The Dalton Highway, Part One

Dalton Highway, Alaska

The 414-mile-long Dalton Highway was completed in 1974.  It begins 80 miles north of Fairbanks and ends in Deadhorse at the Arctic Ocean and the Prudhoe Bay oil fields.  Built as a working road to transport goods to and from the oil camp (hence the nickname the Haul Road), the road carries about 160 trucks daily in the summer months and 250 trucks daily in the winter.  It remains one of the most isolated highways in the U.S., with only three towns, including Coldfoot, Wiseman, and Deadhorse.  The road has less than 60 permanent residents, with Deadhorse having an additional 3,500 to 5,000 seasonal residents depending on oil production.  The road has been featured in several television programs, including Ice Road Truckers and Most Dangerous Jobs and is considered one of the world's most dangerous roads, especially in the winter.  It was opened to the public in 1994 and remains a prime destination for all sorts of adventurers.

A testament to the dangers of traveling the Haul Road

This is our second trip up the Dalton, our first occurring in 2010.  This time we brought a CB radio to listen to the Haul Road's truck chatter.  It was exciting to make our first contact.  We listened to truckers tell each other where they were... Oil Spill Hill, the Roller Coaster, or the Taps.  We soon learned the proper lingo... we were a north/southbound four wheeler, heading up Atigun Pass (or wherever we happened to be).

Atigun Pass is the high spot in the road, reaching 4,739 feet.  The road travels through boreal forests, the Brooks Range, and the North Slope at sea level.  The town of Coldfoot, the midway point, began as a camp to support road and pipeline crews.  Coldfoot and Deadhorse are working camps.  In our humble estimation, travelers are considered a necessary evil.  Road rules are simple... working trucks have the right of way.

In spite of the working nature of the Haul Road, it is a fun road to travel.  This year was exceptionally different than our first.  It was sunny!  We saw tremendous vistas that had been completely hidden from us with all the mist and rain from our first trip.  As another added change, much more of the road has now either chip seal or is paved, however, that does not mean that it is an easy road.  Plenty of gravel, ice heaves, and just plain rough road remain with all the twists, turns, ups, downs, and one lane spots with trucks barreling down as fast as they can go on every stretch.  On gravel, it is best to pull to a complete stop when a truck passes to avoid a rock breaking your windshield.  Good tires are a must, as well as a healthy spare.  Also, know your vehicle's gas mileage... gasoline can only be found at the Yukon River crossing, Coldfoot, and in Deadhorse... and it's expensive.  Gas cost $5.50 a gallon in Deadhorse.

It was fun to reminisce while we traveled the road.  As an example, here's a photo from our first trip and our second...

2010

2015

Just after we crossed the Yukon River, we stopped at the Hotspot, known for it's great, jumbo-sized hamburgers and sassy women owners.

Yukon River from Dalton Highawy, Alaska

Hotspot Cafe, Dalton Highway, Alaska

We crossed the Arctic Circle and realized that Roxanne has crossed the Arctic Circle five times in her short life... amazing!

2010

2015

We camped at the Marion Campground, again one of our favorite spots.  The campground lies just north of Coldfoot and the Arctic Interagency Visitor's Center.  With temperatures nearing 70, we settled in for a comfortable night's rest here in the land of the Midnight Sun.