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July 29, 2010 - Thursday
White River, Yukon Territory to Fairbanks, Alaska-340 miles
72o & Sunny
Day 68
We hit the road early, refreshed and ready to do battle with the Alaskan Highway once more.Travelers coming from Tok and Fairbanks had told us that the worst portion of the road lay ahead.Their advice was go very slow.As predicted the road to Tok, Alaska was heavily damaged by frost heaves.The heaves could be 20' long, 2' wide, and almost a foot deep.They were every shape and size.The going was slow...you had no choice.In spots the road was gravel due to the repair process.We just shuttered to think of what condition the car and RV might be in.
We arrived at the US border at 11:00am.It was a wonderful sight.Silly as it sounds, it felt like home.We sailed through the border crossing, nothing like our entry into Canada more than a week before.Abbie slept through it all, thank goodness.
We reached Tok, Alaska.Tok is a small town just across the border where the Tok Cutofff (Route 1) breaks off the Alaskan Highway and goes south to Valdez and Anchorage.I was so excited we had regular cell phone service for the first time in over 8 days.I called everyone!
From Tok the highway was not great, but better than in the Canadian Provinces.We made much better time.We reached Delta Junction and the end of the Alaskan Highway.Hugh and I did a "high five"; we beat the road…this time.Say I'm superstitious, but I don't want to say that too loud.We still have to travel the same route on our return journey.
The rest of the afternoon took us along great river valleys.We saw three moose feeding along the roadside.What grand beasts they are.As we approached Fairbanks the riverbeds were so wide at some points you could not see the other side.In the spring the beds are flooded and swollen with water.This time of year they are fed only by rain and glacial runoff.The rivers still have many branches running in separate channels.It was a sight like I've never seen before.
Fairbanks at last!All of a sudden stores with familiar names were everywhere.They were familiar, yet so foreign looking after the wilds of the Alaskan Highway.
We arrived at Rivers Edge RV Park.We set up on a grassy lot and heaved a sigh of relief. We had limped into Fairbanks, muddy, scraped, bungeed, and bolted, but we were there.It was beautiful!
- comments
kim bolt really looking forward to talking to you about the trip and especially the road conditions. we have heard so many conflicting stories about the alaskan highways. see you in a few months.