I left Fairbanks about 7 AM and headed north on the Elliot highway. I stopped at the Hilltop cafe for breakfast and was very hungry as I didn’t eat last night. The hotel was the Golden Nugget and I would not recommend it. The carpet had about 100 holes burned in it and the mattress left a lot to be desired.
I made it to the Dalton Highway which is 80 miles from Fairbanks.
These are miles.
The road was much better than I expected and the traffic was much lighter than expected.
Most of the day was clear to partly cloudy with a range of temperatures from 49 to upper 60's. Much of the road here is paved or hard pack.
I stopped here 6 years ago for a picture with the Yamaha. I forest was still smoldering at the time and I was amazed it burned so close to the pipeline. Probably made the crude run faster.
There was about a 20 miles stretch that was rough and wash boarded. It had rained the day before so there wasn’t any dust which was also a surprise.
Crossing the Yukon River. Deck is wood and slippery when wet. You can't stop on the bridge so I took these while moving.
You have to stop at Finger Mountain for pictures. It was cold and windy there.
I had been as far as the Arctic Circle so after that things were new.
Pipeline and other sights.
Tonight I am camping at Coldfoot and arrived here about 3PM. The camping is free and I have a lakeside view.
Across the lake.
Even before I filled up with gas I saw a familiar sight. A Kansas State Wildcat cap and shirt. I hollered at him and it turns out he had lived in Wamego, KS. I asked his name and he said Jim Hoobler. I said I had known a Rita Hoobler and he said that was his mother. My wife and Rita worked together when we lived in Wamego. So after filling with gas I went in the café and visited with him and his wife Peggy.
They had been riding their Harley’s and left them in Fairbanks as son drives a truck up the Haul Road and they were traveling along for one trip. Wouldn’t you know it the truck broke down. The tractor only had 50,000 miles on it. So they are staying here at $199 per night until they can get the truck fixed and get back to Fairbanks.
Then I was standing there talking with three guys from North Carolina and who should walk up but Dr. Greg Frasier. I was so excited I forgot to get the name of the other guy in the photo. So if anyone knows him let me know and I will add his name. He was riding with his brother and another guy and had just came back down.
Greg has written several books about his motorcycle adventures. The last I heard about him he was in the States and Gary from Poor Man Uraling ran across him. I think then he said he was headed this way and I wondered if I might run across him. He gave me three stickers for my bike and a card. Small world indeed. I also met a young man that had just graduated from Washburn University in Topeka. So the stay here so far has been interesting.
The bikes and vehicles coming back from the north are covered with grim.
There is construction and rain has fallen. Maybe tomorrow will be different. Here were three young riders from Medicine Hat, AB and they were going further up tonight and camp although they were not sure where. They had also been up the Dempster. The wind north of here in the plains is fierce. It is about 240 more miles and my plans are to go north then come back here.
Before I set up my tent I heard what I thought was a pack of wolves howling so I got out my bear spray. I set up the tent then rode the bike across the road to the visitor center. I said something to the lady there and she said the wolves won’t bother you and those are a pack of sled dogs you hear. That eased my mind a bit.
June 23 Coldfoot to Prudhoe & return
I listened to the dogs every one in a while. Actually I wished I had a recorder and it was like a song. One dog would start with a moan and maybe have to do this several times before the others would join in. Once they started it was an eerie sound to hear. I thought it was amusing but I really wanted to sleep. There was also a motor running and I assume it was the one that powered the generator for electricity. No power lines you know. That is one of the great things about taking pictures up here is to not have to avoid them.
One of the things I did not think to take was a watch. I always use my cell phone. No cell coverage no watch. I finally put in some ear plugs and dozed off. When I first went to bed after a couple of JD’s it rained just a bit then the sun came out and it was warm. My tent was in the sun. There was a breeze and eventually the sun went behind the mountain. Sometime later I woke and wondered what time it was. The only way was to get out of the tent and turn on the ignition key. It was 4 AM Topeka time or 1 AM where I was. I went back to bed. I may have dozed a little and decided rather than lay there wondering what the day would bring and how the roads would be was to charge ahead. So I did. I thought about leaving the tent set up as I was planning on returning the same day. Then I thought if something happened I could a least have shelter. That’s kind of a joke because the mosquitoes’ would have carried me away. Anyway I packed up and was on the road at 2:45 AM.
One thing about leaving at that time of day is there is not much traffic and they are not working on the roads. I had clear sailing.
It was a breeze going over Aitgun Pass and crossing the Continental Divide as it was mostly clear in the 40’s and dry.
I have heard some horror stories about the weather people had going over there. After getting out of the mountains and entering the plains? Delta? Flatlands? I’m not sure what you call it, I did not want to stop unless absolutely necessary because as soon as I stopped the swarm of mosquitoes were upon me. I think its called the North Slope.
I have never seen anything like this and these were not small either. I noticed in some of my pictures there were either mosquitoes on the lens or flying in front of it.
They would head for the bike because it was warm or because I smelled and I suspect the latter. This was a day again when I didn’t eat much. I had a granola bar while fighting off the mosquitoes.
The last 100 miles is the toughest. There was one stretch where there are larger rocks and the speed limit dropped to 35 where the road was so rough I thought it would shake me and the bike apart. Also the wind began to pick up. No mosquitoes now.
There was more loose sand and the miles dragged on. The temperatures kept falling and the winds continued to increase. I saw quite a number of caribou grazing and took a number of pictures.
That was the only large animals I saw on the trip up and back. I saw two foxes, one with breakfast in his mouth, Arctic hares, ground squirrels and hawks.
By the time I arrived in Deadhorse I was exhausted. The wind was so strong I thought it might blow me and the bike over.
When I first came in I came to a crossroads that showed way to the which way to the gas and which way to the hotels.
I went for the gas. I finally had to ask someone how to get there. The sign showed on this road but you would think after starting up there you would see some other information. Nope! Anyway I found out I had to go north about a mile to the intersection and then turn left. I found it. I put the nozzle in and then seen you had to go inside to pay. Not one to waste time with instruction it took me three times to finally get it to pump. I forgot to mention it was 36 degrees with a 40 MPH north wind blowing.
I heard this loud crash and seen a pickup facing south with the end gate up. He had 4 ft X 9 ft steel panels on the truck and the first one blew off. He lost his hard hat when he got out of the pickup. I finished pumping and went inside and followed instructions on getting a receipt and of course it didn’t work. When I went back outside the guy was still fighting the steel siding and I offered to help. He was a little reluctant at first that I might be injured. I had gloves on and it was very dangerous to try and get this loaded without getting cut. He had a pallet holding the rest down but we managed to get it loaded and the pallet on top. He thanked me I mentioned the cold and wind and he said, “Yes its not like Mexico”.
After leaving I went back south to the road I came in on and continued over to the Arctic Caribou Inn. I went inside so see if I could get something to eat. One guy there wanted to know if I was riding a cycle and I said yes. I asked if he knew where the Post Office was as I wanted to take a picture. So he took me outside to explain how to get there. Go back where the gas station is and turn right about ½ mile. The Deadhorse end of the Dalton sign is also there. Darn if only I knew this before I went to get fuel. So anyway we went back in and I asked about food again. He said they start serving lunch at 11 AM and this was about 10:30. I saw a guy sitting there eating cereal and thought that looked good so I got a small box of Raisin Bran and dumped it into a Styrofoam cup and put some milk in it and warmed up an English muffin and got some jelly for it. I sat and ate it and no one showed up so I left. I guess this post of your sign for advertisement will have to do.
I rode back down to the Post Office and took my pictures.
I really wanted a sticker saying I had been to Deadhorse but didn’t know where to look. After looking at Milepost I should have went in the Post Office because it is also NAPA and general store. You can’t get to the Haul road from there so I had to go back the way I came in. So my stay was probably 45 minutes in Deadhorse and Prudhoe Bay. Then I headed back.
Some random pictures of Prudhoe Bay.
A different kind of goose I have seen. (Ross Goose)
I had two “Oh Shit” moments the first 30 miles. The gravel was different and I was riding in the right track and twice I got over too far and got into that three inch loose gravel and it pulled me right both times toward a delineator post. Both times I thought that was it but managed to get it pulled back. The wind wasn’t quite bad going back because it was at my back at least part of the time. I know most of you are thing what is that crazy old fool doing going back after leaving that early in the morning. Me too! I didn’t want to stay up there for $200 and figured I could make it back. At least with each mile I was getting closer back down. Things went pretty well going back but the roads just wear you out. My shoulders and neck start hurting and eventually my hip.
Unlike going up the workers were still out working on the road and that slows you down plus the slippery wet conditions. Some places I had to ride through the calcium chloride and you never know which side of the grader pile to be on but normally I stayed on my side of the road.
I rode for 14 ½ hours and the last two hours were tough. By that I mean I was really getting tired, not sleepy, tired. I was exhausted and was losing concentration. When you don’t focus and concentrate on the road you can get in trouble. At Wiseman coming into that curve I lost concentration and ended up on the right side in the gravel. Another “Oh Shit” moment. Without the ABS I would have lost it but the road widened to go to Wiseman and was able to use that then brake on solid ground and back out where I belonged. That is 13 miles north of Coldfoot and about 2 miles down the road I pulled off by a river to stretch and nearly dumped it turning around. I was able to hold it up but only with sheer will power. I pulled through the Alaska state campground but decided to go to Coldfoot for food, shower, and beer. I pulled in and got off the bike and paid $19 for the buffet which is the only choice, $10 for two beers and $10 for a shower which left much to be desired. I went to bed and it was too hot at first and then the sun went down behind the mountain. I woke up about 6 AM which was good for me. As I’m setting in the motel lobby writing this thinking I had went too far too fast three guys check in that I must have met when I was coming back yesterday they were on there way up. They went all the way up yesterday, went on the Arctic sea tour this morning an d left up there this morning at 9AM and they checked in here at Fairbanks at 8 PM.
Some pictures I took coming back.
I left Coldfoot Wednesday morning about 9AM after eating a $13 breakfast buffet, again the only choice. I spoke with a guy I had seen who was riding a Goldwing. He pulled a camper trailer up to Coldfoot, left it there and headed up Sunday morning. He only made it about 100 miles and had a rear flat tire. It took him until this morning to get the new tire on and he headed back down in front of me. He had enough.
I rode at a pretty leisurely pace as I only wanted to get to Fairbanks and a motel that Jim Hoobler had recommended. It had rained ahead of me in several places and the road was wet. There are several miles of gravel and most of it wasn’t too bad. But the last 30 miles is all gravel and it was raining steady. By the last ten miles it was getting bad and this the only rain I had ridden in going up and back. I think the Lord did this just to show be me I had it easy and if could really be tough below Coldfoot also. If you had rain above Coldfoot it could really be tough.
The people back at the office where I used to work will appreciate this oversize load I had to stop for.
I am not sure how many axles but a bunch.
I stopped at the beginning of the Dalton and took a picture of the dirty bike and of myself.
After that it rained most of the way back to Fairbanks. I stopped at the first station for gas which was the Hilltop and from there on in it rained steady. I hit one large puddle probably 3 inches deep and 20 feet across. That should have taken a lot of mud off.
I found the Riverside Resort and checked into a cottage. Each room is a separate cottage and is a great area.I took all my dirty clothes to the laundry at their RV park so now I won’t smell so bad. Tonight I dined at Chenea’s Fine Dining and had a Margarita Pizza made with fresh tomatoes, basil, sea salt, cracked pepper and mozzarella cheese. I was excellent after I added crushed red peppers and parmesan cheese. I also had a salad and a glass of red wine and it cost less than my buffet and two beers last night. Jacob served it to me. Sorry no picture. I made phone call back home only to find out its 100 degrees in Topeka today. It was 48 in Fairbanks. I’m not sure where I’m headed yet tomorrow.
My wife informed me last week I received my Iron Butt certificate so I can check that off my Bucket List. When I went up the Dempster I entered Northwest Territories for my 11 Canadian Province. Check that off. Then I made it to Inuvik check it off. Now I made the Dalton to Prudhoe Bay check that off too.
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