25 June
Today we crossed the Yukon River. As we approached the small ferry we could see the RVs all queuing down Main Street. We thought we would be there for a couple of hours but the swift current seems to get the boat across very quickly and we were soon at the other side waiting for Paul and Nikki.
Ferry across the Yukon................................................. Paul & Nikki arrive.................
We took the Top of the World Highway heading for the Final Frontier – no not space – Alaska the 49th State. The highway was not paved it was just graded so there was lots of dust and gravel flying around as we crept higher and higher. Good preparation for our trip to Prudhoe Bay which will all be like this. They even had water dousers, working on the road in an attempt to keep the dust down. The scenery was once again amazing and there was still some snow on the very top of the highway.
The border crossing in the disance.... What its all about.............. The back up team..................... The girls had enough of Charles......
We crossed over into the USA at Poker Creek – “Population 2” – although I suspect its 0 in the Winter, as the border guard told us that the houses are completely covered in snow for most of the year. Clocks went back again so there is now a 9 hour time difference at this the most northerly border of the USA. Strange to think that we will have no more border crossings with the rest of the rally, we have shared so many over the past couple of months.
We made it to Alaska.................................................................................
Its not the end just yet. Call from Chicken – yes Chicken to say that the Cortina has a clutch problem. So we head off to see what’s happening. Chicken is an old mining town where the story goes that the settlers wanted to call the place Ptarmigan but they couldn’t spell it so it ended up as Chicken!! It has a population of 8 which grows to around 30 – 40 in the Summer months. Funny little place really. They say that some of the bits of fabric in the saloon (see photos) come from ladies pantys that they remove (with permission of course) and then blast from a canon – strange custom – but no worse than welly throwing I suppose!
Inside of the saloon..............................................
Alaska certainly is the last great widerness. We have travelled miles today through vast open lands and have hardly seen any villages or settlements. Our lodgings tonight are at the Golden Bear Motel in Tok. Cabins in the woods. Jenny Woodhead’s birthday today so we all meet around 7pm for drinks and nbbles outside, all wearing “essence of Deet” – beats Chanel anyday for keeping the mosquitos at bay. Another day closer to the Finish Line in Anchorage!
26 June
Left Tok for Fairbanks. Maybe we will have a paved road all the way today. Hope so, as JC spent almost two hours washing off the Toyota, before we left. Another beautiful, sunny crisp morning to start with clear blue skies. At the Robertson River crossing there was still ice and snow glistening in the sun. We stopped by a lake (where else) for a lazy lunch. We know that we are at the very back of the pack today and are just taking our time as it is a short run to our hotel.
Enf of June and still some ice on the rivers.................................. Shall I swim after lunch?..... Don't think so....
Used the time to catch up with some work and emails before going out to supper with some of the gang to a Salmon Bake – really nice place, with large tables set under the trees. You buy a ticket and then eat as much as you like from several small buffets scattered around. There was live music playing and some of the classics, escorted by the classic car club of Fairbanks brought the cars there. Caused quite a stir amongst the locals and tourists alike. We had one of the club on our table, David, who came originally from Newcastle – very different here.
We had missed Nikki and Paul today and wondered where they were, as Ron’s Cortina clutch had finally given up the ghost. Looks like he will go into Anchorage on a low loader. Such a shame right at the very end but we reminded him of when we had towed him from the dock in Panama and he didn’t think he would make Alaska – well he did make it to Alaska, just not to the Finish Line. Nikki and Paul had apparently gone off to have a short flight over the Arctic Circle – a great idea. We will, however, be doing that by road in the not too distant future!
27 June
Well the last day is finally here and everyone is on the road by 7.30 am. We have Jenny Brayshaw with us today. Hope she is not too sad about coming across the line in the Toyota and not their lovely little Healey, which is already on the way back to the UK after the accident. We passed through a town called Healy where we stopped to take some photos for Jenny and all had a coffee together. As we got nearer to Denali National Park the weather got windier and wetter with clouds covering the tops of the mountains, it is unlikely that we will get a view of Mount Mckinley (the highest in North America) today. We came through Windy Canyon where the winds can get upto120mph! It wasn’t so bad today but the dark clouds seemed to put a bit of a damper on our spirits. We have had such wonderful weather and here we are on the last couple of hundred kilometers and it is miserable and cold.
So are they...................... Picnic time.................................. He never gets a chance to work on his own vehicle.......................
Despite the weather we stopped and shared a picnic at the Mount McKinley viewing point with Jenny, Nikki, Paul, Charles and Jane and, although we couldn’t see the top of the mountain, the weather started to fair up a bit so much so that when we got to the finishing line the sun was shining. It was a great moment everyone else was there plus some classic cars from Anchorage. There was a lot of emotional back slapping, hand shaking and photo taking. A fantastic achievement by everyone, although a bit sad I am sure for those whose cars had not made it. Amidst the jollity, the heavens opened and we finally found a use for the umbrellas that we had all carried over 11,000 miles and gave the American’s an impromptu concert of “Singing in the Rain”
That night was the farewell dinner, despite the fact that most people are not leaving until Tuesday morning but Charlotte and Robin are due to leave us as they continue their own journey through the inside passage and to Vancouver. What a night, there was champagne, slide shows of photographs along the trip bringing back many memories, speeches, poems and singing – we Brits certainly know how to have a party, the guest downstairs in the restaurant must have been wondering what was going on! Again it was quite an emotional evening for everyone, JC and I were thrilled to be thanked for our help and given the ‘Team Spirit” award. Paul and Nikki had small gifts and photographs for everyone, each one with a personal, special memory of the trip and Rick was inviting us all to join the next rally in 2011!
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Award for perseverance to Roger... Gosh he is my neighbour............. Corrie and Angie............... An award from Nikki to Angie....
He can't believe it................... The Poets - Robin......... Ron........... Jenny.........
The Singers........... The Comedian............... A great night...............
We have thoroughly enjoyed this journey with the rally. We have made many new friends and have built on an already wonderful friendship with Paul and Nikki. We will miss them all when they leave and will probably be looking in the garages along the way to make sure there is no one in there broken down! Tomorrow they are all driving to Seward and John and I are going to spend the day checking over and re-packing our vehicle, airing out the roof tent for the start of our next adventure. It will be very very strange when all of the cars go to the dock and there is only the Toyota left in the car park. Good Luck and Safe Journey to the Global Rally team. We will think about you on our next journey and hope that you will continue to follow us on our website and send us a message now and again. We will be reporting back to Rick on the road journey through South America. We will look out for good roads for you – I guess that means, lots of curves, no speed limits, no topes and lots of gravel and dust!
For my regular readers – don’t worry there will be more to come, once we start on our next adventure and leave Anchorage.