Yukon Crossing and Top of the World Highway

While we are in line to cross the Yukon River by Ferry at Dawson City I thought I would get started on our next post.

We arrived here in line at 9:45 this morning. At that point we were about # 45 in line and only a few of the caravan are in front of us. It is now 1:15, we have all gone shopping, had lunch and Hoover and I have put in several miles on the riverfront. I think we are now about 20th in line, 9 behind the Wagon Master. The crossing takes about 15 minutes for the Ferry to do a round trip with a max of 3 RVs. The Freight trucks get first priority, and small cars and pedestrians go before RVs if there is at least 1 RV on board. We only have a 50 mile drive today, on gravel, after we get across the river and then we will do a dry camp on the “Top of the World Highway”. It may take until midnight for the rest of the caravan to catch up with us so there is a BBQ and party planned. We may get another midnight sun photo as the party goes on.

Dawson City, which really is at the end of the road (YT Highway 2), is quite interesting. Yesterday we took a tour of the largest floating wooden Dredge ever built in north America. It is four stories tall and was in operation until the late 1960s when it sank and froze. It has since been thawed and relocated, a whole story in itself. Most of the town is also a “Canadian Historical Site” and has many restored buildings. Of course, there are many replica buildings and lots of things designed for their second industry, tourism. Gold and silver mining are still the primary income for the region.

We made it across the river at 3:40 pm and the last of the Caravan arrived at the camp “on top of the world” at 9:33 pm. There was indeed another midnight sun photo. The road across the ridge line was unbelievable. Not only are you on the furthest north road which the coach, or any normal vehicle can travel, but we were able to look across the valleys and out to the Alaska Range for our first glimpse of Denali with the 10x 42 glasses. The wild flower display has only gotten more spectacular as we move along through Alaska.

After a night in Tok, and the opportunity to get all the items in the cabinets back into their places we headed out on somewhat better roads to Delta Junction, and the Mile Post at the end of the Alaska Highway for a photo opp., then on to Fairbanks. First order of business was to get the coach and jeep clean. After 200 +/- miles of dirt we had inches of dust packed into every orifice on both vehicles. It will be a long time before things really get clean.

Now we have seen the sights of Fairbanks including the very interesting Ice Museum, and the beautiful museum at the University of AK, Fairbanks. We were able to find the General Store in Fox where Charlie would get coffee every morning on his way to work back in the 1960, and we have taken a river boat trip to the confluence of the Tanana and Chena Rivers where there is very good display on early and post western contact, Athabascan life styles. What a hardy band of peoples. Hoover is enjoying the hiking and wearing his bear bells, and all the attention from the people in the caravan.

Tomorrow we are off to Denali NP for three days and what I know will be a wonderful adventure. We have chartered a flight with two other couples and are looking forward to several hours of flying around Mt. McKinley and the surrounding drainages, among other adventures on the schedule. Hopefully we will continue to see a good variety of wildlife so that we can get in all the creatures on the check list.