June 20th, 2012: Driving the Top Of the World Highway

June 20^th, 2012: Driving the Top Of the World Highway

We got a late start for the ferry this morning, as we both overslept. As we drove up to the ferry it was almost 9:30 am and the line was five rv’s deep so it took a little over an hour to board and finally cross. It’s by far the smallest ferry we have ever taken with the house and it was a bit intimidating as they crowed us next to a second fifth wheel.

However, the crossing was uneventful and we started the climb up to the Top of the World Highway. It was a pretty easy drive as we took it slow and watched for animals. Unfortunately the Forty Mile Caribou herd was somewhere else, but it was still a spectacular drive.

The road, on the Canadian side was really quite good. Sure there were the occasional frost heaves  and narrow spots but it was ok. It was mostly gravel with a combination of some chip seal and pavement. We did have a spot where graders were working the road and we got some mud, but that was about it.

Crossing the border at Poker Creek we entered Alaska and as everyone knows it’s always great to be back in the USA after weeks in another country,(All though the people of Canada were all warm and friendly). I wish I could say the same for the conditions of the roads.

The Border Guard was really nice and we were quickly allowed to drive on. Immediately the road worsened but it was still ok. The farther we got the worse it became and we had a thrilling moment as we met another fifth wheel whose driver refused to move over….

Most were quite nice about it and we kind of took turns stopping or slowing to allow each other by as the road became worse and worse. It was still ok, except for one really steep grade, but I wouldn’t want to drive it if it were wet and soft.

We reached our destination for the night, Walker Fort BlM Campground and were pleasantly surprised at the large pull through. I tried to take a nap but visions of gold nuggets were dancing in my head. When I got up I found Renita sitting in the living room area working on her metal detector. I could see she was as ready as I was to hit gold claim.

We drove up the creek and stopped at several areas. Digging out rock and sand we would pan and then try another spot. There is a lot of mica which glitters and we did find some very small gold flecks but not enough to write home about. It looks like the area has already been mined and now the BLM has saved what’s left as a place for public panning.

We met the neighbors, all from Sitka, who were on a gold mining trip themselves and Greg, a retired logging engineer from there,  even came over and gave us a location on a place to pan. They said they had found some nuggets about the size of a sunflower seed and that’s really quite large! So it’s daylight now and 1:45 am and of course I am wide awake. There really isn’t any night right now and that’s as it should be as it’s early on June 21^st, about one hundred and fifty miles below the Arctic Circle.  Clear skies.