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Slideshow
A slideshow of photos from my ride my Coldfoot to Fairbanks, AK, can be found at https://photos.app.goo.gl/TuA4uKnGABYsdjsXA
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Missive No. 2: Across the Arctic Circle
I am resting, chilling in Fairbanks. Yes, I have made it all the way from Deadhorse to Fairbanks in 12 days. Given my rest day in Coldfoot, we're talking 11 days of actual riding to go 500 miles. Unlike on my cross-country trips where I could average 60-80 miles per day and sometimes rode more than 100, 40 miles in a day on the Dalton Highway is a "big day."
The highlights of my second week on the Dalton were my crossings of the Arctic Circle and the Yukon River. You will see both in the photos. I am now below a latitude where the sun actually sets, albeit not for long. Otherwise, the southern part of the Dalton is not nearly as scenic as the northern half with its dramatic passage across Atigun Pass and through the Brooks Range of mountains. Perhaps this should not be surprising. The Dalton Highway was built in the early 1970s for one reason only: to support the oil fields at Prudhoe Bay. Scenery along the way is incidental to that economic imperative. But when the scenery is there, it is spectacular.
Scenery or no, the southern half of the Dalton is every bit as rugged as the northern with long 9% grades one after the other with names like Beaver Slide and The Roller Coaster. The hills are unrelenting until the highway's end with multiple "you must be kidding" climbs in the final ten miles. Even pushing WoodsWoman up a few of them was hard work.
Riding through a 2-3 mile segment of the highway as it was being treated with calcium chloride was another memorable "highlight." Calcium chloride is spread on the road as a dust inhibitor. One truck spreads the chemical, and a second follows to spray the roadway with water. The result, of course, is a gooey, muddy mess that does not stop trucks but is impassable on a bicycle. I had to push WoodsWoman through this entire stretch, but that's not the whole story. As it dries, the calcium chloride turns into something akin to cement. It had adhered to every part of the bicycle it has touched. I spent an hour or more chiseling it off. When I reached Yukon Camp that evening, I spent another hour with a hose to clean WoodsWoman as thoroughly as I could and then lubricating the drive train. I opted for a $219 room at the Camp because, not surprisingly, I was as much a mess as was WoodsWoman.
That same evening, however, I had one of those encounters that make the hard work worthwhile. Yukon Camp may have expensive rooms, but it makes up for it with a small, modestly priced diner with good food. There I met John and Charlotte with their son Chris. We talked long into the evening and then again over breakfast in the morning. You will see one photo of them waving from their vehicle as they passed me as I struggled up the eight mile climb -- yes, eight miles -- from the Yukon River.
The next night I was again fighting mosquitoes as I primitive-camped at the side of the road. As I finished dinner, one of the big trucks slowed to a stop. The driver shouted that I should stay alert. A wolf had been spotted in the area. You can imagine the thoughts going through my head as I bedded down for the night.
But everything has its beginning and end, and that is true as well for the Dalton Highway. I reached the southern terminus on Wednesday feeling much as an AT through hiker must feel after climbing Katahdin in Maine. Only problem is that the through hiker must descend from Katahdin and somehow go another 20 miles to the town of Millinockett to return to "civilization." Similarly, I had to ride another 60 miles on the Elliott Highway to reach the town of Fox. Unlike Dalton, Elliott is paved, but it includes climbs every bit as insane as those on the Dalton . . . just at the time when my body was beginning to scream, "Enough already!"
But I did reach Fox. What delight to reach an actual town with a gas station, a convenience store, and a developed campground with shower! On Friday I rode another short 16 miles to Fairbanks to be met by my good friend Xi who had flown in for the occasion. She greeted me with hugs, beer, and ice cream. What more could a bike-packer want after two weeks on the Dalton and Elliot Highways? We celebrated by going to the Chena Hot Springs and luxuriating in the outdoor pond. How good those warm waters felt!
That concludes the Dalton Highway portion of this summer's journey. It is my most challenging bike-packing trip to date through terrain that I now think of as " the Ozarks on steroids." I should add that WoodsWoman behaved flawlessly despite everything the Dalton Highway had to throw at her. She is one sturdy touring bike.
I will rest up in Fairbanks through the 4th of July weekend and start off again on Wednesday down the AlCan Highway to the town of Tok some 200 miles away. From there I plan to take Top of the World Highway to the town of Chicken and across the border into Canada.
As I committed at the outset of this journey, I am contributing $0.10 for each mile I ride to the journalists of TV Dozhd', the last independent television outlet in Russia that was forced to shut down after the invasion of Ukraine but whose staff is continuing to report from locations outside Russia. I have just contributed $50 for my first 500 miles. Please join me in supporting independent Russian journalism. The donation link is https://tvrain.tv/donate-en/ .
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Daily Log
Saturday, June 25, 2022 -- 770 km cum - 83 km/day
A good 51-mile day despite my usual late start. Chose to push uphill several times. Not as scenic now with the Brooks Range behind me. Also, there is not as much water. I had to flag down a motorist and beg two bottles worth. Even so, this will be a water conservation night.
My rest day went to laundry, a shower, and writing a missive. I camped in Coldfoot the first night and chose a luxury $249 night in the prefab motel the second. But nice people. Among the staff, I met Elena, a college junior in biomedical engineering, and Emily, who is taking a year off after college. As I was just about to leave, three young bike-packers rode in. They had left Deadhorse only three days earlier, doing in three days what took me five. All I can say is, "All glory to youth and testosterone."
I'm camped off the road next to a pipeline facility. As best I can tell, I'm not breaking any rules. I hope not!
Learned of bad national news while in Coldfoot. The Supreme Court has overturned Roe vs. Wade.
Sunday, June 26, 2022 -- 845 km cum - 45 km/day
A short 28-mile day by design/necessity due to both Beaver Slide and Finger Mountain. I had to push WoodsWoman up much of both. I am camped on top of the latter where the bugs, although present, are not nearly as bad as last night when the swarming mosquitoes trying to get into my tent sounded like rain. Last night's campsite displaces Clam Lake, WI, and Novgorod, Russia, for the worst mosquitoes I have ever experienced. Altitude and a breeze make tonight tolerable.
And I crossed the Arctic Circle! The sun will set tonight, albeit for only a few minutes. Or seconds?
Monday, June 27, 2022 -- 882 km cum - 67 km/day
A good mileage day but with lots of ups/downs like in the Ozarks. Not scenic. Just a slog.
It was also a slog through the slag. I finally hit a section that was being treated with calcium chloride. Sure enough, it quickly clogged and jammed my front fender. I cleaned out the mud only to have to do it again a thousand feet or so later. After that I walked WoodsWoman for a mile or more at the dry edge of the road until I was out of the treatment area. Even that, however, was not the end. Enough mud remained lodged that it was interfering with the front wheel. In the end, I had to remove the front wheel altogether and scrape out the mud.
But I have reached the Yukon River and splurged for a luxury night at the Yukon River Camp. Both WoodsWoman and I have had much needed showers. We were both a mess.
At the camp I met John, his wife Charlotte, and son Chris. We had a delightful conversation together over dinner.
Tuesday, June 28, 2022 -- 951 km cum - 69 km/day
A good 43-mile day with lots of hills. I rode up many, pushed up others. The route was straight up for about eight miles from the Yukon River. Even the bridge had a significant grade. It's more scenic on this side of the Yukon than on the other.
I hung out over breakfast with John, Charlotte, and Chris and therefore got a very late start despite the luxury motel night. I made up for it with my latest stop time ever, after midnight Atlantic time. By Alaska time that was only 7 p.m., which doesn't sound so bad.
I'm camped on the side of the road just fifteen miles from the southern end of the Dalton Highway.
Wednesday, June 29 2022 -- 1015 km cum - 64 km/day
A tough day, no two ways about it. The last 15 miles on the Dalton had lots of steep ups/downs. Had to do lots of pushing.
I'm now on the Elliot Highway, but it's 50+ files to Fairbanks. I doubt I will make it tomorrow.
Today’s highlights --
1) The motorcyclist who gave me an energy drink;
2) Mike, who gave me the best beer I have ever tasted (Alaska white) at a roadside pull-out;
3) Tim and Jesse, German motorcyclists who are camped next to me at the roadside picnic area tonight. Jesse gave me an apple. It's all I ate for dinner. I was too tired and had no appetite for anything more.
Thursday, June 30, 2022 -- 1086 km cum - 71 km/day
I've done it! I've reached the end of the Dalton and Elliott Highways and am camped tonight AT a regular $20/night campground in Fox, where I just had a most luxurious shower and am now sitting at a real picnic table while eating a convenience store sandwich for dinner. The most difficult ride of my life is behind me. I've ridden the full length of the Dalton and Elliott Highways in twelve days, eleven of them riding days. That's 770 km -- ~498 miles -- of some of the most difficult bike-packing there is to do. I'VE DONE IT!
Not that it was easy, not even today. In fact, I had no intention of making it all the way to Fox. I thought I would ride only about thirty miles and camp at the side of the road. The first fifteen miles gave me every reason to think I might not even do thirty. Lots of difficult climbing with my body screaming that it had give up at the end of the Dalton. Lots of pushing WoodsWoman up long inclines. And then, remarkably, after Wickersham Dome the descents began. One descent lasted more than five miles. There were more ascents before Fox, but those descents gave me the will to push through.
I'VE DONE IT! Tomorrow I'll go the remaining fifteen or so miles to Fairbanks, where I will take **several** days off. I've certainly earned them. Moreover, Xi is flying in tomorrow to help me celebrate. I'VE DONE IT!
Friday, July 1, 2022 -- 1117 km cum - 31 km/day
I'm actually writing on Monday, July 4, onboard the Alaska Railroad train from Fairbanks to Denali. Since I've given up on bike-packing the Denali Highway in consideration of September weather in Montana, I was thrilled to learn that I could take a luxury day excursion there by train.
Xi continues to amaze. I rode the sixteen miles from Fox to Fairbanks on Friday, and Xi met me at Sven's Hostel with beer, snacks, and ice cream. We abandoned the hostel when I learned that only dormitory space was available, and I sprung for a nice Air B&B instead. After all, I had earned it after twelve days on the Dalton & Elliott Highways. That evening, Xi took me to Chena Hot Springs where we lounged with beers in the warm outdoor pond before retiring to a luxurious seafood dinner.
Xi left early on Saturday, and I spent the rest of the day uploading photos, writing my missive, and doing laundry. On Sunday I walked around Fairbanks. It's a small city, smaller than Bangor. In the city park there is a column showing distances to major cities, and I was surprised to learn that I am 100 miles closer to Moscow than to Washington! I then visited REI and Safeway to buy supplies, in particular bug spray. Back at the Air B&B, I installed a new chain on WoodsWoman and checked tire inflation before preparing a simple dinner of black beans and quinoa. Then I lounged on the couch and watched an episode of "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel."
That brings me up to date on this July 4. I'll go to the post office tomorrow, rest up fully, and get underway again on Wednesday. Fairbanks, although small, has provided much needed R&R.
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