Garry and Carol's Travels: Prudhoe Bay- A 1000 Mile Odyssey, Part One

Garry and Carol with the Artic Ocean at our backs

We finally made it to the land of oil, and the midnight sun. When we crossed the Artic Circle, the sun never set and will not start to do so until August 2, 2010. But what a trip!

Our adventure began on July 27 when we picked up a rental car to take on the drive up. We parked the camper at the home of Shawna and Tom Doughtery. We had met Shawna on the Ferry from Bellingham and she had nicely offered to have us park it at her home. We were so relieved to have a safe place to leave it for 4 days. After Seattle I did not want to leave it parked in an unsecure place. We finally were on our way and got onto the Dalton Highway at 1:10PM. The highway is partly paved, partly gravel and partly dirt. DUST everywhere. The paved sections were actually the worst. We felt like we were on a roller coaster with all the frost heave damage to the road. It really bounced us around. Then with the rain coming down the dirt road was a mudbog and at times we would lose traction. The gravel was better but not by much. They are working along the entire stretch of highway. At least with the dirt they can grade and with the gravel they can spread out more. While I think we could have taken the camper all the way to Deadhorse we are glad we didn't. we would have been bouncing everything out of the cabinets, and we would have been covered with mud. Not worth it. the windshield was struck by several stones but fortunately no major damage was done. We had insurance against window damage. We crossed the Yukon River at 1:30PM. On the advice of the volunteers manning the Visitor Center at the Yukon we stopped at a funky spot in the road called "The Hot Spot" for the best hamburgers in Alaska!They were correct. They were wonderful. We could have split one but didn't. A lot of trailers and tents put together. Lots of flowers. There was a sign warning to watch out for bears as you walk to the outhouse.

Bears????

Marnie checking out sign.

Believe it or not - Best hamburgers we have ever eaten.

We arrived at the Artic Circle - WOW!

We arrived at the Artic Circle at 6:00PM. What a thrill!!! we are now half way between the Equator and the actual North Pole.

We were now in the land of the Midnight Sun. For 42 ays before the Summer Solstice and for 42 days after the sun will never set. In the afternoon we saw a wolf walking down the road. Garry slams on the brakes and starts yelling at me to grab the camera and GET OUT OF THE CAR! WHAT???? The wolf was walking past the car and away from us. GET OUT QUICK! WHAT???????????????????

Wife eating Wolf.

I managed to get a picture but afterwards I got the giggles. When I tried to tell Marnie and Jeff why I was laughing I just started laughing harder and could hardly tell them why I was laughing. There was a Wolf out on the road and Garry is trying to get me out of the car! Quickly! Have we been traveling in 19 feet for too long???? I finally calmed down and we continued bouncing along. Shortly before we arrived at our destination for the night we saw a black bear on the side of the road. Garry again put on the brakes and backed up. That bear didn't stay around long enough for Garry to again ask me to GET OUT OF THE CAR!?!? Jeff and Marnie have not let Garry forget that he threw his wife to the grey wolf.

We arrived in the out mining crossroad of Wiseman at 9:30PM. we were staying in a log cabin B&B called Artic Getaway.What a quaint, fun place.

Our own log cabin.

Our cabin

It is run my Ute and Bernie . They live in a cabin next door which is known as Igloo #8. There was an old miners association known as the Pioneers. They had various cabins scattered through Alaska and these "Igloos" were used for meetings and social functions. They restored the cabin in the 1980's and restored and added a bathroom to another cabin on the property which is the one we stayed in We had a glass of wine and collapsed in bed. We were given Sourdough pancakes for breakfast. Yum. We finally got off around 10. A rainy, foggy day. Oh Joy. There were no rest areas along this stretch of road. We noticed a thinning out of and finally the end of trees along the route. We crossed over the Brooks Range and at the peak also crossed the Continental Divide. Too foggy to see the Sheep or the vistas. We chugged along through the mud , mire and gravel. Once we got to the other side of the Brooks range the Artic tundra became as flat as a pancake for miles. What a change in topography,

Finally arrived at Deadhorse/Prudhoe Bay. there are many theories as to why it is called Deadhorse. having driven the road we felt like deadhorses. We stayed at the Artic Caribou Inn. Fancy name for what is basic lodging for the people working the oilfields.

Hotel at the Oilfields

Is that a dirty carior what????

We were pleasantly surprised at our rooms as we had a private bathroom, lots of hot water for the showers and blackout curtains on the windows. The town itself is very dusty and industrial looking. Our car was caked in mud that looked like concrete. marnie and I had wanted to take a walk after dinner but I was afraid to go out and breathe that dusty air.

The next morning we had an 8:00 tour out to the oilfields and the Artic Ocean/Bering Sea. Marnie, Garry and I put our hands in while Jeff went in up to his knees. The water was only 45 degrees but felt warmer to me than the Glacier River water I had rafted in.

Artic Ocean - Two hands

Artic Ocean -One Hand

Back to the inn where we got back in the car to start the drive back. The sun was out. We saw some Musk Oxen in the distance as we started up towards the Range.

We also ran into a man from Vancouver, Canada who was walking to Deadhorse! We offered him water and food but he declined. We asked him if was going to walkj back and he replied - " there is no need to". I guess he was going to fly back home. His only complaint was that his feet hurt!!!