The Dalton Hwy to the Artic Circle and beyond

6/29/09
We then left the 5th Wheel in Fairbanks at Pioneer Park for a couple of days while we drove the Dalton Hwy (formerly the “Haul Road”). It follows the Alaska pipe line. This is the road that is featured on the “Ice Road Truckers” this season.




Well worth it though as the scenery is spectacular, especially going over Atigun Pass, the gateway to the Arctic tundra where the wildflowers are breath-taking and the mountains are unbelievable.

The mighty Alaska pipeline






What not to do! this trailer went over the edge.

We didn’t see the wildlife that we hoped, but did see a cow/calf moose and lots of snow-shoe rabbits.

Over Atigan pass looking north to the Artic Tundra











When we stopped for a picnic dinner on the Tundra about 75 miles from Prudoe Bay we had to hide in the truck while giant mosquitoes tapped at the windows wanting in to have us for lunch.




We of course crossed the Arctic Circle, where the sun never really sets this time of year. See the pictures of the amount of daylight at noon








and at 2:00 AM.







We passed through a burn area, the Erikson Fire of 2002 which was started by several lightening strikes. It was amazing to see all the blackened tree trunks surrounded by the beautiful fields of fireweed, the first plant to reseed in a burn area, earning its name.





We were glad we did not take our trailer, as it took nearly $40.00 of quarters to get the mud cleared off the truck when we got back. This is before!









And this is after!

Fairbanks

6/29/09
Fairbanks is a great little city of about 80,000, although it seems such smaller and folks are friendly. The next few days were gloriously sunny again, enabling us to take a wonderful paddle-boat cruise on the Discovery III down the Tanana and Chena Rivers visiting Susan Butcher’s kennel and watching a demonstration of a team of

Huskies. She won the Iditarod 4 out of 5 years, a grueling 1300 mile sled dog race across frozen Alaska. We also visited an Athabascan Indian fish camp and village learning about native culture and subsistence living from the land. We also took in the Museum of the North at the University of Alaska which was very informational and well done.

To the end of the Alaska Hwy

6/28/09
After 2 days of waiting out the rain in a free campground beside the Tanana River we headed out for the Delta Junction and the last few miles to complete our journey on the Alaskan Highway. At the visitor’s center we were greeted by the infamous giant Alaskan mosquitoes, and awarded a ‘Certificate of Accomplishment” for completing the length of the highway. It is amazing to see the equipment and learn about the conditions under which this highway was built. Still raining (but clearing up) we headed for Fairbanks, stopping to take in Rika’s Roadhouse, a 1910 restored roadhouse at the site of the Tanana River crossing of the gold rush trail from Valdez to Fairbanks. We also stopped to visit Santa’s House in North Pole Alaska, where it is Christmas every day. Even the Wendy’s in town is decorated for Christmas. Santa had the day off (Sunday), but we did get to visit the reindeer. My sisters kids would have a blast here.

Chicken, AK to Tok Our first rain in a month!

June 26, 2009
Left Chicken for Tok and arrived in the pouring rain. We were glad that we had a sunny day for the Top of the World and saved the rain for today. There is a great visitor’s center with very knowledgeable staff to help plan your Alaskan adventure. There are several reasonably priced gift shops, even one selling Sled-dog puppies. Of course there are several RV and Auto repair places to offer parts and services. Yes, we bought a new tire as the torn one could not be salvaged. With a purchase or fuel fill-up you do get a free high-pressure wash to get all that dirt and mud washed away. They also had a free dump and water fill up, so we left with a full fresh water tank, empty black and gray tanks ready for a couple of nights boon docking on the way to Fairbanks via Delta Junction.
He was a little lonley and sad as his last litter mate was sold a left yesterday.

Dawson City to World Famous Chicken Alaska

06/25/09
To travel north from Dawson City, you must put your rig on a very small ferry and push hard against the rapid current to be deposited on the other side. The good news is the ferry is free and goes back and forth continually pretty much 24 hours a day during the summer. You haven’t RVed the Yukon and Alaska without driving over the Top of the World Highway (and I use the word “highway” loosely). The dirt road on the Canadian side wasn’t too bad,Views driving to the Top of the World

Us at the summit of the Top of the World HwyThere was even some flowers waiting for us that Ellen enjoyed very much.

Once we crossed the border it was all down hill. We stopped for our official photo "Welcome to Alaska"At the top we crossed into Alaska and the road was bumpy, rough, and dusty with very sharp rocks, compared to, rounder rocks on the Canadian side. We almost made it to Chicken before having one of those rocks put a 2 inch gash in a trailer tire."Houston, I think we have a problem" Nearly everyone that passed offered help, so the hospitality was great. Marv had it changed in no time.

Chicken, Alaska is a small community with no phones and electricity provided only with generators. They boast a friendly saloon, excellent gift shop, and great home-cooked food, including fresh baked pies daily. His and Hers bathrooms!

Dawson City

06/23/09 –0 6/24/09

Dawson City, our last stop in the Yukon, is like stepping back in time. The 1900 residents who live there closely protect the history of the area, “no McDonalds here.” Instead you eat at Sourdough Jack’s or have a beer at Diamond Tooth Gertie’s Saloon while watching a show put on by Gertie and her dance hall girls. A walking tour with a costumed guide took us to visit several historic buildings while telling of the settlement of the town during the Klondike Gold Rush started by discovery of gold in Rabbit Creek in 1896. We learned that you can’t build structures on Perma frost.

We attended a reading of some of the poems of Robert Service and a telling of his life, as well as a look at where he wrote many of his poems of the Yukon. We also visited the former home of Pierre Berton and a Jack London cabin, other authors on the same street

We drove up to Dome Mountain for the beautiful view. A few days prior the whole community gathered for summer solstice to watch the sun set and come right back up. Marv enjoyed a Yukon Chillkoot beer on a really old bench.


This is the view from the top of Dome Mountain looking at the Yukon River and Dawson City. Perfect day.








We also toured the largest gold dredge to work the area and saw this “not-so-red” red fox.

Pelly Crossing Stopped for the night

We stopped for the night at Pelly Crossing, the site of the previous ferry crossing, until the highway was put through in 1950. There is a small Selkirk Heritage Center and about 200 Selkirk natives still live in the small community. There is a great campground across the highway that offers FREE camping and FREE firewood, already cut for you. Free is always good. We snagged a beautiful site on the river and have a good view of the south so our Satellite Dish can go up and find the Satellite and allow us to do this blog by the river. We decided to stay a couple of days to relax. Today is summer solstice and I don’t believe it ever did get dark last night.