jmcarp
Colorado
Full Member
Joined: 10/23/2010
View Profile
Good Sam RV Club Member
 Offline
|
We drove the TOW from Dawson to Chicken in July, 2011. Conditions were dry the entire way, and we had no problems of any kind. But I can see where wet conditions can create problems on the Alaska side, especially if you're not attentive to your driving. The Canadian side was in much better shape than the Alaska side as Joe and others have reported. It's mostly gravel, with a few short stretches of chip & seal pavement. The Alaska side, between the border and Jack Wade, is pretty much a plain old dirt road like many of the lesser-traveled forest service roads here in Colorado. As others noted, the views on the Canadian portion are awesome. There's a "rest stop" a short distance past the border on the Alaska side, and when we stopped there, two tour buses of the type in Sue's photo stopped and 50 or 60 tourists piled out and lined up at the two outhouse privies. When we reached Boundary, the new owner and his son were installing a satellite dish on the roof of the small cafe. They said they were planning to make it into an internet cafe and capture some of the tour bus traffic. They were also planning to make the small cabin by the cafe into a museum of sorts. I have no way of knowing if these plans came to fruition later in the summer -- perhaps a later traveler can report. You really have to see these places to decide whether or not they were tilting at windmills, as they might best be described as "rustic." It is, however, the only stop between Chicken and Dawson, and the facilities are surely better than the outhouses up the road.
Jim
'04 Provan Tiger CX
|
Veebyes
Bermuda & Maryland
Senior Member
Joined: 11/24/2003
View Profile
Offline
|
JMCARP, I think we were at the same turnout last May. We were sitting there, all by ourselves, enjoying the silence & serenity of what was before us when a tourbus rolled in. Out they all tumbled, yap, yap, yap, click, click, click, in less than 10 minutes VROOM they were gone. It was like a tornado blew through.
You can't beat the TOW at a nice slow lots of stops pace.
Boat: 32' 1996 Albin 32+2, single Cummins 315hp
40+ night per year overnighter
2007 Alpenlite 34RLR
2006 Chevy 3500 LT, CC,LB 6.6L Diesel
Ham Radio: VP9KL, IRLP node 7995
|
jmcarp
Colorado
Full Member
Joined: 10/23/2010
View Profile
Good Sam RV Club Member
Offline
|
Veebyes wrote:JMCARP, I think we were at the same turnout last May.
Well, we were there in July, and there were two tour buses in my example, but the basic scenario was exactly the same -- a whirlwind of activity about equally divided between people with knees clamped tightly together in a long line at the primitive outhouses and the rest frantically snapping 360-degree panoramas on cell phone cameras. Ah tour buses...what an exciting way to travel the world! Count your blessings, fellow RV'ers.
Jim
|
Skid Row Joe
Texas and on-the-road
Senior Member
Joined: 04/26/2006
View Profile
|
AKsilvereagle wrote:July 2010 - Mile 22 Taylor Hwy :
 
What's up with all the 18-wheelers skidding their duals in the right hand side of the highway? Look strange indeed.
“I want to die in my sleep like my Grandfather... Not screaming and yelling like the passengers in his car.”
|
sue.t
Ibex Valley, Yukon
Senior Member
Joined: 08/05/2004
View Profile
|
One trip up the Dempster we were walking our Norwegian Elkhound at rest area at the Arctic Circle. Bus pulled in. 50 people streamed out. 50 people ran over to us to take a picture of the "real sled dog". Didn't want to tell them she had never been a sled dog, that Elkhounds aren't sled dogs, and that she was the laziest couch potato around.
She politely posed for & with people for about 15 minutes. She was a diva, that girl.
Oops, we're off topic now!
sue t.
Pictures from our many RV Adventures to Yukon & Alaska
|
|
|
Veebyes
Bermuda & Maryland
Senior Member
Joined: 11/24/2003
View Profile
Offline
|
I think what you are looking at there is tarmac off the wheels of rollers used repairing a frost heave.
|
Veebyes
Bermuda & Maryland
Senior Member
Joined: 11/24/2003
View Profile
Offline
|
Caught this one on the road just N of Whitehorse. I slowed down, had a chat, offered a ride. He/she never slowed down from the trot, just watched me while I took pictures.
This one actually in the CG in Dawson. Came right up to me. No, I did not try to pet or feed it but suspect others have.
|
dhansen871
Big Bear Lake
New Member
Joined: 03/23/2010
View Profile
Good Sam RV Club Member
Offline
|
I want to thank all that replied. I may of jumped to a conclusion when I read the first couple of replies. One said it was like a "Cow Trail". Another one showed pictures of a "Mud Run". My thought was, do I really want to take a 40K pound MH down a muddy, dirty, bumpy dirt road? I got that impression from the first couple of replies and I decided "NO". But now with the additional pictures and those opinions of more recent travels on the road by everyone, my opinion of the road has greatly improved. Again, I thank everyone that posted and keep them coming for all to enjoy.
Dave & DW Jodi
Max the Cat
SoCal Mountains
2007 Country Coach 430 Allure
2012 Jeep GC Overland
|
sue.t
Ibex Valley, Yukon
Senior Member
Joined: 08/05/2004
View Profile
|
THIS is a goat trail ... but it is the South Canol Rd, not the Top of the World. Even so we enjoyed towing our fifth wheel across it, several times now!
|
AKsilvereagle
North Pole, Alaska
Senior Member
Joined: 04/17/2010
View Profile
Offline
|
Quote:Posted By: Veebyes on 01/24/12 05:42am
Skid Row Joe wrote:
What's up with all the 18-wheelers skidding their duals in the right hand side of the highway? Look strange indeed.
I think what you are looking at there is tarmac off the wheels of rollers used repairing a frost heave.
That is correct, it's a patch job on the roadway as you can see the big black asphalt spot in between the tire marks left on the roadway.
Those are not skid marks, those are tar marks left from a dually truck, to my guessing the source is from a typical DOT maintenance deuce and half rig (two and a half ton truck).
The picture shows three sets of dual tire marks all positioned from the right side of the lane to the shoulder edge, as I would say that would be the narrowest wheelbase from any 18 wheeler rig, that turned around and skidded next to the same spot again.
1970 Ford F250 2WD Sport Custom (Owned April 1996)
390 V8 (17K Rebuilt Mi) C6 Trans (201K Original Mi)
2000 Fleetwood Angler 8ft Cabover
Air Lift 1000(Front)
Air Lift Loadlifter 5000(rear)
Hellwig Front and Rear Sway Bars
Goodyear G171 LT Series(siped)
|
|
|
