Our situation had changed a bit…due to some VA stuff that Elizabeth has going on we needed to be back in Anchorage by the end of the year. This necessitated cutting our trip short–and, since we knew that towing the big trailer home in the winter would be a bad idea-it also necessitated either storing or selling it. After some consideration we opted to sell it. This was not an easy decision because the trailer was an ideal layout and size of living space–it was, however, far from ideal for some of our needs because it was simply too big to get into places we wanted to go….and the 10,000 pound weight creates its own challenges. Combine this with the fact that things can happen to an RV left in storage far away and that towing home in -40 temps can cause all the assorted plastic parts to become brittle and crack as it bounces down the road (necessitating unpleasant repairs in the spring) and it became obvious that we should sell it, pack our stuff into a small cargo trailer, return home and then plan to get another RV or travel trailer that is better sized for our intended use.
We towed from my folks place in TX to a friend’s in Prescott, AZ where a craigslist ad quickly resulted in a sale. Packing everything into the small rental trailer and the car, we proceeded onward. While packing up caused us to not have use of our main computer for the duration of the travels, it did not mean a cessation of adventures. Time was short, but we were able to make some key stops on the way home. Visiting a friend and the grandkids in Colorado once more….and some wonderful stops along Rt 66….places we had always wanted to go. Then we pushed north…The Alaska Hwy is always a challenge and in winter it can be particularly hazardous.
Fortunately, our timing was good–between a couple of fronts for the most part…the temperatures were rather mild by Alcan standards. 15 below near Kluane Lake in the Yukon and the coldest we encountered was -20F near Gakona, Alaska. Cold, yes, but a far cry from the -50’s and -60’s that the region is known for. Fuel burn with the 2000 pound trailer was about 15-17 miles per gallon and once I even saw 21. Not bad for our rig and way better than the 8-10 we had gotten with 10,000 pounds of trailer behind us!
So now, we are home…A week sooner than planned for! (call it a Christmas miracle) I still need to unpack….and I have many projects to work on, including many thoughts and details of the past 3 months. A rock that landed upon the hood of the car on the first day and rode the entire trip. (it is still there!) Helpful, but inebriated, Canadian truck drivers. Unexpected technical artifacts. The almost strange parallel universe in which we traveled while down south. Some more musings and thoughts about the Alaska Highway. And many other items too numerous to think about on only one cup of coffee.
Therefore I will leave it for now. Merry Christmas and happiness in whatever holidays and new year’s plans you have.
Parallel universes are more common than we think at times….!