‘Alaskans help each other out’: Oregon woman headed home after thousand-mile journey

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) – An Oregon woman is headed home days after her van broke down in the middle of the ALCAN thanks to the help of a handful of Alaskans.

Cari Gaynor told Alaska’s News Source that her journey to the Last Frontier fulfilled a longtime dream of hers.

“Two years ago, my sister had passed away and I decided that I wanted to come out and fulfill a dream,” she said.

“The day I got to the border, I just absolutely cried my eyes out because I made it to Alaska.”

On the way back, however, things began to go awry.

“I’m tired. I grab the green handle, and I end up putting gas into my diesel sprinter van,” said Gaynor.

Gaynor documented the experience for her friends, detailing how she was now stranded in Haines Junction, Canada.

“I called everywhere that I could to find mechanics, to find planes, trains, automobiles, ferries, anything I could to be able to get my dog and I safe.”

Gaynor said that the closest business that could fix her van was Mercedes of Anchorage. However, there weren’t any towing companies that could transport the van back across the border.

Gaynor was able to get in contact with U.S. and Canadian border officials, who made several attempts to find a company willing to make the 700 mile journey.

“They reached out finally to Payless Towing out of Anchorage, and this gentleman is amazing,” she said.

“He actually broke down and they broke an axle on the way to getting me. Then on another truck, the tire blew.”

With the van headed back to Anchorage and a hotel room secured in Beaver Creek, Gaynor now had to find a ride back to Alaska.

“Lu Lu picked up the phone and, I explained my story and I was ready for another,’ well, great story, but good luck to you,’” she said.

“She’s the first person that said ‘I will help you.’”

“You can hear her frustration and just think a woman by herself with her dog alone gets stranded in Yukon, Canada,” said Lu Lu, who owns North Star Car Rental with her husband, Shady Mohamed.

“We’re trying to really figure out like how if there’s a way to have her get going right away instead of waiting for us driving out from Anchorage. It’s not a short distance or short time at all.”

Eventually, Mohamed made the decision to take the journey himself.

“He jumped in the 4Runner and drove all night long and met me in Haines Junction the next day by noon,” said Gaynor.

Mohamed drove over 700 miles each way, bringing Gaynor back to Anchorage on Saturday. He said he wouldn’t hesitate to do it again.

“Me and my wife are not from Alaska originally, and we kind of learned from Alaskans that you just pull over and you take care of people because it’s dangerous out there,” he said.

“We’ve been there too, and I’m sure anyone in this state pulls over for everyone,” said Lu.

Gaynor was reunited with her van on Saturday, with Lu and Mohamed alongside her to celebrate.

She said the experience made her fall even more in love with the Last Frontier.

“It was epic and I fell in love with it. And the beauty just absolutely captured my heart. But what captured my soul was the people.”

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