RTG AlMex Daily Dispatch - FINAL - Flipbook - Page 5
27 August to
26 September 2023
Day 2
Fairbanks to Dawson City (635km)
Tim Eades and Jim McLaren, 1971 Ford Escort
29 August 2023
Chicken Gold Camp & outpost. This is a small settlement
that’s big on hospitality and gave us all something to smile
about. The gift shop does a roaring trade in all things
poultry and there won’t be a kitchen amongst us that
doesn’t sport an “I’ve been laid in Chicken” fridge magnet
or maybe a cheeky chicken tea towel.
The run for the border regularity was another section of
gravel which rose towards the hills and was the beginning
of the end of day two. The MTC was only a few kilometres
further down the road at the Boundary Airport. from here
the rally was free to concentrate on getting to poker Creek
and obtaining the right stamps in their passports. The
frontier, which sits at a chilly 1,258m, was straightforward
and, with our clocks adjusted by one hour, we arrived in
Canada the world’s second biggest country by land mass
and home to both Mounties and maples.
our destination was dawson City, a living museum, that
holds onto its old-world charm. en-route we were treated
to a panoramic extravaganza along the Top of the world
Highway before boarding the George Black ferry and
crossing the mighty Yukon river. This immense waterway
was once the rubicon of the Klondike Gold rush, its deep,
However, John and daisy pyle’s Chevy coupé hadn’t read
the memo and the crew reported a loss of oil pressure after
40km. Thankfully Andy Inskip and Jack Amies, who arrived
on scene soon afterwards, diagnosed nothing more serious
than a faulty sensor. They headed off to the Tanana river
passage Control which made sure everyone was on the right
track for the Big delta regularity. This gravel section ran
through thick woodland and featured a series of sharp turns
with plenty of loose shale to keep the drivers happy.
Coffee was taken in the Alaskan Steak House where the
sweep crew of russ Smith and Jamie Turner had set up their
Time Control. In between watching the clocks and signing
the timecards they enjoyed the hearty fayre on offer and
dealt with whatever mechanical mishap came their way.
The cool weather, and an early breakfast, meant that the
crews were getting hungry and fast eddy’s passage Control
showed the rally the way to lunch at the Control in the
photos: Marcus rowe - gerardbrown.co.uk
After the nerves of the first day, today was all
about settling into the rally rhythm - albeit one
with a border and two regularities.
John Henderson and Jeff West, 1968 MG BGT
www.rallytheglobe.com