Iditarod 2019 and the Alaska Highway! Deadhorse too? (Well, probably not.) (Anchorage: car rental, houses)

[echo7tango]

Thanks keyman. I’ve reserved with Talkeetna Air Taxi to fly to Rainy Pass on Monday so I am set. We’ll be staying in Talkeetna for a couple of days.

[echo7tango]

Originally Posted by AKStafford

Parking in Willow for the re-start is limited. I'd plan on being there very early.

How early should I arrive at Willow for the re-start? I will have a handicapped person in a wheelchair, will there be handicapped parking?

OK, a lot has happened in the last several months. My general plan is this:

4 days / 3 nights in Anchorage for the start: Wed 27 Feb to Sat 02 Mar
3 nights in Talkeetna for the Willow restart: Sat 02 to Tue 05 Mar
3 nights near Girdwood to explore the Kenai Peninsula: Tue 05 to Fri 08 Mar
1 night near Homer to explore the end of the Peninsula: Fri 08 Mar to Sat 09 Mar, then fly to Nome
4 nights in Nome for the finish: Sat 09 to Wed 13 Mar


I hope the race will finish in that window of days. Thanks again for all the advice here, we are really looking forward to this.

[stiffnecked]

Originally Posted by echo7tango

How early should I arrive at Willow for the re-start? I will have a handicapped person in a wheelchair, will there be handicapped parking?

OK, a lot has happened in the last several months. My general plan is this:

4 days / 3 nights in Anchorage for the start: Wed 27 Feb to Sat 02 Mar
3 nights in Talkeetna for the Willow restart: Sat 02 to Tue 05 Mar
3 nights near Girdwood to explore the Kenai Peninsula: Tue 05 to Fri 08 Mar
1 night near Homer to explore the end of the Peninsula: Fri 08 Mar to Sat 09 Mar, then fly to Nome
4 nights in Nome for the finish: Sat 09 to Wed 13 Mar


I hope the race will finish in that window of days. Thanks again for all the advice here, we are really looking forward to this.

I did not see handicapped parking last time I went. Also be advised if it snows a lot there probably won't be much snow removal done in the pedestrian areas. It could be a tough go for someone in a regular wheelchair.

[Frostnip]

Might think about bringing a pushable sled for your travel companion.

[AlaskaErik]

Originally Posted by echo7tango

I will have a handicapped person in a wheelchair, will there be handicapped parking?

Your handicapped person needs one of these....

[AKStafford]

Originally Posted by echo7tango

1 night near Homer to explore the end of the Peninsula: Fri 08 Mar to Sat 09 Mar, then fly to Nome

Don't underestimate your driving times. You'll spend almost all of your daylight hours getting to Homer, stay the night and then turn around and spend most of your daylight hours driving back to Anchorage...

[echo7tango]

Originally Posted by AKStafford

Don't underestimate your driving times. You'll spend almost all of your daylight hours getting to Homer, stay the night and then turn around and spend most of your daylight hours driving back to Anchorage...

Thanks. But why is that? The map shows it as a drive of 225 miles and about 4:15 in time (gMap — https://goo.gl/6k1r5K). Is 4h 15m nowhere close to the real time it takes to make that drive?

BTW, last night I AirBNB’d a place to stay in Soldotna, not Homer. We have to be at ANC airport @0900 the next morning, and Soldotna to ANC is 150mi / 3hrs (gMap https://goo.gl/ip2yi9). Maybe I should plan to leave Soldotna at 0500 to allow for plenty of time to make ANC at 0900 — should that work?

So now my reservations are for:

1. 4 days / 3 nights in Anchorage for the start: Wed 27 Feb to Sat 02 Mar
2. 3 nights in Talkeetna for the Willow restart: Sat 02 to Tue 05 Mar
3. 3 nights in Girdwood to explore the Kenai Peninsula: Tue 05 to Fri 08 Mar
4. 1 night in Soldotna to explore the end of the Peninsula: Fri 08 Mar to Sat 09 Mar, then fly to Nome
5. 4 nights in Nome for the finish: Sat 09 to Wed 13 Mar

I hope I didn’t screw the pooch by committing to this plan. That means on Fri 08 Mar if I want to get out to Homer / Homer Spit and then back to Soldotna it’ll be 275mi / 5h (gMap — https://goo.gl/4LYi1v). I guess we’ll have to head out from Girdwood at 0500 that day too.

[Parnassia]

Originally Posted by echo7tango

Thanks. But why is that? The map shows it as a drive of 225 miles and about 4:15 in time (gMap — https://goo.gl/6k1r5K). Is 4h 15m nowhere close to the real time it takes to make that drive?

You have to consider that this is not an interstate style drive. Road conditions, weather, delays due to accidents (yep they happen a lot) and day length at that time of year will affect the real drive time and how much daylight you have on either end.

[Northrick]

Originally Posted by Parnassia

You have to consider that this is not an interstate style drive. Road conditions, weather, delays due to accidents (yep they happen a lot) and day length at that time of year will affect the real drive time and how much daylight you have on either end.

Add rockslides to that list. There's been quite a few rock falls on the Seward Highway just south of Anchorage since the November 30 earthquake.


If you get stuck behind a semi in the snow you are pretty much stuck there. It can be real hard to pass those when they are kicking up a ton of snow making your visibility around zero feet.

[echo7tango]

Thanks, folks. Got it. I’ll allow extra time. Good news is, I’ll have already spent a week in the area, on those roads, so I should be a little familiar with them. And if there’s a bad storm / heavy snow / ice, well I’ll have to allow even more time and just take it slow.

Originally Posted by Northrick

If you get stuck behind a semi in the snow you are pretty much stuck there. It can be real hard to pass those when they are kicking up a ton of snow making your visibility around zero feet.

In those conditions I wouldn’t even consider passing a big rig on a narrow road. Just tuck in behind it, not too close, and let it lead the way.

Thanks again for the tips.