Fairbanks to Anchorage
Researching the Drive Back Through Canada
Day 18 — the Alaska leg was winding down. Ray was weighing a big decision: could he drive the Z06 back to the lower 48 through Canada?
Day 18 was a day of driving and decision-making.
The drive from Fairbanks back to Anchorage — roughly 360 miles on the Parks Highway — gave Ray time to think about the next question: how to get the Z06 back to the lower 48.
The original plan had been to ship the car back on a cargo ship, the same way it had come. But Ray was researching an alternative: driving back through Canada on the Alaska Highway.
The Alaska Highway — the ALCAN — runs 1,387 miles from Dawson Creek, British Columbia to Delta Junction, Alaska. It was built in 1942 as a military supply route and is now a paved highway, though conditions in May can still be challenging.
The question was whether road conditions would allow it. The answer, ultimately, was no — the car went back by ship. But the research was worth doing.
Photos from the Day
The Day's Route
Parks Highway — Fairbanks to Anchorage
The Parks Highway connects Fairbanks and Anchorage through the heart of Alaska — 360 miles through boreal forest, past Denali (the highest peak in North America), and through the Matanuska-Susitna Valley.
Anchorage, AK
Back in Anchorage — the largest city in Alaska, home to nearly half the state's population. Tomorrow: loading the Z06 onto a cargo ship for the voyage back to Tacoma.
The Alaska Highway — Road Not Taken
The Alaska Highway (ALCAN) runs 1,387 miles from Dawson Creek, British Columbia to Delta Junction, Alaska. Built in 1942 as a military supply route, it's now a paved highway — but in May, sections can still be rough from winter frost heaves.
Ray researched the option carefully but ultimately decided the conditions and timing didn't allow for it. The Z06 went back by cargo ship. The ALCAN would have to wait for another trip.