Day 44 Ends @ Westfork BLM Cg

Test

When we left Delta Junction, we knew two things. One, that we would be traveling the Alaska Highway as far as the Tetlin Junction. Two, that we would be traveling the Taylor Highway ... at least to a point near Chicken, if not to Chicken itself.

No sooner had we left Delta Junction that we came upon a moose grazing roadside. Though we’ve encountered many moose already, we still stop for a photo ... if the animal allows it. This one did not. Very skittish, as soon as he heard us coming down the highway, it moved into the willows and disappeared out of sight. That’s OK ... we still got to record the encounter in our memories.

The Taylor Highway was in better shape than we expected it to be. Yes, there were frost heaves and potholes, but the worst of it had been repaired, making the drive more comfortable than expected.

Along the way, we checked out some of the boondock spots, but none appealed. We really needed a campground where we could leave the Cruiser tomorrow to go check out Chicken. Luckily, we found a great place.

The Westfork BLM Campground is at Mile 49 of the Taylor. It has two sections ... one with six pull through sites ... and another with a bunch of back-in sites. We partially settled into a pull through, but when we went to pay the fee — $5/night with our Lifetime Senior National Park Service Pass — we decided to first check out the back-in sites.

That turned out to be an excellent idea. We found site #22 ... almost dead center in the loop ... great big patio space with a bench, fire ring, and a picnic table ... good sun exposure for the solar panels ... and best of all, an amazing view. One of the best campsites we’ve ever stayed in. I didn’t even have to coax Mui into moving. A bonus ... free wood for campfires! As well, though the sun doesn’t seem to set this time of the year, here it did go behind a mountain, so the light isn’t as bright and more conducive to a good night’s rest.

Yes, the mosquitoes were swarming, but not as bad as they had been in the first loop. A nice breeze, our Thermacell device, and a campfire kept them at bay so that we could enjoy our evening outside. And though no moose visited the lake below the campground, I did get to see a beaver swimming down there.Read more