Day 11 - Dawson City to Chicken via Top of the World Highway

 

Wow – what a day. It was a thrill a minute from beginning to end. After spending the night with Diamond-Tooth Gertie (or rather in her parking lot), we had breakfast in the RV and then drove around town seeing a last few places of interest before heading off to the ferry. It seems that the only way to get across the Yukon River and headed up the “Top of the World” highway is to take a very small ferry across the swift-moving river. We were told to expect a big line but actually when we got there, we were the first in line for the next ferry. They run about every 20 minutes so it was all good.

Getting on the ferry was a thrill. Evidently they are very used to accommodating very large loads and RV’s with tow vehicles are nothing to them. However it is a big deal to the driver who has to follow their instructions to the “t” and get properly loaded onto the very small ferry. Craig did a great job and the crossing was flawless except that it was freaking me out that there was water lapping over the front of the ferry the whole time we were on it.

As soon as we got across on the ferry, we realized that the roads on this side of the river are considerably worse than those on the other side. Dirt roads were the new norm. It was raining lightly when we started so that wasn’t too much of a factor but the huge bumps, holes and dips in the pavement were. Craig quickly ascertained that top speed was 30 and on uphills going to be more like 20. Very little traffic however since we left a little later in the morning rather than first thing so that was good.

Everywhere there were spectacular views and terrible roads with nail biting hills and curves. We had thought that we were going to have an easy drive of just around 110 miles but oh my gosh, those miles were very long, slow and hard. It took almost 6 hours to do those miles. And Craig, who never takes a break from driving but always wants to get from here to there in the least possible time, took several breaks during the day to relieve the intensity of being behind the wheel.

When we got to the top of the “Top of the World Hwy”, we stopped, crossed the highway and walked up a hill where there is a large pile of rocks someone placed to mark the spot. It was so cold and windy we could hardly climb to the top and stand there. There wasn’t anyone around to take our picture so we had to take pictures of each other.

Side note to my family: The coat that I am wearing in the picture below  is Auntie Phyllis’ rain coat. She wore it to Alaska on their trips and when she passed away, I got to keep it. I was happy to have it today because it was warm but also because I got to take her with me to the “Top of the World”.

We crossed into the US at a tiny customs building and enjoyed a few miles of beautiful asphalted road on the US side. Unfortunately it didn’t last long and we were soon back on what felt like goat paths skirting hills with sheer drop offs. Seriously. It’s not a joke. There were signs everywhere that said “soft shoulder” and “rough road”. Duh – we were ever so grateful to make it in one piece although the rv and the car were dirtier than all get out!

Loading onto the teeny tiny ferry across the Yukon River.

Everywhere bad highways and beautiful vistas.

Hills and valleys, curves and dips and the long and winding road ahead.

We didn't have a lot of rain but when it did rain, the road became a slick mess.

Looking out over the great beyond. Craig said "it just keeps going and going".

More of the same. The scenery was so spectacular that it really made up for the poor road conditions.

We made it to the summit of the "Top of the Road Highway". It was so cold and windy.

A stop along the way. Even the clouds are beautiful!

Oops - the stair won't go up. Craig tried to work on it mid trip but it wasn't cooperating. Luckily by the end of the day whatever was wrong (he thinks a rock stuck in it) had worked itself out.

Welcome to Chicken, AK. We have never been so glad to get off the road!

This is a gold dredge. It made a lot of people very rich. The man who brought it to this rv park as an attraction is still actively mining on a claim he owns on Chicken Creek. Fascinating story!

We ended the day sooner than we had planned at the closest rv park we could find but it turned out to be a good thing. The first town we came to on the other side of the highway was Chicken, AK. It’s a hoot! The town is full of chicken-themed decorations and gift shops. We had a good evening there including getting a tour of a non-working gold dredge that the owner had moved to this site as a tourist attraction. As you already know, we are easily entertained and this was a fun way to end the day. Life is good!