Traveling the Dalton Highway

PWe left this morning to go up the Dalton Highway.  We weren't sure what the road would be like,as we heard some stories about how bad it was.  We found that it was not that bad.  Although would not have wanted to pull the RV on it.  There were a lot of frost heaves and it would be paved, then gravel, then construction in only one area.  It was kind of narrow in some places, lots of climbing up and then steep declines.  But it was fun!!  

We got to the Arctic Circle and it was 60 more miles to Coldfoot so decided to go on up there.

It was a long day, 235 miles each way on not the fastest road.  We didn't get back last night until 9:30, so it took us a little over 12 hours.  

The population of Coldfoot is 24, which I think must be year around residents.  There wasn't much there.  A restaurant,  post office, and a couple of gas and diesel pumps.  Although there was a beautiful visitors center that was built by the BLM.   

I think the restaurant is busy year around with all the truckers going up and down the highway. The oil fields are up in Prudhoe Bay which is another 240 miles.  The pipelined starts in Prudhoe Bay and goes  for 800 miles to Valdez.   This is one of the roads the truckers drive from the TV show, Ice Road Truckers,  which as some of you know, is my favorite show!!

There were at least two forest fires burning so that is why some of the pics look so hazy, it is smoke

 

The Dalton Highway

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This is the Yukon river bridge

The pipeline 

Have to get a flower pic  

This is a shot of the trunda

The Arctic Circle

This is the pipeline winding its way.  

You can see how smokey it is