Longest without a fuel stop

[jeffandnicole]

The gas station in Marathon closed,

Aw, dang!  I have a fond memory of that gas station.
(Part 1) The pumps had actual reeled meters (numbered wheels) for the gallon and dollar amounts.

A small truck stop near me still has a pump with reeled meters.  It's a dual pump out front for regular gas only.  There are 4 dials for the price. However, the right most dial is for all cents, from 00 to 99.  The other 3 dials are for gas, so in theory you could run up the gas bill to $999.999.

[agentsteel53]

I don't specifically know what the distance is, except that I know it's well over 100 miles, but from the east end of El Paso, TX on US 62-180 to Whites City, NM (the entrance to Carlsbad Caverns National Park), there are no gas stations, and no warning, as far as I remember (I was there in 2009), at either end.  Lots of dispossessed gas stations, however.

there is a warning heading out of Whites City as of May, 2012.  don't recall if there is one going the other way; but if there isn't, I'm surprised, as TXDOT is usually on top of this kind of thing.

speaking of New Mexico, this isn't 100 miles, but there is no functioning gas station between Socorro and Truth-or-Consequences.  73 miles.

[agentsteel53]

Also if proposed highways count, there's a possibility that the AK 2 extension to Nome won't have any services between Nome and Manley-Hot Springs, about 300 miles

It will be gravel, though.

it's only 300 miles from Manley to Nome??  here I had for some reason thought it was over a thousand.  shows how poorly I understand Alaska geography outside of the main road system. 

(my girlfriend is from Nome and I always think of it as this super-exotic location... meanwhile I think of Manley as being "right down the street", despite one having a much greater active population.)

[cpzilliacus]

Also if proposed highways count, there's a possibility that the AK 2 extension to Nome won't have any services between Nome and Manley-Hot Springs, about 300 miles

It will be gravel, though.

it's only 300 miles from Manley to Nome??  here I had for some reason thought it was over a thousand.  shows how poorly I understand Alaska geography outside of the main road system. 

(my girlfriend is from Nome and I always think of it as this super-exotic location... meanwhile I think of Manley as being "right down the street", despite one having a much greater active population.)

"Alaska State Troopers" (on the National Geographic Channel) somewhat frequently has segments filmed in metropolitan Nome. A lot of smallish buildings and houses, and at least in the winter, a whole lot of cold wind blasting in from the ocean.

[agentsteel53]

"Alaska State Troopers" (on the National Geographic Channel) somewhat frequently has segments filmed in metropolitan Nome. A lot of smallish buildings and houses, and at least in the winter, a whole lot of cold wind blasting in from the ocean.

Manley is basically like that, except with a lot fewer smallish buildings and houses, and slightly different reasons for the whole lot of cold.

[cpzilliacus]

"Alaska State Troopers" (on the National Geographic Channel) somewhat frequently has segments filmed in metropolitan Nome. A lot of smallish buildings and houses, and at least in the winter, a whole lot of cold wind blasting in from the ocean.

Manley is basically like that, except with a lot fewer smallish buildings and houses, and slightly different reasons for the whole lot of cold.

Do you know if the (admittedly sparse) population of Nome and other western Alaska villages are in favor of the extension of the North American highway network all the way to Nome?

[agentsteel53]

Do you know if the (admittedly sparse) population of Nome and other western Alaska villages are in favor of the extension of the North American highway network all the way to Nome?

my girlfriend says the prevailing opinion is "they're never gonna build it".  no idea if they want it built or not.

[oscar]

"Alaska State Troopers" (on the National Geographic Channel) somewhat frequently has segments filmed in metropolitan Nome. A lot of smallish buildings and houses, and at least in the winter, a whole lot of cold wind blasting in from the ocean.

Manley is basically like that, except with a lot fewer smallish buildings and houses, and slightly different reasons for the whole lot of cold.

On the plus side, Manley has its hot springs.  The springs heat, among other things, a greenhouse where flowers, grapes, etc. are grown year-round.  The greenhouse can be rented out, in hourly time slots (my slot, alas, was at 11pm, because I didn't call far enough ahead), for private soaking.  For my trip report and some fellow soakers' on the springs and the road to Manley (with greenhouse photos, some of them borderline NSFW), see http://www.soakersforum.com/3/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=131

Do you know if the (admittedly sparse) population of Nome and other western Alaska villages are in favor of the extension of the North American highway network all the way to Nome?

My impression, from my 2001 visit there and some later press reports, is that local residents don't really want the road, but are not vocally opposed to it either.  Definitely not like other Alaska communities, like Cordova in southeastern Alaska, where there is strong anti-road sentiment.

[oscar]

Also if proposed highways count, there's a possibility that the AK 2 extension to Nome won't have any services between Nome and Manley-Hot Springs, about 300 miles

It will be gravel, though.

it's only 300 miles from Manley to Nome??  here I had for some reason thought it was over a thousand.  shows how poorly I understand Alaska geography outside of the main road system.

As-the-crow-flies distance is about 435 miles.  OTOH, there is a road east of Nome to Council, so a new road would not need to be built all the way to Nome.   (I don't know if there is a gas station in Council, which is on the other side of a river ford my car rental company strongly discouraged me from crossing.)

[agentsteel53]

as far as I know, there is no gas station in Council.

[cpzilliacus]

Do you know if the (admittedly sparse) population of Nome and other western Alaska villages are in favor of the extension of the North American highway network all the way to Nome?

my girlfriend says the prevailing opinion is "they're never gonna build it".  no idea if they want it built or not.

The Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities apparently spent a lot of money on project planning, as can be seen on the site below:

Western Alaska Access Planning Study

[J N Winkler]

speaking of New Mexico, this isn't 100 miles, but there is no functioning gas station between Socorro and Truth-or-Consequences.  73 miles.

I discovered an unsigned 71-mile fuel desert the hard way along US 64 between Bloomfield and Dulce in northwest New Mexico.  I was driving a 2009 Honda Fit east, and passed Bloomfield with the gauge at empty.  The Fit chugged the whole way on empty, and when I got to Dulce and refueled (gas on the Jicarilla reservation is pretty cheap, by the way), the fillup exceeded the nominal capacity of the gas tank by over a gallon.  This was a rare instance of corporate lying working in the little guy's favor.

[oscar]

speaking of New Mexico, this isn't 100 miles, but there is no functioning gas station between Socorro and Truth-or-Consequences.  73 miles.

I discovered an unsigned 71-mile fuel desert the hard way along US 64 between Bloomfield and Dulce in northwest New Mexico.  I was driving a 2009 Honda Fit east, and passed Bloomfield with the gauge at empty.  The Fit chugged the whole way on empty, and when I got to Dulce and refueled (gas on the Jicarilla reservation is pretty cheap, by the way), the fillup exceeded the nominal capacity of the gas tank by over a gallon.  This was a rare instance of corporate lying working in the little guy's favor.

Unless the gas pump lied to you about how much gas you pumped, which'd mean the gas wasn't as cheap per gallon as you thought.  I've had this happen to me, though in a much less remote location.

[leroys73]

I agree with Oscar.  I would not trust a pump that far off.  I have read of wide spread incorrect pumps at times in certain areas.  I guess if they are caught they are fined but who benefits from this?  Only the government.  I know the out put of a pump is suppose to be "certified" by the state. But how often?  Also I am not sure a pump on Indian land has the same inspection requirement.    

When I am in that part of the country I don't take any chances.  When on my motorcycle with a safe range of about 200 miles I get gas at 100 or so and in the car around 200 (might go 250-300 if I have a 400 mi range).

[cpzilliacus]

Definitely not like other Alaska communities, like Cordova in southeastern Alaska, where there is strong anti-road sentiment.

Cordova being in "southern" Alaska, is a place that I would expect to have some connection to the North American highway system, but I inferred from your comment above (confirmed by looking online) that the only highway connection is via the Alaska Marine Highway System ferries.

[agentsteel53]

Cordova being in "southern" Alaska, is a place that I would expect to have some connection to the North American highway system, but I inferred from your comment above (confirmed by looking online) that the only highway connection is via the Alaska Marine Highway System ferries.

it is pretty close to AK-4, but I'm guessing the terrain makes a quick and easy road solution not possible.

[oscar]

Cordova being in "southern" Alaska, is a place that I would expect to have some connection to the North American highway system, but I inferred from your comment above (confirmed by looking online) that the only highway connection is via the Alaska Marine Highway System ferries.

it is pretty close to AK-4, but I'm guessing the terrain makes a quick and easy road solution not possible.

Actually, terrain isn't the problem.  The Copper River and Northwestern Railroad ran between Kennicott and Cordova via Chitina (at the south end of the northern segment of AK 10) until just before World War II, when the copper mines gave out.  Parts of the railbed are now the McCarthy Road east of Chitina, and the Copper River Highway (southern segment of AK 10) east of Cordova to a wide and deep washout a few miles east of the historic Million Dollar Bridge across the Copper River.

Alaska DOT&PF was working on filling the gap between the Million Dollar Bridge and Chitina, when the Good Friday earthquake of 1964 collapsed the bridge (since restored) and tore up much of the old railbed.  Since then, environmental opposition, as well as native claims to the land under the old railbed, and fervent local support for maintaining Cordova's semi-isolation, have gotten in the way of resuming work on completing AK 10. 

You can see a lot of "No Road" bumper stickers in Cordova (good to see at least the locals think there's a chance the road will be built -- I'd written it off as a lost cause).  I even saw the exact same sticker on a car waiting at a stoplight in Alexandria, Virginia.

[theline]

speaking of New Mexico, this isn't 100 miles, but there is no functioning gas station between Socorro and Truth-or-Consequences.  73 miles.

I discovered an unsigned 71-mile fuel desert the hard way along US 64 between Bloomfield and Dulce in northwest New Mexico.  I was driving a 2009 Honda Fit east, and passed Bloomfield with the gauge at empty.  The Fit chugged the whole way on empty, and when I got to Dulce and refueled (gas on the Jicarilla reservation is pretty cheap, by the way), the fillup exceeded the nominal capacity of the gas tank by over a gallon.  This was a rare instance of corporate lying working in the little guy's favor.

Unless the gas pump lied to you about how much gas you pumped, which'd mean the gas wasn't as cheap per gallon as you thought.  I've had this happen to me, though in a much less remote location.

The capacity of the fuel tank doesn't include the volume of the filler neck, so it's possible to pump more than the stated capacity. That alone wouldn't account for the difference, but it may have contributed.