North to Alaska trip

[extremetoy1]

whats happinin?

so what is the scoop on our travelers? its been a week since any info- are they alright? I mean the last entry was from desert dude and not desert dudette...... hmmm seems a little fishy- damn this beats reality TV anyday of the week!!! LOL you guys ROCK !

 

[desertdude]

Just wanted to post a quick note here. We are up in Dawson City, Yukon - we took a day off yesterday to recoup a bit. We had an amazing time with Mark and his family and the Alaska Cruiser Crew - these folks can wheel! - It will be hard to put into words what we have seen and what Mark led us all through - the photos will not due justice to the grandeur and beauty of the interior of AK.

A BIG "ginormous" thank you to the Alaska Cruiser Crew - and to Mark and his family for getting us in and back out. No small feet in this wild wilderness.

More in our blogs after we get back from the Dempster Highway and the town of Inuvik.

Thanks for reading

 

[clarkrw3]

sweet!!! glad you had a good time. We need to have a CSC slide show night when you are back and recovered.

 

[desertgirl66]

Alaska Cruiser Trek

Just wanted to say howdy and let everyone know that we had an amazing and life changing adventure with Mark and the Alaska Cruiser Crew!! We saw wonderful scenery and had lots of late night laughs around the campfire with these awesome Alaskan folks!!

Will post up spme photos when we get some time, but we are off to the top of the world once again!! ;p

 

[desertgirl66]

And just wanted to add----watching Mark and the crew do trail repairs in the rain and mud, and seeing the awesome spirits and resourcefullness of these guys was down right inspiring!!! Whenever some one got a little stuck in the mud or had any issues, there was always a willing and smiling face and rig to help out. Not once did anyone get frustrated or upset with any of the trail repairs. Watching Mark use that portable welder in the rain to fix the leaf spring was really cool!!! No drama, just downright fun and positive energy. i would wheel with these guys again in a heartbeat!!

 

[FirstToy]

Desertdude and girl!! Nice to see you guys are in communications again!

Look fwd to your updates, it's sounding epic!

 

[Snook]

Now I understand how NASA feel when their shuttle goes thru communciation blackout for 10 to 15 minutes during reentry. But here it's been too long....

Cheers,

 

[lowenbrau]

I just got off the phone with Karr. She and Bob are in Fort St John, trying to track down Ratpuke. I'm pretty sure Greg and Clarence were planing to do the same today or tomorrow. I wish they'd all hang out there for a few days since I'm driving up on Friday. I think I'm gonna miss them all though. From all reports everybody had a really good time. I'm so glad to hear it. Mark et al, you guys rock. Alaska is cool, Alaskans are even cooler!

 

[NorCalSam]

Glad to here someone had a good time did you find any precious?

 

[Mark W]

Mark,
Jack didnt split his T-case AGAIN did he?

Nope, not Jack. John.

We went back in on Sunday Morning to replace the T/case. Actually John, Kevin/Lydia and Darrell went in. Darrell was driving Gina's rig. On the way up the front side of Monument, the T/case in Gina's rig snaped!!! Most likely because of an energetic run through a set of whoop de whoops which had the rig bouncing airborne at high/full throttle. We guess anyway.
I got a call from Darrell at about 9:45 am and headed to the shop to get one of my rigs prepped for a run back out.

I decided that my V8 mini was the easiest rig to get ready and that it would be more than up to the challenges of the run (minimal).

Norm went with me for backup on the run , trailering his massive Pig (SOA, 350TBI/SM465/203/3speed case/4.88s/lockers/42x15TSLs

We actually trailered my rig too, just so that we would have a trailer there just in case.

Once we joined up with the others, they had already replaced John's case and we decided to tow Gina's rig out. It was late by then and raining and fixing it in the shop seemed much more appealing.

Long story, which I'll skip for now... Highpoints... It was 5:00 am this morning before we were back. We had a 203 that was refusing to pass power. My 350 had mysteriously lost oil pressure. We had suffered a brake failure on a towed rig on the trail and had a collision between Gina's '40 and my mini. Damaged '40 fender, broken '40 pitman arm, blown tire, crunched bed corner and tail light on the truck.
One hill had required two two vehicles on each of the towed rigs to get them up. Picture 8 locked 36 and 37 inch tires spitting gravel and grapefruit sized rocks at full throttle up a long steep hill in the middle of the night.

To cap it off, Darrell's massively tweaked tow rig shredded the flexplate about 20 miles before we reached Palmer. We left the trailer and John headed home for his truck to tow it. I flatstrapped the one ton dodge back to my place with the limping mini.

Another Alaska Cruiser Crew "Day Trip".


But better to deal with this AFTER the Trek was wrapped up and not have everyone else have to put up with the frustration.


We attribute it all to the Curse of the Abandoned Birfield.

More on that later.


Mark...

 

[Mark W]

While I and the rest of us here certainly appreciate the kind works and compliments, the folks that come all the way up here to join us on these runs are at least as important, if not more so, in making the Treks turn out well. Sharing "our world" with them is a blast. Whether it is driving the seemingly endless trails, troutfishing the pure ancd clean rivers or hiking into hidden vallies, being with these folks as they appreciate this stuff for the first time is what make the Trek special.

As always, the folks who came up for the Trek were some great folks to meet and wheel with. We all made friends that will last for a long time.


Mark...

 

[Mark W]

I seem to have ticked you off...Sorry 'bout that. Meant it more as a joke than anything. I'm completely aware of how hard it is to recover and/or fix rigs in the middle of nowhere. Given where you play, it's just more likely that rigs will become seriously mired or broken.

No big deal and no need to apologize. It did a little, but it shouldn't have. I was tired and not in the mood for what seemed a little like uninfomed heckling. I took it differently than it was intended.

I'm more tired now. that's for sure

Later,


Mark...

 

[semlin]

dang mark, make it annual and I'm there next year.

 

[Mark W]

Naw, you'll have to wait 'til 2008 for the next Trek.

Probably take it back to the Alaska Range between Tok and Paxon in 2008.


If you come up on your own, there is always a good chance that someone will be up for a run. But don't count on a week long jaunt.

Now, if your up to a true hardcore week and you bring up a rig ready for some true exploration... There *might* be a slot open on one of my runs next year. But this will require true backcountry experience. We'll be moving beyond the furthest point reached on the Trek before we we pitch camp the first day.

This will actually be more along the line of a small group of friends who know each others abilities moving out for some exploration in new territory than what we do on the Treks.

Minimal requirements for the rigs will be something like 37+ inch tires (larger prefered) of swamper or bogger or more aggressive variety only, locked at both ends, geared appropriately for the tires with the power to push them (that can be a LOT of power in deep mud or even deep water). Ready for 41/2+ foot deep water crossings. Probably be looking at about 50-60 gallons of gas for each rig. I'd *like* to have Tiny up and on the trails by then... We'll have to see...
Not a "family Friendly" run. More along the lines of MREs for chow, bivvy bags or minimal tents (maybe just tarps), leave the camp stoves and chairs at home kind of outing.


Mark...

 

[semlin]

well even at my current rate of progression I won't be up to 37 boggers in the 80 by next summer so I'll have to wait an extra rotation around the sun. too bad it was too much to think of for this year. post up pics when you gottem...

 

[Mark W]

Can you put 37s on an '80 and still have room to let them work?

Would you really be comfortable driving your DD up and using it HARD for a week on a 300 mile run that would require in place repairs or leaving it for a week or more 'til you could get back with parts if something failed. An FJZ80 is a lot more complex to field fix than a '40... And a lot more sensitive to deep water complications.

And then driving it back down the Alaska Highway to get home...


These are just a couple of questions you would want to ask yourself before looking to join into an outong like this.

I'm not going to get into the "can '80s really wheel" debate. I know how capable they are. But while they are a GREAT rig for the trip up and participation in an Alaska Cruiser Trek, I don't think I would be excited about taking on on the sort of run I'm looking at next year.

(My wife has an SOA FJ62 that was not quite ready for the Trek this year. I expect to have it on the road and trail in a week or two. She has decided that she wants one of the roof top campers for it. And she is seriously shopping for "just the right" FZJ80 now too.)


Mark...

 

[loquito]

She has decided that she wants one of the roof top campers for it. And she is seriously shopping for "just the right" FZJ80 now too.)


Mark...

Mark do you mean a roof top Tent, becouse of DesertDude?
Oh by the way I am always up for 80's shopping if she needs a tag along
https://forum.ih8mud.com/showthread.php?t=43046
This is the roof top tent guy here on mud, I was ganna contact him if I was ever rich enough to outfit my Mall rig.
I think Mike is the person Bruce went through.
Disclamer
I am sure there are others who deal with the tents, I have just never read a single bad comment about Mike.
Steven

 

[Mark W]

There were three different roof top tents on rigs that came up for the Trek. For a less than all out adventure type run, an '80 with a roof top camper is a hard package to beat. Add a light weight, roll out awning off the side of the rig and you can have camp pitched and be sitting out of the rain in under 5 minutes after reaching your destination. Maybe not what you want with kids in trail, but for a couple... Neat stuff.

 

[loquito]

With a platform for sleeping in the back for the grownups and a roof top tent on the trailer. With an encloser between the tent and tailgate so we can yell at the kids when they get to noisy.
See you tomarow.

 

[Mark W]

No, for me the point of the roof top would be to lessen the load and reduce the junk that you have to carry in the rig along with facilitating a quick setup. BTW, all of them along on the Trek were the Maggolina (sp) hardshells. Basically you leave your bedding in the "tent" and set "camp in a couple of minutes.

I see it as a way to not haul a trailer and not take up as much space inside the rig with as much camping gear.

But if I was going to be traveling heavy anyway, putting the rof top tent on top of the M416 would work well too, and keep the center of gravity of th rig a lot lower.
Fortunately I'm done with the yelling at kids while camping phase of my life.


Mark...