June 14, 2013 Top of the World Hwy into Alaska

Friday, June 14,2013

Quiet night.  We set out early for Top of the World Highway, a mostly gravel road that runs across ridges all the way to Alaska.  Beautiful scenery but Greg has to concentrate a good bit on the roadway.  Not much in the way of wildlife, though we did see 2 porcupines and a marmot.

The vastness is just amazing, as we look at layers of mountains extending for miles and miles.  We do feel that we are on top of the world as sometimes we climb above tree-line and actually are looking down at mountains and clouds, or across vistas to other mountains.  

Alaska at last!  Crossed the border into Alaska and set our clocks back another hour to Alaska time.

We decided to take a side trip, an even narrower, windy road (with no guardrails) to the town of Eagle on the Yukon River.  One lane at times, we encountered only 5-6 vehicles.  Crossed the Forty Mile River and paused for a stretch.  Gorgeous scenery everywhere!

Eagle was a tiny town,  right out of Northern Exposure, if you ever saw that show.  I would totally not be surprised to see a moose strolling through town!  It had a library (I think libraries are important here during those long winters!), a courthouse, visitors center, gas station/post office/grocery store and not much else.  Was once important stop on the Yukon River and center for miners and trappers. It had had some recent flooding problems, but seemed sleepy and quiet today.

Fort Egbert was one of the first attempts to bring law and order to Alaska, but they had a difficult time getting people to stay there (I wonder how the deserters managed their escape!  Must have been the river in Summer!)  We managed ours out the same crazy road, back to Top of the World and onward towards Chicken.

Stopped at a nice BLM (Bureau of Land Management) campground for the night and enjoyed a campfire, even if it was still daylight at 11:00. You haven’t lived till you’ve cooked spaghetti over a campfire!