Chicken
Alaska - USA 
Airstreaming  2006

Arrive:   July 16
Depart:  July 18
Road Conditions:  Mixed
Weather:  Sunny
Miles:  107

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We were ready, the Top of the World Highway, the road to Chicken and back to the USA awaited. Many people talked about this leg of the trip, "What's the road like?" "Should we go that way?", one couple warned us about the road, said they would never do it again and planted a seed of fear that had Joe, Sarah, Ted, and Lois deciding not to travel such a dangerous road. There was even a picture on the web of a motor home turned on its side ready to plunge a thousand feet to complete ruin. All that hype can make you pause - we didn't - we all made the journey and are glad we did, Chicken was a fun and interesting experience.

The ferry was waiting, we crossed the Yukon and headed for Chicken on top of the world. Mike, Sandy, Kathleen, and I decided to leave early (6:30 a.m..) and avoid any line at the ferry and we were successful. Ted, Lois, Joe, and Sarah left about 8:30 a.m. . and also had no delay. The border does not open until 9:00 am  Dawson time and is about a two hour drive so leaving early avoids oncoming traffic for about 67 miles. Crossing the boarder posed no problem "Do you have any firearms?" -  No. "Do you have any beef, there has been another mad cow scare and we have to confiscate?" - "No, but check with Ted, I think he just bought a tenderloin."

The road was a mixed bag from Dawson to the US border, some paved (45-50 mph), some gravel (30-35) but none nearly as bad as reported. The US road was more like dirt (25-35) and would be annoying and slippery if  traveled during or just after a rain storm. The last fifteen miles to Chicken (20-30) were the bumpiest. Perhaps driving a motor home bouncing along listening to all the pots and pans rattle would exaggerate the experience and give one a negative opinion, I for one say take the ride, enjoy the beautiful wilderness, save the miles, and don't be a chicken. We did travel mid-July; earlier travelers may have experienced more winter damage.

Could you live in Chicken? Satellite phone only, no big shopping center (nearest town is 78 miles away), 40 below  in the winter, and no plumbing. Depending who you ask, six to eight people presently live there year round. Some miners, the cook at the Chicken Creek Cafe, and the post mistress, Robin and her husband Jim  (BTW Robin's brother-in-law  is the assistant baseball coach at the University of Connecticut, small world). Once the September snow falls and the road closes, airplane or snow machine are the only way in or out so stock up, learn to love moose, and start reading your books.

We stayed at The Chicken Gold Camp and Outpost which was nicely done with a lovely store and very friendly hosts. We filled our water tanks and occupied the four electric sites (20 amp run by generator from 7:00 am to 9:00 p.m. ) and can you believe they had satellite based wifi. We met Susan who owns and runs the shopping center, across the street from our campground. The Chicken Mercantile Emporium, Chicken Liquor Store, and the Chicken Creek Saloon, all attached so the same clerk can service you at each location and the Chicken Creek Cafe where the chef offers a very fine salmon dish. The saloon barkeep encouraged us to come back later when things really get going. Women's underwear  is shot out of a canon then hung from the ceiling where there remains evidenced aplenty.  How do they get the underwear?

There was a gold dredge available for tours but we had seen the big one in Dawson, you could pay $7.50 a day and pan for gold, we didn't pan but watched a tiny spec of gold being sucked up with an eye dropper and placed in a glass vial - one tiny grain at a time, I have no idea how many grains it takes to reach $7.51. You can probably guess our advice - go to Chicken, travel the Top of the World Highway, enjoy the view.