Fairbanks to Dawson - Over the Top of the World!

I had a bit of a nightmare getting out of Fairbanks - lesson learned on following directions from my phone.  Somehow I followed a bike path onto Fort Wainwright and noticed behind me that all the cars were going through a check point.  Oh well, carry on.  The phone led me onto smaller and smaller roads and eventually I was riding through the barracks area, and all the recruits were head out for their morning runs, so I'm riding in between these groups running and chanting.  A couple times I came to roads blocked to traffic manned by uniformed soldiers.  I just nodded and kept on going like I knew what I was doing and no one ever said a word to me.

I passed through the town of North Pole.  I had a package to mail home but unfortunately the post office didn't open for a couple hours so I took a photo and kept going.

The road towards Delta Junction was fairly nondescript, passing through various versions of northern boreal forest.  I made good time and camped just outside of Delta Junction - not one of my best campsite finds but I managed to get a good nights sleep.

The sky continued to be very smokey, so much of the scenery was hidden.  There were a few hidden gems of lakes and other nice places to stop, often with many loons and waterfowl to enjoy.  And then suddenly Santa Claus.

I had a humorous incident at a small camping and day use area between Delta Junction and Tok.  There was a small toilet at the end of the parking area - no vehicles around.  I leaned my bike up against the wall and started towards the door.  The door cracked open and a small camera emerged, swinging back and forth.  What?   A few seconds later an older gentlemen emerged, looking very disappointed and then very embarrassed.  He had taken a bus from Fairbanks and was spending the day looking for wildlife.  When he heard me outside he was sure I was a bear and he was going to get a great photo.  He was gutted I wasn't a bear and then desperate to explain what he was doing with the camera in the toilet!  I stopped by the Tok visitor centre the next day and got some great advice on water sources for the next part of my trip.

Some of the best riding so far was on the Taylor and Top of the World highways.  They both involved heaps of climbing and some fun fast flowing downhills.  I made it to the high point of the Taylor at dusk and ended up stealth camping at the picnic area.  The next morning was a great downhill ride.

The next stop was Chicken, a small settlement that caters to tourists travelling the Top of the World.  I had a great burger before heading to the campground at Walker Fork.

I did the whole of the Top of the World highway the next day.  I was a huge climb to the border station (finally into Canada!) and the a long day of rolling hills on a usually good gravel road.  There were a few places just to steep and I had to walk a hundred meters or so till the grade leveled out.  I was keen to make progress so I didn't take a lot of pictures.  The weather ranged from sunny to overcast and several thunderstorms passed close by, but I managed to stay dry through to the epic downhill into Dawson.

There is no water on the Top of the World.  Thankfully I'd met some folks in Chicken the previous day who agreed to top me up as they went past.  Thanks Susan and Richard!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jxoJA8j-IQQ&sns=em

 I was very tired by the end of the long day and settled into a campground on the western side of the Yukon River for a sleep before heading across on the ferry the next day to explore Dawson, so  laundry, and have a shower!

I ran into Susan and Richard in Dawson and they treated me to a homemade meal in their RV and filled me in on some of the roads ahead.  What great folks!