Road trip: Canada-Alaska (Monster trucks)

0 0 May 24, 2024 Edit this post

by Chris Riley

Like the top end of Australia, the northern regions of Canada are dominated by utes – or trucks as they call them.

They’re more common than cars or even SUVs, and they come in all shapes and sizes, starting with XL and working their way up to 3XL.

Unlike Australia, it's a market dominated by the Ford F-150, RAM 1500 and GMC Sierra/Chevrolet Silverado, with a smattering of Toyota Tundra and Tacoma thrown in -- but no Hilux.

The carparks are full of them, more so in outlying areas.

And, surprisingly, a lot of the trucks are rusty, even late models, particularly around the wheel arches and lower body panels, due to the fact they salt the roads.

The other major point of difference is that few are equipped with bullbars, although you're apt to encounter plenty of wildlife on the roads, as you travel north towards Alaska.

There's bears and bison and wolves, as well as coyote, deer, elk and moose.

Moose are the worse because they are so large and stand so tall, and are so unpredictable.

They're likely to go straight through the windscreen, then get up and walkaway.

Having said that -- we've seen very little road kill.

The speed limit is strictly controlled, often for long distances in wildlife corridors.

We've spent the past couple of days on the iconic Alaska Highway, a road that was constructed during World War II to provide a direct link between Alaska and the United States.

It links Dawson Creek in British Columbia and Delta Junction in Alaska, via Whitehorse in Yukon.

When the road was completed in 1942, it was about 2700km long, but it has been upgraded and realigned over the years and is now only 2232km in length . . . only.

For the most part the Alaska Highway is wide, smooth, and easy to drive, with little traffic to deal with, apart from slower RVs and large caravans, not to mention our run in with a pair of semi-trailers that monstered us as we descended a mountain pass.

It was nearly curtains when some elk appeared on to the road ahead and we were forced to swerve and brake hard, as the radiator of the truck loomed large in the rear view mirror.

As soon as possible, we pulled over to let them pass. That was an argument we were never going to win.

The Alaskan Highway is a terrific drive, easily one of the best in the world as the road threads its way through the icy wilderness.

Becoming narrow and winding in parts, we would have gladly swapped our trusty Ford Expedition for something a bit more sporty.

Maybe next time?

The scenery is world class too, with each turn bringing sheer cliffs and snow covered mountains into view, with icy rivers and frozen lakes visible beside the road.

It's late spring here, but you'd never know it.

Ford Expedition

Our Ford Expedition has proven to be a comfortable place to spend the hours, apart from the blind spot and rear cross traffic alert systems that fail as soon as the rear camera becomes dirty (which is often).

Android Auto works flawlessly most of the time, but started failing to reconnect so we finally had to delete our phone from the system and the car from our phone, and pair them again before it started to work again.

As we speak it is starting to play up again. Ford or Google, we don't know?

The price of petrol ranges from $1.60 to $2.40 a litre in remote areas and we continue to use about 12.0L/100km.

Another surprise is the number of EV charge points available along the way, though we haven't seen many EVs themselves outside of cities.

At Lake Louise in Banff we even came across an F-150 Lightning parked out front of the hotel, a place where you'd normally expect to find a Ferrari or two.

Lightning is the electric version of the truck which is not available as yet in Australia (nor has it been confirmed).

Many of the larger trucks are used to pull big vans, with a trailer hitch receiver mounted in the tub the same as an articulated semi-trailer.

We had to laugh when we spotted one aging super truck that had been stitched back together using cable ties.

We kid you not. Check out the picture.

The road houses along the way have produced some interesting characters and souvenirs, along with the various hotels and air B&Bs that we have stayed at.

Then there's the food.

The highlight so far has been the yummy cinnamon buns at the Tetsa River Lodge -- "Cinnamon Bun Center of the Galactic Cluster" (Mile 375 of the Alaska Highway).

Another local favourite is "poutine", a dish of french fries, cheese curds and gravy that is said to have originated in Quebec, in the late 1950s.

The food and the fries just keep coming.

More to come.