Sunday June 15. Dawson City Yukon Territory to Tok Alaska.   I enjoyed my rest yesterday and it felt good to be off the bike for the day. Dawson City is a cool place to visit and I was fortunate to meet some nice people during my brief stay. The aches and pains from the Dempster ride have past and I am excited about starting the second segment of my riding adventure.

My goal is to see as much of Alaska as possible in the remaining  six days of riding. I have confirmed reservations on the Alaskan Marine Highway from Haines Alaska to Bellingham Washington on June 21. I  plan a route that assures I will be in Haines by Friday evening. Looking at my map it appears I can make a clockwise loop through Alaska and see most of the State that is viewable by roadway. Leaving Dawson City by "The Top of the World Highway", I should be able to start in Chicken Alaska, then on to Tok and Valdez. Doubling back from Valdez I can ride to Anchorage, Denali, Fairbanks and return to Tok. That is about a seventeen hundred mile loop. From Tok, I will cross back into the Yukon Territory and British Columbia. Then it is back into southeastern Alaska for a short ride to Haines Alaska.

I am satisfied with the route, except I am unable to ride the Kenai Peninsula. I regret being unable to see Homer and Steward, but it would add at least another day of riding. I have been told to expect considerable construction delays throughout Alaska, so I want some flexibility in my schedule in case of unexpected delays.

Sunday morning starts slowly and I take advantage of the complementary breakfast at the Downtown Hotel. I usually do not eat breakfast, preferring instead to ride for about one hundred miles in the morning before stopping for a drink and light snack.

I roll out of Dawson City around nine. It is a cool morning and the day promises good weather and great riding. I motor down the dirt streets of Dawson City  to a spot along the Yukon River and await the ferry. The George Black operates twenty four hours a day, seven days a week during the summer. There is no cost, and it is the only way to cross the swiftly flowing waterway. Here is an early picture of the George Black as it is prepared for launch.

In the late 1800's the Yukon River brought thousands of adventures to the area seeking their fortune following the discovery of gold at Bonanza Creek in August,1896. My goal this morning does not include seeking a fortune, but rather simply crossing the Yukon River and reaching the Top of the World Highway. [pic] The Top of the World Highway is only open in the summer and crosses into Alaska seventy-nine miles west of Dawson City.

In the winter, the only road out of Dawson City  is the Klondike Highway. It retraces the three hundred and forty mile route I drove from Whitehorse on Thursday. I want to avoid re-riding routes, if possible. Fortunately, the Top Of the World route into Alaska is available. I have heard about this road and I am looking forward to this ride.

For much of the seventy-nine miles between Dawson and the Alaska border, the road edges around the peaks of a series of mountain ridges far above the tree line. Once you witness the incredible vistas you will know how the highway got its name. [pic]  The great views start almost immediately after leaving the River.  The roadway is rough with plenty of potholes and deep ruts. It is generally narrow with a hard packed dirt and gravel road surface. It is dry as I pass over it and I have no problems. I would not want to ride it when it is rain soaked and muddy.  The elevations are such that some sections of the roadside remain snow covered year round. [pic] The roads summit at 4515 feet above sea level.

The Customs station at Poker Creek is a desolate place. [pic]  I have no problem entering Alaska. [pic]  After the border crossing the road becomes the Taylor Highway. The Taylor Highway is fifty miles of dirt road. It is narrow and windy and is a very enjoyable ride if taken at a modest speed.

It is a short ride to Chicken Alaska.       As I pull in I see an BMW- LT and a Harley Davidson parked in the lot. The Harley has pulled a trailer over the Top of the World and is now suffering the consequences. The trailer is huge.   He is riding two-up and the trailer is much too heavy for the bike. The hitch is badly bent and has ripped a large slice into the rear tire. The LT rider [his riding buddy]  and I help him disconnect the hitch and do our best to straighten it and the frame that holds it to the bike. The H-D rider is convinced he can continue on to Anchorage with the bad tire, bent hitch and overweight trailer. I estimate that he won't make it five miles on the sliced tire. We suggest that if he is determined to ride, that he leave the trailer and return for it after he replaces the tire. His "significant other" refuses to ride with him on the damaged tire. As I leave they were arranging to leave the trailer and calling ahead for the tire service in Anchorage.

It is another forty-plus miles to Tok and the road is pretty good.   This is a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon. The views are breathtaking. [pic]  There is plenty of wildlife in the area.[pic]  Another hour and I am in Tok.

 If you want to hear opinions about your travel plans in Alaska, all you have to do is open a map in a public area and you will hear from everyone. After hearing from all the dinners in Young's restaurant, I strike up a conversation with a women who tells me about a B&B that is also a sled dog kennel. Tok is the sled dog capital of Alaska. I am interested in sled dog racing and I want to learn more about it. Down the road a couple of miles I find the B&B. I am warmly welcomed by Sandra Perry and her family.   They raise about fifty racing dogs and their son, John Paul is quite accomplished in his racing class.   We spend the evening talking about dogs, homesteading, and life in Alaska. I have a most enjoyable evening and will likely accept their invitation to return during the winter and try driving a sled dog team. All I have to do is find clothing suitable for temperatures in the twenty below zero range!

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