Day 57 (Wednesday): September 4, 2019
Woke up at night still raining… then at 5:30 AM, no rain, but heavy fog sitting on the land, the visibility is very low, the road is muddy and slippery, 44 oF, not bad. Took a shower, shaved, then worked on my journal and the picture files. After our good breakfast, we started to pack and planned to pull out at 11 AM from Eagle Plains, drove north on the challenging, muddy Dempster Hwy to Fort McPherson camp. Unfortunately, the weather turned worse, we got heavy rain and the fog did not move so we decided to stay at Eagle Plains camp one more night, waiting for better weather. Worked on journal, organized and made new plans, went to the lounge to buy WiFi connection, get hot soup and drink a beer. The rain stopped afternoon and I was able to walk around in the mud and I took few pictures. I just finished my walk when the thunderstorm hit us with heavy rain and hail. Luckily passed us about an hour then the sky slowly started to clear up. After a good dinner, we enjoyed a relaxing reading at the lounge. Good night sleep.
Day 58 (Thursday): September 5, 2019
The rain stopped early morning, but the heavy storm clouds did not break, and the northern sky was really dark. After a hot shower and shaving seance, we ate a good breakfast. The road was still closed and at Eagle, Plains had no information about the opening. Well, it better to stay here and safe than on the rod stuck in the mud somewhere in the middle of nowhere. We thought to stay one more night, but when I went to the office, they posted the latest road conditions and we learned that in three places the muddy road was unpassable and the turned over propane leaking tanker was still in the ditch blocking half of the road and waiting for help. Not a good sign and they told us the road will be open maybe three days later, on Sunday… Finally, we decided to drive back on the slippery, muddy, but 4×4 drivable dirt road to Tombstone Mountain camp, stay a night there and next day go to Dawson City and get more road conditions and weather information there and continue our trip accordingly. We stopped few nice places and enjoyed the scenery, the beauty of the Gray Mountains, the color of Taiga and Tundra, the Fall-colored Birch trees at the McKenzie River rapids, and the deep green pines. Beautiful Land! We did not go to Inuvik and Tuktoyoktuk and had to turn back from Eagle Plains, but still, we experienced a lot from the Yukon Territory. Took several pictures on the road and enjoyed the mineral oxide painted yellowish Engineer Creek especially when the creek met with a river and the two colors of water moved side by side. Safely arrived at Tombstone Mountain Camp, set up our tiny mud-covered dirty house, made a strong long-lasting campfire, enjoyed our dinner and my last beer. 12:15 AM the Northern Lights started to be visible, slowly spread, and increased the greenish color intensity. I was blessed to see it and feel it again.
Day 59 (Friday): September 6, 2019
Got up in the early morning, 29 oF, freezing cold, the ground vegetation was frosted, the water in our bucket was frozen. Warmed up our tiny house and made coffee and tea, then slowly recuperated. Lexi and I ate breakfast, bucketed ice-cold creek water, and refreshed myself in it. What a nice morning! The Sun slowly came out, we started to pack and made our trailer ready to go. Left Tombstone at 10:30 AM, the surface of Beaver Lake was frozen. Drove on Dempster to Klondike Hwy and from there to Dawson City. bought gas, and groceries at the local General Store, got a good place at the Goldrush Camp. Settled at 3 PM, we are happy. We had a nice sunny afternoon walked around the Yukon trail and enjoyed the old Goldrush town, Dawson City, Yukon Territory, Canada.
Day 60 (Saturday): September 7, 2019
Got up at 6:30 AM, cold morning, 33 oF, chilly a bit. After cold bathroom routines and breakfast, started to pack and left Gold Rush Camp at 10 AM. Drove to the ferry which took us to the other side of the Yukon River to continue our journey on the Top of the World bumpy dirt road to Alaska. We carefully drove on the steep dirt road, really up to the top of the mountain then followed the ridges, felt we are really top of the world as the road was named. Stopped few scenic places where we photographed, then slowly arrived at the Canada/USA border, then drove on the Taylor Hwy, which is partially paved, freezing made potholes containing, bumpy, hairpins and steep grades filled dirt road, led us to Walker Fork BLM camp, ($5 seniors, free firewood) on my dream Land, Alaska. Set up our tiny house, next to Walker Fork, made a hike, and photographed the beauty of nature there. Lexi made a fine dinner, I worked on the campfire, took firewood from the wood rack, talked to our elderly neighbor campers from Switzerland. The Northern Lights was visible around 11:30 PM and I enjoyed how the lights moved, scattered, dropped fingers like waterfalls. I was out in the cold till 12:30 AM, then slept fast, dreamed about the great Alaskan hunters and explorers. We had a very good, and happy day.
Day 61 (Sunday): September 8, 2019
Woke up early, 25 oF at 6:30 AM, cold morning, frost-covered leaves and ground vegetation. After washing my face in cold water from the river fork, coffee, tea, and breakfast, took few pictures from frosted leaves, talked to locations, mountain road conditions with Alaskan campers, then packed and left Walker Fork. Drove on steep, narrow, mostly dirt road, few dangerous narrow hairpins filled Taylor Hwy to Chicken, then to Tetlin Junction, where we turned to Alaska Hwy and drove to Tok. Stayed at Alaskan Stove camp, looked around in the tiny roadside village, got gas and propane, few groceries, and a grilled chicken for dinner at our campsite. We had a clear, cold evening, stars-filled night, and the Aurora Borealis painted the sky all around us. I observed it from the wood racks and took few pictures around 2:30 AM.
Day 62 (Monday): September 9, 2019
Woke up at 6:30 AM, cold morning, 32 oF, and clear sky. We will have a great sunny day. After breakfast, we packed and left Alaskan Stove at 11 AM, stopped at the Gold miner’s gold nugget jewelry store to see one of the largest, about 5 lb weight, real gold nuggets ever found at Walker Fork. Continued on Alaska Hwy to Delta Junction. Stopped at Alaska Range viewpoint and as a nice gift for the day, photographed about half an hour, from good range, two Trumpeter Swans on Dot Lake. After Delta Junction, continued on Richardson Hwy to Quartz Lake SRA Little Lost Lake, where we camped, hiked, and photographed. We tried to reach Moose Lake on a hiking trail, but we turned back half a mile earlier to make sure we will return to our camp before dark. We got a fantastic long-lasting after sunset glow with a multi-shade of gray-colored clouds at Little Lost Lake, we were lucky to see, feel and photograph it. After dinner, we worked on our plans and journal. We had a starry night, but no Aurora Borealis visibility at 12 AM and 3 AM… maybe we missed it in between.
Day 63 (Tuesday): September 10, 2019Woke up at 6:30 AM, bucketed water from the lake, washed then before sunrise, took 4×5 photographs at the lake… got wet in the swampy lakeside… cold morning. After breakfast, we started to pack, then left Quartz Lake SRA Little Lost Lake, at 10:30 AM on a partially cloudy day. Drove on Richardson Hwy Stopped at Tanana River viewpoint, at Birch Lake where we looked around, took few photographs, then continued on Richardson Hwy, passed one of the largest defense ready US Airforce Base (no stopping, no photography), then arrived in Fairbanks, where we got gas then drove on Elliott Hwy, missed Lower Chatanika River camp, but we found a good boondocking site at old Tatalina River bridge. Nice landscape, after setting up our camp, we photographed the aspens and pines covered beautiful riverside. We slept well, had a great day. The mosquitoes are brutal… we had a starry night but did not see the Northern Lights.
