Chicken Gold Camp RV Park Taylor Highway Chicken, Alaska

Mileage: 46,677

It was a rainy night and a rainy drive this morning.

We stopped at Dot lake and I saw this beaver and this pair of swans.

Mileage:  46,677

Our goal today was to travel to Tok and to talk with people there about whether or not we should attempt to take the RV and Jeep on the Taylor Highway to Chicken and then the Top of the World Highway to Dawson City.  I talked with several people in town.  Should we go or not?  The road has an intimidating reputation.  “Beware of the rough road.”  “Take it slow…but go!”  “There are no services so be prepared.”  “Don’t get onto the shoulders, they are soft and you could tip over.”  “The views are outstanding!”  “You will be fine if you are patient and take it slow.”

Old trucks in Tok.

Lawnmowers on the sod roof.

We were intrigued enough to try.  I said “We can always turn around.”  He said “You know me, I’m not turning around!”    So, the challenge was issued.  The gauntlet, laid down.  Either you think that it is cool that we are doing this or you think that we are crazy to drive where it might be considered dangerous…either way you are probably right!

These signs are NO joke!

This is the Alaskan guardrail system…

This is a twisting turning journey mostly above the tree line among the mountaintops, the valleys far below.

I wish that it weren’t raining so we could see more!

We stopped for the night in a little quirky town called Chicken.  It is a mining town.  There are 6 – ¼ mile claims or all six for $20,000.00.  They are still actively pulling gold from here.  The miners who originally camped here were going to call the camp Ptarmigan, but no one knew how to spell it.  chicken is the nickname for Ptarmigan in these parts…so Chicken it was called.  There are several chicken sculptures.

All of the campgrounds allow you to pan for gold.  I watched a guy from Pennsylvania pan for quite some time.  He joked “I’m going to get rich you know.”  I didn’t see any sparkles in his little green pan!

Old dredge at the gold camp.

Old trucks at the gold camp.

The campground has a gorgeous gift shop filled with authentic Alaska made gifts.  It was fun to look.  We had dinner there in the café.  Paninis and beer and wine and ice cream for dessert.

While we were out with the Jeep this afternoon we saw several senior (grey haired) cyclists coming up the muddy unpaved portion of the road…slogging along over washboard and rutted surface.  Miles and miles of slimy goop.  They did 55 miles today.  They left Missoula, Montana 61 days ago.  They are headed to Denali and then to Anchorage.  WOW!!!  These guys don’t look intimidating, but they are badass!

It is raining again.  Hopefully it will stop overnight.  Today we did the first 66 miles which were mostly paved…though roughly so.  Tomorrow we will do the muddy gravel portion for about 30 miles.  We are headed for a Bureau of Land Management Campground called Walker Fork BLM Campground.  Because Tim has his senior pass we can camp there for $5.00.  WooHoo!  We plan to leave the RV there and head to Eagle with the Jeep.  That road is NOT recommended for larger rigs.

Lots of old trucks today!

Wolf prints???