Traveling the Haul Road and the Dempster Highways (Part 3)

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

To me, the Dalton and Dempster each have a different feel to them.  The Dalton feels like a working road for the pipeline and oil fields, especially after leaving Coldfoot.  (This is no surprise because it was built for that reason.)  The Dempster connects communities as well as the oil fields.  Because of this, it feels more hospitable in every way.

On the Dalton, there are very few communities along its route that are what I call "multi dimensional."  Just north of the Yukon River crossing, the Hotspot is an open-air restaurant that serves great hamburgers, a bit of attitude, and has a camp feel to it.

Nolan and Wiseman are very interesting towns to visit and have some very nice B&Bs available (advanced reservations are highly recommended).  For the most part, the inhabitants along the Haul Road live in camps rather than communities, each designed to service the oil fields and pipeline, offering a few hotels, restaurants, and amenities to cater to that business. 

Marion Campground just north of Coldfoot is a well-maintained and beautiful camping area.  The Arctic Circle campground, however, was disappointing.  It felt more like the camp sites were just carved into the area.  It could be, however, that our opinions were swayed because we arrived after a heavy rain and were deluged with mosquitos.

At the end of the Dalton you will find Deadhorse.  Deadhorse is definitely more of a camp than a town, with very few amenities for casual visitors.  There is no camping available, and the motels remain quite full with oil field workers.  We were unable to find accommodations on our arrival (mainly because we had the dog).  Thankfully, folks at the Arctic Caribou Inn allowed us to dine in their cafeteria and spend the night, sleeping in the back of the Xterra, in their parking lot.  This was a good solution for us.

Sightseeing Opportunities

Having worked in industry for 35 years, the technology and challenges of extracting oil from such a harsh environment as the north slope was very interesting to me. I also enjoyed seeing that against the expansive Alaskan beauty.  We were able to take a guided tour of some of the oil field areas around Deadhorse and to the Arctic Ocean (tickets purchased at the Arctic Caribou Inn).

In contrast to the Haul Road, the Dempster feels more like a road that connects multidimensional communities, as well as servicing the Canadian oil fields to the north. There is a strong presence of the First Nation people along the road.  Lots of subsistence hunting and fishing are visible as well as small businesses and services to support the road traffic.

In Fort McPherson there is a small museum and a First Nation company that manufactures canvas articles from tents to hand bags. There are campgrounds strategically places along the 460-mile route, most with hot showers. 

Eagle Plains was built as an oasis for not only truckers, but also the variety of travelers plying the road.  It has a hotel, restaurant, auto shop, and camp ground.  

There are old communities established years before the road was build along the Dempster that served as trading posts. Fort McPherson, Tsligehtchic, and Inuvik are examples. Each offers modest grocery and dry good stores, gas stations, schools, community center, places to eat, and worship. There is more of a variety of small businesses in these communities.  It was a pleasure learning about the history of this area and meeting so many wonderful people.  Additionally, Inuvick offered both boat and air tours highlighting the surrounding wildlife and terrain.  

Road Conditions

Before leaving to travel either of these two roads, it is wise to stop at a visitor or information center to inquire about road conditions, where roadwork is being performed, and any changes in available services.  Often there is information about where animals can be seen, great places to visit, and lodging availability.  It is wise to book your lodging ahead of time and very few take pets.  For the Dalton Highway, Fairbanks is a great place to stop for information.  For the Dempster, it is Dawson City in the Yukon.

There are also a few information centers along both roads worth visiting, especially if you’re looking to see large animals.  These centers can be identified in the Milepost.  If you run into any of the truckers along your trip, they can be a wealth of information also and most of them are willing to share that with you.

Gasoline Considerations

It is important to know how far you can go on a tank of gas.  Along the Dalton Highway, there are only three gas stops from the start to end.  One is at the Yukon River Crossing.  The second is in Coldfoot.   Coldfoot is half way up the Dalton, about 185 miles from Livengood, which is the last gas stop out of Fairbanks before you enter the Dalton.  The other stop is in Deadhorse. 

Coldfoot is 240 miles from Deadhorse (at the end).  Deadhorse also has a place to get gas.  Be aware that the gas pump is unmanned but will take credit cards. You also need to be sure to place the spill catchers under where you are fueling your car to catch any gasoline spill. It is required and part of the environmental protection program.

On the Dempster there is a gas stop just before you get on the highway. The next station is in Eagle Plains, 230 miles from the junction.  Eagle Plains also has a maintenance shop with a mechanic on duty.  He can do minor vehicle repair, although parts are limited and may need to be trucked in for you.  It is 226 miles from Eagle Plains to Inuvik.  There are gas stops in Fort McPherson, which is 115 miles north of Eagle Plains, and in Inuvik, which is another 115 miles north of there.

Some of the articles recommended that we take extra gas, and there were some folks that we saw along the road that did.  Some take extra gas for cost reasons (because it is expensive on the Dempster) and some for insurance.  We had the Milepost that gave us specific information about distances between gas stops, and we had a good understanding of our vehicle’s driving distant on a tank of gas, so we didn’t take extra gas.  However, we did make it a practice to stop at every gas stop along both roads and fill up, even if we just added a ¼ of a tank.

The road surface on both roads varies.  The beginning and ending of each has some hard surface, either paved or chip seal, which makes for a relative smooth ride reaching speeds up to 50 miles an hour but this was rare and short lived. The rest of the road is gravel which turns to slippery mud when it is wet. I found it helpful to slow down and take time when the road was wet.  Occasionally there were the remains of vehicles along each road, evidence of how treacherous these roads can be, especially going up through the mountains.

When crossing Atigun Pass on the Dalton, the guard rails are doubled, one behind the other for extra protection from sliding off the road.  There are the remains of an 18-wheeler down a steep embankment on the south approach to Atigun pass, a monument to how trecherous this stretch of road can be.  

On the Dempster, about 15 miles out of Eagle Plains on our way back, it was rainy and very slippery. I had the Xterra in 4WD and dropped our speed to about 10 miles an hour. A Subaru that left before we did from Eagle Plains ended up in the ditch.  Apparently the driver was going too fast for conditions.   Luckily, a trucker stopped and was pulling him out when we passed.

The condition of these roads changes quickly.  A dry gravel stretch can turn into rough road with deep holes.  Hitting these holes at high speed could do significant damage. I also heard a story about a traveler who broke down along the Dalton who paid $10,000 for a tow back to Fairbanks.  I can’t stress enough how careful one needs to be while driving these roads. Take your time, pull over for the trucks, and drive wisely, especially on the wet roads.

A Final Note

When you come to the end of either of these roads, you will probably need to wash you vehicle.  For the Daulton, Fairbanks offers a wide verity of car wash options.  For the Dempster, there are a few places. One is at the gas station at the beginning of the road.  There is also a car wash in Inuvik. Remember to clean the excess mud from the wheels (both inside and outside), as it will cause wheel vibration as chunks come off on the highway.

If you would like to read about our experience on the Haul Road and Dempster, please check our posts from July 21 "The Haul Road" and September 4 "Savoring the Dempster."