Took us almost a month to reach Alaska (we really enjoyed the trip thru lower US and Canada). In Dawson City we met several British couples who were on the Panama – Alaska Friendship Rally 2008. Nineteen vehicles (including Jaguars, Mercedes, Aston Martin, etc.) began the trip almost two months ago. Two cars had to drop out but seventeen are still in the rally. We watched a small black bear explore the grill and sides on the 1970 Mercedes for 15 minutes as we were driving down and they were driving up Midnight Dome road. The soft top was down at the time but windows were quickly raised as bear approached the car!
In case you want to cross ferry early in the morning note at Dawson it shuts down from 5 am til 7 am every Wednesday (we did not read the sign until 5 am on Wednesday). Watch for the semi-tame fox on the non Dawson City side of the crossing. Road is much as we remembered. On Wednesday, June 25th, we crossed into Alaska via TOW at Poker Creek, the most northern land border crossing of USA.
Spent one night at Walker Fork BLM campground. Drove to Eagle and saw another example of nice folks up here. Ranger from Eagle stopped to help/change tire on pickup of tourists from Washington State. Eagle was interesting as always and the old-fashioned hamburgers at the café are wonderful. Saw two German couples in loaded canoes paddle off toward Fort Yukon. Don’t know how long it will take them to get there but husband jokes they have enough stuff to last a month if it doesn’t sink the canoes first.
Shoulders on Taylor Hwy are very soft. Husband pulled over to let large truck coming towards us pass and we ‘almost’ got stuck … a little slipping and sliding before we were back on regular road surface. Whew! Chicken was itself and I enjoyed free WIFI. Arrived at Tok mid-day and saw our first orange bus this trip. (These are half bus/half campers and hold up to 22 people who sleep in tiny beds (coffins) in the back part. Buses come from Germany and we have only met German tourists using them. Trips can last 7 weeks!) Also saw the 1924 Model T from Iowa on its way home after going to both Deadhorse and Inuvik. It is pulling small cloth-covered trailer. At Tok we picked up mail (yeah) and headed south stopping at Eagle Trail State Rec Area where we got a nice pull thru. Next morning took 1-mile Nature Trail walk and saw a fox and snowshoe hares (dead and alive).
Reached Valdez yesterday mid afternoon. The drive here is beautiful and the two major waterfalls (Bridal Veil and Horsetail) are spectacular. It is overcast and raining slightly BUT Valdez is in a gorgeous setting and I can see the bottom of snow-covered mountains surrounding us.
