Traveling the Haul Road and the Dempster Highways (Part 2)

Please welcome guest commentator, David Staat, as he continues his analysis of the Dalton (Haul Road) and Dempster Highways...


Communications and Navigation

Traveling over 19,000 miles during our 105-day adventure provided plenty of communication and navigation challenges.  Traveling the Dalton and Dempster required specific needs.

One of the Dalton articles suggested taking a CB radio.  I had some hand-held radios but they didn’t work effectively.  Having the CB radio capability would have enabled us to communicate with the truckers, especially during the inclement weather that we encountered.  Also it would have been fun to listen to the chatter and would have enhanced the trip.  I have purchased a CB for my next trip.

Cell phones don’t work while traveling the Dalton and Dempster, although I was surprised that my Verizon cell worked in Deadhorse at the end of the Dalton Highway, and in Inuvik, which is the end of the Dempster. If you want or need this additional level of security, you can rent a satellite phone in Fairbanks.

One additional communications/safety device that we brought with us was a Spot-Tracker.  (See http://www.findmespot.com/en/index.php.)  This little device works off of satellites and allows you to log your location anywhere in the Northern Hemisphere as well as many other places in the world.  You can communicate your position to a list of family and friends.  Then, using Google Earth, they can see where you are.  

Every evening, I would send a signal of our location so that our family members and friends could track our progress. It was a great way to share our trip.  (In case of a family emergency, it also offered our loved ones our exact location so that they could notify us through proper law enforcement agencies.)  

In addition, Spot Tracker offers emergency response and help dispatch services. If you get lost or have a life-threatening situation, you just press the SOS button and the Spot Tracker center will dispatch search and rescue.  If you have a break down or just need general help, you push the Help button, and they will dispatch either family members or road service to help.   All the services need to be set up via Internet in advance, so if you want to use this great little device, you need to set it up before you leave for your trip.

For navigation we decided to come into the technology age and bought a Garmin GPS.  It was very helpful for finding our way and identifying services along the road.  However, some of the maps were not up-to-date and some roads that we traveled didn’t exist on the GPS.  We found that using an old fashion map gave us the extra information that we needed to keep from getting lost…most of the time. We used a combination of maps that we picked up from AAA and those we picked up locally.  The local maps were readily available in many of the visitor centers along the trip.

Another invaluable instrument was our compass.  The one that comes with the Xterra came in handy validating directions against the GPS or map.

Mental Preparation

No matter where I drive, I have learned that so much of staying out of trouble and avoiding accidents while driving is having the right mental attitude.  Stay focused on driving, reduce speed according to weather and road conditions, keep a safe distance from the vehicle in front of you, keep an eye out for large animals, etc.  However, I found that while driving the Dalton and Dempster, there is an added dimension that needed to be considered. 

The Dalton was built to service the oil business along the Alaskan pipeline and the North Shore.  The haul trucks have the right of way.  I considered myself a guest on the Haul Road.  It was recommended in many articles to slow down and pull over to give the trucks plenty of space to get by.  This also cuts down on the damage to your vehicle and windshield from rocks.  Although our vehicles have received more damage from debris on Houston interstates, it is still very good advice and worth reinforcing.  Additionally, we discovered that by offering the courtesy of slowing down and giving the working rigs the right of way, that the truckers would often give us the same courtesy.  They, too, would slow down, resulting in our being washed in much less debris, mud, and water.

Know the limits of your vehicle.  Acknowledge your own limitations.  The Haul Road is for working rigs rather than tourist traffic.  Be prepared, plan ahead, and be courteous.  Keeping these things in mind will allow you to enjoy the Haul Road without interfering with the folks making their living on this tremendous stretch of road.

The Dempster Highway connects communities as well as the oil industry.  Canada encourages tourists to travel the Dempster.   While your travel preparations remain essential and courtesy is recommended, the Dempster offers the additional opportunity to savor this unique landscape, incredible wildlife, and rich First Nation culture and its intriguing people.

In our next post, David continues his analysis of driving the Haul Road and Dempster.