We left Denali and headed back to Fairbanks so we could drive the Dalton Highway to Prudhoe Bay/Deadhorse. We stopped at the visitor center in Nenana and entered the Ice Classic. This is a betting pool where you bet on the day and time that the Nenana River's ice will break up in the spring. They anchor a pylon onto the river ice and attach a cable from it to a tower on the shore. When the ice moves and the cable pulls from the tower the exact time is recorded. Half of the pot is shared by all who bet on that date and time and the other half is used for city charities. We bet on May 1, 2011 at 10:47 AM.
We stopped in Fairbanks for water, gas, and food. We drove out the Elliot Hwy and connected to the Dalton Hwy. About 11 miles in we ran into a very muddy, slick, steep hill that had just been graded and watered down. This was so slick we would lose traction on the Pathfinder and Casita. I was scared out of my wits. We had to stay in the middle of the road because there were drop offs on either side. This went on for 4 miles. Just about to the end of the construction we met a tour bus. He CB'ed us and said he would wait at the top of the hill until we got up. I just wanted to go home. We made it to the Yukon River bridge and stopped at the first place on the road for gas. We then went about 5 mile to 5 Mile BLM campground at mile 60. There were only 3 other trailers there.
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