It’s not all play, you know
After a wet night, the morning was dry and a good nights sleep had been enjoyed. The bear bag was where we left it, under the camp table of another (empty) pitch. Good news for a cup of tea and coffee, though less water meant a tin of sardines for breakfast - nicer than it sounds., trust me. It took us a while to get packed up whilst fighting the fewer mossies that were persistent in their desire for a hot breakfast.
A last stop at the long-drop (clean and full of paper) and as were kitting up to leave, a KTM and a T7 pulled up beside us. After all the introductions, it turns out they are Colin and Rachael, who operate a touring company called Arctic Moto Adventures and they were out doing a recce run for a new tour. It was also a practice run for Mum as she drove the backup vehicle with the trailer.
Our next destination was the Denali Highway. A lightly used, mainly gravel road that was the first to pass through the Denali National Park. Most people will use the Parks Highway but this is currently closed due to a washed out bridge. The Denali Highway runs West to East from Cantwell to Paxson and at 135 miles long, with just the first and last few miles tarmac, it is a gravel dirt road with areas of washboard and potholes. Not many people use it and it is not regularly maintained - excellent - just the kind of road we want.
It didn’t disappoint! The views were stunning with large valleys carpeted in mossy grassland and trees, with huge mountain cliffs to seal them in. Snow capped mountain ranges, with glaciers streaked with smudged black moraines and jagged crevasses, appeared in the distance. We stopped for a few photo shots at Susitna River crossing, before reaching Maclaren Lodge around 75% of the way across. Isi was tired and needed to stop, so she enquired about a room. $210 for one night was too steep for us and, after searching the local area for a camp-pitch, we decided to move on. It was getting late and Isi was not enjoying the riding in search of a suitable camp spot. The temperature dropped to 9C but I didn’t bother telling her, as it would be yet another reason to feel low.
Eventually, toward the end of the Denali, we found the Tangle Lakes Campsite - which is ironic (to us Brits who think camping = canvas) as there was only one other tent to be seen, yet there must have been upward of 50 RV’s of various shapes and extraordinary sizes. For tent-camping, the sites provide walk-in areas, where you park your vehicle and walk to the pitch spot. Unfortunately for us, a couple of RV’s took over the walk-in parking area so we had nowhere to park. Actually wasn’t a problem as, again, I would need the bikes to hold the tent up. As such, I rode the singletrack pathway to keep the bikes with us. It was a very nice campsite and, considering it was full, it was nice and quiet with the sound of sparrows twittering in their flocks.
The following morning we packed up and headed back to Maclaren Lodge for a great breakfast and the use of the wifi. I needed to source new rear tyres as the Anakee Wilds were reaching the end of their life. Endless cups of coffee and it was past lunchtime before we hit the road again. A deal was struck with Yukon Yamaha in Whitehorse, that we would be a number of days before getting there but the tyres would be on hold. On again, to complete the Denali Highway with the occasional stop to take photos of yet more distant glaciers.
At the end of the Denali Highway, Paxson, we couldn’t find the fuel stop we needed and, having ridden parts of the Denali 3 times, we were in need. We found a gas station 20 miles South by Fox Lake - a rather quaint and ancient stop with a system of trust - you fill up and walk in to tell the manager how many gallons and he gets out the calculator to work what needs to paid. We then retraced our steps and continued North. The scenery continued to provided WOW moments and we pulled up at the Richardson Monument, with a fantastic view of the same Gulkana glacier we had photographed before - just closer.
The Richardson Monument is not the nicest of places to stop, with some litter and toilet paper just behind the monument, but the view is spectacular. The Richardson Monument is on the Isabel Pass, with notice boards sharing the stories of Isabelle Barnette and other Gold Rush Women, who struck North along the Klondike to make their fortune. Isabelle and her husband created a small town that would grow to become the Fairbanks of today - a large town that links a number of highways and provides the main access point for the Dalton Highway and other places North.
Whilst on the top, we saw a small road that led to the glacier and watched a car bouncing along the track - so we just had to give it a go…. After 3 miles of lumps, bumps, rocks and craters, the track turned even gnarlier. Had we been unloaded, we may well have pressed on but we decided retreat was the best option for today. Isi was full of confidence on the poorly maintained dirt road, throwing foot and hand moves, whilst stood up, giving me the heebie-jeebies and trying to calm her down - no chance! (Image taken as a still from video, so quality is very poor).
Back to the Highway and it was time to find a spot to stop. The Donnelly campground was the spot we pulled in to and decided to stay. It was soon we found out that the water source was broken and the rubbish bins had been removed. As such, we paid less for our pitch than was asked - $10 instead of the $15, and hindsight says we should only have paid $5. However, the plus side was the campsite was near-empty, so we had time to relax and work on blogs and films - it’s not all play, you know.
The next morning we headed to Delta Junction and took the Alaska Highway South to Tok. The road itself was unimpressive, being but a scratch of man-made through 90 miles of pine forests, with the occasional backdrop of snow capped mountains and more distant glaciers. When we reached Tok, it was time to find something to eat and a place to stay. Fast Eddy’s provided the food - good but not exceptional, as the reviews would have you believe - and the Sourdough campground provided the place to pitch for 2 nights - the smalls needed washing (according to Isi).
Soon, it became time to travel another road we had marked as a ‘must do’. The Top of the World Highway
