June 21st: From Walker Creek to Chicken

June 21^st: From Walker Creek to Chicken

We woke up and after our usual two hour start, headed to the location where the bedrock was exposed. There we had been told to dig the dirt out of the cracks, and to be sure to wash the rocks, as the gold was often clinging to the broken fragments.

As we walked in we came across a really large pile of scat that was full of grass. Hmm, could it be bear scat? It was completely differ from moose droppings, which are really large here compared to Wyoming moose so we continued but kept us a constant chatter.

No bear appeared and so we finally reached our destination, bedrock exposed by the creek. We worked four buckets of rock and dirt and actually found some gold flakes, so that was encouraging. We also collected some garnet crystals, small but workable and lots of garnets that were too small to be of any use.

As we walked back to camp we decided to head to Chicken and so left Walker Creek about one in the afternoon. Now it’s only thirty miles but it is by far the toughest section of the Taylor Highway to drive, (I am not counting the section to Eagle as the Milepost does not recommend this for large vehicles and we are definitely large).

As the road narrowed, did I mention no guardrails, soft shoulder warnings, and a big drop, a pilot car approached. The driver stopped, as I pulled over, and I asked him if I should stop where I was and wait for the tour bus to pass me by. He said it was a good idea as the road was even narrower and we were on the side with the drop, did I mentioned he kind of chuckled?

Both passed by, at what seemed a high rate of speed and perhaps it was because they were worried about our combined rate of speed. After they passed we approached a hairpin and it really wasn’t bad as it was a little blind but easy for us to get around. It wasn’t anything like the movie the Long Long Trailer, and the road actually got a little wider as we climbed the next hill.

 Now we were on the inside as we drove the section where the Milepost warned of three successive hairpins. Of course a truck carrying a large caterpillar bulldozer appeared and we both stopped. He finally proceeded and it was a bit dicey as he shifted into high gear, or so it seemed.

 A little further and another curve but again nothing likes the hairpins in the mountains of Wyoming. We passed through an area where road crews were rebuilding the road from last year’s flood and other then a little muddy from the water truck it wasn’t so ok.

Below we could see the town of Chicken and we pulled into the first rv park, Goldpanner. There we got a pull through with thirty amp electricity for only thirty six dollars. We were both relieved to have driven the Top of the World Highway and we parked just before a large black cloud started to rain.

All of the rigs that came in after us were covered with mud and told me the road became slippery but still passable as everyone slowed down. All in all a good day with some gold flakes and a successful traverse of the Top of the World Highway! Clear skies.