The Dalton Highway (Top o' the world!) [End of Leg 1]

The Great Dalton Highway.

It is kind of cold up here.. in the Summer.

We are like Motorcycle Ninja's!

From our "A/C isn't really needed this far north" posh Fairbanks Dormitory to the beginning of the Dalton is only 80 short Miles.

But that is only to where the pavement ends.

The Dalton Highway was built so that Oil Companies could continue to rape and pillage our planet, long haul truckers could have access to the North Slope Prudhoe Bay oil fields.

The road is not meant for ordinary vehicles, but it is a public road and therefore has it's appeal as a challenge for the more adventure minded drivers. Truckers do have the right of way and (probably) won't slow down for you.

There are only 3 places to fuel so you have to plan accordingly as there isn't a thing but wilderness for 100's of miles. More importantly, and as many signs and research suggests, "Anyone embarking on a journey on the Dalton is encouraged to bring survival gear."

This is about 100' into where the pavement ends.

From the beginning of the Dalton the going becomes a bit... rough.

Just to reach the Arctic Circle is another 115 Miles..

The Arctic Circle is "the southernmost latitude in the Northern Hemisphere at which the sun can remain continuously above or below the horizon for 24 hours (at the June solstice and December solstice respectively). North of the Arctic Circle, the sun is above the horizon for 24 continuous hours at least once per year (and therefore visible at midnight) and below the horizon for 24 continuous hours at least once per year (and therefore not visible at noon). On the Arctic Circle those events occur, in principle, exactly once per year, at the June and December solstices, respectively"

We were there on June 19th, the Solstice is on June 21st this year. So just 2 days off.
Of note as we now have 6 months to be 9,200 miles (as the crow flies.. and stops for gas) south to the Antarctic Circle. Or as close to that point as we can reach.

I should note though... the Dalton Highway is not made up of easy miles.

Let me tell you a little about driving on mud on a motorcycle.


It isn't easy.

A car will have 4 points of contact and weight and balance are not an issue.. But I bet that you still drive slow and drift a little.

A motorbike will slip and slide, and you really just need to let it move around the road a little, if you try and hold it in line, you're going to have a bad day.
You probably don't want to go sideways at 50mph into 3" mud and 100 miles from the next living human being.. or shower.

I don't even want to go down at 20mph.. but that is what I was driving.

Let's see.. 115miles, at 20 mph.. this will take me 6 hours if the road stays like this.

Did I mention that I was standing up? This lowers my center of gravity and makes 1000 pounds a tiny bit easier to handle.

Also.. it is kind of raining and foggy (15' visibility at times) and cold and more than a little-bit treacherous.

Tomorrow isn't looking so good either.

Also, these guys don't really slow down.

Where did he come from?

What you really need is some advanced motorcycle training.
Might I suggest these guys..

Hey.. the more you know... the life you save could be your fiance's.

Mudflap girl is one of her many talents!

But just look at that smile!
Those glowing white teeth..

I think 'Grey Wolf' (the bike) is smiling a little bit too..

I know that I am..

Gobblers Knob.. that sounds a bit dirty.

A tiny bit of pavement!
Praise Thor!!!

So when you make it to Coldfoot AK (55 miles north of the Arctic Circle) there is this one place to stay... they call it the hotel.

The room rate here is outrageous.. but then again you didn't drive all this way for comfort.

All of the camp except the hotel which is behind me

Original Shack from the Gold-Rush days

Cold Carmen with a Coffee (err.. whiskey)
Hotel in the background

The Restaurant in Coldfoot

What a nice room... ?

Well.. this was fun.


Of note, we were going to go all the way to Deadhorse.. another 241 miles North. But the road conditions and the weather were not to be in our favor this time.

The day that it "wasn't" raining caused this.

We decided that another time we would come up and try this again.. but for now, North of the Arctic Circle is good enough..
It was not worth our life and everything..
Live to drive another day..
The trip to Ushuaia isn't as far South as this was North.

(Come on.. I am trying to make myself feel better here. Plenty of people go to Everest and the weather keeps them from climbing.. At least we made it 100' short of the peak.)


For now, I have a memento of the occasion.
Teaser below.

This is the end of Leg 1.. there are 5 Legs.