NTA Day 29

It's Saturday, and time to head for Chicken over the Top of the World Highway.  The trip begins by crossing the Yukon River on a small ferry.  On the other side of the river, you immediately begin climbing above the timber line on a relatively good chip-sealed paved road.  After a few miles, however, the road changes to gravel and remains that way for the next sixty or so miles. Never mind the condition of the road, however, because the sights are absolutely spectacular!  There are unobstructed views of ranges of mountains on both sides, and hillsides plunging into the river valleys below.  The highway provides plenty of pull-off areas where one can stop and absorb the beauty of the landscape or just take a break.  It had rained the night before, so the highway was somewhat muddy in a few areas, but this morning the clouds where high and the sun shone for most of the trip.  And then you're at the Alaska border!  We passed through customs in just a few minutes with no difficulty, and proceeded on a newly paved two lane highway.  For the next eight miles the traveling was smooth and comfortable, and then the end of pavement.  For the next forty miles, the Top of the World/Taylor Highway is dirt and gravel, narrow in most places with heavy grades and switchback curves.  Often there are sheer drop-offs on one side of the road or the other with soft-to-no shoulders or guard rails.  While the DOT focuses on grading the road, there is considerable commercial mining traffic on the road, so there is plenty of washboarding to make your teeth rattle.  The views continued to be spectacular, even if progress was slow and the driver didn't get to see much other than the road ahead.  When the Community of Chicken appeared below us, there were high fives and sighs of relief!  We checked into the RV park in late afternoon.  The park has a store and a small restaurant, and the special tonight was wood fired pizza.  The house special with smoked salmon was ordered, and we went to bed early.  We were NOT required to use the outhouse on skis.  Milepost 4889.