17th August
Drove the Top of the World Highway, from Dawson to Chicken, mainly dirt, good on the Canadian side, but rough on the US side, with frost heaves bad enough to put the bikes handlebars through the back window again, so we just taped it up. No problems with the border crossing, we even got a stamp in our passport this time. Had a look around Chicken, it has grown to about 30 residents now, with new shops and a RV park. The original old 3 shop building is still there and being used. We pulled up and wild camped about 30 kms west of Tok, in an old gravel pit, hidden from the road, a good nights sleep.
Drove the Top of the World Highway, from Dawson to Chicken, mainly dirt, good on the Canadian side, but rough on the US side, with frost heaves bad enough to put the bikes handlebars through the back window again, so we just taped it up. No problems with the border crossing, we even got a stamp in our passport this time. Had a look around Chicken, it has grown to about 30 residents now, with new shops and a RV park. The original old 3 shop building is still there and being used. We pulled up and wild camped about 30 kms west of Tok, in an old gravel pit, hidden from the road, a good nights sleep.
The border crossing, not very busy........
The three original shops in Chicken, there are a couple more new ones now. The town was originally called Ptarmigan, because of the wild birds there, but no-one could spell it or pronounce it properly, so they changed its name to Chicken.
The old gold dredge has had a reno, and is now on display in Chicken
A couple of moose calves crossing the road in front of us, mum went across first, but she was gone by the time we got our camera out
The visitor information centre at North Pole, just south of Fairbanks. There really is a town called North Pole!
18
Drove to Fairbanks, arrived about 6 o’clock. Stopped at North Pole and had a look at the reindeers, and Santa's house. Its a small town just south of Fairbanks. Saw a few moose along the way beside the road. Spent the night in Walmart carpark, woke up at 2.30 am when the guy next to us started his car to get the heater going. Noisy old heap, didn’t want to start, hole in the muffler, had to shift the truck to get some sleep. It rained most of the night.
Drove to Fairbanks, arrived about 6 o’clock. Stopped at North Pole and had a look at the reindeers, and Santa's house. Its a small town just south of Fairbanks. Saw a few moose along the way beside the road. Spent the night in Walmart carpark, woke up at 2.30 am when the guy next to us started his car to get the heater going. Noisy old heap, didn’t want to start, hole in the muffler, had to shift the truck to get some sleep. It rained most of the night.
One of those things you just have to do.......
19-20
Spent the day around town, bought a heater as ours is not working, but it takes a lot out of the battery. Rainy all day, cloudy and cold. Caught up with John and Sonja Taylor, HOG members from Brisbane, who we hadn’t seen for 7 or 8 years, they were at the end of a tour through Canada and Alaska and flying out to Seattle, great to catch up again. Also caught up with JP and Iona who we met in Dawson City and Whitehorse, and had a drink and a meal with them, a top night. We met up with JP and Iona again in the morning, and visited the LARS (Large Animal Research Station centre, part of the university, that focuses on studies of the Musk Ox. Really interesting, took a tour and learnt a lot about these strange animals. Their wool is really expensive, about $85 USD per oz! It is incredibly fine, light, and warm, much more so than even alpaca. From there we headed up to Livengood, at the start of the Dawson Highway, where we also met up with Antonio and his wife, another Brazilian couple travelling in an RV. All three vehicles then continued up the Dawson as far as the Arctic Circle, where we camped for the night. At the circle we also met Chris, an American guy who is riding his bicycle from Prudhoe Bay down to the US. The 7 of us had a great night telling travel stories.
Spent the day around town, bought a heater as ours is not working, but it takes a lot out of the battery. Rainy all day, cloudy and cold. Caught up with John and Sonja Taylor, HOG members from Brisbane, who we hadn’t seen for 7 or 8 years, they were at the end of a tour through Canada and Alaska and flying out to Seattle, great to catch up again. Also caught up with JP and Iona who we met in Dawson City and Whitehorse, and had a drink and a meal with them, a top night. We met up with JP and Iona again in the morning, and visited the LARS (Large Animal Research Station centre, part of the university, that focuses on studies of the Musk Ox. Really interesting, took a tour and learnt a lot about these strange animals. Their wool is really expensive, about $85 USD per oz! It is incredibly fine, light, and warm, much more so than even alpaca. From there we headed up to Livengood, at the start of the Dawson Highway, where we also met up with Antonio and his wife, another Brazilian couple travelling in an RV. All three vehicles then continued up the Dawson as far as the Arctic Circle, where we camped for the night. At the circle we also met Chris, an American guy who is riding his bicycle from Prudhoe Bay down to the US. The 7 of us had a great night telling travel stories.
A musk ox, with a face only a mother could love
Travelling along the Dalton Highway, it had just been graded, so was in really good condition here
JP and Iona's truck, a great rig for their trip
Iona, JP, Chris, Lyn, Antonio and his wife, and I in the back of JP's truck. Party time.......
With Chris at the circle, nothing else there except the sign, not as flash as the crossing in Norway.......
Yukon River Crossing, the most expensive fuel we found in North America, about $5.50 a gallon, but we had to have it!
21
Chris continued pedalling south in the morning, while Lyn and I did it much easier driving. The other two vehicles continued north, heading for Prudhoe Bay, hope we catch up with them later in our travels.
Back in Fairbanks again for the night, we stealth camped at the uni carpark again, nice and quiet there. The weather improved for a couple of hours, then rained again.
Chris continued pedalling south in the morning, while Lyn and I did it much easier driving. The other two vehicles continued north, heading for Prudhoe Bay, hope we catch up with them later in our travels.
Back in Fairbanks again for the night, we stealth camped at the uni carpark again, nice and quiet there. The weather improved for a couple of hours, then rained again.
22-23
Drove to Denali after getting the heater fixed in the truck, it had never worked, but from now on we should have nice warm toasty nights. We also got our windscreen fixed, just drilled and filled with epoxy to stop a crack spreading, from where we copped a rock along the way. It was raining on the way down, which wasn’t a bad thing, it washed a lot of the Dalton mud off the underneath of Izzy. A visit to the visitors centre saw us with 2 tickets for the bus trip into the park tomorrow, visitors can only drive a short way in, all other travel has to be on a park bus. It was getting late, so after a bit of scouting around, we found a secluded hideaway in the bush to park for the night. We were woken up by hunters in the early hours of the morning, talking and laughing, then a gunshot made sure we were awake! They left just after that. Did the 8 hour bus tour of the park, very good, saw quite a few grizzlies, although from quite a long way away, not up close. Scenery was awesome though, amazing mountains, and got a decent look at Mount Denali as well, apparently 60% of the time it is hidden by cloud. Got back to the truck to find we had picked up a bolt in the tyre, ended up driving back to Healy to a tyre service place that was closed, so parked in their yard until the morning.
Drove to Denali after getting the heater fixed in the truck, it had never worked, but from now on we should have nice warm toasty nights. We also got our windscreen fixed, just drilled and filled with epoxy to stop a crack spreading, from where we copped a rock along the way. It was raining on the way down, which wasn’t a bad thing, it washed a lot of the Dalton mud off the underneath of Izzy. A visit to the visitors centre saw us with 2 tickets for the bus trip into the park tomorrow, visitors can only drive a short way in, all other travel has to be on a park bus. It was getting late, so after a bit of scouting around, we found a secluded hideaway in the bush to park for the night. We were woken up by hunters in the early hours of the morning, talking and laughing, then a gunshot made sure we were awake! They left just after that. Did the 8 hour bus tour of the park, very good, saw quite a few grizzlies, although from quite a long way away, not up close. Scenery was awesome though, amazing mountains, and got a decent look at Mount Denali as well, apparently 60% of the time it is hidden by cloud. Got back to the truck to find we had picked up a bolt in the tyre, ended up driving back to Healy to a tyre service place that was closed, so parked in their yard until the morning.
One of the buses used to carry the tourists through the park, you are not allowed to drive your own vehicle inside the park.
The Denali range taken from inside the park. Mount Denali in the centre
24-27
We found out the tyre service place was closed, as the guy who runs it now works in a nearby mine, but his father lives next door, and he and a visiting friend helped me, (and provided tools!), to fit the spare, a great help, we would have been in trouble without them, thanks guys! From there we headed off to Palmer, and caught up with Marcus and Michelle, a couple we had met at the Overlanders Expo in Flagstaff back in May. An uneventful trip, good road, average weather, some showers, and cold. We met Marcus and Michelle at a brewery for dinner, and also met a heap of their bike riding friends, a great bunch of people, and another good night. Followed M & M home, and parked in their yard for a few days. Caught up with some washing, did a couple of small jobs on the truck, including fixing the flat tyre, and M & M took us hiking at nearby Hatchers Pass. The Alaska State Fair was also on, so we were taken for a visit to it, another thing we probably wouldn’t have done if weren’t for them. A really good few days break from driving, thanks guys, you were terrific, great to catch up again.
We found out the tyre service place was closed, as the guy who runs it now works in a nearby mine, but his father lives next door, and he and a visiting friend helped me, (and provided tools!), to fit the spare, a great help, we would have been in trouble without them, thanks guys! From there we headed off to Palmer, and caught up with Marcus and Michelle, a couple we had met at the Overlanders Expo in Flagstaff back in May. An uneventful trip, good road, average weather, some showers, and cold. We met Marcus and Michelle at a brewery for dinner, and also met a heap of their bike riding friends, a great bunch of people, and another good night. Followed M & M home, and parked in their yard for a few days. Caught up with some washing, did a couple of small jobs on the truck, including fixing the flat tyre, and M & M took us hiking at nearby Hatchers Pass. The Alaska State Fair was also on, so we were taken for a visit to it, another thing we probably wouldn’t have done if weren’t for them. A really good few days break from driving, thanks guys, you were terrific, great to catch up again.
The view from from Marcus and Michelle's front yard, not bad is it.......
Marcus, Michelle, Lyn, and I at Hatchers Pass, near Palmer
Lumberjack at the Alaska State Fair
With Marcus, b-b-qing salmon at his house
28-30
From Palmer we headed south to the Kenai Peninsula, to Seward, where we found a park near the sea for the night. We wanted to do a boat trip, but the weather had turned really nasty, some trips were cancelled as the seas had got up, and it was really windy and raining constantly, so not very pleasant. The following day was spent in the warmth of the library, with free wifi, and that night back at the same spot on the waterfront.
Back to the library in the morning, as we had booked the research room to do a radio interview with Adventure Rider Radio, which was really interesting, and as the weather was still bloody awful, we headed back north to Anchorage. By the time we arrived, the rain had stopped, still windy and grey, but at least dry. We found a spot at Cabela’s carpark, and settled down to listen to the generators of the other RV’s nearby. A little more rain overnight, but not much.
From Palmer we headed south to the Kenai Peninsula, to Seward, where we found a park near the sea for the night. We wanted to do a boat trip, but the weather had turned really nasty, some trips were cancelled as the seas had got up, and it was really windy and raining constantly, so not very pleasant. The following day was spent in the warmth of the library, with free wifi, and that night back at the same spot on the waterfront.
Back to the library in the morning, as we had booked the research room to do a radio interview with Adventure Rider Radio, which was really interesting, and as the weather was still bloody awful, we headed back north to Anchorage. By the time we arrived, the rain had stopped, still windy and grey, but at least dry. We found a spot at Cabela’s carpark, and settled down to listen to the generators of the other RV’s nearby. A little more rain overnight, but not much.
On the road to Seward, south of Anchorage.
Standing in front of a glacier near Seward
A sea otter playing in the water near the jetty at Seward
31
The weather continued to improve the next day, so we called in to a bike shop for a look around, then grocery shopped and picked up a couple of things we needed before heading off towards Tok. The rain held off, and we had a good run to Tok, even made it to the liquor shop before it closed. We wanted some supplies before we crossed the border, alcohol is much more expensive in Canada than in the US. From Tok, we found a side road off the highway, and a spot to wild camp for the night. We still hadn't seen the northern lights, but they should be around now, so Lyn set the alarm for 2.00 am, so we could have look. Turns out she was spot on, we got up and opened the truck door, and there they were, bloody awesome to see them. After about 10 minutes they faded, and we went back to bed, but with another tick on the bucket list......
The weather continued to improve the next day, so we called in to a bike shop for a look around, then grocery shopped and picked up a couple of things we needed before heading off towards Tok. The rain held off, and we had a good run to Tok, even made it to the liquor shop before it closed. We wanted some supplies before we crossed the border, alcohol is much more expensive in Canada than in the US. From Tok, we found a side road off the highway, and a spot to wild camp for the night. We still hadn't seen the northern lights, but they should be around now, so Lyn set the alarm for 2.00 am, so we could have look. Turns out she was spot on, we got up and opened the truck door, and there they were, bloody awesome to see them. After about 10 minutes they faded, and we went back to bed, but with another tick on the bucket list......
An elk grazing near the road on the way to Tok
We finally got to them, Yay.
