Dalton notes second day
Woke up rested at 5 am and fired on the furnace- took awhile, but it warmed up nice. I stayed snug in bed watching the sky lighten up and thought about the drive.
I’m still trying to take it easy- I don’t want a flat tire or to break something that’s 41 years old on the van. After making coffee and doing my morning chores I set off around 7 or so and headed North again. I’m still staying in D2 and around 35 mph, but some sections were good enough to go 40 and I even got into D once for a short while, but there were also steep sections where I dropped into D1 and some bad mud and potholes in one stretch that had me going slow and careful.
After about an hour and 15 minutes I saw that I had been climbing and was at almost 2,000 feet. Suddenly there was a thick mist that became fog with very little visibility. One of the Ice Road drivers- the only woman- had been killed on Friday in the fog- she'd missed a turn and had a rollover so I was mindful that fog messes up the truckers so it can't be good for me. I saw a photo opportunity sign for a rest stop about a mile down the road and pulled in there to see if the fog will lift before proceeding. Caution pays!
After waiting an hour with no clearing I began to drive slowly and carefully away and I found that as I descended the fog gradually cleared to a light rain. Soon I came to a section that looks like two lane blacktop, but it is really just a series of potholes strung along a double yellow line. Driving this was swerve and avoid and stay slow so if you hit one you didn't blow a tire.
The sad thing was that it looked like a really good road so you wanted to make time on it, as soon as you tried though it hit you with a nest of potholes and forced you onto the oncoming lane or to dance around them. Nerve-racking.
If you got a flat heaven help you if its on the driver's side- you'd be out in the highway trying to fix it unless you faced the wrong way on the left side (which would probably be the safest thing to do). If you have a breakdown there is a $1,000 dollar flat fee on top of the distance towing fee for anyone who comes to get you here- really a stiff penalty for screwing up!
I was using my GPS reading out the distance to Coldfoot Camp to get an idea how close I was to the Arctic Circle pullout. 45 minutes after leaving the rest area I finally got there and found a three car line to get pictures!
Three cars from a Rally Club that had run the AlCan 5000 decided to make the run up here to the Arctic Circle and were memorializing the occasion. I chatted with one of the drivers while I waited- they had started in Kirkland, Washington.
Here's a link to info about them-2018 AlCan 500 Website
The car in the picture below apparently did an African Rally in the 1960's so another old vehicle being loved and driven- fun!
When it was my turn a nice couple who were walking their dogs offered to take my picture. They had spent the night at the same campground I had last night. The old van was really dirty for her pictures!
I got out and walked around checking out the sign and taking some pics of my sponsor's logo at the sign. They have some signage about the animals and climate up here and I took a few minutes to read them.
I decided not to camp there and to head back to Fairbanks while the day was still young and the weather was relatively good. Back in the van and heading South now after our successful run to this Geographic Point!
When I got back to Yukon River Camp I stopped in for a bathroom pit stop and also ate a delicious fresh salmon sandwich they made that was soooo good! Right across the road from the Camp was a tiny log cabin and rest area that was the Yukon BLM Post. I went over there and met a nice volunteer named Bob who gave me my official Arctic Circle Certificate and stamped it with his office stamp! Very cool!!
He told me that the bad two lane road was one of the worst sections and had been nothing but potholes earlier in the season, but had been resurfaced in July and was really good up until 3-4 weeks ago when the holes started opening back up. Should have come earlier I guess.
I feel a little bad about not going all the way the Deadhorse, but I think I used good judgement and I accept this Circle to Circle as the new challenge!
About 10 or 12 miles from the end of the Dalton I saw the guys in the Solar Electric Van pulled over with all of their solar panels out trying to harvest on a cloudy overcast day. This is going to take them forever!
After getting off the Dalton it was still almost a 2 hour drive back to Fairbanks and my Walmart squatter's post. Tonight I purchased a quiche to bake and some more items to justify my stay. The oven is working great and I baked some Tollhouse Cookies as well- Yum, made everything smell great. Watched a movie and then to sleep.
Pictures:
After waiting an hour with no clearing I began to drive slowly and carefully away and I found that as I descended the fog gradually cleared to a light rain. Soon I came to a section that looks like two lane blacktop, but it is really just a series of potholes strung along a double yellow line. Driving this was swerve and avoid and stay slow so if you hit one you didn't blow a tire.
The sad thing was that it looked like a really good road so you wanted to make time on it, as soon as you tried though it hit you with a nest of potholes and forced you onto the oncoming lane or to dance around them. Nerve-racking.
If you got a flat heaven help you if its on the driver's side- you'd be out in the highway trying to fix it unless you faced the wrong way on the left side (which would probably be the safest thing to do). If you have a breakdown there is a $1,000 dollar flat fee on top of the distance towing fee for anyone who comes to get you here- really a stiff penalty for screwing up!
I was using my GPS reading out the distance to Coldfoot Camp to get an idea how close I was to the Arctic Circle pullout. 45 minutes after leaving the rest area I finally got there and found a three car line to get pictures!
Three cars from a Rally Club that had run the AlCan 5000 decided to make the run up here to the Arctic Circle and were memorializing the occasion. I chatted with one of the drivers while I waited- they had started in Kirkland, Washington.
Here's a link to info about them-2018 AlCan 500 Website
The car in the picture below apparently did an African Rally in the 1960's so another old vehicle being loved and driven- fun!
When it was my turn a nice couple who were walking their dogs offered to take my picture. They had spent the night at the same campground I had last night. The old van was really dirty for her pictures!
I got out and walked around checking out the sign and taking some pics of my sponsor's logo at the sign. They have some signage about the animals and climate up here and I took a few minutes to read them.
I decided not to camp there and to head back to Fairbanks while the day was still young and the weather was relatively good. Back in the van and heading South now after our successful run to this Geographic Point!
When I got back to Yukon River Camp I stopped in for a bathroom pit stop and also ate a delicious fresh salmon sandwich they made that was soooo good! Right across the road from the Camp was a tiny log cabin and rest area that was the Yukon BLM Post. I went over there and met a nice volunteer named Bob who gave me my official Arctic Circle Certificate and stamped it with his office stamp! Very cool!!
He told me that the bad two lane road was one of the worst sections and had been nothing but potholes earlier in the season, but had been resurfaced in July and was really good up until 3-4 weeks ago when the holes started opening back up. Should have come earlier I guess.
I feel a little bad about not going all the way the Deadhorse, but I think I used good judgement and I accept this Circle to Circle as the new challenge!
About 10 or 12 miles from the end of the Dalton I saw the guys in the Solar Electric Van pulled over with all of their solar panels out trying to harvest on a cloudy overcast day. This is going to take them forever!
After getting off the Dalton it was still almost a 2 hour drive back to Fairbanks and my Walmart squatter's post. Tonight I purchased a quiche to bake and some more items to justify my stay. The oven is working great and I baked some Tollhouse Cookies as well- Yum, made everything smell great. Watched a movie and then to sleep.
Pictures:
Probably a wise decision not to go all the way to Deadhorse, a breakdown could have been very costly. Just getting to the Artic Circle is really awesome and a great challenge.
ReplyDeleteThe woman Ice Road Trucker that was killed wasn’t the young girl from the show was it? So sad! Such a dangerous highway!
Brent and Rose ran the AlCan 5000 a couple of years ago also.
Toll house cookies sound really yummy, I can mentally smell them baking. Wish I could have some, but I’m still dieting, down about 40lbs.
Looks like I’m all caught up, hope you are doing well! Please stay safe and we love you!
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