Top of the World Highway to ALASKA

Today we leave Dawson City, Yukon, traveling over the Top of the World Highway to Chicken, Alaska--at last!  This Highway has been mentioned by all reviewers as challenging.  Now we can say we did it; and we can also say we won't do it again.  But it was actually not as bad as it has been said to be--as long as you take it slowly.  Remember, on this date it has only been open for three weeks since it was closed for the season last fall.  So enjoy the ride with us.

First thing, to connect with the Highway is to cross the mighty Yukon River--by ferry, no bridge exists.  As many places in this North Country, transportation is actually easier in the winter--when the river is frozen over, and big trucks can even drive over the ice!  There goes Pauline in the Honda.  It was easier to wait until the other side before we hooked it up to our RV.  This is a free ferry, so the 'cost' was the same.

There she goes, you know, that ferry doesn't look all that big.

 Pauline view on the ferry.  That big gash in the hillside is not the results of mining.  It is called the Moosehead Landslide and it was there next to Dawson City when the first white man came along.

Well she made it, NOTE the dirt ramp and bulldozer.

The ferry is coming back for me.  You can see the dirt ramp.  They rebuild it several times a day, I understand.  My turn to load.

 

You want me where???

OK, I am on.

Chuck has the front row 'seat' on the ferry.  Does that chain look a little thin to you?  Just a bit, hope he doesn't hit any bumps.

TO THE RIGHT!! TO THE RIGHT!!  I know you can't see her but My Dear Bride is on the top of that dirt pile taking pictures of the upcoming shipwreck.

Well, finally got the pilot to the right spot (the pilot is actually extremely accurate--he gets lots of practice every day), so Pauline & I will hook up and we are on our way, again.

A last look back at Dawson City from the other side of the Yukon River.

And onward!  Right from the get go it was dirt and gravel.  So what I am going to do now is to show you pictures of the views and some of the road and so forth.  Of course, when it is edited by you-know-who, it may change.  

A grand expanse--with sparse & slim White Spruce trees, plus some Alder & Poplars dressed in spring green color

It's hard to convey the distances!

Riding the ridgelines

Snow's still melting

We just kept repeating, "Wow!" to each other!

That should give you the idea of the road and scenery.  I have a few more but>>>>>

This where we stopped for lunch, a nice sandwich is always conveniently at hand in our RV.
And Pauline took a picture; you must look closer to see the flowers .  .  .

Then off we went again.

Snow remnants increase as we climb

Remember I mentioned that this road has only been open for three weeks.  I wonder why.

Customs once again--even in the middle of no-where!  Here we go..

Finally ALASKA!!!

Now on the Alaskan roadway, yep, you saw it.  It was worse. About 43 more miles of this. Chicken is the end of the Top of the World Highway.

First Alaskan home, look familiar?  And it is not restored, anyway I don't think so.

Guess what.  There are just two seasons in Alaska--just like Canada, 'Winter' and 'Construction'.  But here it really, really needed it.

And here it is:  the sign we have been looking for for the last month!!
So lets take a picture of some flowers.

Not falling down--just taking wildflower pictures.  Pussy willows are still just emerging here.

See!  This is the view!

And, even closer

Laying down on the 'job'

Couldn't believe it!  This biker, miles from anywhere, is pushing his bike.  Look at the sign across from him.  I would be pushing it too.

This is the Goldpanner at Chicken, Alaska.  The naming story goes:  At first settlers were going to call the town 'Ptarmigan', because there were so many of those birds around.  But since no one knew how to spell it, it was named 'Chicken' instead.

Couple pictures worthwhile of Chicken items.  A rental Cabin with interesting burl posts and a chainsaw carving.

The Moose antler chandelier inside was worth a mention.  

We left Chicken and found a paved road again--for about a mile--and then, as you see, it is dirt and gravel again.

It had been a long day driving, so we decided to stop short of the next town, Tok.  It looked like rain and I didn't want to get the RV and Honda dirty.  HAHAHA!!!  Maybe wash off some of it.  So it didn't rain.  We had dinner here, then read for a couple of hours before retiring.

The burnt Spruce forest across the road from our boondocking spot

My Dear Bride couldn't sleep so she got the sunset at around 11:45 and then

Then she got the Dawn a little over 2 hours later.

As you can see we hit paved road--what a treat!--and rejoined the Alaska Highway into Tok.  There both the RV and the Honda got a very much needed bath.  Then on the way to Fairbanks. Here are a few of the views we had on the road.  Yes, they have names.

The Alaska Range--with lots of snowy peaks!

We came to The KNOTTY Shop.  The Milepost guide that we used for our adventure had an ad, "one free ice cream for every one bought", so--of course--we took advantage of that.  We also admired their yard of critters.

Pauline is admiring the fantastic burl posts & railings, while enjoying an ice cream!

 Inside the store is a fantastic display, and it really looked good.  I decided to blend three pictures together so you could see it all.  Lots of animals and I hope we see them all on our trip in the wilds.

Another wide & shallow, braided river channel, still some snow there

 

Several of the rivers we went over still had ice and so did a few of the hills (but we didn't go 'over' these).

 Pauline thought they were nice too.  Great scenery, right?

Another milestone in our journey:  the End of the Alaskan Highway in Delta Junction, Alaska.

We had learned a lot about the very difficult construction of this Highway in 1942-43.  When built, it's importance was strategic.  It's existence possibly kept the Japanese from attacking Alaska in WWII.

At the end there was the ever-present visitor center and displays.

This log cabin was actually occupied.

BY US, WE JUST MOVED.

They had their big Mosquitoes.

But this one won't get anyone else.  I GOT IT...
One thing you should know.  There is not one single mosquito in Alaska.  THEY ARE ALL MARRIED AND HAVE REALLY, REALLY BIG FAMILIES.  Yes, they were bad, very bad.  But no bigger than the ones at Oregon.  (If you've been to Diamond Lake, Oregon on a bad summer, then double that--you get the idea.)

Alaska has a few wide rivers and hills and we saw a lot of them to our left on this leg of our trip.  All very beautiful and we are happy we are not having to drive over them.

There were also flowers.

wild roses fragrantly in bloom

We again decided to boondock before we got to Fairbanks.  This was off the side of a four lane road but far enough where the traffic did not bother us.  Anyway not me.  In the morning we were getting up and dressed when My Dear Bride got a little excited about a wolf howling outside our RV.  I looked and sure enough there it was.

It looked like she ('wolf') was going to to cross the four-lane highway, so I stepped out of the RV and called her back.  Now My Dear Bride got even more excited about this, because she was sure it was a wolf that was trotting back to me.  The 'wolf' got quite comfortable, lying down outside while we ate our breakfast.  (Chuck finally convinced me that she was just a dog, not a wolf--since she was so friendly to him--not running away like a wolf would.)  She hung around for over an hour, (Chuck was very concerned for her, thinking she had been abandoned) until (just before we were to move on) her owner came by and got her.  She was a very nice dog and got attached (to Chuck) very quickly.

If anyone is curious for names of the 'hills' we have pictured, this exhibit has some of the names--so have a ball.

We will see you tomorrow in Fairbanks, Alaska, another fun filled city.