June 27, 2010

Today we drove the rest of the Dalton Highway to Prudhoe Bay/Deadhorse. We started from camp at mile 179 and the end was at mile 415. This road is mostly graded dirt, rocks, mud, chipseal, potholes, washboard, and frost heaves with a few short paved sections. There was very light traffic after the Arctic Circle where most tourists turn around and head back south. Most of the traffic on this road is big rigs hauling necessities for the oilfields in Prudhoe Bay. They drive at breakneck speed showering you with rocks and dirt. Along the way we stopped at the town of Wiseman, an old mining communtity established in 1905 with original log buildings. We saw the last Spruce tree before Atigun Pass. The tree is dead but still standing. Vandals girded it and it died. Next to it a new one has sprouted. We drove over Attigun Pass and through the Brooks Range, the highest pass in Alaska. Beyond this no trees grow. We saw 3 Muskox and a large herd of Caribou. We got gas for the return trip at $4.50 at gallon and coffee to keep us awake on the return trip. Vicki Lee and Lowell were at Prudhoe Bay with their Casita and they were out on a tour to the oilfields and the Arctic Ocean. You have to book this at least 2 days in advance for a background check. We talked to them by phone. They said it took them 4 days to get all the way up to Prudhoe Bay with the Casita. That's how slow going the driving is on the road. We did it in 2 days by leaving the Casita at Marion Creek and driving the rest with only the Pathfinder. Their Casita (and our Pathfinder) were very, very, very dirty. We left Prudhoe at 7:10 pm and arrived back at camp at 1:45 am. We drove 505 miles today. On the way back it started to rain and you couldn't even see the tail lights or our license plate for all the mud. At least it was still daylight.