Boundary to Tok - Alaska 2005
Updated: 11/30/08
The road to Chicken, Alaska was as bad as people told us. Fortunately, we were almost alone on the road and drove very slowly. Everyone gets very stretched out along the route and most seemed to be ahead of us. Some may have stopped at the campground just after the ferry crossing.
After
quite a while of driving we seemed to be catching some other RVs. You can image
what a surprise it was - we were traveling 20-25mph. They were traveling
together and the lead guy was going real slow. When we got to a straight stretch
of road, they motioned for us to pass them. Notice the dust. Having been
forewarned by friends who made the trip last year, we covered our bed and
furniture with sheets before leaving Dawson City. The interior was surprisingly
clean, we were delighted.
They
caught up with us when we stopped to look at the Jack Wade dredge. But, they
stopped as well so we continued at our 20-25mph without having to pass them
again.
Many
places on the road to Chicken were without a shoulder. Those times when you are
glad you are on the mountain side of the road. The edge was soft and you would
breakdown the edge if you got too close.
Orange
flags are your friends along the Alaska Highway and other roads. They warn you
of locations when you could damage your RV and where your RV could slide down
the hillside and disappear.
Because there are almost no crossroads on the road to Chicken, it was easy to find Downtown Chicken. Without the sign you may have missed it.
This is it!
As
Chicken, Alaska has a population of 37, it does not need a very large post
office. We sent postcards to the grandchildren from here. While we were standing
on the porch deciding where to put them, the Postmaster walked up and took them
personally. She was leaving to meet the plane and would stamp them and get them
on the plane in ten minutes. The plane makes a mail run twice a week.
There are two campgrounds in town. This is the first one we
stayed at. They generate power and have it on from 7:30am until 7:30pm. There is
no phone, they use a satellite phone. The next morning as Fred was using the
computer, it chirped telling him a WiFi connection was available. So, in this
desolate place, we are connected to the Internet sitting in our fifth wheel.
They
are restoring the Pedro dredge, having moved it from a mile upstream.
Next to the dredge we saw this bucket sled and other mining equipment.
And, flowers ...
We
moved to the other campground after we bought fuel and found out that night
would be free due to the fill-up. We could still use the WiFi from the first
campground. It was only a few hundred feet from the first campground.
The
owner's children wore these bright colored vests and bear bells for safety -
from vehicles and bears.
Good advice!
The original town of Chicken is no longer used.
We took a one day side trip to Eagle, Alaska on gravel - 193 miles round trip. We followed the only 'Y' in the road and the only sign between the Boundary and Chicken. It was a full day of mountain driving.
On the stretch of the road we were warned to watch for planes on the road. It seems to be the local runway.
The views ...
Our view was obscured by a haze. Some of it was smoke from a forest fire near Boundary.
Our
snack stop was on a nice little hill overlooking mountain ranges.
We drove through a lot of areas that had burned last year. We had friends who traveled the area last year. They were almost turn back due to the fires.
When
we arrived in Eagle, we saw the sign for the visitor information. We went in the
building (library with an Internet computer) to gather information about the
town. First thing, Mary Lou asked to use the restroom. The woman led her to the
back door and pointed to the outhouse. Come to find out, the sign WAS the
visitor information.
Eagle is a small town with a population of 200. The smoke and haze covered a beautiful view. You could smell the smoke in the air.
The view left and right from town. 
Eagle is at a bend in the Yukon River and it collects a lot of debris.
Interestingly,
fuel was $.10 less expensive per gallon in Eagle than Chicken.
This
fellow was going to pick up his mail in the way home.
Rifles in window ...
It was a nice day ... but a long day. If the air had been clearer, it may have a more worthwhile trip.
We stayed in Chicken one more day before leaving for Tok. The day was real cloudy but little rain until after we had set up camp.
Prior forest fires had left their mark in this area as well.
Everything is burned off the trees - only the trunks remain.
Lunch
was just outside of town.
We
were welcomed to Tok with some 30mph stretches of gravel and 18 wheelers doing
60.
Go back to Alaska Photo Album .