In support of the upcoming collaboration between myself and DK, I have decided to repost some of my older blog posts about the cabin in Chicken to give people context about the area. This was one of my first blogs about driving out to Chicken. Ray and I will be making our first “Chicken Run” of the year in two weeks. In contrast to last year, when we saw temperatures of -20 and 4 feet of snow at the cabin the weather looks like it is going to be warm (in the 30’s) and around two feet of snow according to the snow depth maps. I will definitely keep you posted as to what we find.
As we make the turn off the ALCAN at Tetlin Junction onto the Taylor Highway, I look over at Ray in the driver’s seat of our Subaru and ask, “So, how many do you think we will see?”
Keeping his gaze focused on the winding, chip sealed road, he drums his fingers against the steering wheel for a moment then makes his wager, “”I’m going to bet 2.”
“I’m going to bet 1,” I reply, as I settle back into my seat. It’s almost 10 o’clock at night, but the light is just beginning to fade in the land of the midnight sun. Though it is technically well into spring, the snow is barely melted in this region, and the tourists won’t really begin to show up for another month or so. Our cabins is a seven hour drive from Anchorage, and we are on the final, lonely stretch.
We always make this bet as we turn onto the Taylor Highway, leaving behind the remnants of civilization. Cell phone signals dropped out several miles back, when we passed the Weigh Station about ten miles east of Tok. Radio Stations? Forget about it. Too many mountains. Utility power? Nope, maybe someday we will put in solar, but only if we can get batteries that are rated down to -70, which this region is known for reaching those temperatures during the winter months.
Here lately you see so many people crowing about how they turn off their cell phones for the night, or maybe for a whole hour for dinner. When we go to our cabin, we are completely off the grid, sometimes for a week or more if we can pull it off. My cell phone becomes nothing more than an expensive camera/clock. Sometimes in the summers, we will bring along a small, portable generator to make ice or run power tools for construction projects, but most of the time we leave it off. We like the quiet. The ability to focus and be in touch with our thoughts is what draws us to our cabin and our land. The guests we bring out to visit love it as well.
We reluctantly bought a satellite phone for emergencies last year. Mostly because of the aforementioned bet. It is not uncommon during certain seasons to go a day or more without seeing a single car. If your vehicle breaks down, or you have some other emergency, it can be a long wait or walk back to safety. From October 16-April 1, the road is not maintained, so it is use at your own risk.
Some people are intrigued by the idea of going out into the wilderness the way we do. Some are appalled.
“What if something happens? Aren’t you scared?”
My response is that we plan our trips appropriately. We tell people where we are going, and when we will be back. We don’t take unnecessary risks. We always keep in mind, that while the back country of Alaska is beautiful, it is at the same time highly unforgiving.
So far, the risks have been well worth the rewards.