Fire, Fire, Everywhere

I drove up to Denali with fingers crossed. I have four nights at the Denali RV Park. As of today, the park is completely closed with a fire only a mile from the main gate. 🤞
7/5/24

Fire, Fire, Everywhere

Well, I gave it two days. The park is still closed by the Riley fire, and is not expected to be open before my time here is up, so I made the command decision to blow this pop stand, and insert an impromptu trip to the Arctic Circle!

I know, right?
7/8/24

The Dalton Highway (Northbound)

I had originally considered making this trip part of the plan, but when I realized that it meant around 75 miles of gravel roads, I decided it wasn't worth it. Cooling my heals for a few days waiting for Denali to open convinced me to move on. The road wasn't that bad - in fact it was better than parts of the Alaska Highway. This is the Dalton Highway. It follows the Alaska Oil Pipeline all the way to Prudhoe Bay. You can drive all 415 miles to if you want to, but that seemed excessive to me, so I decided I would drive to the Arctic Circle Campground - a free camping parking lot right on the boundary.

The Dalton Highway (Northbound)

I pulled into one of the pipeline access roads and got a closer look. Then I saw all the cameras and decided to move along.

The Dalton Highway (Northbound)

Just like the Alaska Highway, there was a lot of construction delays for long stretches of single-lane road, for which you have to wait for a pilot car to lead you through the construction zone. There were two vans full of Baptists who were headed deep into the Brooks Mountain Range north of Coldfoot to run a bible camp for Eskimo Children. I guess you gotta go pretty far to find people who will believe all that. 😉 Anyway we got pretty friendly during our waiting periods, and like everyone, they fell in love with Augie.

The Dalton Highway (Northbound)

There are two gas stops along the Dalton. The first one is the Yukon River Camp. It is quite the compound, including 25 motel rooms (built in some sketchy mobile homes), a boat launch on the Yukon River used extensively by commercial and sport fishermen, a full-service restaurant with a better menu than most places in Fairbanks...

The Dalton Highway (Northbound)

...and gas. I topped off half a tank for $140. 😬 All the guide books say you should fill up anytime yo go below half a tank. I think this is to help drivers avoid the panic of spending $300 for a fill-up.🫣

Arctic Circle Campground

It was about a nine hour drive up from Denali, but I guess it was worth it - at least until the rain started...

Arctic Circle Campground

It rained all night. I watched "2001: A Space Odyssey," and worried about muddy roads...

The Dalton Highway (Southbound)

My concern was warranted. The drive back was a muddy, soupy, sloppy, mess. There were a few spots where I thought I might not make it. Gravytrain is a front-wheel-drive vehicle, carrying a lot of weight in the back. Headed up those muddy hills on the Dalton, I lost traction more than once. At one point, I was following a pilot car through a muddy construction site, when he climbed to the top of a hill and stopped just short of the summit with me right behind him screaming "Don't stop!" at my windshield. When he took off again I started spinning, and became concerned about sliding back into the car behind me. I slipped a little sideways and caught some gravel - which put me back on solid enough ground. The planned five-hour drive back to Fairbanks took more than eight. 😬 I got a hotel room in Fairbanks, pried my fingers off the steering wheel and got stoned to the Bejesus Belt.
7/9/24

The Dalton Highway (Southbound)

When I started GT up the next morning to take her to a car wash, she was making an awful sound - like the engine was racing - but it wasn't. I drove into Gene's Chrysler Dodge Ram dealership, and they took the time to figure out the problem. When they opened the hood, the entire engine was coated in mud. The noise was the radiator fan system trying to suck air through the dried concrete. They were great, putting her up on the lift and proceeding to spray about 30 pounds of rocks and mud off the back of the radiator. No charge! I'm buying my next car from Gene's!

Fairbanks, AK

My next stay in Fairbanks was a Harvest Host spot at the Fairbanks Community Garden...
7/10/24

Fairbanks, AK

...it was a quiet night in lovely surroundings.

Fairbanks, AK

I booked two nights at the Tanana Valley Campground in Fairbanks. Their office is in this 1800s vintage French trapper's cabin. The door is five feet tall. They have inexpensive laundry facilities, and they're about a mile from the Walmart. That's important because I need to provision for my trip south in a couple of days.
7/11/24

Ivory Jacks, Fairbanks, AK

I have a few requests to take care of while I'm in Fairbanks. A pal of mine wanted me to stop at Ivory Jacks, an infamous local watering hole,  and procure a t-shirt for him.
7/12/24

Ivory Jacks Fairbanks, AK

Mission accomplished! Plus two coozies.

Ivory Jacks Fairbanks, AK

Gotta love that Alaskan humor! 🤣

North Pole, AK

Another friend wanted proof that Santa's house is actually near Fairbanks. Spoiler alert: it is!

North Pole, AK

Apparently, the pole is undergoing a little off-season maintenance...

North Pole, AK

...under the watchful eye of the old man himself! (St Nick - not me)

Fairbanks Junior Rodeo

While I was waiting for the boys at Gene's to power wash my engine, I noticed a poster for this event they were sponsoring at the Tanana Fairgrounds. That sent me to Google Maps to see if it was close to my campsite at Tanana Valley. Guess what? 200 yards away.

Fairbanks Junior Rodeo

This cowpoke's name is Dallas Fortworth. He was the age 6-12 roping champion. This was a great way to spend my last evening in Fairbanks. The whole community was out in force. Tomorrow, I head south.