Just yesterday morning, we dipped our fingers in the Arctic Ocean. The wind chill off Prudhoe Bay was around 25 degrees and absolutely bone-chilling for this Texan. Frothy ice formed on the windward side of the inlet. Our tour guide told us that the bay is ice-free for only 65 days each year.
July is this area’s rainy season. It certainly proved to be true. Except for the first hour or so, it rained the entire trip. As you can see by the photos, the Xterra became so caked in mud that we had at least three inches of goo stacked on the running boards and bumper. The rear window and hatch were caked with a clay and mud mix. Our windshield wiper fluid tank sprang a leak, so we had no way to squirt the glass clean. David kept scraping the taillights just so folks could tell if we were braking.
Haul Road was in surprisingly good condition in some areas. In fact, about 80 miles of the Dalton Highway could be a Texas back road. In others areas, the road had deep potholes and jarring washboards. Some areas were wide enough for trucks to pass comfortably while other sections were narrow aisles between sheer drop offs. Many areas were under construction (which can only be done during the summer in this latitude). We had to wait for pilot cars to lead us through four or five sections. 
The back half of the Haul Road (past the Arctic Circle) is mostly gravel and dirt. The rain made it slick and treacherous. Several times we popped the Xterra into 4-wheel high as a precautionary belt and suspenders move to keep us “between the ditchs” on slippery slopes and steep dips through the Brooks range.
Many times we were grateful for all the years of off road traveling that we have taken. While not as slick and washboarded as Chaco Canyon in wet weather, the Haul Road is 416 miles one way rather than Chaco's 28 miles. While not as steep and switch backed as the Alpine Loop, the Haul Road has working big rigs, road crews, and soft tundra, each bringing their own challenges.
As the rain continued, the road deteriorated substantially over the next 24 hours. By the time we hit Nugget Pit on the return trip, the road was a continuous ribbon of potholes and sludge. We dropped speed to 15 miles per hour and still had to hold jaws and bodies rigid.
We slept in the back of the Xterra the three nights that we spent on the Haul Road. We made Coldfoot the first night and stayed in the lovely Marion Campground, sharing a wine and cheese party in our "cozy" quarters, amidst rain and falling temperatures. 
Last evening, we slept in a BLM campsite on the Arctic Circle, warding off swarms of mosquitoes and trying to keep Roxanne mud free.
As we left the Dalton Highway behind us, we were grateful for our safe passage and tipped our hats to those seasoned truckers who continue to deliver goods on the Haul Road through sludge, grit, and ice.
As we left the Dalton Highway behind us, we were grateful for our safe passage and tipped our hats to those seasoned truckers who continue to deliver goods on the Haul Road through sludge, grit, and ice.
After five cycles at the car wash to clean off mud (followed by David knocking off another several pounds from the wheel rims to keep them from shimmying), tonight we are back at Gram's Cabin, enjoying such luxuries as fresh showers, flush johns, clean linens, and the accoutrements of home.
In the next several posts, we will share more of our journey. Until then, we have the blackout shades drawn in the cabin and will try to sleep once more in the land of the midnight sun. At least in Fairbanks, the sun sets for at least three hours! Thankfully, July 22nd marks the beginning of progressively longer nightfalls for those of us accustomed to having a starlit rather than sunlit night!
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