Boogielander Build

[CalvinC]

Could you expound on this statement? What do you find deficient with your current setup?

Sorta what I was thinking. If his truck wasn’t going to cut it, not sure what would.

 

[boogielander]

Could you expound on this statement? What do you find deficient with your current setup?

my current setup is fine but a 2500 with a longer bed would be great lol
(and the goal was to end up with a power wagon because Carli Dominator Kit. I want to be able to eat raptors for lunch in the desert while go play in Moab with my crawler friends)

the only time when I find my current setup not good enough is like tonight. when it's muddy, cold, wet, and windy outside in bear country. that's when an expedition truck with hard body or a van comes in. no need to mess around outside before getting into the camper lol

BUT when i'm on the "trail" and passing these vans and expedition trucks left and right, it was the greatest feeling ever lol

 

[boogielander]

Day 24 - Hello again, Yukon
Well, today we got on the last leg of Alaskan portion of the trip.
Leaving Tok with full tanks of gas and diesel, I felt part of me was left behind in this magical place as I pointed the truck east.
Before long, we got to Teslin Junction and hang a left to head north on Taylor Highway.

Many people told me Taylor was rough. It wasn't. Not by my standard.
By lunch time, we arrived at Chicken, Alaska.

Of course, gotta take a picture of the chicken with the Ram. It is a very quiet, living ghost town, and the main attractions are the chicken statues and few RV Campgrounds.

Oh and the Dredge too. I didn't get the tour because it'd be so awkward to get the one on one tour LOL

Then, we were on Top of the World Highway.
There are plenty of Top of the World in US, but this is the most north Top of the World.
absolutely stunning. Well, stunning because of the wind chill too. It's so windy that I had to kick my door open to get out.


We then crossed the border into Canada. I was trying to find the Alaska sign but no dice.

The "highway" was really well packed.

View from the driver seat.
I can never get tired of this.

And then, we arrived at Dawson City.
To get to the "city" from TOTW, a ferry ride is required.

And the best thing is, IT IS FREE!

Dawson City looked a lot bigger than it actually is. I basically walked the whole city in search for dinner that night, only to find the place that I was looking for was right next to my hotel LOL

 

[PurpleRT]

Coming soon to Discovery+… Boogie does Alaska.

I’d watch this


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

 

[OCD Solutions]

Are the Can-Can girls performing tonight? You get dinner and a show!

I know you don't drink but check out the Sourdough Saloon and ask about the Sourtoe ****tail. I'm not sure what's more shocking, how many toes they get donated in a year, or how many they lose...and how they lose them.

https://dawsoncity.ca/sourtoe-****tail-club/

 

[Idahoktm]

Day 16 was spent in Anchorage doing nothing.
I got oil change done (basic drain and fill, and requested for 5-30 because they don't have 5-40 that I put in before the trip in the last oil change. When doing long distance driving daily, 5-40 is better simply because 0-40 is just harder to find. Turned out, the shop didn't have 5-40 and I wasn't down to wait for them to order, so 5-30 it is.

Day 17 - Welcome to the 30% Club!
Today we only have 2 places to visit: Independence Mine and Denali.

As I ascend to Independence Mine, I found this road side pull out that has an overlook.
View attachment 188409
And of course, Boogielander Cafe shot
View attachment 188408

And then we arrived at Independence Mine
View attachment 188410
It is a big campus, but compared to Kennecott there's really not much to see. There's option to rent buckets and pan to do gold panning, but I didn't try.
Most buildings are not open to public, and the mill itself was destroyed due to age.
I took Hatcher Pass down to get back to highway. Having been to Colorado and did half of Alpine Loop and other passes, I didn't really have the motivation to stop for pictures. Plus no one knew any trail etiquette at all. The beginning part of Hatcher Pass Road from Independence Mine was a 10 degree hill climb, and those coming down the hill didn't even give way to the up hill traffic.
I boogied out of there as soon as people pulled over to let me pass. Because there's something else I wanted to see. Something way more rare.

They say only 30% of the visitors to Denali get to see the mountain.
View attachment 188411
Guess who's that 30%!
The motorcyclist next to me at the viewing point said he waited 20 minutes for the cloud to pass the peak, and as soon as I parked the cloud started to move away.
View attachment 188412
Obviously, the truck needs a picture with the mountain too. (It's right on top of GFC, in case you can't tell)

I sat there and reflected my journey so far, and I've been lucky. Salmon Glacier the cloud moved away the next day, and the same happened at Denali. After a good 15 minutes, the cloud moved in again, so I continued my drive to Denali Natl Park where I had reservation at one of the campgrounds.

On the way, I saw people pulled over and were out of their cars looking at something. I passed them, looked over, and saw it:
View attachment 188413
Now I wish I got a 400x lens... I think that's a caribou. I don't think that's a moose.
Trying to get to Denali Visitor Center before they close, I got back in and started driving.
Unfortunately, I couldn't get to the visitor center in time to get my stamp, so... campground it is.
View attachment 188414
Home for the night.

That's a cow moose standing in the water. They walk through our yard a few times a month. The "log haulers" as you call them are just called logging trucks.

I read through your entire Canada/Alaska adventure. Well done!

A few shots of the moose in our yard.

 

[boogielander]

Coming soon to Discovery+… Boogie does Alaska.

I’d watch this


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

lol i need a whole film crew. or at the very least, a second vehicle/ person.
i tried to film and i gave up lol too hard to do and too distracting.

ill stick with photos and words. i'm seriously considering the book idea from above

 

[boogielander]

That's a cow moose standing in the water. They walk through our yard a few times a month. The "log haulers" as you call them are just called logging trucks.

I read through your entire Canada/Alaska adventure. Well done!

A few shots of the moose in our yard.

View attachment 188914
View attachment 188915
View attachment 188916
View attachment 188917

wow!
thanks for the clarification! i don't know my animals LOL

 

[boogielander]

Are the Can-Can girls performing tonight? You get dinner and a show!

I know you don't drink but check out the Sourdough Saloon and ask about the Sourtoe ****tail. I'm not sure what's more shocking, how many toes they get donated in a year, or how many they lose...and how they lose them.

https://dawsoncity.ca/sourtoe-****tail-club/

hmm i'll have to check when i get back to dawson city. they weren't open when i went
im actually at arctic ocean tonight

posts are published at least 24 hours behind because of photo editing.

 

[boogielander]

Day 25 - Dempster!
Today we started our Dempster Highway leg of the trip to end of the road.
It is a bittersweet moment for me, because this officially marks the beginning of the end of this trip.

Someone shaved off the "Dempster" part LOL

Beginning of Dempster was dry and easy. I overtook a few RVs and HD trucks with slide-ins. Then I got stuck behind a frigging Tesla which wasn't willing to move over to let me pass while doing way under speed limit. I found a stretch of straight and forced myself through. I have no idea why someone would take a Tesla sedan to do this.

Dempster goes through Tombstone Territorial Park, which offers plenty of outdoor activities and spectacular views. I planned to camp one night at Tombstone on the return leg, but the new date that I chose was sold out. Well, one more thing to do for next time when I come up with my friends.
As I pushed north, leaves started to change color. When the sun came out from behind the clouds, I felt like I was driving through a golden tunnel.
I unlocked my fall colors collection early this year!

View from top of the mountain. This is where I met another fellow Ram 1500 DT driver and we talked trucks until the rain came. Dude drove from Calgary and only has 3 weeks to do the round trip. He told me that I probably will see him in California some time in the future as he's retiring soon and making the trip down south.

After the mountain top, it was nothing but muddy trail all the way from the rainstorms. I had fun for a while, until I started to slide randomly. The mud on the side and back of the truck took away the fun points too. I started to get annoyed by the mud.
But when I turned a corner and saw the rainbow, I felt a lot better. I reminded myself that this was an adventure, and all the mud and rain were part of the experience. I don't see rainbows often, especially one that's so close to me.
Then, I realized it was a full rainbow. First time in my life that I got to see a full rainbow. What an experience!

Toward the end of the day, the trail turned dry and the sun came out again, and as elevation dropped, the vegetation turned green again.
I've left fall behind.

Spent the night at Eagle Plains and enjoyed some hot hamburger steak at the restaurant instead of cooking.

And this was at 9PM. Sun was just about to set.
What a great day.

 

[Av1]

This my favorite thread on the forum. I like looking at the photos of your adventures.

You're making lifetime memories for sure.

 

[boogielander]

This my favorite thread on the forum. I like looking at the photos of your adventures.

You're making lifetime memories for sure.

thanks brother!

 

[boogielander]

Day 26 - Hello again, Arctic Circle
Knowing my pace and the road condition I was working with, as well as having a campsite lined up for the night already, I took my time to get ready in the morning. By the time I set off, I was the last one left at the campground.

It looks dry, but it is not. It is actually slushy mud. The lighter colored areas are from previous vehicles packing/ pushing away the gravel.

Here we met again, Arctic Circle.

And tundra began right behind the sign. Beautiful fall colors.

Then, as I continued north, the road surface changed to these kind of fine black gravel surface.
To get to the "north," there were a few mountain passes that I had to go through. Trust me, these are way steeper than it looked.

Finally, Northwest Territory.

By the time I got close to Inuvik, the rain had stopped and the mud on the truck had mostly dried.

And finally, home for the night.
There were 2 ferries to take to get from Eagle Plains to Inuvik, but luckily I made both right when the ferries were on my side, so unfortunately, no ferry pictures.
These AT3Ws are ok in muddy terrain, though there were a few times that I was sliding and slipping. Luckily I was able to correct the truck immediately. I don't think it was the tires issue, but perhaps if I aired down more I'd be fine.
I'm on 33PSI all around... which is basically not aired down lol.

 

[TSL]

How did the Dempster compare with the Dalton highway ? Muddy conditions similar ? I know you stopped at Coldfoot because of the risk of snow and ice on passes further north, it wasn't the mud that stopped you, albeit it wasn't much fun, right ?
You crossed the Mackenzie River and the Peel River by ferry I think ? I'm following your route on Gaia GPS maps !
The closest I got to the Dempster highway was the sign in the picture attached ! We were headed south at that point and didn't have the time, but I was looking longingly at the map and that road to the arctic ocean. That was 2006 and an opportunity hasn't come up since to get up there. Your pictures are an inspiration though.

 

[Slutzk]

Hey @boogielander , random question, approximately how many miles have you put on your truck for the entire trip combined from your house to the point your at now?
And how many do you think you will have drove by the time you return home?

 

[OCD Solutions]

Cool to see another Overlander in the same camp.

 

[boogielander]

How did the Dempster compare with the Dalton highway ? Muddy conditions similar ? I know you stopped at Coldfoot because of the risk of snow and ice on passes further north, it wasn't the mud that stopped you, albeit it wasn't much fun, right ?
You crossed the Mackenzie River and the Peel River by ferry I think ? I'm following your route on Gaia GPS maps !
The closest I got to the Dempster highway was the sign in the picture attached ! We were headed south at that point and didn't have the time, but I was looking longingly at the map and that road to the arctic ocean. That was 2006 and an opportunity hasn't come up since to get up there. Your pictures are an inspiration though.

Dempster was much better. I was able to maintain speed limit 80% of the time. the 20% was when I was messing with the cameras and looking for places to take pictures.
Dempster got a lot more muddy compared to Dalton, i slid in a few spots but nothing that couldn't be recovered immediately. Dempster has more steep up and down hills as well. Yesterday I had mud stuck to my truck that sticks out 3 inches or so LOL that didn't happen on Dalton. That happened because I was dodging those damn tourists with no offroad skills who took the entire center on a 2 way 2 lane highway, so I had to go to the shoulder where it's even more muddy. Also Dempster mud took out a lot of Steel-It paint I applied on my sliders, which also happened on Dalton but not as bad as Dempster. I was able to overtake A LOT of RVs, vans, SUVs, and hell, even a roadblock called Tesla on Dempster (oh boy oh, don't get me started on the Tesla... F that guy) I only aired down to 35PSI at Chicken and did both TOTW and Dempster on 35 psi. It'd be more comfortable at 25psi tbh.

Dempster would be A LOT more fun in the dry... including the whole camping experience. I ran out of clean laundry in 3 days... the muddy situation forced me to change new clothing daily instead of once a few days like I had planned (brought limited clothing because I had to pack both winter and summer clothing).

I crossed by ferry lol only way possible when the river's not frozen. Took me about 4 days 4 nights to complete the round trip and doing speed limit (and sometimes, above speed limit following locals). You don't need race shocks to run it, but it'd be a lot more comfortable with race shocks.

 

[boogielander]

Day 27 - End of the Road
Today, we began our last leg to the end of the road, and our official half way point of the trip.

Mud and more mud. I frigging hate mud now.

Seeing these two "boobs" are sign of nearing the town of Tuktoyaktuk, or "Tuk" for short. These are Pingos, ice-cored hills. There are many out there, but these two are the largest. Cool land features.

And I got to the town of Tuk. The guy at the visitor center was cool and offered lots of information. He also reminded me of how I used to be when I work at the hotel: talk too much because I (or he) was bored.
There are few stores and restaurants worth checking out in town, but I decided to go to the end first.

The whole trip I was imagining how my reaction would be when I finally get to the sign. I imagined 1000 ways I'd react, but none of those happened. I snapped pictures, moved the truck to the side so others can have their chance, and asked the nice couple from Alberta to take a picture for me with my camera.
Then, I just stood there, staring at the sign while cold Arctic Ocean wind with droplets of ocean water hammered me in my face. I've made it. After all these prep work, all these hard work, all these planning, I got to where I wanted to be since 2017. It felt unreal. But the cold ocean water and the strong Arctic wind reminded me that all of these were real. But, now what?
What do I do after? Where do I go? What's next?
I was excited, then I wasn't. I was even more lost than before.
It felt... empty.

I then moved on to the campground by the beach, trying to snag a spot before the campground got filled up. However, there was no sign of these 50MPH gust letting up, and I didn't want to test if my GFC could handle the gust so far away from support.

So I drove around town, and found this Trans Canada Highway sign. This is the most north sign for Trans Canada Highway, another indication of end of the road.

I decided to go back to Inuvik for the night. I saw this little guy and his friends hanging out on the trail, and they are not afraid of vehicles. They just stood there, letting me take my time for pictures.

I got back to Inuvik, and this time, I stayed at a different campground.
I had dinner, and then had my cigar while enjoying the very late sunset before retiring back to the camper to backup all the data.
I had hopes for seeing Northern Lights, but knowing Inuvik is not inside the zone, I did not have high hope.
By midnight, I had to get out to pee, and there it was! Northern Lights.
After 3 weeks in the Northern Lights zone with zero luck, I finally saw it!

What a surprise. Caught it right where I wasn't expecting to see it.
I was speechless. I guess it was a sign for me... a sign that instead of worrying about "what's next" now, trust the universe to give me what I want at the right time.

Today was a good day.

 

[1BADRAMLIMITED]

Great post man! Keep pushing and enjoy the little moments/victories. I could not imagine driving as much as you have alone. Maybe you will get a pup and have a travel companion some day?

 

[PurpleRT]

Yeah write a book, never thought I’d be this much invested into someone else’s adventure lmao. I come in here looking for Boogies update lol.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro