ALASKA WEEK PART 1: Dave Casal's First Trip to the Last Frontier |
| Gordon White | Sunday, 19 July, 2009 | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Dave Casal's lifelong dream of going to Alaska almost became a nightmare. Meet Dave and realize why we're rooting for him to go back. Go Dave!  This is definitely not a typical, "went to Alaska" story. Sure, Dave Casal's Alaskan journey is full of wondrous sights, amazing adventures, and Alaska’s grandeur. There's even a fair share of fly-fishing. But that's where anything that resembles typical ends and Dave Casal's true adventure begins. Ride shotgun as Dave Casal drives solo from New York to the Last Frontier and has an epic experience. At the end, you'll realize why we're rooting for Dave to go back. Go Dave go!
TCM: How did you get into truck camping? Dave: I started out tent camping and did that most of my life. I’ve been out to Colorado and Montana on extended fly-fishing vacations. A truck camper that I saw on the road peaked my interest. So, I got on the internet and started researching the different camper brands. I ended up buying a 2005 Lance 920. TCM: What truck do you have? Dave: I’m now on my fourth Dodge diesel truck. I love the Cummins engines. They offer a lot of reliability, low service, and excellent fuel economy. The 12-valve is particularly fantastic and you can get a lot of miles out of it. My 12-valve had 257,000 miles on it and I never have had any problems with it whatsoever. The 2004 Dodge I drove had 110,000 miles on it when I headed off for Alaska. That’s why I like Dodge. TCM: Our 12-valve has about 125,000 miles so we have some catching up to do. Where have you gone fly fishing with your camper? Dave: I’ve done a lot of flyfishing with my truck camper in Colorado and Montana. When I graduated to a truck camper, it made it so much nicer because I can boondock along a stream with everything right there. Now I can get up in the morning and have something to eat on the stream. It all takes a shorter amount time because it’s all within the in camper. Plus, I do not need to worry where I’m parked because you can park anywhere along the streams. TCM: Do you do a lot of boondocking? Dave: My whole purpose for having the camper is to be able to boondock. Plus, I only have one vehicle. My truck is my daily driver. This way I only have to worry about maintaining and insuring one vehicle. TCM: That is a huge advantage of truck campers. When did you discover your interest in Alaska? Dave: Alaska has been a dream of mine for my entire lifetime. I have always wanted to spend time in Alaska to see what it’s all about. I’m the type of person who is always outdoors in the woods, hiking, fishing, and camping. Alaska represented endless camping and hiking out into the wilderness. TCM: Tell us what was going through your mind on June 4th when you finally hit the road to Alaska in your camper. Dave: It was probably the most exciting time of my life. It was like being a little kid waking up on Christmas morning with a whole lot of presents under tree. This topped that! I was very excited to get going out there. TCM: You had planned to take Route 2, and then missed an exit? Dave: I was daydreaming as I was driving. I wanted to go up the northern part of Route 2 because I wanted to take different route out West then I had before. I missed the Route 2 exit all together. Rather than turn around, I kept on going. I knew the Two Maineiacs, Anne and Joe, were in Yellowstone sightseeing. We had been emailing back and forth and they told me where they were going to be. Well, I pulled into West Yellowstone and got a campsite. I actually beat them there. You should have seen the surprised look on Anne’s face when they saw me. That made it worth missing the Route 2 exit. TCM: You wrote in your blog that you were searched by Canadian customs. Dave: It was just a random search. The Canadian Customs had six officers with flack jackets go through my camper with a german shepard. They asked me questions like, “Where are you going?” They completely emptied my truck camper and put everything back where it had been. Afterwards, I talked with them and they were the nicest people in the world. They were just doing their job looking for firearms and drugs. TCM: When did you start on the Alaskan Highway? Dave: I started at Dawson Creek. The biggest thing is to not drive too fast. The roads actually buckle from the frost underneath. These buckled areas are called frost heaves and they’re marked with red flags so you know where to slow down. If the red flag is on your side of the road, the frost heave is on your side. If it’s on the opposite side, it’s on the other side of the road. If it’s on both sides, it extends across the road. If you see a flag with a yellow stripes, slow way down because it’s going to be a doozy. TCM: That’s a very long road. How was it driving solo? Dave: I listened to Sirius satellite radio for quite while, but once you hit the Yukon territory, you’re too far North for Sirius and you get nothing. In Alaska there is no satellite reception. Thankfully, I had CDs with me so I had something to listen to. TCM: There’s no satellite radio in Alaska? Dave: That was unexpected on my part. All of the sudden, it was fading in and out and then it was out completely. My entire time in Alaska I had to listen to my CDs or sing to myself. TCM: Oh boy. That must have been interesting. Were you able to boondock in Canada on the way to Alaska? Dave: Boondocking opportunities through Canada were all over the place. On the way to Alaska, I saw everything from tents to Class-A’s boondocking. As long as there’s no sign saying not to, you can boondock. Just watch out that a gravel turn out is not in someone’s driveway. My biggest concern was grizzly bears. You are in their territory. Other than that didn’t worry about anything. TCM: You got your passport stamped at the Alcan border. Tell us about that experience. Dave: That was the best feeling in the world! I was so excited. I pulled up to the American customs and they were really friendly and helpful. I told them I was a retired firefighter and they congratulated me. Then I got the first stamp in my passport. That really topped my day off. TCM: On your blog you write that it was 4,837 miles, 87.5 hours of driving, and 405.4 gallons of diesel for a total of $2,127? No regrets? Dave: None what so ever. It was well worth it. My total trip was 14,544 miles and 1,108 gallons of diesel for a total of $5,456 and worth every penny. TCM: Tell us about your first night in Alaska. Dave: That night I pulled into the second official campground of my trip. I dumped my tanks and added fresh water. This way I could relax a couple days after the nine-day trip. I stayed in Sour Dough Campground, which is a very family orientated campground with friendly people. I went to the visitor center and got pamphlets and books I wanted to check out. Then reality set in. I realized, “I’m here in Alaska!” That was one of my happiest days. TCM: Then you took a cruise in Seward. Would you recommend that? Dave: It was a nine-hour cruise to see wildlife and Aialik Glacier. The Aialik Glacier was calving when we got there and I spent half an hour listening to the sounds huge chunks of ice falling into the water. It was just amazing. Yes, highly recommended. TCM: You also took a long bus tour through Denali National Park. Tell us about it. Dave: I wanted to see as much of Denali as possible. I opted for the long trip, which traveled the whole entire ninety-mile park road. The trip is done in a school bus on a gravel road, which was too much for a thirteen-hour drive. It’s rough. They stopped at different areas, but thirteen hours in a school bus is a long time. Let’s just say that you could see my butt imprint in the seat. TCM: You had an interesting encounter with a ground squirrel in Denali. Dave: That was amazing. The driver of our bus told us not to feed the animals because they are wild. Unfortunately, the people who had been working on the visitor’s center were feeding the ground squirrels. I got a picture of a ground squirrel on my foot waiting to be fed and the next thing I knew he was dinner for a fox. That was tough to see, but it’s nature. It also shows what happens when people feed the animals. TCM: At one point you got some questionable diesel and had a lift pump failure in your truck. And you just happened to have another lift pump with you and just happened to be able to change it out – in the Alaskan wilderness? Dave: Let me back things up a bit. I was a truck mechanic for sixteen years, so I know how to turn a wrench. I knew that the lift pumps were an issue in 2003 and 2004 Dodge Cummins. When I had some problems around Fairbanks, I first changed the fuel filter, which I had also brought with me. After I changed the filter, I didn’t hear the lift pump when I tried to start the truck. So I replaced it. TCM: You had all the tools you needed with you? Dave: Yes, of course. When I do extended travel, I always take my toolbox for anything that might happen on the road. I also bring belts, hoses, fuel filter, oil filter, oil, and a serpentine idler pulley. TCM: I’m impressed. All I bring is a Swiss Army Knife and a prayer. Dave: When I was changing out the lift pump, a car pulls up and the guy asks if I need any help. He said that he and his friends were just up the way a bit and to walk over if I needed help. That’s the way I found people to be up in Alaska, very friendly and helpful. TCM: How was the flyfishing in Alaska? Dave: There are a lot of areas to fish in, but they are often very crowded with other fisherman. Some call it combat fishing; salmon fishing shoulder-to-shoulder with other fishermen. You get some fishermen from the lower forty-eight, but mostly they’re Alaskans fishing for food for their families. Most of the areas that I could access easily were like that, especially if they were having good Salmon runs. I’m more interested in wading into a stream by myself. That happened later. TCM: The photos of your camper caked in thick mud are amazing. You wrote that it took two and a half hours to clean off? Dave: That was just to get the top coating off. I drove the gravel haul road to Prudhoe Bay for 419 miles, which had been treated with calcium chloride to keep the dust down. As usual for my trip, it was pouring rain for the whole drive. The calcium chloride is like a liquid salt that gets slimy and slippery like ice when it rains. It stuck to every nook and cranny of my truck camper and adhered like concrete. The rig was completely covered in the stuff. TCM: That sounds awful. What did you do? Dave: I went to a campground that had a high-pressure car wash. The running gear was completely covered. I wanted to get the calcium chloride off the truck because it will eat through anything. Semi trucks that drive the haul road quickly rust to heck. Even my Torklift tie-downs started to rust, but cleaned up nicely. That would be the one and only reason not to go on the haul road. If it’s raining, forget about it. If it’s nice weather, I wouldn’t hesitate. TCM: So you'd drive the haul road again? Dave: Yes. There are open fields, flowers, dense forest streams, mountains, open tundra, and then Prudhoe Bay is just fantastic. TCM: How about finding amenities such as food, diesel, and propane? Dave: I had no problems at all. There were stations all over the place. In fact, diesel was cheaper than at home. When I left, it was $5.57 a gallon. When I got up there, it was $4.89. When I left up there, the price was just hitting five dollars a gallon in Alaska. TCM: You write in your blog that you fell in love with Fairbanks. You even said that you would move there if you were to move from your home in New York. What was it that you found so appealing about Fairbanks, Alaska? Dave: A lot of people have asked me that. Fairbanks is a small city and if you drive a few miles you’re in the wilderness with lots of fishing opportunities. They call it the desert because it’s actually not surrounded by mountains. It’s just a really beautiful area. When I got back a couple people asked if I saw the auroras and I had to chuckle. It was twenty-four hour sunlight when I was there. That was pretty neat. TCM: An interesting story you told was about how you helped change a local’s tire and found out about a top-secret fishing hole. Dave: That happened at the end of the Alaskan Highway. I met an older gentlemen who had a flat tire on the side of the road. I’ve always been the type to stop and help. After I changed the tire, he asked if I wanted anything for helping him out. I told him that I had done my good turn for the day and asked that he pass it on. He then proceeded to tell me about his secret fishing hole, but he made me swear that I wouldn’t tell anyone. I was very thankful for that tip and I’ll take his secret to the grave. TCM: What’s going on with your visit to the North Pole? You said in your blog that the people back home would understand why that was funny. Dave: I’m the Grinch at the firehouse, so that was for the guys at firehouse. I think Christmas has gotten too commercialized. TCM: Me too. It sounds like you miss firefighting and the guys back at the firehouse. Dave: It’s the best job in the world. I’ll stop by and have dinner or lunch with the guys and keep in touch. I did both firefighting and medicals. The EMS burned me out and it was time to do something. I also saw a few friends die at a young age because of their service. Now I’m able to travel and enjoy my life. TCM: Your blog ends on Tuesday, July 8, 2008 as you pulled away from Fairbanks. Where’s the rest of your story? Dave: Well, at that point I started getting sick with severe headaches and joint aches. I was also very tired. It was normal for me go to bed at eleven or twelve and be up at five in the morning bouncing and raring to go. At that point, I started sleeping until seven or eight in the morning and I didn’t have energy to walk around. I couldn’t get moving. I decided to see if I could find someplace get checked out to see what going on. I found an emergency care clinic and a nurse practitioner. To my luck, he was from the East Coast. He asked me if it was possible that I got bit by a tick before I got to Alaska. He thought I might have Lyme disease but didn’t have the ability to test for it. He just advised me to monitor my symptoms. TCM: So what did you do? Dave: I kept on my journey to see as much of Alaska as I could, but I was not getting better. Eventually I stopped to get checked out again. In Alaska there are no ticks, so getting tested for Lyme disease was difficult. The hospital did blood work and the results came back negative. But it was getting worse and worse. I stopped again to get another Lyme test and it came confirmed as Lyme. They gave me the anti-biotic Doxycycline, which effects everyone differently. First, you can’t be in sunlight. I was in Alaska where there was twenty-four hours of sunlight. And here I am on a trip of lifetime getting sick from a tick bite from back home. TCM: Unbelievable. Dave: At that point I started carefully heading home and stopped worrying about writing in the blog. When I reached Cabellas in South Dakota, I knew I had to do something. I was getting worse and worse. Then I did a really stupid thing. I went from Mitchell, South Dakota straight home, which is a twenty-six hour drive. It’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever done. I had unbearable headaches and I just wanted to get off the road. When I finally got home, I slept for twelve or fourteen hours. Then I had a month-long IV therapy. I’m only now a year later just starting to get to normal. I still have aches and pains. TCM: Wow. I’m glad you’re okay now, but your Alaskan dream was cut short. Do you think you’ll go back? Dave: Yes, I most definitely will return. TCM: Is there anything I didn’t ask that you would like included? Dave: One of the nice things was that a couple of my truck camping friends offered to fly out and drive me home when I was sick. My truck camping friends are the friendliest, most helpful people out there. That’s why I enjoy truck camping so much, because of that. Also, if anyone even has the slightest thought about going to Alaska, it’s worth every penny, every hour, and every minute. It’s the most beautiful place to see. There’s something there for everyone and I highly recommend it. It’s just a gorgeous place. It really is. TCM: Thank you for the interview Dave, and thank you for your service as a firefighter. Dave: You’re welcome. TCM: And please stay healthy! Dave: You got it. If you want to check out Dave’s blog, go to http://alaskanescapades.blogspot.com. If you want to see Dave's posts on RV.net, check out http://www.rv.net/forum/index.cfm/fuseaction/thread/tid/21489452.cfm.
For more information about the truck camper manufacturers and gear companies, please visit our Buyers Guide. If you liked this article, check out: ALASKA WEEK PART 2: Art Davidson's Photographic Journey Art Davidson has been truck camping for twenty-five years. He’s traveled coast-to-coast and up to Alaska. Here's his photographic journey. ALASKA WEEK PART 3: Barb Landis's Alaska Plan Pays Off For our third and final installment of Alaska Week, Barb Landis shows us how truck camping the Last Frontier will exceed your expectations. Plan on it. |
