haul road? Thanks!

I prefer to drive it, but I live here.

 

[jdmaxwell]

Yes. Rent truck in Fairbanks.
Drive North. Take extra gas and tires
Go Hunt

 

[Lil-Rokslider]

Driving takes longer

 

[AKBorn]

I think guys have done it, but you need a solid plan for keeping your meat cold on the drive home.

 

[Weldor]

I know guys who have done it. Small enclosed trailer with 2 freezers and a generator. Worked like a charm, run the gen at night when you stop. Freezers are just giant coolers during the day.

 

[justinspicher]

Driving up and back is just part of the adventure.

 

[dutch_henry]

If you have the time, drive it at least once in your lifetime. Between the arctic wilderness, the wildlife, the pipeline, and being around other like-minded people, it's one of a handful of distinct American road trips. As @Wedlor says, freezer and a generator works a trick.

You could probably piece together a combi trip too--for example driving then an air taxi out of Coldfoot like Coyote Air (don't know them personally--just that they're there)

 

[Mojave]

Here is my itinerary sample driving versus flying to Alaska, non hunting trip.

Driving dragging a Uhaul trailer with the wife and 3 kids:
Day 1. Cheyenne to Thermopolis, Wyoming so we could swim at the Star Plunge.
Day 2. Thermopolis to Great Falls, MT. Stayed at Military Lodging at the Air Force Base in Great Falls.
Day 3. Great Falls to Red Deer Alberta, crossing the border took about an hour with guns. They did not make us unpack the Uhaul. Stayed Holiday Inn Expess.
Day 4. Red Deer to Fort St. John. One of the kids was 2 she got poop bound so we ended up at the Hospital that night. Stayed Holiday Inn Expess.
Day 5. FSJ to Muncho Lake Campground. Stayed in a tent. All 5 of us, yes there were bears.
Day 6. Muncho Lake to Whitehorse. We stayed in a hotel in town. It was right on the ALCAN. I do not know the name of it. Sucked, but it was fine.
Day 7. Whitehorse to Tok. Every hotel in Tok was $300 or full. So we slept in the truck topper and the truck in the campground.
Day 8. Tok to Anchorage.
We saw 14 black bears, 1 grizzly, over 20 moose, 10 caribou, stone sheep, mountain goats, and millions of bison.


When we moved back to the lower 48 later that year for another DOD job. We did the same thing in reverse, but I did it alone. Wife and Kids flew back.
Day 1. Anchorage to Beaver Creek. Got a hotel very heavy snow in September.
Day 2. Beaver Creek to a gravel pit near Muncho Lake. Why pay to camp if you are sleeping in your truck.
Day 3. Muncho to Fort Saint John.
Day 4. Fort Saint John to Great Falls.
Day 5. Great Falls to Tonapah Nevada.
Day 6. TNP to Ridgecrest, CA.

Saw no bears, or moose, but I saw sheep, elk, caribou and millions of bison.

Wife and kids flying in 10 hours Anchorage to San Diego.

The 6 days, I spent I slept every night and other than the first day I drover 12-16 hours a day. You can't do much more than that, there is too much wildlife and fatigue will kill you.

 

[Wireman07]

Thanks everyone!

 

[Rich M]

Probably costs about the same.

Make sure you have good tires and plenty of time.

 

[keller]

I drove it and loved it 3 drivers on way up 2 on way back.up was awesome gained an hour every day cooked in daylight. Back was 14 hrs per day driving losing an hour a day cooking in the dark. But I would do it again in a heart beat!!!

 

[VernAK]

It's just another adventure that I have enjoyed several dozen times as I drove out every fall for deer and pheasants in the midwest.......until Covid.

 

[Wireman07]

It's just another adventure that I have enjoyed several dozen times as I drove out every fall for deer and pheasants in the midwest.......until Covid.

VernAK, where abouts do you hunt pheasants?

 

[VernAK]

Faulkton and Brookings mostly........a bit with Ryan in Watertown. Covid and an injury have sidelined me for a bit.

 

[Wireman07]

Faulkton and Brookings mostly........a bit with Ryan in Watertown. Covid and an injury have sidelined me for a bit.

That's awesome I'm from Watertown. If you ever get back here and want to catch walleye and perch sometime look me up, I have access to 2 private lakes that are very good!

 

[VernAK]

That's awesome I'm from Watertown. If you ever get back here and want to catch walleye and perch sometime look me up, I have access to 2 private lakes that are very good!

I'm surprised you have any fish left being that close to Minnesota.

Is that bull moose still hanging in Fleet store?

 

[Wireman07]

No kidding, we get lots of Minn guys over here hunting and fishing. The moose is still hanging. Did you shoot that moose?

 

[VernAK]

No kidding, we get lots of Minn guys over here hunting and fishing. The moose is still hanging. Did you shoot that moose?

My friend Ryan from Watertown was here hunting with me.