It’s 2,500 miles from Salt Lake City, UT to Valdez, AK and the Alaskan Highway while stunning can also be treacherous if weather is present. We were lucky on our drive up to only hit a little weather and enjoy the landscape. Before we hit the Yukon we were able to camp out each night in Wal-Mart parking lots and took full dumping advantage in their restrooms in the mornings.
A little hiccup at the border crossing with emigration for our cinematographer Brian but once we got into Canada we put the petal to the metal and kept the rubber side down. Gas station junk food such as Cheezies kept us going while we averaged 13-16 hour days to make the most of our time. If you’ve never had Cheezies they’re way better than Cheetos!
The Liard Hot Springs are a must stop and great way to break up the long drive. We soaked out bones for an evening with fellow gypsy travelers in the parking lot and then proceeded to drive deeper into the Yukon where you’re lucky to see a gas station every 300 miles. The gas pumps are also the old school pumps without a credit card reader so the attendant inside has to turn on the pump which means once they close down for the day you can’t get gas. Planning is key. Spare tires, serpentine belts and gas cans are essential.
After the long drive we pulled into Haines Summit Pass where we would have to wait for almost nine days of cloudy weather before we could actually get out on the road.
