Spoffords Travel

Day 24 July 25, 2024 Tok Alaska to Dawson City Yukon 186 miles

Another hot night. Alaska just is not prepared for such hot weather. We ran the fan on full speed all night. Sure felt good to step out the door of the hotel room into some cool air. The hotel provided a light continental breakfast. After a quick fuel stop we were on our way.

Today is cloudy and smokey. A gentleman at breakfast said there are about 300 fires in Alaska currently. Makes picture taking not so good.

Today’s wildlife report is one fox and numerous chipmunks. Other folks have reported that they are not seeing many animals.

Most of the road to Chicken is paved but it has lots of dips and bumps. Certainly can’t go very fast. The terrain is mountainous with stunted black spruce. The higher up you go the shorter the trees.

After about 80 miles we got to Chicken. This is a fun place to visit if you are ever up this way. Downtown is three businesses consisting of a mercantile, liquor store/saloon and a cafe. We ate lunch in the cafe. Lots of people stopped to ask about the car.

The road out of Chicken is gravel but great in some places and terrible in others. The pot holes and washboards really make the woodie rattle. A few times I thought the car would fall apart. We go up and down lots of hills. They are all long distance. We have to stay in second gear most of the day. Takes a lot of energy to go up and the brakes are always a concern going down.

At the top of one of the hills was the Canadian border control. He asked a few questions and looked at the car but no hassles. He appeared to be very bored.

We are on the Top of the World Highway. We do feel like we are on top. It’s a long way to the bottom. That doesn’t show up well in photos especially when some of the smoke has settled in there. All the mountains are covered with the black spruce and some birch. Still lingering were a few patches of snow.

We saw three bicyclists with their support vehicle. Overall there have been more bicycles than we expected. At least today the big semis are missing. We really don’t miss the dust clouds that they create.

Then came the surprise. We had to ride a ferry to get to Dawson City. The ferry isn’t very big and doesn’t charge to cross. There is only one other trailer waiting to cross. Numerous vehicles were coming from the other direction. When we got on the ferry one of the guys told us that the road to Whitehorse might be closing so more rv’s were trying to cross. Well guess we will find out more tomorrow.

Our RV park is in town and easy to find. It consumes a city block and has RVs in so tight that they can’t put out their awnings or slide outs. They are closer together than in a sales lot or storage facility. After some fast talking Rob got us a corner spot that we could drive through. We don’t require hookups and the bill was $54 Canadian Which included 2 showers.

Everything in town is full because the First Nation Tr’ondek Hwech’in tribe is having their once every four years Moosehide gathering. People from all over come to attend. They are having lots of events down river.

The park has showers for men, women and all gender. That door has a picture of a lady, a guy and a lady with half a skirt.

The fact that our setup is very unique and we are on the corner, we get lots of visitors. A couple of guys were still talking when we went to bed. One of those guys did notice a loose bolt that Rob tightened before bed.

Day 23 July 24, 2024 Fairbanks Alaska to Tok Alaska 214 miles

We had what we think was the worst night of the entire trip. We had an apartment. The windows had no screens and the cranks to open then had been removed. The place must have been at least 90 degrees. The air conditioning was an oscillating fan. The bathroom was so small you could barely fit except in the tub. The shower head had weak pressure. Both of the smoke detectors were broken. We were both hot and tired when we went to bed. We were still hot and tired when we got up. Breakfast was included but at a different location. Rumor has it that some people come here for the breakfast. We had a much better breakfast at Deadhorse.

We think this is some kind of religious retreat. A stained glass of Christ is in the dining room. Then as we left a monk went out to look at the car. Several others were there as well. Two had matching t-shirts with something about St Francis.

Off we went to North Pole because they have a laundromat, self car wash and grocery store. We started with the laundry. I think we could almost buy new clothes for the same price. To wash one load was $12.50 and to dry one load was $6.50. It went quickly however. A most unusual sign in laundromat bathroom. Note item number three.

Then back to the car wash. Unfortunately it was closed to repair a water line. One of the workers said he saw us a few days ago up on the Dalton Highway.

Next stop Safeway for a few additional supplies. We have a difficult time going anywhere because so many people come up to ask about the car. A quick gas fill up and then across the street for a Subway sandwich. By about 1:00 pm we are finally on our way. We made a lodging reservation in Tok.

Three stretches of construction today. The first had a pilot car that lead us along new asphalt past a street sweeper. Seemed a bit of an overkill. The second stretch had a pilot car that lead us past some heavy equipment to include large trucks full of dirt that dumped from the side. The third stretch pilot car took us past some broken down equipment. Numerous people were trying to determine what to do.

The skies are very hazy today. We can’t decide if it is smoke or clouds. It does not smell like smoke. The temperature doesn’t seem as hot thankfully.

We also saw one bicyclist. Seems to have been more of these than expected. Riding on these roads with the truck traffic seems very risky.

We made one more fuel stop. The theory that all stations in town charge the same didn’t hold true today. The place we chose was ten cents higher than the next station.

We arrived in Tok about 6:40. Once again the car is a big magnet. People just keep coming. We went to the grocery store and once again lots of people.

Our room tonight is hot again but the room is much nicer. Most hotels in this area do not have refrigerated air conditioning because it rarely gets this hot.

The car ran fine today. However, it may be time to adjust the brakes again. It is pulling to the left a bit when stopping. I’m sure all of the hills have made a difference.

Day 22 July 23, 2024 Pullout to Fairbanks 134 miles

Mosquitos are worse this morning but still not bad. Very little traffic last night nor this morning. Forgot to say yesterday that the ranger at the Visitor Center said the odds of getting on the flight were slim. The plane is usually full with tour groups. The skies are partly cloudy with very little wind. We left the spot about 8:50 am.

Our first road construction of the day was a small work group putting fresh oil down in short sections. Unfortunately one of the short sections was a small hill. The oil and road mix made the climb a bit slippery. Numerous other patches about the length of the car and trailer continued for several miles.

We returned to normal Dalton Highway roads until we came to the 20 mile section of construction. This requires a pilot car. We had a big truck in front and a big truck behind us. This is a huge project with crews working in multiple locations. Some of the road is quite smooth for dirt road especially. Then there are the sections of rock and big dips and dents. The truck behind us did pass when we got to a smoother open section. Two pilot cars going in the opposite direction went by. They had considerably more vehicles in their lines. They must run quite a few pilot cars. After about 14 miles the pilot car turned off. The next six miles included a detour around what we think might be a new stretch of road. So either the detour road is the old road or they made a lot of new road.

Nothing of much interest until we reached the Dalton Highway sign. We pulled off to get pictures of us and the car at the sign. Then a tour group stopped and a motorcyclist. They all had to take pictures. The motorcyclist had seen us leaving Deadhorse.

Now we are on the Elliott Highway. That stretch couldn’t be left out of the construction. However this stretch was only 12 miles. Of course another pilot car. Don’t know where they are getting all the workers and materials for so much construction. The pay must be pretty good.

We pulled off at one of the parking spots for lunch. A motorhome and a fifth wheel are parked there also. We think they are part of the construction crew. They also park big trucks here. Possibly a repair point.

Oh no one more section of construction. Luckily it was short and not too rough. We made it to the Fountainhead Antique Car Museum about 3:30. That gave us time to look around and ask questions. They have only cars built before World War II. They are beautiful cars and all but three run. They also have a large collection of vintage clothing. Everything is well cared for. They have more cars stored elsewhere so the cars on display change. A trust has been created to keep everything going. No Model As in the current mix of cars on the floor. This was a very interesting stop.

The temperature is extremely warm. In fact downright hot. The display outside the museum shows 99 degrees. We spent a considerable amount of time trying to find a room for the night. Everything seemed booked full or extremely expensive. Finely got something out of town that was expensive and not so good. However, it did have a hot water shower.

Day 21 July 22, 2024 Marion Creek Campground to Highway turn out 133 miles

This campground is really very nice. Everything is clean and well organized. Very few mosquitoes. We did have a gray Jay visit us this morning. No ravens however.

We left the campground at approximately 9 AM and drove the short distance to Coldfoot. We filled up with gas and checked about the flight through the Gates of the Arctic. The flight leaves at about 9 PM. So we decided we didn’t want to wait that long. Not much to do in that area. So we took off at about 9:41 AM. To fuel you pull up to the pump, walk about a block and leave your credit card or cash. Then walk back to the pump, fill your tank, take a picture of the meter, and walk back to the “office” and settle your bill. The walk feels good after driving for hours.

One of the truckers came up and told us he had been watching us for the last few days. He also mentioned that our air conditioner was known as a dust sucker. A model a air conditioner is when you open the front windshield just a couple of inches and the air blows down at your feet. With all the dust that happens on this road that dust visibly comes in also.

The roads today are incredibly washboard like. If they’re not a washboard, they are a group of ruts. We are bouncing around like crazy even though we are not going all that fast. The roads are also very much like a roller coaster up the hill down the hill up the hill down the hill. Wouldn’t be so bad except they are very steep and very rough. We slow all the way down to first gear in order to get up the hill. We did overheat on one of the hills and had to stop and let the car cool down. A couple of drivers stopped to offer help if needed. Nice to know that there would be some help if we really needed. We have decided that this stretch of road is worse than what we drove yesterday from Deadhorse down to Marion Creek Campground.

We had a great wildlife viewing day today. We saw the gray Jay in the morning. A squirrel a little later in the day, followed shortly by a mouse. And then there was a chipmunk. But the highlight of the day was a cow moose, and a calf that ran right across the road in front of us. The first moose, we have seen on the entire trip.

Now to try to explain the uneven portions of the highway quite often when it is asphalt there will be a portion of the road that sinks. The asphalt is still all there so when you drive, you have two wheels at a higher level than the other two wheels. Sometimes it feels like you might even tip over. These spots are not easy to see ahead of time and if you hit them wrong, it can be quite exciting.

Just before finger mountain, there is a slight hill up. They were working this hill by putting down water and some new road mix. A big piece of equipment was spreading that. They were on our side of the road and going very slowly. Even slower than we were going. This mixture when wet is very slippery. It was an interesting climb up that hill as well.

We turned off into the rest area for finger mountain and had our lunch while the car cooled down. This is a nice rest area with bathrooms and parking space. There’s also a trail up to the top of finger mountain, but you’re almost at the top so it’s not a long walk. I think finger mountain has lost part of its finger because it doesn’t look much like the picture.

Mail is delivered three days a week to Coldfoot. They take the mail on to Wiseman once a week. Amazingly this includes packages from Amazon. There is no additional charge.

We stopped again for fuel in Yukon Crossing. This is the last fuel stop before Fairbanks. Then we went across the highway to the visitor center and chatted with the person there about the road. He said he’d heard about us already and was impressed that we had made it. He also talked some about the weather conditions. They are having a real heat wave here. The high today was 82°. Normal is in the low 70s.

We stopped at a turnout about 10 miles from Yukon Crossing. That’s where we’re going to spend the night. A van stopped to check about the car. They were fascinated with the old car and the fact that we had made the trip. They were driving on to Fairbanks tonight. We had decided not to drive that far because there are two sections of construction between here and there. Besides, we’ve had enough driving today. We used the electric fan in the teardrop for most of the night. We probably won’t need to use the new electric blanket or our heavy winter coats for the whole trip.

Rob got brave and tried out the shower. Challenging since the wind was blowing so Connie had to hold the walls down. Since we were parked on asphalt we couldn’t drive in the stakes.

Day 20 July 21, 2024 Deadhorse Alaska to Marion Creek Campground near Coldfoot Alaska 234 miles

We ate breakfast at the hotel. Connie got the recipe for the pineapple cake the cook made yesterday. The cook made a couple of minor adjustments which she wrote down. We also talked with the manager about their expenses. They buy 5000 gallons of water every month at the cost of $0.62 per gallon. Same cost to remove the grey water. Occasionally they must purchase 10,000 gallons in a month. Trash pick up is $237 a week plus $1000 a month to rent the dumpster. They get two supply trucks a week. Don’t know the cost.

We also learned that within 4-6 years the oil field will no longer be viable. Then they will shut it all down and return everything to what it was. Time will tell on all of that.

We left at about our usual 9:00 am. Starting at this end the highway is a smooth terrific surface for about 50 miles except for four gravel patches. We made really good time on that stretch. After that it gradually deteriorates.

Eventually we came to the 16 miles of road construction. Once again we were slower so some of the construction workers called the pilot car. Then it slowed down. We came to the stretch that had been the worst on the way up. It was worse today. The mud was several inches thick and well grooved. But the problem was the hill. We got stuck for a few minutes. Somehow Rob got us going again. I think our guardian angel was helping out.

The Dalton Highway is a little of all kinds of surfaces. There is some asphalt that is full of potholes and there is asphalt that is very smooth. There is gravel with lots of potholes and grooves and there is gravel that is packed hard so its smooth. There are three major construction projects with pilot cars. The pilot cars usually go about 50 mph.

About 2:00 pm we stopped to add fuel and eat lunch. We can’t make the entire distance from Coldfoot to Deadhorse on one tank of gas. We wanted to have the gas in before going over Atigun Pass. That is the continental divide. The road on both sides is steep and long. The car did not overheat today. Then when you meet one of the big trucks, they kick up so much dust its like going through dense fog. Once you get over the pass the trees are back. What a difference between the two sides of the divide.

We saw the brightly painted school bus again. It is parked on a wide spot by a river. It has solar panels on the top and a satellite dish for internet coverage. We thought it looked like a modern hippy bus.

We just kept going and made it all the way to Marion Creek Campground. This is another BLM campground and is really nice. Only a few mosquitos. This is so much better than Galbraith Lake Campground.

We averaged about 25 MPH today. That explains the road conditions.

Day 19 July 20, 2024 Deadhorse Alaska 34 miles

After breakfast we drove into town to fill the car and jerry cans with fuel. Not really sure that Deadhorse is a town. Rather it is a group of companies located somewhat close together. There is a gas station, general store and hardware store. There is no grocery store nor are there any restaurants. Two thousand people work here in the summer and three thousand in the winter. They rely on ice roads to get to their work sites in the winter.

A caribou was grazing in a patch of land in the middle of all this. First one we have seen.

We filled with gas which sells for $7.089 per gallon. The total bill was a little over $100.00. Several people stopped to look at and take a picture of the car. We learned of a vintage car museum in Fairbanks that we should visit. We found the location of the general store and headed there.

Well we really caused further excitement there. One lady ran out to get our picture to put on the trucker’s facebook page. Two other guys said we made their day. You will be talked about for a long time.

A rusty sign is on the front of the building that says Deadhorse and has a picture of a dead horse. We got a picture of the car near the sign. Then we went into the general store. 50% of their space is clothing.they have lots of canned drinks and candy. The rest of the store is odds and ends of merchandise. We bought two t-shirts, two patches and a magnet. We asked the price of a package of cigarettes. They cost between $13-$17 depending on the brand. Sure glad we don’t have that habit.

We ate lunch in our room rather than in the dining hall. Not so much food that way.

In the late afternoon we took the Arctic Ocean Shuttle tour to the Arctic Ocean. There were about ten of us on this trip. This whole operation is much larger than I expected. Various company complexes are located all over. The general public isn’t allowed in except with the tour. We had to give ID to our driver who gave them to the security guard. We couldn’t pass until those were checked. Wow even more complexes.

We saw more wildlife on this tour than we have seen on our entire trip to date. We saw caribou, a red fox and several different kinds of birds. Many of the birds will be migrating south in a few weeks. Summer is nearly over here.

We made it to the Arctic Ocean. Four or so folks and the driver went for a dip in the water. Today was a warm day. The water was about 40 degrees Fahrenheit. A few others waded in. We got our fingers wet. The shoreline is mostly small gravel with some sand and driftwood. The driftwood comes downstream in the river.

We ate the buffet dinner at Deadhorse Camp and visited with a very nice Canadian couple. No horse meat was on the menu.

Day 18 July 19, 2024 Galbraith Lake Campground to Deadhorse Alaska 142 miles

No one ever came to collect the camping fee and there was no place to deposit it. The mosquitos were terrible already this morning. Rob wore the black netting over his head to do all the outside chores. Even though we were close to the bathroom we heard very little noise.

While Rob was beginning to pick up a Canadian couple stopped to look at the car. They have been using a van to do their traveling. The guys compared notes on what to bring and what to use. They also suggested we get on the web and book a tour to the Arctic Ocean. We did have limited internet access but it didn’t seem adequate to get the booking completed.

We refigured our gas compared to the distance and determined that we were carrying enough to get us there. We think we can get a room at Deadhorse Camp which is a couple of miles from town.

We had not gone far before reaching the next construction stretch. We were the last car in line and didn’t wait too long. The pilot car was driving much faster than us but some of the construction crew called the pilot car and got him to slow down. The construction goes for 16 miles. A stretch of that was a little slippery and was the area where a couple of days ago the mud was so deep that some people were turned around. We did manage to get through it. Most of the construction crew took our picture. At the end, one of the motorcyclists cheered. Other than the one section this was some of the best road of all.

The car in front of us stopped to check on three dark spots off in the distance. We didn’t stop and about one mile down the road stopped to photograph two musk ox right by the road. Sure beat the whistle pigs that have been going across the road.

A helicopter circled overhead for a minute or two. We think they were also photographing us. By this time most of the truckers know about us too. Many slow down and most have their phone out.

The day started cloudy but is now mostly sunny with a lot of wind. The wind is good for clearing the dust brought up by the trucks. Bad thing is the road is literally blowing away.

We finally found a pullout for lunch and to add fuel. The rest area at milepost 354.8 is no longer there. Fueling took some effort. The shape of the containers doesn’t match the pump very well. We could only get out about half. Then that could be poured into a similar one. Then use the pump again. We got in what should be enough to get us there. Then we ate lunch. A trucker who’s last name was Ellsberg stopped. He grew up in Middleton, Idaho. He offered to haul us back if we wanted.

Once again we came to asphalt this time the road condition was terrific except for about three gravel patches. We could almost drive regular speed.

The terrain today has been hills covered in short green brush. No trees anywhere.lots of small ponds, lakes and rivers. The Brooks Mountain Range is behind us. You can see for miles but it all looks the same.

We arrived at our lodging which is more like one mile from town not two. The rooms are in a double wide trailer with shared bath. The men have five showers the women just one. Two nights was $438.00 but the hot showers were worth every cent.

We ate a buffet dinner at the camp and then caught up on internet stuff.