Haul Road questions
Contributors to this thread:Caribou
From: glass eye
11-Sep-20
Planning a trip for next year 2021 assuming Canada will be open I plan to drive there. I do a lot of diy hunts with my own gear and mostly travel by air so I got the weight and size of gear down. My question is: What would you suggest taking in addition to a couple of spare tires and gas can ? Also, I plan on hunting the last 20 days of non-resident season. What would road conditions most likely be like around Sep 15. Doable in a 2wd ?
From: IdyllwildArcher
11-Sep-20
I drive worse roads on nearly all of my hunts. The road to my driveway of my California home in the mountains is worse than the Dalton. There's places going downhill that you'll end up going 90 mph if you don't pay attention and ride the breaks.
Granted, I've never been north of Coldfoot, but they keep the road in good shape.
From: wildwilderness
11-Sep-20
Road is fine all the way to Deadhorse, watch out for pot holes. watch out for the Semi's going way to fast and throwing rocks at you. 2wd is fine. if it rains, which is very likely, your vehicle will be covered in mud. Bring a squeegie for the windshield!
From: smarba
11-Sep-20
Be aware although generally unlikely it could SNOW during that timeframe. My sis lived in Fairbanks for several years. Once it snowed 2' on Sept 15 and stuck...winter had begun. Now that's definitely not the norm, but it's also not out of the realm of possibility...you know with global warming and all...
That said the Haul Road is not just an abandoned 2-track, it's maintained.
From: Pete In Fairbanks
11-Sep-20
When I was guiding in GMU 26B near the Haul Road corridor, I always tried very hard to be off the North Slope and back down south to Fairbanks by Sept 10-15. Weather can turn sort of "blizzardy" about then. Who would have guessed?
Pete
From: TEmbry
12-Sep-20
I’ve driven up for hunts as late as Thanksgiving week and the roads were fine. They keep it maintained as they always have semi traffic heading back and forth.
From: non typ
12-Sep-20
A raft to cross the sag. Good bingo or spotter. You don’t want to walk an extra mile in The tussocks. A pair of Chota hippies work great with gaiters to protect them when they are down. We just got back and went 5 for 7 with rifles up the river. It was warm and we had to work for what we got. Gallon zip lock bags to put your small Meat trimmings in.
From: LKH
12-Sep-20
Aug 5th earliest snow. 6". Have close to 20 Haul road trips. You definitely want a set of chains. That way it won't snow.
The small raft will be worth the room. Are you going solo? If so then paddling a raft across can get squirrely. If you take the raft you will want hip boots. Many crossings allow you to walk most of the way and then just paddle a short ways.
From: glass eye
12-Sep-20
This is the inflatable kayak I will be using. I've used it several times in the Bering Sea and POW. My wife will be with me but she doesn't hunt. I'll be taking breathable chest waders that have a zippered front to open up and cool off.
From: non typ
12-Sep-20
This yr the water was pretty low. You could town the kayak most of the way then paddle 30 yd across the main channel. 2yr ago you would have went 3/4 mile down river by the time you got across.
From: Tennhunter
13-Sep-20
From: Tennhunter
13-Sep-20
From: Tennhunter
13-Sep-20
Fun trip this year
From: Pete In Fairbanks
14-Sep-20
Glasseye,
That raft will work fine. Especially if it runs over ICE when you push the fall weather!
Pete
From: glass eye
14-Sep-20
glass eye's Link
Pete, Not sure but it sounds like you're being sarcastic. I have dragged that kayak over low tide barnacle encrusted rocks and sharp mussels for over 100 yards and it barely scratched it.
From: glass eye
14-Sep-20
https://youtu.be/ardGNdwZ0aQ
