July 1, 2013 - Main Plan (Going)

I have decided that the main route we will take will be from DC to arond the east side of Lake Superior via either Ottawa or Toronto, then on to Banff and Jasper, up to the ALACN ("Alaska Highway") to Fairbanks, and then up to our old stomping grounds on the North Slope to Prudhoe Bay. This is shown on the below map.  The map beneath it show some possible variations or sidetrips and the possible routes back home. (Click on the map to enlarge.)

Here are some variations or sidetrips, plus a couple of routes back home, explained beneath the map. (Click on the map to enlarge.)

The black line shows the main route depicted in the first photo.

The brown line by the ON (Ontario) shows a possible sidetrip to Lake Bukemiga, where Leben,  Erde and I spent an intresting eveing in 2011.

The yellow line shows a possible alternative route from Japser (Alberta) to the AlCAN via a little place called Kitwanga (BC) which is most noted (by me anyway) for its famous sign, "North to Alaska." If you don;t believe me Google Earth it and go to the street view and see for yourself.

Back on the ALCAN, I might decide to take a sidetrip or detour of a couple of thousand miles and head up to Inuvik, NorhtWest Territories near the Arctuc Ocean. (Red line.)  The 500-mile dirt and gravle Dempster Highway that goes there is only one of two roads in North America that cross the Arctic Circle.

At Fairbanks, the end of the ALCAN, we hope to head up to Prodhoe Bay from there, along the Dalton Highway, the 500-mile dirt and gravel road, which is the only other road in North America that crosses the Arctic Circle. This will be the end of the Outward Bound leg of the trip, 5880 miles form home.

The blue line shows the first portion of the return trip, down to Fairbanks and then Denali, hopefully a sidetrip to the end of the road in Denali if we win the July 15th lottery, and then perhaps on to Anchorage for a few sidetrips.  From there, it is not clear if we will head to Juneau to hope aboard the five-day ferry to Seattle, Washingon, where I hope to spend a few days on Vancouver Island (and maybe in Canda, too).

Depending upon any number of factors, the last leg of the trip may either be directly home to DC (orange line) or perhaps a sidetrip (light purple line) down the western coastal highway to Coit Tower in San Francisco, where we will turn the Defender around, point it northeast, and head home, 7 days distant.

All of these lines and the underlying plans are, of course, subect to change.  While I have plans in mind, whim and the wind will be the two main spirits that move us in one direction or another. Right now, there are only three entires in my 90-day itinerary: Leave DC July 15, Denali September 15, Home October 15.  Your guess is as good as mine about what those in-between dates will be filled in with.