The Anniverary We Will Never Forget!
Our 36th anniversary began pleasantly in Dawson City, Yukon with a sweet love note from Tom. However, while I was having breakfast, I chipped a part of the back tooth on my left side (the one near my tongue). Little did I know, this was just a hint of how the rest of our day would unfold!
We left Dawson City, Yukon around 11:00 am by riding the ferry across the Yukon River to begin our journey on the Top of the World Highway with plans to spend the night in Tok, Alaska.
The Top of the World Highway is known for its dramatic landscapes and remote beauty and offers a unique driving experience. The road is predominantly unpaved, comprising graded dirt and gravel, with a combination of smooth stretches and rough, washboard sections. Some areas have soft edges, requiring careful navigation. The highway includes narrow segments with sharp turns and switchbacks that traverse mountainous terrain, with certain sections featuring steep drop-offs. The road is extremely remote, lacking amenities, cellphone service, or emergency assistance.
The highway crosses the International boundary between Canada and the United States where travelers must go through customs and immigration procedures.
Top of the World Highway
Beautiful vistas
It was a little smokey but the views were still beautiful.
We had to stop at the border to be processed by customs.
Back in the USA after spending 31 days driving through Canada. We arrived at the Alaska state line around noon and stopped for our obligatory photo by the sign.
Most of the road was a graded dirt surface with deceptively soft edges, which we hadn’t anticipated. Fortunately, this happened just before a steep drop-off. The road sees frequent traffic from Class A motorhomes and fifth-wheel trailers, some of which occupy more of the road than others. As Tom maneuvered to give space to an approaching vehicle, the soft edge gave way beneath us. Despite his efforts to correct the vehicle’s trajectory, we seemed to topple in slow motion. Thankfully, the poplar trees and shrubs acted as a barrier, preventing us from sliding further down the mountain and keeping us precariously, but safely, in place.
Our next challenge was extricating ourselves from the motorhome, which now lay on its side like a toppled giant. The poplar trees we had braced against seemed to be our only hope of holding it steady, but their grip was uncertain. We faced the daunting task of climbing up to a side window—now positioned on top, a full 8.5 feet above us.
Tom leveraged his height and long legs to scale the toppled belongings and pull himself out, but I struggled to manage the climb. Amid the chaos, several passersby stopped to offer assistance, and three motorcyclists truly went above and beyond. One of them, displaying incredible bravery, climbed into the motorhome to help me. He lifted me up by having me stand on his back, while the other two men, stationed on top, pulled me through the window. Their selflessness and heroism were nothing short of extraordinary! God’s grace and the kindness of strangers played a crucial role in our rescue.
This picture shows me climbing through the window with the men who helped me still up on top.
With no cell service, a kind stranger who had stopped to assist, drove me to an RV park thirteen miles away in Chicken. Although the park had only limited Wi-Fi, the owner graciously allowed me to use her satellite phone. From there, I coordinated with a tow company to dispatch trucks from five hours away and contacted our State Farm insurance agent Linsey Cutler.
Tom remained at the accident site. Although it was only 13 miles away, it was a 45-minute drive. After I arranged for two tow trucks for the following day, two men kindly offered me a ride back to the site. By the time I returned, the Department of Transportation and State Police had arrived. After the accident report was completed and a sign reading "ALL OK" was posted on the motorhome, Daniel from the DOT gave us a ride back to the campground.
We were left with nothing but the clothes on our backs and no essentials. Thankfully, we found refuge in a log cabin at the RV park, though it had limited facilities—the showers and three outhouses were a down the road. There was nowhere to buy a toothbrush, toothpaste etc. Two strangers at the RV park (news travels fast) brought us toothbrushes, toothpaste and a bar of soap.
We stayed there for two nights since we were still 60 miles from Tok, the closest town with cell service, and 280 miles from the nearest car rental agency in Fairbanks.
Meanwhile, the motorhome and car were pulled from the side of the mountain and placed upright. We were stunned by the sight of our once-beautiful coach in its current condition.
Given that the car had been upside down for two days, its condition wasn't as severe as we expected. While the three other sides are dented and the front windshield is crushed, it is now upright and waiting to be towed.
Doug and Bonnie Dontje, an incredibly generous couple we had just met at the campground, kindly loaned us their Jeep truck. We used it to revisit the accident site multiple times to monitor the tow trucks’ progress with the car and motorhome. On August 9th, we drove their Jeep to Glennallen to retrieve what we could from the motorhome.
Map of our accident site as well as the places we had to drive
Due to the severe damage to the motorhome and the sides being strapped to keep it together, the tow company prohibited us from entering the vehicle. One of the workers managed to climb through two separate windows, and retrieved as much of our clothing, shoes, and other belongings as he could reach. What would normally been a walkable area, even with all the slides in, was now impassable. Six drawers in the bedroom containing clothing were unreachable, as was the bathroom medicine cabinet. Additionally, the large storage bays underneath, which held the air compressor, pellet grill, lawn chairs, lights, and other bulky items, were also inaccessible.
We have no idea what the insurance company is going to do with this claim, but we were told it cost $16,000 to tow the motorhome and $10,000 to tow the car from the accident site to Glennallen.
The borrowed Jeep truck was packed to its limits! We continued our drive from Glennallen to Fairbanks, covering a total of 484 miles for the day.
We checked into a hotel and unloaded the Jeep, utterly drained. The following morning, we rented a car, picked up some boxes from U-Haul, and went back to the hotel to begin packing our belongings. Once we finished, we drove the borrowed Jeep to the Fairbanks KOA, where Bonnie and Doug Dontje had arrived in their motorhome.
After spending two nights in Fairbanks we drove to Anchorage and rented a 22’ Minnie Winnie motorhome and returned the rental car.
Our insurance agent, Lindsey Cutler, has been incredibly supportive, arranging our rental car, diligently managing our claims, and offering emotional support throughout the process.
Through this challenging ordeal, we’ve experienced overwhelming generosity and support. God is good, and we feel incredibly blessed.
