THE DALTON HIGHWAY

The road to the top of North America.   I've been thinking about riding this road since I heard of its existence.  Pruhdoe Bay is the start (or finish) for many a cyclist hoping to ride the Pan-American route from the Arctic to the Antarctic across North, Central and South America all the way to the southern tip of Chile - Tierra del Fuego.   It is a 500 mile stretch that goes from the oil fields of Alaska to Fairbanks.   The road was created in 1974 in an incredible 5 months of hard work.  Its original intention was to create a haul road for supplies to the US' largest oil reserve.   It enabled the creation of the pipeline that carries billions of gallons of crude oil from the fields all the way south to Valdez where it is transferred to tankers and then taken to refineries.   The haul road is the most difficult and challenging road in the US and only the most capable truckers are able to navigate it safely.    This is the same road that inspired the series Ice Road Truckers.    These guys brave temperatures as low as -70 F with gusting winds and white out conditions frequent in the winter months.  

The road was later open to the public and plans to widen and pave many sections are underway; however, the road is still mostly dirt.   It is treated in many places with Caltrite - which harders the road into a pavement like substance when it is dry but a slippery muddy mess when it is wet.   It boasts steep inclines with names like Beaver Slide, Oh Shit Corner and Ice Cut.    Most of the heaviest hauls - upwards of 300,000lbs  - happen in the winter months when the road is literally iced-over.    The adding of water and freezing of the road actually makes it stronger in order to disburse the heavy loads which would otherwise cause the road sink into the tundra.  It's a hell of a road and it was a hell of an adventure. 

The first 85 miles out of town are actually on the Stesse and Elliot Highways.   The Hilltop Truck stop is considered to be one of the final jump off points for cyclists and truckers alike.  

Alaskans can be a little weird about their lawn care - or more correctly - small functioning junk yards.

Roadside Toilet Break!

  

The town of 'Joy.'   A great stop along the way - one of the few places left in the world that serves free coffee.   The owners of homestead here raised 23 kids - most of them adopted.   When they took their children out of public school in Livengood for home schooling - they actually had to close the school.   They are still there taking care of their grandchildren and travelers along the Elliot. 

Some people along the road are not so welcoming to travelers.

 

I thought it was difficult to maintain roads in Wisconsin with all the freezing and thawing - but here they have the added difficulty of the permafrost heaving and sinking.  

 

My first day out from Fairbanks I rode the 85 miles north to start of the Dalton Highway and camped by a pipeline service road.    This was where the pavement ends and the dirt began.

The following day the weather had taken a turn - which can happen very quickly out here.    Fog can be very thick up here.

Getting up close with my first real good view of the pipeline that I would end up following for the next 400 miles. 

That first day of the Dalton was definitely one of the more challenging.   The road goes up, the road goes down, up and down - steep - very steep.   It had rained all day and the road was turning into a mud slide.   The mud had gotten into everything - my breaks, shifters and my gear.    I looked like I had just gotten done doing marathon mud slip-n-slide.  I was so relieved when I saw the bridge going over the Yukon River.   The bridge is a made of wood and boasts a 6% grade.    Unfortunately, when I went to slow myself from the long descent down to the river, I discovered that my back brakes no longer worked due to the mud.    When I hit the slippery wood planks - my bike slipped out from under me and I hydroplaned all way across the bridge.    I was SO LUCKY that there was no traffic coming!

On the other side of the bridge sits the Yukon River Camp.   I spent many an hour drying out and sipping coffee.   I can finally caught up with the group of French cyclists that had started in Brazil and were finishing up their tour of two continents.   They headed back out into the rain and I thought I'd be right behind them - but when I set out later - I found out that my back derailleur - or shifter - was no longer working properly.   I could not shift at all.   I rode the next 4 miles to a BLM camp ground with no gears.  

 I spent the next two hours out of the rain inside a toilet trying to fix my bike.    I am not a mechanic, but I am okay tinkering on a bike....   for the life of me I could not figure out what was going on!     I decided to call it a day and dry out in my tent.    The next day the rain would not stop.    It just kept coming.   I was cold and wet and miserable and I could not bring myself to leave the comforts of my tent.   So I didn't.    I spent the day sitting in my tent reading and eating myself silly.     That night a black bear came into camp and I had to scare him off.  This same bear had gotten into other peoples food and had torn apart a trailer....    I have to admit that I was ready to quit....

The next day the rain had finally stopped.   I spent a few hours taking apart all the cables on my shifters and cleaning out all the mud and re lubing.   The bike was working better - at least the shifters finally started functioning again.   Figured I could at least try to make it the next 60 miles to the Arctic Circle and carried on.

Dive flag?    I miss the ocean...

Finger Mountain

The starting to dry out and the riding was getting better.   On the top of the hill before the Arctic Circle I found I can on Mountain Dew!!!!!    I can only assume it was for me.   

But first I had to get down the steep and sloppy Beaver Slide.

Arctic Circle!!!!    66 Degrees north.    This is the southern most point on the Summer Solstice that the sun will not set.   Having had such a great day getting here, I decided to carry on again and try for Coldfoot - the last stop along the highway before heading north 250 miles to Deadhorse/Pruhdoe Bay

Oh Shite Corner.    Many a trucker has lost a load here - hence the name.

Dietrich River

Having made it to Coldfoot with no problems and with a good weather forecast - I decided to not bail on the road and try for Deadhorse.

Why did the caterpillar cross the road?

The farthest north spruce tree - well - before it died.    From here out it would be nothing but tundra.

The climb up to the Chandalar Shelf.

Looking up the hairy road to Atigun Pass - 4,800 ft and the highest road pass in Alaska.    This is also the Continental Divide and separates the Yukon or Atlantic Ocean watershed from the Artic Ocean.  

Atigun Pass!!!   Downhill from here!!!   Well, not really....

Camping along the road.

Most of the truckers are considerate of the cyclists -although they have to admit we are a safety hazard on the road.   Most slow down as to not rock us -their tires with their heavy loads and speed tend to send rocks flying in all directions.    All you can do when you see them coming is get off to the side, put your head down and hope nothing comes your way.

Coming off the pass, the road follows the 'Sag' or Sagavanirktok River all the way to the Artic Ocean at Deadhorse.

Jeff - a long time worker orgininally from Wisconsin - pointed out a great camp spot along the river for me.   Thanks for the pizza as well!

The sun never really sets here this time of year and it is always light inside my tent.   Makes sleeping difficult; however, after a long days ride I can usually pass right out.    I rode my first day over 100 miles here - 118 miles down from the pass and to the Sag.    Only 34 miles left to Deadhorse.

Deadhorse / Pruhdoeh Bay - or the North Slope as it is commonly known is a working community.   No one really lives here.    There are upwards of 4800 people living and working here to support the drilling activities.   Most people do 2 weeks on and 2 weeks off, pulling 12 hour every day until the day they fly home.   Food and accommodation are provided so that the employees can focus on work.  

The area is strictly off limits to those not affiliated with a contractor. Special arrangements and background checks are done with a tour operator and are necessary to actually make it to the Artic Ocean - which is well worth the trip!

Deadhorse was a whirlwin tour for me. I made it to the Inn where a good portion of employees have their meals... immediately I found Jeff from Cruz and he helped me find a trucking company to help me get a ride back down. Lucky for me, Carlile - the famous Ice Road Truckers company - follows Alaska's good Samaritan law and got me on a truck heading south an hour later! I would have liked to have spent more time up there tooling around, but I was not going to turn down a ride.  

They arranged for me to ride with Tony - a 18 year Dalton Highway veteran- all the way to Fairbanks. He's been driving the road year round and had a great many stories to tell. I have to say that getting to ride the road back down with a truck was a great experience. Felt like I got the full Dalton tour - it's a hell of a ride bouncing along in a truck pulling a load. In good conditions and a lighter load it is 12 hours in a truck to make it back down.... we left around 7 and road thru the night all strung out on coffee until about 7ish the next morning.

Her's a shot of Tony unhooking my bike from the back of the truck - it blends in quite nicely with all the mud.   He took it to the yard and washed her off nicely.   Thanks again Tony for the ride and letting me crash at your cabin while you hauled another load!   

Anywho, that was my Dalton experience in a nut shell.   It was a hell of a journey - one that I dont think I'll ever repeat on a bicycle!    ;-)

From here I plan on heading south to Tok and up and over the 'Top of the World Highway' into Canada.   Got my bike checked out in town and after a new chain and set of brake pads she is surprisingly in good condition and ready to roll.  Also got my taste of civilization in Fairbanks hanging out at The Marlin with Fazal and Johnny. 

Off to the next part of my tour - finally going to start actually heading south!