Day - 33 Tok, AK

We left Chicken early in the morning knowing that it was going to be a very slow drive. Even though they say the road is paved it’s more broken pavement, frost heaves, gravel, and pot holes all mixed together. At times the trailer was moving up and down so much it almost took me off the road. But the worst part is it started raining and everything went downhill from there. As we climbed into the hills we started getting socked in with low cloud cover. What made everything worse, you couldn’t see the road at times nor the potholes. That slowed things down to a crawl. It's like the movie...The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly.

The Good

The Bad

...and The Ugly

The further we travelled the road got a little better but the weather did not. It continued to rain most of the way to Tok.

We finally reached our destination of Tok, Alaska. We got checked into the campground, found our sites, got all hooked up, and now it's time to see some husky puppies...or I thought.

Let me talk about Tok before anything else. Tok is often referred to as the "Gateway to Alaska" because it is the first major community you meet in Alaska when heading north. The area was originally settled by the Athabascan Indians. The name "Tok" is derived from the Athabascan word meaning "water". The town originated as an Alaska Road Commission camp for the construction and maintenance of the Alaska (Alcan) Highway in the 1942.

Today the town boosts a population of 1250 year round residence. Tok is also known as the "Sled Dog Capital of Alaska" which is apparent by the number of dog kennels in the area. And that is where our first stop is going to be...or I thought.

After I got things hooked up, Susan calls me from inside the rig saying "the fridge is not working". That's never a good sign. So long story short, I investigate and yes she is right it's not working. After an hour of checking this, that, and all points inbetween, I figured out it was the temperature monitor control. Nothing I can do, it needs a professional. So we take everything out of the fridge and freezer and divvy it up between Kathy's and Bev's fridge. What great friends. 

So, we go to a place called Burnt Paws to see husky puppies and strike two, no puppies. She informed us that there are puppies at some of the kennels but know one will let you see them. Its because they are still young and the mushers want to form that one on one bond with them. I understand all too well. So back home we go. The weather is just to crappy to do anything else. As far as the fridge goes I will keep you posted.