Sierra Nevada Airstreams - Memories

1962 Alaska Trip

Alaska Photo Album

In 1962 The Leipper family packed up 5 kids in a 1961 International Harvester Travel-All and a 13 foot travel trailer and headed for Alaska. The trip started in College Station Texas and by the time we reached home again we had traveled nearly ten thousand miles in a month. That summer the Sears catalog cover had Ted Williams, bragging about a grueling 10,000 mile two month trip - and he wasn't traveling with kids!.

All most all Leipper family trips involved various business meetings for Dale Leipper. These meetings and his work were usually the determining factor in where we went and what the time frame was. This was no exception. There were meetings in Colorado and the ultimate goal, a meeting in Fairbanks. In addition this trip included a stop at the WBCCI International Rally in Auburn Washington and family visits in Los Angeles, San Diego, and Kingman Arizona on the way home.

In 1962 much of the route through the Yukon territory was gravel and facilities such as gas stations and campgrounds were few and far between. One of the most memorable was a campground called Pink Mountain. It was essentially a bare dirt open space which included a automobile wrecking yard and pit toilets. On the other end of the spectrum was Laird Hot Springs. Absolutely beautiful, crystal clear water with board walking paths, lots of moose, (and bears) and wonderful hot sulfur water to soak in.

When you reach Alaska the road was paved but the road suffered from frost heaves to the point you almost got seasick. You often wished you could be back on the gravel.

Alaska mosquitos are well known and we had a proper introduction. They would bite anything left exposed and even bit through clothing and hats. Then there was the problem with the sun. We normally traveled till late afternoon, then stopped for the night with enough sunlight to fix dinner and get ready for bed. On this trip we would be driving along with the sun in our eyes and getting very hungry. When Dad would look at his watch it would be 11 o'clock at night. We would stop, fix dinner, get to bed then have to put pillows over our eyes to shut out the sunlight.

The trip up was dry and dusty. Everything inside and out had a layer of dust. The trip back was wet and soggy. The mud was three fourths of the way up the side of the trailer. When it rained, my sisters and I had to get in bed and be served dinner in bed as there was no place else dry to sit and eat.

Although we had a brand X trailer, when we arrived in Auburn my Grandfather Bryan Harrison met us at the WBCCI rally gate and we were allowed to park near their Airstream and have a nice visit, and also visited the World's Fair.

A great trip and lots of good memories!

Alaska Photo Album

Sierra Nevada Airstreams: Memories - Family - Community - Owner's Guide - Education - WBCCI Unit