Fun in Alaska

I didn't end up finding a hotel in North pole. I found a 24HR truckie stop and called it quits for the night. Breakfast was good at the Hilltop Truck Stop and I got back in the car with the intention of driving as far along the road as I could get. I was not sure if it was open to the public as the Jeeps GPS kept saying the route contained "restricted access" roads - whatever that means . It is about a 1500km return trip along the Dalton Highway which was built along with the pipeline to bring Oil back from the the Alaska North slope and Prudhoe Bay. It is often spectacular but mainly a winding dirt road with big trucks moving large items.

I was exceptionally lucky on the way in as I had sunshine all day.

This did not last. I did not expect much at the end of the road except large oil production facilities and that is what I found. There is an amazing array of equipment which all has had to traverse the highway to get there. I was seeing it in mid summer and it was cold and bleak.

The next day it was very cold and windy. The nice snowy mountain pass was now a blizzard which turned to sleet and rain later up the road so I only stopped once and that was for fuel and crappy coffee at Coldfoot - and this photo taken by Arctic Circle Lady near where the highway crosses the Yukon river.

it is raining steadily

I think she was from the local tourist association as she also gave me a certificate. Hopefully the bad weather does not hang around for too long. I think I have been exceptionally lucky so far so I hope it holds.