Prepping for Alaska Trip

As some of you may know, I'm heading out on a major trek.  Starting about the middle of July, and returning at the end of September, I'll have driven 2,500 miles within the state of Alaska -- and an additional 5,000 miles each way getting there and returning.  There will be minimal overlap on the outbound and return routes, so I'll be covering a great deal of ground.

You can get an overview of the trip in this slide show:  Alaska Bound .  It talks about the trip, how it's different, what the goals are, and why I'm doing it.  The presentation is derived from a pitch I recently made to the public TV and Radio stations in Cincinnati.  Think of the whole thing as Charles Kuralt with scenery.

Preparing a trip of this sort, particularly on the shoestring budget I have available, is a pretty substantial task.  I've divided it into route planning, car safety and modifications, packing (and where to pack it), what to see, and what to do.

My strategy for the trip is to take less traveled paths, meet people, and let them lead me to what I should see, photograph, and write about.  This approach has worked fabulously for me on other trips, and I'm confident doing it this way will enrich the experience for me and for others.

Part of the talking to people approach involves my traveling companion, Ginger.

I've written about traveling with her in an earlier post, but the bottom line is she can open doors I never could.  But on a trip of this magnitude, where do I put her?  How do I pack enough food for her?  Insurance?  Vet care? Where can I NOT go because she's along?  (Answer:  Denali National Park; she'll have to be kenneled while I'm in Denali).

So here's a brief rundown on what's happened so far.

1.  Car.  I drive a 2009 Subaru Forester.  I should have bought an upraded model with a roof rack, but didn't, so now what?  Certain mods have been necessary.  For safety, I've had to locate, purchase, and figure out accessible storage for a full-size spare.  The dinky toy it came with won't handle dirt roads dotted with emerging railroad spikes (such as the road from Chitina to McCarthy).  I've bought splash guards and a complete front-end bra to reduce gravel damage.  I've also laid in a supply of you-don't-move-without-these spare parts, a supplemental gas can, and a spare 12 volt battery (it will jump the car and inflate my air mattress).

For storage, I had to do a detailed map of the car's interior, then find sturdy containers which would fit -- a task made harder by the engineers' dedication to abolishing straight lines.  EVERYTHING in the back of a Forester is curved!  Major jig-saw puzzle time.  The pictures below show the undressed interior, then the various containers (and Ginger) sandwiched in.  It is barely possible for me to sleep on top of the containers in an absolute emergency.  Let's hope there aren't any.

Still needed more storage.  Options were roof rack (prohibitively expensive as an aftermarket add-on),  atrailer (kills your gas mileage), and  EUREKA!  A hitch-mounted platform upon which rests a custom storage box, elegantly made by my cabinet-making neighbor.  This box is 45 x 20 x 22 inches, and I found by test that it will neatly hold my body if something nasty happens, ready for sending home via UPS.  I'll post a photo of this work of art as soon as it's painted and the installation is tested.

In the event it's not needed as a coffin, the Expedition Box will hold automotive spares (including hydraulic jack, tools, and  spare fuel), all the camping gear, fishing gear, and miscellaneous other stuff.  It will NOT be used to store food, clothes, or camera gear except for tripods. No food, to dissuade bears.  No camera gear to dissuade thieves. The spare tire fits EXACTLY between box and car bumper, resting on the hitch and secured from lurching off to one side or the other by lateral lines cleated off on The Box.  The box itself is secured to the platform underlying it and WILL NOT come off without knowing exactly how to do it.

2.  Camera equipment.  3 still cameras, and possibly 2 HD camcorders.  One of them is a helmet cam, a truly nifty gadget.  The other HD camcorder is still in negotiation, but if I really do get a shot at a TV production, it's essential.  Plus batteries, filters, lenses, chargers, sensor cleaners, card readers, computer, and external optical drives.  These are big files, baby.  Have also had to change cell phone carrier and equipment.  Sat phones will work but are way out of my league.  My wife and I are fighting over this one.  I'll also be taking audio and perhaps video recording equipment, plus lights.  Space is getting tight again!

Horse-traded for a 300mm f2.8 lens, plus a 1.4 teleconverter.  I want to shoot wildlife, not be devoured by it.

Camera support includes power inverters allowing my batteries to be recharged while driving.  Essential.

3.  Clothing.  I can expect temperatures from 90 degrees to 20 degrees or a little lower.  I've had to purchase various grades of base layer stuff, plus really good breathable rain gear.  $$$, but inevitable.  Oh, and don't forget the merino wool socks.  They are worth their weight in blister ointment.

4.  Food.  Food is very expensive in Alaska.  And I don't like campfire cooking very much, except for fresh fish which should be abundant.  The solution is 48 MREs (Meals Ready to Eat), purchased for about $6.00 each via e-bay.  They're tasty (I'm told), nourishing, and very durable.  They're also bulky, challenging the storage allotment even further.  Ginger gets 72 cans of dogfood, plus 1 cup per day of kibble (about 50 pounds).  Other than that, it's a small 12 volt cooler of sandwich stuff, water, and certain other precious fluids.

5.  Lodging.  I'll be spending about 2-3 nights camping (which I'm not nuts for) per 1 night in a motel or private home.  So the camping gear includes tent, air mattress, REALLY GOOD sleeping bag, air pump,  small lights, etc.  Can't do any trail hiking because I'm already carrying a lot of glass on my back.

6.  Routes.  This has been a major challenge, but huge fun to work.  My goal is to avoid the roads everyone else takes, because that's where you see the most and learn the most and meet the most interesting people.  I also wanted to avoid duplicating roads as much as possible.

Luckily my friend Virginia Wilson introduced me to The Milepost, a thick annual volume that describes 4 different approaches to Alaska, along with mile-by-mile comments on views, fishing, lodging, rough road stretches, etc.  It then describes every officially extant road inside the state, excluding only national forest service, lumber company, and mining roads.  I'm delighted to learn that THEY WILL BUY PHOTOGRAPHS if you hit the jackpot.  See the slideshow for an overview of the routes selected.

Within Alaska, I'm going to some pretty far-out places, literally and metaphorically.  The thing is that you can't plan circle routes very well, especially in the interior of the state.  So you do have to go someplace, then retrace your steps.  Annoying, but there it is.

Also, I don't like to take a "if this is Tuesday it must be Belgium" approach.  So while I've got certain destinations, I don't have them scheduled, and will feel free to drop or add at whim.  The only fixed point is that I have to be in Whittier to take a ferry to Valdez on 8/28.  Otherwise, I'm a dandelion seed until I hit the trail for home.

7.  Health and personal safety.  Medications renewed and up to date.  Prescriptions to be filled in Canada where they're far less expensive than here.  Decided against a gun; I won't carry a rifle / slug-firing shotgun, because I already have too much weight aboard. And a .50 caliber pistol, which will stop a bear, ways a lot and would probably break my wrist. Instead, it's a couple of large cans of stuff with names like Vengeance and Whoop-Ass to deal with bears, and high-concentration DEET spray for their winged little cousins.  Stress echo cardiogram next week.  Dental work checked.  And the list goes on.

This has been a lot of jellybeans to keep circling overhead, but quite suddenly everything is starting to come together.  I'm sure there will be further changes and frustrations before actually setting out, but I'm equally sure that I'm going to have a ball.