I was wondering if it is possible to drive from Houston to Anchorage Alaska about late febuary mid-march 2008?

Answer 1

I drove up there from FLorida last year in late April. My friends, who drive tour buses for Princess Cruise Lines, in Juneau drove to Skagway in the time frame you are talking about. Both of us experianced snow fall on the passes above Ft. Nelson. We both were driving diesel pusher motorhomes.

It's doable since the trucking industry does not stop for Winter. When you arrive you will see some strange sights. The trucks have Moose guards on the front of their trucks. These are not unlike the little bush guards they sell at auto parts stores for pick-ups. The only differences are, the ones trucks use in Canada & Alaska are real. They must stop a 2,000 pound Moose from disabling the truck. Four or five 12" diameter lights will be mounted on the roof of the truck for lighting the roadway.

You will see Moose, Caribou, Buffalo (Bison) and bears on the roadway. You will find that airplanes have the right of way on roads. It is your resonsibility to watch for animals and airplanes.

The only book you will need for traveling the Alaskan Highway is the Milepost. http://themilepost.com/cgi-bin/ez-referrer.pl?http://themilepost.com/reciplink/milepost.html We purchased ours at Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Milepost-2007-Kris-Valencia/dp/1892154196 at a much cheaper price before our 2006 trip. This is the Alaskan Highway Travelers bible. All other books are either replicas or inferior compared to The Milepost. If there is going to be a problem with finding fuel, food and lodging, you should find it here.

You could just find an older used copy since most of the places to stay will be closed on your way up. The book lists all fuel stops, Hotel/Motels, Resturants, Museums and everyplace to see and do everything. All side roads are listed with their sights.

You will have a smoother trip than I did. You won't have to worry about the frost heaves, that's really mean bumps where the pavement freezes and buckles. The road will be hard packed snow in the time period when you want to travel.

Have a safe trip and enjoy

View my Blog on Yahoo 360 for pictures and comments on our 2006 Alaskan trip by motorhome.

Answer 2

What do you mean, possible?

I'm sure you've already researched this. But keep in mind that it is a very VERY long drive. I personally have never done the drive up there, but my dad has and I have an aunt and uncle that live in Anchorage. This is what they have told me.

1)The drive across Canada to Alaska has a better road then it used to, it didn't used to be paved in all places. It is now, I believe. But I think it may not be maintained well, with potholes, etc. and it's possible parts are still unpaved.

2)On that highway you will go MILES before you find another place to stop. I recommend researching ahead of time and finding out where you will need to stop for the evening and where to stop for gas.

3)likewise, be absolutely sure your car is in good workign condition before you go. There will be few places to get help if your car broke down.

4)you'll want to have a set of chains for your tires. I would suspect that snow/ice would be quite possible this time of the year.

I've always wanted to do this drive too. I hope you get to do it. Below I've attached some links that I hope will be helpful to you! Good luck :)

Answer 3

Do you have practise driving in snow?
If yes, then it's do-able.
Total Est. Time: 72 hours, 11 minutes driving time.
Total Est. Distance: 4480.31 miles.
Take chains.
Keep an eye on the weather reports. If a snow storm is gathering, get into a motel and don't start moving again until the locals do.
If you don't have practise driving in snow--wait for summer.

Answer 4

Houston, AK to Anchorage, AK? Sure, it is about 80 miles along and the highway is cleared.

Oh, did you mean Houston, TX?