She made it! After a lifetime dream of going to Alaska a very patient Julie finally crossed the border

Ever since Julie was a teenager she has wanted to go to Alaska.  It was wild and remote and adventurous, had amazing wild animals and was romanticised through movies and documentaries.  She read Michener, London and other authors who painted a tantalising picture.  I think on the first day I met her she said, “I want to go to Alaska”.  It was a challenge I was prepared to accept but in the intervening years our lives took us to many amazing places in the world…except Alaska.  In fact, our son Zach beat us there.  But finally, rewarding a patient girl, on a remote northern border post high above the tree line late one afternoon we finally crossed into Alaska.

After many years and many miles we’re all smiles as we finally crossed the line

Alaska has so many facets and features it is hard to get your head around them.  Much bigger than Texas and California combined but the home to only 750,000 people, bought by America from Russia in 1867 for a highly controversial 2 cents an acre, America’s 49^th state admitted to the union in 1959, a state capital with no roads to it, home to some of the richest oil fields in the world, the highest mountain in North America, a geography that makes you run out of superlatives before the first day is over.  Alaska is wilderness, adventure and discovery…just our thing.

Our first camping spot in Alaska – not a bad view!

After driving from Dawson City Yukon across the Top of the World Highway and through the tiny little American border crossing we decided the next day to turn north (what a surprise!) and follow the narrow dirt road – also optimistically called on the maps the Taylor Highway – through the dramatic mountains leading to the small remote community of Eagle.

The road to Eagle led us through an amazing boreal landscape

The rough road followed the high ridges through these sprawling mountains, often above the tree line, and it was awesome sight to see your dirt track visible for five or more kilometres ahead of you.  And finally we dropped down into Eagle, poised on the banks of the mighty Yukon River, our old friend, and we enjoyed a lunch on the cliff above it while watching the muddy brown water gracefully flow past us.

The mighty Yukon River never seems to be far from where we are travelling – even in the remote community of Eagle

Eagle has a population of about 88 people, more or less, give or take, and the long 65 mile ‘driveway’ to town is closed in the winter so during those dark winter months residents must be extremely self-sufficient (and enjoy their own company!) or bail out on one of the support flights from Fairbanks.  We caught it on a beautiful warm summer day and couldn’t help but fall for its raw beauty, remote setting and extremely friendly people.

The City Hall in Eagle is a bit more modest than most towns

And the only church in town has been in active service for 115 years

This truck started its service in Eagle in 1932 and we’re told it still runs

We toured the ‘sights’ of the town, including some fascinating old historic buildings from Eagle’s heyday as a gold prospecting town around 110 years ago, and retraced our steps along the driveway through those high mountain passes and deep canyon crossings before camping again only about 17 miles further down the road from where we camped the night before.  That’s progress for you!

It’s a heck of a drive in and out of Eagle – some parts steep and narrow, other parts wide open and expansive but all of it is absolutely amazing

That night around the fire we were joined by Ron, a local retired prospector who came up on his ATV with his dog Diesel. Ron travelled the world as a successful harness horse owner and racer but now prefers his trailer in summer when he hunts for surface gold with his metal detector.  A fascinating guy, full of global travel and local bear experience, he showed us the gold he had found that day, a couple hundred dollars’ worth.  He just does it as a hobby, enjoying the beautiful mountains and the company of Diesel.  On ya, Ron.

Ron showing off the gold he found in one day – apparently a couple hundred dollars worth

Okay, I agreed to pose with the colourful chickens in the town of Chicken

We had a couple of days to get to Denali National Park, one of the most famous parks in the US and really only accessible for about five months of the year – which means that’s when all its thousands of visitors are magnetised to the park.  We drove down the rough road to the cute little town of Chicken, population 7, where we bought the usual T-shirts and stickers to commemorate this historic mining town with the unusual name.

Then it was down the very badly damaged road from the melted permafrost to the town of Tok where we met up again with the Alaska Highway.  By this stage the Alaska Highway was reaching its conclusion and we followed it to Delta Junction, the official end of this famed road.  After 1440 miles through magnificent rugged scenery this historic road finally ends.

Downtown Chicken – the only three original buildings of Chicken that still remain

The marker showing the end of the Alaska Highway in Delta Junction

We camped the night next to another famous Alaskan achievement, the Alaskan Pipeline, which pumps oil 800 miles through a 42 inch pipe across the state from the Arctic Ocean to the nearest deep water port on the Pacific Ocean.  The pipeline is mainly above ground so as not to be vulnerable to the whims of the thawing permafrost.  It crosses three mountain ranges and passes over 500 rivers and streams along its journey.  When it was built in the late 1970’s it was the largest infrastructure project ever undertaken in the US.  And it’s still pumping that good oil today.

An amazing infrastructure achievement from the 1970’s – the Alaskan pipeline

The next morning we went for a walk from our camp down to a little lake and saw two moose grazing in the meadow.  Above and beyond us, shining in the early morning light, was the mighty Alaska Ranges, a high jagged mountain range with snow-capped peaks and icy glaciers.  It was a great way to start the day.

One of our favourite scenes, discovered by chance on a morning walk from our camp

Tramp enjoys the views of the Alaska Ranges from our camp near the pipeline

Our lunch spot on the Denali Highway – great stuff

Our target for the day was Denali National Park but we chose a path less travelled to get there.  Following the Richardson Highway and the pipeline south along the eastern edge of the Alaska Ranges we eventually turned west along the Denali Highway, a rough gravel road that crossed large rivers and weaved its way between and over dramatic mountains for most of the day.  We stopped constantly for photos and to ooh and aah at the vast open plains threaded with river streams and backed by dramatic high mountains and their glaciers.  As we said, this looks exactly like Alaska!

Some amazing views on the Denali Highway

Most people don’t do the Denali Highway because it is a big rough but we thought it was a highlight

One last view from the Denali Highway