From South Florida to Deadhorse and Back
In the first post on this blog I touched briefly on the agenda for this trip. To recap: this is our first post-retirement trip with no deadlines, no defined route, minimal Interstate time and few pre-determined destinations.
Alaska is the main focus if only because it is the turn-around point and we will probably spend at least a month there. Everything there and back is a bonus. There are, of course, the normal highlights such as Glacier National Park, Yellowstone, Denali, Grand Tetons etc, but this trip is about more than that. I know we aren’t the first but we plan on driving the Dalton Highway at a minimum, but the Dempster Highway and Canol Road are also loosely on the agenda, as well as any out of the way place that suits us.
I’ve been on a quest the last several years to create a way to get into remote areas and still be comfortable and secure after reaching the destination. Although I usually claim Pamala’s need for amenities and security from “critters” as the impetus, I will admit that as the years pass, I dislike the idea of a ground tent and the associated accoutrements. I’m willing to do that short term, but not for months on end.
After building and traveling in an off-road teardrop trailer and Jeep Rubicon tow vehicle, it was time to step the comfort level up a notch.
The trailer we are towing now, from conception to it’s current state of completion (completion, yeah right!), was designed to do more than just follow the tow vehicle down the interstate. While it won’t tackle the Rubicon or the Hammers, it is designed to handle back country excursions that will slowly, or not so slowly, destroy a regular RV. The Dodge Ram, while not originally purchased for it’s present use, has seen many modifications over the years. With an eye toward building non-production custom vehicles on a commissioned basis, this trip will assist in identifying any potential changes that would increase the comfort and efficiency of future projects.