rotti said:
Thanks for sharing, great pictures....I have been debating the drive up recently and I like your idea of the ferry for part of the trip.
Some questions:
Would you still recommend the middle of August time frame (I"ll take cold over bugs any time)?
Care to add anymore details on the ferry, cost, companies, etc.?
Anything you would do different if repeating the trip today?
Thanks!
Time of the year. We like late summer for our northern trips. We have made three trips starting in June and it wasn't to bad,but there were more bugs.The bugs are mostly gone last of July , and seem to be fewer people.
As for cold our last trip 2011. We were gone from Aug 17th to Sept 23rd cold weather isn't the problem where we went . But you start getting some rain.
Ferry costs.
Alaska Marine hwy from Bellingham to Haynes camper, two people, stateroom, it's 3 nights ,you can just sleep around the ferry but this one has a lot of people on it for us to do that, think that leg was about $1,900. On the smaller ferries if it's just a night or two you can sleep up on deck in the enclosed area at the aft end of the ferry. We have done that several times. You just bring your sleeping bag and find a chaise lounge. The area is even heated. It's a trip. Even my two daughters liked it. It's one of the best things. You get to see lots of things. Keep in mind the ferry uses the shallower water of the inland passage so you get close to the shore and can see "stuff"
We had to change plans due to the Cassiar being closed. We made the decision at Watson Lake that if there was ferry space we would back track to Skagway (instead of driving the Alcan back south home )to catch ferries to Prince Rupert than the BC ferry to Port Hardy.
This added about another $800 in ferry amounts. The BC ferry is about $800, but we had our canoe so we had a height overage of $150. They seem to be fairly strict about height,at least at the time.it was 7'2",before you payed extra.
So we had about 4,000$ in ferry amounts.
Our gas amount for the trip was about $1.400. I think we would have spent at least $600 /$700 for gas from Watson Lake home via the Alcan.
Going up we would do the same,we like the ferries. Coming home we would still try the Cassiar than at Kitawanga head east to Prince George than south through the Frasier River valley and cross the border at Sumas,than home on some of I-5 than maybe over to the coast after Seattle.
Hope this helps.
I think that this a trip worth the time and money,if you like animals,fishing and scenery that will blow your mind.
Frank
