June 27: Success!
Woohoo! I am so excited to be able to report that I made it to Prudhoe Bay, the northernmost point of the Pan-American Highway and the entry to the Arctic Ocean. After months of planning, and another day of mishaps on the road, I was thrilled to finally make it to Deadhorse, a town inhabited primarily by workers for the companies that operate at the Prudhoe Bay Oil Field.
Leaving Coldfoot camp this morning after a good breakfast, I knew that I had 240 miles of mostly dirt and gravel road to navigate before reaching the end of the highway. The trip started off uneventfully as I was more prepared for the road conditions after traveling over 200 miles on the Dalton yesterday. However, when I stopped for my first break, I noticed that my left panier bag had burst open, destroying one of my essential clothing layers as well as my electric gloves. I wasn’t about to turn around, so I took some straps from other parts of the bike and used them to attempt to hold the bag together. I ended up needing to periodically tighten the straps throughout the day to keep the bag in one piece.
Continuing on down the road I was able to take in more of the view than I did yesterday. I saw both a red fox with a fresh kill in his mouth and a Musk Ox foraging by the side of the road. When I first noticed the large mammal, I thought he was a bison, but then I noticed curved horns similar to those of a mountain goat. Another traveler later in the day gave me the name of this hoofed animal, a native to the Arctic. He was quite stunning to behold with his long mangy fur and distinctive face.
Another highlight of the day was riding over Atigun Pass, the highest year-round pass in Alaska at a height of 4,822 feet. The sky was relatively clear, the air crisp and cold, and the snow-covered peaks were sparkling in the sun. I also noticed ice-covered lakes as I got further north and thought to myself, “Wow! I really am riding to the Arctic.”
One of the interesting challenges of riding the Dalton is that restrooms are rare. Fortunately, there is little traffic on the road. So, my strategy has been to pull over when I can find a safe place, listen to determine if someone is coming down the road, and take care of business. Today I misjudged the situation and two bikers passed me just as I was putting everything back into place. I ended up passing them a few minutes later because the “Trusty Steed” seems to handle the gravel well at higher speeds. Later when I saw the same two bikers in Deadhorse they asked me what kind of bike I was riding and noted “you were sure hauling a** back there.” They didn’t mention the earlier incident and we enjoyed a great meal at camp with another biker.
I am grateful to have a safe place to stay tonight as bears are apparently an issue in town. When I arrived at the camp where I am spending the night the employees told me not to eat food in my room or leave my windows open. What an amazing place! Tomorrow I am hoping to swim in the Arctic.
