Day Ten - Dawson City, YT to Tok, AK

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We'd not even gotten out he road before we had to stop. On the way out of the campground Mike looked in his mirror and saw the dining room slide partially extended. He'd forgotten to putt it back in after using the bathroom!

To continue our trek to Alaska we needed to cross the Yukon River. There is no bridge over the River Y at the end of Front Street in Dawson City. I'm guessing it may have something to do with that pesky permafrost. In order to get to the other side, you have to take the George Black Ferry. This ferry is no ordinary boat. It has a flat hull designed to float atop the shallow waters of the Yukon. It connects Dawson City with the Top of the World Highway which leads to Alaska. It is free and operates 24/7 as long as the river isn't frozen. It can carry everything from walk-on passengers to tanker trucks. Don't get too comfortable on your ride across, it takes only a few minutes. There is no snack bar or restrooms aboard the vessel. Teri and Dave led the way out of Dawson, so they were in line ahead of us. We were not able to cross at the same time. Instead, we crossed with a truck pulling an Airstream and three other cars and trucks. The man who directed us into position acted as though he'd done this a time or two. He was very good at his job, getting us far enough to the left to allow for the other RV to board and the smaller vehicles bringing up the rear. Crossing the river was an experience! In the middle of the river the captain turned the boat so the leading end was facing upriver then slid it sideways and forward into place at the packed earth landing on the other side. Very skillful maneuvering. Now that we were both on the same side of the water we could continue our adventure.

Dave had picked up a map and description of the road conditions from the ferry landing to Tok, Alaska via the Top of the World Highway. We were in for another long, bumpy ride. On our way up the hill from the ferry we passed a sign that read, "Travel at your own risk. Road is not maintained from this point on." Oh boy. The road was bad, but not as bad as we'd experienced so far.

Once we got up to cruising altitude it really did feel like we were on top of the world. The road wound across the tops or near tops of the mountains along the ridge linking them. To the left and right forested hillsides descend to grassy meadows or unseen rivers. We were nearly above the tree line. The trees there were sparse, thin and stunted. Pink and yellow mountain wildflowers and pretty weeds dot the roadside and cheerful daisies waved as we passed by.

At km 80 we were back on pavement. The dirt road was in better shape. If you can dodge a wrench, you can dodge a pothole. Maybe. The pavement didn't last long (whew!) and we were cruising along on relatively smooth dirt once again.

There is a Top of the World pullout on the Top of the World Highway. The views from there were spectacular! Photos can't even begin to come close. Across the highway from the parking area is a rise. At the top of the rise I could see a pyramid shaped stone structure; a cairn. Dave and I were the only two who got out to take in the view. After we'd taken our fill of pictures from the parking area I asked him if he wanted to go with me up to the cairn. I was sure the view from up there was even more breathtaking. We followed a narrow trail up the side of the hill, taking time to investigate the lichen covered stones and small purple flowers along the way. It was an easy, short walk. We took in the sight of green mountains below us and the blue-gray of far off ranges. Absolutely incredible! I added to the cairn as I had at the hot spring, only this time I placed three chunks of the mountain, stacked one atop the other, on a larger rock about halfway up the pyramid. Dave and I took turns posing for photos atop the cairn as to be truly on top of the world. When I stepped down I saw Mike and Charlie making their way toward us. Mike decided it looked like this was more than just another pretty view. He climbed the cairn and posed as well.

From the top of the world we could even see Alaska and the border crossing in the distance. Time to get back on the road. We made our way back down the trail and to our respective trucks. About a half mile down and around a curve we arrived at the crossing. The officers there were very friendly. In the window of the booth a printed note was taped. It read, "Yes, we live here. Yes we like it!" They obviously get asked those questions often. As the one inside the booth checked our identification, the officer standing outside said Teri and Dave had mentioned we were hiding something. Mike answered, "The dog?" I asked if they happened to mention what it was. He smiled, handed our driver licenses back and wished us safe travels.

The road was nicely paved and the speed and distance signs were once again in miles and feet. We had also gone one hour back in time.

Alaska fooled us with the first mile or two then hit us with reality when the pavement ended and the dusty dirt and gravel road began. We passed the cutoff to Eagle, AK where Percy DeWolfe carried mail to and from Dawson City. That's quite a distance to go "...by dog team, horse and boat..." His story can be read in one of the pictures from yesterday's post.

The road was bumpy, the manageable. The potholes didn't seem to be as abundant or menacing. This stretch of road was reported to be 28 miles long. We would see just how bad it got before the paved road returned.

The Top of the World Highway becomes the Taylor Highway when the route turns southward. It was on this portion of the drive that we encountered numerous hairpin turns. Hairpin turns ... on a dirt and gravel road ... looking out at the tops of trees ... with no guard rails. After one such turn Mike turned to me with a look on his face like a kid who'd just accomplished some feat of daring-do and wanted to immediately do it again and said, "That was fun!" He had refrained from using the brakes and allowed the momentum to carry us through the tight, banked corner.

Between the international border and Tok is the community of Chicken, Alaska. We stopped on the outskirts of town at a place that must get a lot of business, being on the highway. The town proper was actually a couple miles down a road just beyond where we took our break. There was a gift/souvenir shop, gas pumps and a restaurant that didn't appear to be open (yet?). They embraced the name of the town here. Chickens could be see everywhere: statues; giant metal art pieces; garden decorations; souvenirs, but no live chickens. We made our way to the main building and met up with a couple from Ontario. We chatted and compared road experiences. That seems to be one of the first questions asked when meeting fellow travelers here in the north. It's helpful to get intel on what you'll be facing when you part ways. I entered the shop and perused the shelves and racks. I left without finding anything I absolutely must have. Outside, the others were visiting with a gentleman originally from Wisconsin. He was there completing one of his bucket list items - panning for gold. He said he would stay until he'd collected a full ounce. He held up the pinky of one hand, held it between the thumb and index finger of the other at the middle knuckle and said, "That's about an ounce." So far he'd accumulated about half an ounce. The gold flakes he'd been finding is referred to as "fly poop" because of its tiny size. Good on him, though, for following his dreams.

About five miles outside of Tok the third bee of our five week road trip had found its way into the cab of the truck. It must have landed on Mike's arm as he suddenly slapped it. I turned to him and said, "That tends to happen when you drive with your window down." He replied, "Especially out here in the wild. It's a good thing caribou don't fly!"

We pulled into the probably the best campground we'd stayed at so far. The sites were spacious and narrow-trunked, deciduous trees were plentiful throughout the park providing shade. Mike recognized a couple other RVs as belonging to folks we'd met along the way. It was a large park and the manager spaced the occupants in a way to afford everyone the feeling of privacy even though we could all see one another's rigs or tents through the tree trunks.

And that's a wrap for the day.

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Photos

Yukon River Crossing July 16, 2023
Weather: warm River Width: 1,300 feet River Depth: 4 feet You May: 1. attempt to ford the river 2. caulk wagon and float it across 3. take a ferry across 4. wait to see of conditions improve 5. get more information What is your choice?