Spoffords Travel

Day 26 July 27, 2024 Pelly Crossing Campground to Whitehorse Yukon 179 miles

We had canned chicken on lettuce salad mix for dinner last night. There were lots of small bees around bothering our meal so we put the can with a few remaining scraps at the opposite end of the table. When preparing for bed we checked the can. It was absolutely sparkling clean.

About the time we usually get up a light rain began to fall. The temperature was cooler as well. We ate breakfast in the car and by the time we finished so had the rain. Still very cloudy however.

The pavement was wet all the way to Whitehorse. Eventually the rain came down hard enough to turn on the windshield wiper. Too many dots on Connie’s side to take many pictures.

We came to the construction site of the day. A bridge was being replaced. They had a one lane road and bridge around it. Traffic flow was controlled by a stop light on each end. This light had a timer on the bottom light indicating the amount of wait time remaining. Sure wish this was on more of the lights.

After a surprising distance we finally caught up with the bicyclist who had stayed in the same campground last night. He said he was hoping to get as far as Carmacks. He left the campground at four in the morning. That way he could avoid the heat of the day. He shouldn’t have to worry about much heat today. We honked and he waved. Then coming from the opposite direction was another bicyclist. That was the only two we saw all day.

We are following the Yukon River most of the time. It’s a very large river at this point so you know why it was the main source of travel and supply shipments during the fur trade and the gold rush. We do go over a few hills but they are small in comparison. When we aren’t by the river we are passing lakes that have lots of waterfowl in the spring and fall. None today unfortunately. There are also supposed to be beaver, moose, muskrat and mink. We saw none of these. A large elk herd is supposedly in the area as well. All are hiding except the chipmunks.

At the top of one of the hills we encountered some dense fog. Thankfully it didn’t last long. It is much better than dense dust.

We arrived in Carmacks after crossing the bridge over the Yukon River. The car is definitely a novelty here. This community was an important stop for river boat travel. Now since it is on the highway it manages to stay alive. The population according the Milepost book is 588. We have learned however that the Milepost isn’t always correct.

A semi passed us on a hill in a no passing zone and nearly caused the car coming from the other way to drive off the road. Some of those drivers get very impatient. He had not been waiting behind us. He was just driving too fast.

All along the drive today there have been government campgrounds. We see lots of pickups with campers and trailers. The trailers seem to come in all sizes. Teardrops all the way to huge fifth wheels. Not so many of the big motor homes. The majority of RVs seem to be small to mid size.

We arrived in Whitehorse about 12:30. We stopped for lunch at the Smoke and Sow. It is a small barbecue diner. The food was pretty tasty.

Coming into town an electronic sign indicated a road closure at some milepost due to a mudslide. We have no idea where that might be. Whitehorse has several highways coming together and we are certainly not familiar with any of them.

After lunch we went to the Visitor’s Center to find out about the roads. They were very helpful and showed us where the slide is located. It is on our planned route. Fortunately they have it open to one lane traffic. Most likely more by the time we get there in the next day or two. She advised checking with the Visitor’s Center in Watson Lake when we get there.

We proceeded to the hotel where Connie slept the rest of the afternoon and into the early evening. Must have been more tired than she thought. Rob took a short nap and then went out and adjusted the brakes, put more air in one tire and checked the power for the GPS. He also ordered breakfast for tomorrow. If you ordered today the fee was $10 each. Tomorrow the cost is $15 each. He ordered one British breakfast and one American breakfast. It will be the toss of a Canadian coin tomorrow that determines what breakfast will be in the morning.

Day 25 July 26, 2024 Dawson City Yukon to Pelly Crossing Yukon 156 miles

We got a later than normal start today. We didn’t leave Dawson City until nearly 10:00 am after a Visitor Center stop and a fuel stop. We wanted to ask about the road to Deadhorse since we heard yesterday that it might be closed. No reported closures which is good. The ladies at the Visitor Center came out to have their pictures taken near the car.

Dawson City is an old mining town that has now become a tourist attraction. Many of the buildings have been restored or built to look like the original. We saw a tour group in town in addition to the First Nation folks. On the way out of town we noticed that one of the campgrounds was full of Airstream trailers. They must have been the other tour group. With as many lodging options as there are tour groups and festivals must be common. We learned later that the weekend before was a music festival. They told us in Tok that many tour groups fly into Dawson, look around and then fly into Fairbanks to continue a tour.

Out of town are all the dredge piles. They go for at least a couple of miles long and quarter mile wide. The river must be deeper and wider than originally. One subdivision was built on the dredge piles and was called Dredge Subdivision. Didn’t sound very appealing.

We saw three bicyclists again today. These didn’t have chase cars and were fully loaded to spend the night on the road.

The area we are driving through is called the Tintina Fault. It extends over 600 miles through British Columbia, Yukon Territory and Alaska. It is the longest fault in North America and runs parallel to the Yukon River. Lots of migrating birds follow this path. Gravel Lake is part of the route. Rare birds can be seen here in the spring and fall. There was one vintage Robin here today.

The trees are finally including types other than black spruce. The large right-of-ways are full of brush on average three feet tall. If there are milepost signs they are well hidden.this makes following The Milepost book more difficult.

We encountered a few miles of gravel road. The rest of the highway has been fair to good asphalt. One section was newly redone because it didn’t have potholes yet. Plus The Milepost said to prepare for rough road.

Well we came to the construction. It went for 7-8 miles. This will be a major rerouting of the existing highway. In one place they are making a huge cut in the mountain. It’s going to be wider and shorter than before. They are running pilot cars in both directions. Must have something to do with the length of the construction because there don’t seem to be that many vehicles.

We filed with gas at Stewart Crossing and then had lunch. An electronic sign is warning of wildfire all the way to Pelly Crossing. Another vehicle stopped to look at the car. They had just come through the area and said not a problem. He said that the town of Jasper north of Banff and Lake Louise lost over 300 structures. That is so sad because it is a beautiful place.

We could see a few smoking spots across the river and eventually small spots right bye the road. The fire has been much worse because both sides of the road had burned recently. We don’t know the size of the fire but it looks like lots of acres.

We arrived in Pelly Crossing about 3:30. Filled with gas again and went into the grocery store we a salad and some ice tea. A sign near the beverages said they refuse to sell energy drinks to anyone under the age of sixteen without parental permission and the parent must be present.

Across the highway is a free campground so we went over and found a spot. It is right near the river with a view of the bridge. Only badge thing are the little bees. No stings yet but there is still time.

We lost a nut on one of the tailgate hinges on the car. Not a show stopper. Just need to put it on the list for when we get home. Bailing wire is so nice to temporarily fix things.

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.