Alaskan guided treks

ncflyguy69 · 11-19-2012, 06:32 PM

We're debating going to Alaska '13 summer and would like to know if anybody has had any experience with any of the Alaskan trekking groups - this will be in lieu of doing the inland cruise - thanks for any info
ncflyguy

bailer6334 · 11-19-2012, 06:55 PM

In 2007 we meet up in Dawson Creek with Adventure Treks for a 35 day RV Alaska trip. For our first trip going alone we felt more comfortable doing it this way. We were looking for some specific things out of a tour, and I would say we were happy with the results. While they cost more than going it alone, we felt it was worth it. In 2009 we did a inlet passage cruise into Alaska to see the things we could not see by land. That being said in 2014 we plan another trip to the Yukon & Alaska to see new areas and in some cases go back to areas we saw previously, now that we know what its like and what to expect. I suggest you look at the many tour companies and compare itenerary's and costs if you go that route. They will also give you helpful infor if you do it yourself. A lot of folks do tours and a lot don't.

After being there, theirs no place on earth like it.

Grimesy · 11-19-2012, 11:20 PM

Went with WIT in 2002 and still remain close friends with our fellow caravaners. Trip was wonderful, did every touristy thing which were all prepaid other than a side trip to the Arctic Circle. Knew where we were spending each night, had loose itineraries provided for each days travel, had great meals and when we spoke with other caravans which were camped in the same area WIT gave us far more of our monies worth than the others.

We were in the last caravan of the year and as we were leaving gates were closed for the season. This late date allowed us to witness the Northern Lights and were not" bugged" by flies.

Could we go cheaper, maybe, but probably would not do and see as much. It was also nice to know that if something went wrong there was knowleable back up.

Don, WIT 70041

bachler · 11-20-2012, 07:33 AM

We took the Land trip with someone that had taken it several times before in tours. They did all the booking of campgrounds/Goldmining/Shows. It was 2 months long. one of the best trips, we have ever taken.. If you do it Those memories will be Priceless In your lifetime... Life is good

dennis45 · 11-20-2012, 11:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ncflyguy69

We're debating going to Alaska '13 summer and would like to know if anybody has had any experience with any of the Alaskan trekking groups - this will be in lieu of doing the inland cruise - thanks for any info
ncflyguy

We have made a booking with Adventure Treks leaving Dawson Creek on June22/13 for their
50 Day tour. We picked this one because it had very good reviews and is limited to 15 rigs. Spoke with them on the phone and they seemed to know their stuff and were very friendly.
We did not want to get into one of the larger tours that seemed pretty regimented. Had considered going on our own but felt we would enjoy the company of a small group, not to mention the securuity aspect.

Adventure Treks - Small RV Caravans

W8RLM · 11-20-2012, 04:31 PM

We did the WIT tour in 2005. Great experience. We had three other couples from our local club on the caravan which made for alot of fun. We enjoy meeting up with others from the tour at other WIT events.

One disappointing point. It looks like WIT no longer goes to Dawson City and travel the Top of the World Highway. I understand that the highway is open again. Hopefully, that will change. They still go to Chicken from Tok, Alaska - something that should be experienced. Dawson City is a fun place to see.

W8RLM - Bob

bachler · 11-21-2012, 08:58 AM

As I stated we have taken the trip. And done a lot of research on the caravanes. It was also stated the the Top of the world and Chicken were possabley dropped. when we got back we had a pig barbeque at our place for all the caravane Pertisipents. We reviewed the caravane; and it was the consences the the Chicken hyway Loop was one no one would take again, as they did not like the Gravel rough road. I/we can agree or disagree that was the facts.. If one reviews the caravanes they basicly all take the same routes. as there are not a lot of routes to chouse from. (no spell HCECK)

EDALLSAILS · 11-21-2012, 10:04 AM

Why take a caravan? Roads only go North & South or East & West. Pick the cities and places YOU want to see. We went on a caravan and wouldn't do it again. Sometimes you spend 2 or 3 days at a Nothing place. then when you are some where you'd like to spend extra time you have to leave with the caravan. They pick the places to see, places to eat and times of departure. And you can travel alone or with one or two of your friends for LESS money. CARAVANs don't save you any money, in fact in most cases they cost more. We don't like being told we have to get up, depart, arrive, go eat at someone elses schedule. We're capable of picking our own iternary. We spoke to quite a number of people on different caravans and they all complained about timings and site selections. have a good trip....ed

W8RLM · 11-21-2012, 03:56 PM

I agree with Bachler from the standpoint that the Top of the World Highway is gravel and dirt. However, if you spread out between motorhomes, its not too bad - just go slow. But I agree that I wouldn't do it a second time. I do believe that Dawson City is a great place to visit, and there is a good campground there. We were there at the longest day of the year and we took the cars and climbed a hill behind the campground. We watched the sun barely dip below the horizon and then come back up. It was a fun time.

Safe Travels and HappyThanksgiving
W8RLM - Bob

Wannabe · 11-21-2012, 08:19 PM

We toured western Canada and Alaska for 3 months in 2007 with one other couple. We both had similar 5th wheels and trucks and really had a great trip. We made virtually no reservations except to call the same day and see what was available. The trick is to take your time and drive slowly without being pressured to be anywhere. One day we only went 50 miles and another day we actually went backwards. I had one tire with a slow leak that I finally got fixed in Anchorage and the other couple had one small rock ding.
I really believe that having just the two of us helped make the trip enjoyable because we only did what we wanted and flipped a coin if we didn't want to do something. It's a trip to remember!

Beabop · 11-22-2012, 08:17 PM

In 04 we were going to go with WIT but they were leaving too late so we bought a Milepost and went by ourselves. We did everything that WIT was going to do and much more. We would not do the Top of the World again as the road was rough from the caterpillar tractors , it was very dry and when we got to Fast Eddies saw that several caravans were trapped at Chicken and were there several days. Luckily we were ahead of them. We spent 2 months and met many locals and we stayed at many service clubs. Legion, VFW, and Elks. Next time we are going on the cruise to the islands we missed by land. We used the money we saved to do things like an airplane ride over Denali, not to be missed. We parked 1 night on the beach at Haines and had dozens of Eagles fishing near us , another night we pulled off at a lake and a young moose broused by the coach all night long. We were in Anchorage for the combat fishing and Hyder for the salmon run with all the bears. It's a wonderful trip. We have done rallies but not caravans. We met Adventure at Calgory for the Stampede and we are doing the Rose Bowl Parade with Fantasy. Whatever you decide I'm sure you will have a grand time. If you meet at Dawson you will be doing Canada by yourself anyway.

billyb · 11-23-2012, 04:21 AM

we did the "tracks to adventure" back in 2006 and still think it was the trip of a lifetime. they now have merged with the 'adventure" outfit i believe. they are costly , but they have all the big things booked and campsites taken, and did provide all the transportation to shows restaurants etc, so we didn,t need our toad.

sdlowe11 · 11-23-2012, 01:18 PM

My wife and I spent a lot of time studying the "caraventure" option before deciding to go on our own this year. We ended up using the caraventure routes and one of the options (#1) in the Milepost to plot our overall trip. Please do not take this trip without a current Milepost, whether you travel on your own or not.

Obviously, one of the main factors is how much time do you have available to do the trip? We had just retired and this was our first major journey as full-timers. As previously mentioned, the caravans move along very quickly and you are locked into their schedule. Several folks we spoke with from these groups regretted that they could not stay longer at certain locations. We started in April and spent 37 days in Canada and 73 days in Alaska. We then took the Alaska Marine Highway ferry back from Haines, AK to Prince Rupert, BC for the drive back into the lower 48. We felt like we covered every area we wanted to and were so happy not to be rushed. It really is not difficult to do this trip on your own, as far as the overall route and stops are concerned. Getting reservations along the way was not an issue for us, except a couple of times during the salmon season in late July.

That said, we also did not feel like we wanted to be committed to the group dinners, events and schedules of several other folks. However, we are younger than most retirees and probably considered more as "loners". Many people are probably comfortable spending more time with other folks on an adventure than we are. Feel free to check out our adventure at: The Lowe's RV adventures
We put a lot of effort into it and hope it will be helpful, at least while it is fairly current.

Another issue was having help available if something went wrong. The respondents to this thread can testify to the fact that parts of the Canadian BC and Yukon territories are very isolated with extremely limited services. We took this trip in a fairly new motorhome and towed a new car, but it was always on my mind that this was an area where I did not want to break down! Many of the caravans bring along either a mechanic or a very knowledgable person who can take care of common problems. At any rate, you are with other people who can help if needed. A plus for caravans.

I will say from personal experience that I WOULD NOT RECOMMEND taking a large RV through Chicken and over the Top of the World highway, especially if you can take a car instead. We left our RV at Tok and took our car, and we're glad we did - it's a fantastic excursion. But several RV's had recently "gone over the edge" up there, and others came back to Tok needing welding repairs. Who needs that while on a vacation? Not worth it - I would have gladly rented a car if I had not had my own.

Good luck, no matter which choice you make. As others have stated, it is the trip of a lifetime!

1ciderdog · 11-23-2012, 05:40 PM

We did Alaska four or five years ago but not in a group or caravan and found the Milepost to be great. We are planning another trip up this coming summer and will have the Milepost when the 2013 edition comes out. Mentioned in another Alaska thread is the Travelers guide to Alaska Camping. We bought that and it also has a good deal of information including a suggested trip routing. You might consider adding that to your book list even if you go in a caravan. Last year we took an Alaska Cruise and that also was great.