Dawson City, YT to Fairbanks, AK

Day 13 – June 12, 2010
Mileage Today: 401
Total Trip Mileage: 4,699

Today is the day that we should make it to Alaska. Our route will take us from Dawson City, YT to the Alaska Border (Poker Creek) via the Top of World Highway. Once we cross over into Alaska the road will become the Taylor Highway, which we will follow until we reach Tok (pronounced Toke). In Tok (or actually a little before) we will rejoin the Alaska Highway and run it until it ends in Delta Junction. From Delta Junction to Fairbanks, the road is known as the Richardson Highway.

Leaving from Dawson City heading North towards Alaska you have to board a quick
Ferry to cross the Yukon River.



Once on the other side you are on the Top of the World Highway, which is about 80% gravel currently.



We didn’t get too far before the rain started. A very cold windy rain. Not the type of weather you would want to encounter while on the “Top of the World” I would imagine.



Anyhow, we make it through about 70 miles of gravel and reach the Alaskan Border.
There is a pretty long line. Well, actually there were only like 3 or 4 people in front of us, but they were in RV’s and they were each about 60 feet long, so that put us about a ¼ mile or so from the border.



As we inched up we noticed that the rain had sort-of turned to something a Texan might refer to as snow. I guess that is whats to be expected at the Northern most port of entry.



Once we made the crossing we took the obligatory “in your face, we made it to Alaska, even though you didn’t think we would" – picture



The road turns to dirt or silt at this point. Mix either one of those with water, and you can only expected fun times ahead for the next 50 or 60 miles, until you reach the Community of Chicken, AK.



I believe they called it Chicken because after you arrive it looks like you are covered in chicken poo.



No, really it’s name was a word that was native tongue for chicken, but none of the gringos could pronounce or spell it, so they just called it Chicken.

Some shots from Chicken to Tok:



Lunch in Tok – excellent Turkey sandwich on a fresh Kaiser roll.



And we made it to the end of the Alaska Highway!



You heard the mosquitoes will eat you alive up hear…



And onto Fairbanks, where we are lodging (very inexpensively) at the University of Alaska Dorms. A bit austere, but clean, safe, and secure. This will be our base for the next few days while I do a bit of maintenance on the bike, and we prepare for a run up the Dalton Highway (Alaskan Pipeline Road) to the Arctic Circle.

Dorm Life:




jordan