Alaska Cruiser Trek 2006 (1 Viewer)

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Mark W

Yep, it's true. I just don't care that much.
Joined
Jan 7, 2005
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The Greatland
Well, the time has come. Still working on a few details, but it's time for me to pull the trigger and make the anouncement. I'm posting this on the LCML and also on MUD in the Events section to make sure that everyone has a chance to see it.

The Alaska Cruiser Trek 2006 is gonna happen. A few have been chatting about it a little bit and there have been a couple references to it on the List. I've got an "Offical" anouncment coming out in the November/December Trails which is about to show up in people's mailboxes.

For those who have inquired and been told to "be patient", here's a little info.

The Trek will happen 8 July though 14 July. We'll be leaving the road on the 8th and retunring to the road on the 14th. We will be moving over to the Eastern side of the Talkeetna Mountains this year, instead of wandering along the southern edge of the Alaska Range as we did in 2002 and 2003. Peter Straub, Bruce Lowen and some of the other folks who came up in 2001 have seen a little bit of this area with us. We'll be seeing some wooded lowlands, alpine tundra highlands, gravel river bottoms, deep rover crossings, steep hill climbs, muddy bogs, rocky mountain tops, waterfalls, beaver ponds , probably some caribou, maybe some bear, and hopefully no other people.

As usual the Trek is not designed to be an all out hardcore run. But it is NOT a couple of days running fire roads and ranch roads either. Think of it as a mix of very hardcore sight seeing and "almost wilderness" expediationing.

If some of the guys who have been up with us before want to pop up and offer their take(s) on the Treks in 2001, 2002 and 2003 that might be more enlightening than my opinions. More appropriate frame of reference. Stuff I think not worth mentioning may seem more important to folks who haven't played in our type of environment. And stuff that I think is noteworthy may seem ho-hum to others.


Anyway, I'll just invite anyone who has any questions about the Trek or the journey up to toss them out and I'll toss back some answers.



Mark...
 
Man, if I could somehow work it out to go i'd be there. Have fun whoever makes it up!
 
You've peaked my interest... I might have to start saving for the fuel now!

-Matt
 
Unfortunately, the Trek is a killer in terms of both fuel costs and vacation time for most people. :(

It takes a while to get here, you want at least a day to rest from the road before hitting the trail and ideally you'll have a day after the trail before you hit the highway south again. Most people won't be up to heading for work the day after they get home either.


Mark...
 
Man, that is the trip i have been dreaming of. I can't this time, but i will agressivly attempt the next trip for sure. Just need to get the truck and finances in order, then i'm there.

Please keep this trip around for another year or two.

Does anyone have a ballpark figure on how much it would cost to have a FZJ80 shipped from NC to Washington? I would like to fly out and then drive up the alcan hwy.
 
This trip would be a breze for me... here's the mapquest:
http://tinyurl.com/9x9p6

Total Est. Time: 72 hours, 22 minutes
Total Est. Distance: 4297.71 miles


I bet I could do it in 71 hrs, 19 Mins...
 
Mark, are you talking about pushing furher in from the Eureka Highlands area?

The feeling I got in that area when we were repeatedly driving over distant horizons with nothing in between but rivers, bogs, and tundra was amazing. Scouting trails where the only tracks besides your own are caribou, wolves and bears is a moving experince for any outsider.

If there is anyway to swing it anybody considering it should work hard to make it happen. The only thing better than the breathtaking landscape is the hospitality of the Alaska Cruiser Crew. I miss you guys and think about you often. Katherine and I will be back. Now, you've got me thinking again.

In 2001, we attended the first Alaska Cruiser Trek by sticking it in the middle of a two month Alaska road trip. We logged 11,000 miles in the cruiser. :cool:

The drive North is great, British Columbia, Yukon are huge and beautiful. I would allow a week each way.

I'm going to have to go back and look at my pictures...

ACT 2001 Wheeling Pics AND Vacation Photos (as updated "on the road")

P7080001.jpeg


high34.jpeg


P8010050.jpeg


P7090032.jpeg
 
Wow.


That sounds like the ultimate adventure. Just the sort of thing we are building the rig for.

I would also like to tour the states and see South American too.

That mud..... the cruiser hates mud! It's almost 7,000lbs!

I've hered of the tundra eating trucks for lunch.

So.............. Northern Cal Crew could we do this trip in about two weeks and still have fun ie. get some break and or rest?

Sam
 
pismojim said:
Mark, are you talking about pushing furher in from the Eureka Highlands area?

That's part of it. We'll be taking some different trails than what we ran closer to the road. We'll be retracng some of the routes we followed further in and also pushing further north and further east into the mountains.


Love to see ya back Jim. :)


Mark...
 
NorCalSam said:
So.............. Northern Cal Crew could we do this trip in about two weeks and still have fun ie. get some break and or rest?

Sam


Extremely doubtful.

The run itself will be a full seven days. That leaves you 3 and a half days each way. It's about 3100 miles from Shasta Ca. to Anchorage AK. About 130 less if you just meet us at the trailhead instead of going into Anchorage and back (but then you have no chance for any resupply, groceries or whatever). 55 hours of drive time. If you push 15 hours a day on the road. You can cover it in that time. But that assumes that you reach the trailhead, lock the hubs and turn right. On the way out, you unlock the hubs when you hit the road and head south with no delay. You're gonna be beat after a run up the highway like that. You'll want a day to rest before hitting the trails for a hard week. And you will need a day after the run before hitting the highway again. And that is assuming no problems or complications at all.

I would not reccomend it. It's not the way to enjoy this event. If you add another 4 days to your total time then it looks a lot more doable. Another 2 or three for a total of three weeks woulod be ideal for most making the trip from mid to north California I would think.

Your thoughts Jim? Am I too pessimistic?


Mark...
 
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Ok well i have many questions about this.
One would some one from say bellingham Wa be able to do this?
also you say this s=has some hard core to it.
So would a 96 lx450 with 2.5 lift, arb, no lockers and streeet tires be able to do this? ive done a bit of wheeling here in Wa and these tires arnt fond of mud so im assuming no?

where are you guys starting from?

thanks
any and all info would be appreciated

mike
 
I'm not sure what you're asking about when you say; "would some one from say bellingham Wa be able to do this? "... Sure, we'll accept folks from Bellingham. We don't discriminate. ;)

Minimum requirements for all vehicles include (among other things) at least 33x12.50 mud terrain type tires and at least one locker. Much of the trail would be doable by a rig with street tires and no lockers. But enough will not be...

Hardcore depends on your definition. We'll be crossing a lot more water than most guys have ever encountered. If your rig doesn't handle mud well, then there will definitely be "hardcore" sections for you. We'll be traversing places where no rig has gone for a couple of decades. Maybe EVER if we get the right bunch of guys and rigs.

But "hardcore is a pretty subjective term. ;)


Mark...

We will be using a trailhead about a mile east of Eureka Roadhouse. (90 miles east of Palmer). Maybe a trailhead another 2-3 miles or so east of there. Maybe both.
 
pismojim said:
Mark, are you talking about pushing furher in from the Eureka Highlands area?

The feeling I got in that area when we were repeatedly driving over distant horizons with nothing in between but rivers, bogs, and tundra was amazing. Scouting trails where the only tracks besides your own are caribou, wolves and bears is a moving experince for any outsider.



Large snipage

Hey......... whered you get the picture of that fat ass winch monkey!!!


Hey jim, load up Ruby and Katherine and head north you know your always welcome and besides, Ruby realy likes it in my driveway and backyard for that matter. Plan on flying home : )

hehehe

Hey Jim tell em about the day trips

hehehe,

Greg
 
The first trek was a blast! I took the entire month off and it wasn't enough. Drove up the hwy and took the ferry back. GREAT time!

Wish I could afford to do it. Dam bills.

Mike Koons
Akaska Crusier Trek 2001 attendee
77 fj40 lifted, locked, attend the trek
89 fj62 lifted, locked, built for next time
99 F350 The Hauler
 
Mark, I need to call you back anyway, but I'll ask here:

How about 33x12.5 mall terrains + chains? I don't want to fork out for new tires when I'm planning on going much bigger with my next set, and I'm not sure I could find a set to borrow.

I'm really interested in this, I think I might actually be able to make it happen this time. Not gonna let work screw me out of it at the last second again :mad:
 
I haven't mentioned it here, largely be cause it's not an approach I am encourageing. But mall terrains of the proper size with a set of chains available for when/if we hit an extended area of slop IS an acceptable approach. Just make sure that you have got room to run the chains over rough terrain. This may work as well or even better than plain old "mud terrain" tires in some situations. In other it will not work as well. You may find yourself having more problems in areas that are not quite bad enough or long enough to justify putting the chains on. But overall this approach will be okay.


Mark...
 
I was thinking of adding some 1.5" wheel spacers to give the steering some room. I'll hopefully have a 2" body lift on by then, and can cut away the fenders if need be. For the most part I'm also not afraid to run them on harder pack; it's long runs down riverbeds with sloppy crossings that I can see being a hassle.

How much fuel are you reccomending be brought?
 
Advent said:
it's long runs down riverbeds with sloppy crossings that I can see being a hassle.
I would beg borrow or steal some muddies (and still bring the chainis).

Hassle is an under statement as you learn the meaning of RTDS and Day Trip.

Alaska is a BIG place and the ACC is accustomed to covering lots of ground FAST. It reminded me of an offroad Baja rally. If there is 100 ft stretch of smooth trail, you up shift and floor it. ;)

Put it this way, a beer (or Coke) run of a hundred miles - one way - is child's play. These guys live 300-400 miles apart and consider themselves next door neighbors. They carry extra fuel (a sleeping bag and some MREs) when they go next door.

Did I say I loved it?

Official DSRT member,
 
akcruzers said:
...besides, Ruby realy likes it in my driveway and backyard for that matter. Plan on flying home : )

Wait a minute, I see that list under your name. Plus, I suspect you've got a couple scoped out or stashed in a shed that you're keeping quiet.

What's the matter? Cam won't let you drive'em?
 

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