This weekend I finished up a 2 month 10,000 mile trip from Colorado to Alaska and back.
Rough summary: On the way up, went through Wyomining, Montana, Idaho, and Washington. Stopped for a few days to finish the northern 110 miles of the Pacific Crest Trail so I've now done the whole thing. Continued through BC eventually north on the Cassiar Highway then Alaska Highway to Anchorage. Did a lot of trail running in the connected road system and spent time in Cordova (without the Cruiser). Picked up my girlfriend before heading north to Fairbanks and then the Dalton Highway to Prudhoe Bay. Got snow in mid august in the Brooks Range. Swam in the Arctic Ocean. Drove back through Dawson City, then the Cassiar Highway again to Washington. More PCT stuff. Back through a different Washington/Idaho route to Wyoming for a Wind River backpacking trip. Then back home very late yesterday and back at work today!
The Cruiser did well. Some notes:
- Got an oil change and tire rotation in Anchorage half way through. Driving back, there was basically no oil consumption until the last 1k or so driving back into the lower 48 (where it was generally a lot hotter driving conditions). Now the dip stick is half-way between L and F with almost exactly 5k miles on the oil and 213k on the engine. Pretty impressive I think.
- Haven't run all the MPG numbers, but seems to be right on 13 average. Best and worst MPG were on the same section of I-80 in Wyoming. On the way up I had a horrible headwind. Literally fighting to maintain 50-55mph on the interstate and I had to stop early to get more gas. On the way back in the opposite direction I drafted a semi from a safe distance with a minor tailwind. And besides crossing eastern Washington on the way back, this was the only interstate I took.
- Some sections gas was really expensive and man it was painful on my wallet. Lots of $4/gallon+ in northern Canda. $5/gallon+ on the Dalton Highway.
- The Dalton Highway was a little rough. I broke 2 exhaust hangers (or maybe 1 was already broken but not noticed) so my exhaust tail end is held with some scavenged wire. It also seemed to have killed my 9011 low beam bulbs. Both burned out north of Fairbanks with about 15k miles on them. I had my old stock bulbs so I put those back in. But driving at night sucked after that. Also the road rattled one of my battery terminals just loose enough that the truck wouldn't start/no sign of life at the highest/most remote part of the road on Atigun Pass. This was quite alarming until I tightened the terminal!
It was a hell of a trip.
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