A traveling we will go!

Went to Fairbanks yesterday, it was snowing like crazy, and the roads were a mess. It took 2.5 hours where normally it takes about 1.5 hours to get there. It is that time of year, where the temperatures are warmer, yet it is still snowing on and off, and that ends up making our paved highways very slick. But the great thing about this time of year is that the roads are a mess in the morning, but by evening they are clear and dry again.

Scenic road view
Picture by Michael Kingston

When traveling in Alaska, we do not have gas stations or 7-11 mini stores everywhere, the tiny gas stations that we have are few and far apart, and there is no guarantee that they will be open, so it is always best to keep our car fueled up the whole time we are traveling,

Alaska has many miles and miles and miles of highway, that are slim in population, except for wildlife. We need to make sure we carry essentials with us, in case of:

Buffalo on the road!

Picture by Michael Kingston

*Accident
*Flat tire
*Avalanche
*Mud or Rock slides
*Blizzards
*You run into a moose, caribou, bear, or buffalo (which usually destroys your vehicle)
*Earthquakes
*White-out* (White-out =" snowblind" where everything is covered in fresh white snow, and it is snowing really hard, and you cannot distinguish the road from the ground, or the vehicles in front of, or behind you! an extremely dangerous time to drive)
*Road Damage
*Road Work
Or other “extreme” weather conditions or situations that can cause you to stop for a while.

Here is a list of what every Alaskan should carry when traveling, we must carry enough for the driver and each passenger:

Blankets and/or sleeping bag
Change of clothes (clothes should always be kept dry)
Extra socks (should always keep your feet dry)
Boots (for hiking, and for warmth)
Extra coat (even in the summer, the temperatures can quickly drop to dangerous levels)
Road Flares, (several)
Good spare tire
Jack and crowbar
Bottled water
Food-packages of dried fruit, nuts etc.(enough to feed driver and passengers)
Cell phone (works in some areas on the highways)
Working Flashlight with extra batteries
Sterno (Canned Heat)
Can opener
Matches (lighters don’t always work in the extreme cold)
Jumper Cables
Bottle of antifreeze
Oil
Medications (extra)
Well Stocked First Aid Kit!

Ariel View of our Town surrounded with miles and miles of pure beauty!

Picture by Michael Kingston

Most of the people that I know that live here carry a gym bag already packed with these items, which they can grab as they leave and easily carry back in to the house.

We can’t leave the liquid stuff in the car over-night or any long length of time without the car running and the heater on during the winter months, because of our extreme freezing temps.

Now! The people that have lived here the longest tend to get lazy and don't carry all the essentials for road travel.. I have to admit, most of the time I don't either, it just seems like too much of a bother, but that really isn't a very good excuse, it may save some one's life, possibly my own!

CU