What are your thoughts about driving your own LC on the Dalton Highway in Alaska?
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Markuson
SILVER Star
Wow.
Sounds like the pavement deal just made it worse...which kinda makes sense. Easy to fix dirt/gravel, but pavement breaking up sucks more.
In 2000, our first trip all the way to Prudho Bay from Fairbanks meant two camp nights on the way...stayed one night in the crappy trailer-park type motel at Prudho...and two night stops back. Not ideal, but can be done if you keep moving. We were somewhat time limited.
Raining a lot...muddy...but we’re were FLYING on the flat portions...but the areas you’re referring to were slower, of course. Up in the endless flat to the Ocean far north of the mountains...we were doing as high as 70+, but not recommending that.
But anyway...for us, it was 5 nights total doing Fairbanks—Prudho Bay—Fairbanks. On the next trip, we took more time exploring, and ended up meeting a perma-frost-shaft mining family—and they are friends to this day. -Another reason to take extra fuel so you can explore the region closer the the Arctic Circle...well South of Prudho and the Icean.
That trip...we were up there again...but the entire road washed away and took a semi with it. Actually helped “rescue” the driver via a VERY iffy hand-over-hand escape over rushing floodwater, back to our south-side of the torally washed-away road using a tightened tow strap.
Photos I took ended up in the Fairbanks newspaper the next day after the boot place suggested I stop by the newspaper and show them photos since I was likely the first one back in town from the scene.
We had just driven over the same piece of road the evening before because we were returning to Fairbanks to buy new boots after my old hiking boot soles came off—my only footwear. On the way back to Fairbanks for boots, I had noticed the water build-up on the east side at that spot, with a bank & drop on the West side. That is very BAD.
So sure enough...as we were now on our way North again with new boots...when we got to that spot again...the semi’s weight was the final straw. At he collapsed with the road into a very bad situation.
Here’s the photo I took of the driver (potentially deadly) climbing across the tow strap we stretched after he threw us a tow strap. We hooked it to a heavy pickup next to us then pulled it right—although I actually tried to convince hi it was a BAD idea, unless he ties a loop to his waist and didn’t rely solely on finger grip strength, as did another trucker on my south side:
15 seconds of boonies fame, haha...
Here’s one you can zoom in on is f curious to read. The reporter didn’t get everything g right, but close enough...
He was very lucky, as his grip was failing big time and I thought he was gonna drop in. If he had? Very good chance he would have been washed UNDER brush and crud the rushing water was going under to the west of him.
Anyway... I retesting time and a good warning to keep an eye on water buildup in one side of built-up dirt roads.
Within 48 hours, they had already replaced the culvert and re-build the dirt, and we drove up and over the Brooks range again.
Last edited:
Markuson
SILVER Star
On the lighter side...
Here are a few non-catastrophic) photos I shot on my trips up there:
Up in the Brooks range... young dall sheep...
Others from trips...
Handsome porcupine who…in combo with his two companions on either side of a bush had me initially thinking I stumbled upon a grizzly… instead, it was this little feller and his buddies. He climbed out onto a tree like thing that extended over the edge of a ravine so I could get a close shot of him from only a few feet away ... not on the Dalton, though, this was farther south:
Rare, unobstructed view of Denali/McKinley:
Another...
Now back to Dalton Highway...
This is the vast tundra North of the Brooks Range...looking south. It’s here where you start a loooooong, straight, seemingly endless drive to the Arctic Ocean:
All this to say...
YOU WANT TO DO ALASKA, and I would LOVE to go back!
-m
Here are a few non-catastrophic) photos I shot on my trips up there:
Up in the Brooks range... young dall sheep...
Others from trips...
Handsome porcupine who…in combo with his two companions on either side of a bush had me initially thinking I stumbled upon a grizzly… instead, it was this little feller and his buddies. He climbed out onto a tree like thing that extended over the edge of a ravine so I could get a close shot of him from only a few feet away ... not on the Dalton, though, this was farther south:
Rare, unobstructed view of Denali/McKinley:
Another...
Now back to Dalton Highway...
This is the vast tundra North of the Brooks Range...looking south. It’s here where you start a loooooong, straight, seemingly endless drive to the Arctic Ocean:
All this to say...
YOU WANT TO DO ALASKA, and I would LOVE to go back!
-m
Last edited:
Markuson
SILVER Star
Yeah they started planning and paving sections when AK was rolling on oil money. It’s a different story now and maintaining that road is very low priority. it has been a very dry summer. Then there was rain the vew days before we got there. And we have had a few cold but low snow winters and the paved sections are trashed.Wow.
Sounds like the pavement deal just made it worse...which kinda makes sense. Easy to fix dirt/gravel, but pavement breaking up sucks more.
In 2000, our first trip all the way to Prudho Bay from Fairbanks meant two camp nights on the say...stayed one night in the crappy trailer-park type motel at Oruho...and two night stops back. Raining a lot...muddy...but we’re were FLYING on the flat portions...but the areas you’re referring to were slower, of course. Up in the endless flat to the Ocean far north of the mountains...we were doing as high as 70+, but not recommending that.
But anyway...for us, it was 5 nights total doing Fairbanks—Prudho Bay—Fairbanks. On the next trip, we took more time exploring, and ended up meeting a perma-frost-shaft mining family—and they are friends to this day. -Another reason to take extra fuel so you can explore the region closer the the Arctic Circle...well South of Prudho and the Icean.
That trip...we were up there again...but the entire road washed away and took a semi with it. Actually helped “rescue” the driver via a VERY iffy hand-over-hand escape over rushing floodwater, back to our south-side of the torally washed-away road using a tightened tow strap.
Photos I took ended up in the Fairbanks newspaper the next day after the boot place suggested I stop by the newspaper and show them photos since I was likely the first one back in town from the scene.
We had just driven over the same piece of road the evening before because we were returning to Fairbanks to buy new boots after my old hiking boot soles came off—my only footwear. On the way back to Fairbanks for boots, I had noticed the water build-up on the east side at that spot, with a bank & drop on the West side. That is very BAD.
So sure enough...as we were now on our way North again with new boots...when we got to that spot again...the semi’s weight was the final straw. At he collapsed with the road into a very bad situation.
Here’s the photo I took of the driver (potentially deadly) climbing across the tow strap we stretched after he threw us a tow strap. We hooked it to a heavy pickup next to us then pulled it right—although I actually tried to convince hi it was a BAD idea, unless he ties a loop to his waist and didn’t rely solely on finger grip strength, as did another trucker on my south side:
View attachment 2031636
15 seconds of boonies fame, haha...
View attachment 2031638View attachment 2031637
Here’s one you can zoom in on is f curious to read. The reporter didn’t get everything g right, but close enough...View attachment 2031639
He was very lucky, as his grip was failing big time and I thought he was gonna drop in. If he had? Very good chance he would have been washed UNDER brush and crud the rushing water was going under to the west of him.
Anyway... I retesting time and a good warning to keep an eye on water buildup in one side of built-up dirt roads.
Within 48 hours, they had already replaced the culvert and re-build the dirt, and we drove up and over the Brooks range again.
Markuson
SILVER Star
Reminds me of the highways in lower half of Baja.
More iffy than dirt bc the holes are sudden, deep and sharp at speed.
I always have. It’s not really all that much higher probably of a flat vs other dirt/back country roads. It’s the fact that getting a new tire if you needed one in that area could cost at least 10x what it would anywhere else and could take days/weeks. We go up there most years to caribou hunt and (Knock on wood) I’ve never had a flat up there. I do know a guy that had 2 flats on his truck and blew a water pump same trip up there. He was out $10k before he got back to Fairbanks.
Exactly.
There were places I was going 50-60 but then would come up on a sudden field of huge, deep, sharp pot holes. Then white knuckle and hope I didn’t blow a tire. After 2 of those encounters I just accepted going slow would be better.
Also I was shocked GCI put in a cell tower in cold foot so gci and Verizon will work there. Still a 200 mile stretch of ~hours with no cell coverage though.
Yes the biting flys are bad. I feel like mosquitos can be hot or miss that time of year. If there hasn’t been a frost yet and it’s not breezy they can still be very bad. Vise versa, if there has been a frost and it’s breezy almost none. If you are driving through Canada/ south central AK to get there they could be bad somwhere. Bring head nets, repellent
I always carry two spares .
EverywhereBear
SILVER Star
I just completed the Dempster Highway and Tuk a few days ago in a stock LX with KO2s.
I had 20 litres of gas strapped to the roof but did not need it at all. The truck had more than enough range to easily make it, but it’s advisable to carry extra gas, as the road can get bad very fast based on weather.
I ran tire pressures at 31 psi cold - it worked well for 5 people and luggage. Lots of cars with p-metric tires - which is a bad idea. There was someone stuck in Eagle Plains for 4 day waiting to get a replacement tire over the Canadian long weekend.
The road is mostly good with a few rough patches. The road is much better in the Northwest Territories than Yukon. It was 5 degrees Celsius in Tuk when we were there - highest I saw in 5 days was 9 degrees Celsius. There are quite a few folks on the road - lots of RVs.
The other lesson I learned is to really, wash off all the mud from the rims once back on tarmac. I had really bad vibration over 80km/hr - the mud was thick enough to get the wheels off balance. A quick stop at the Canadian Tire in Whitehorse, they looks off all 4 wheels, got the mud out and we were good to go.
We had a great time on the Dempster and in Tuk, and met several other like-minded travellers.
I had 20 litres of gas strapped to the roof but did not need it at all. The truck had more than enough range to easily make it, but it’s advisable to carry extra gas, as the road can get bad very fast based on weather.
I ran tire pressures at 31 psi cold - it worked well for 5 people and luggage. Lots of cars with p-metric tires - which is a bad idea. There was someone stuck in Eagle Plains for 4 day waiting to get a replacement tire over the Canadian long weekend.
The road is mostly good with a few rough patches. The road is much better in the Northwest Territories than Yukon. It was 5 degrees Celsius in Tuk when we were there - highest I saw in 5 days was 9 degrees Celsius. There are quite a few folks on the road - lots of RVs.
The other lesson I learned is to really, wash off all the mud from the rims once back on tarmac. I had really bad vibration over 80km/hr - the mud was thick enough to get the wheels off balance. A quick stop at the Canadian Tire in Whitehorse, they looks off all 4 wheels, got the mud out and we were good to go.
We had a great time on the Dempster and in Tuk, and met several other like-minded travellers.
Thanks for that report baca. We plan on heading up there in a couple of weeks.
bloc
SILVER Star
Anyone doing/did the dempster or dalton this year? I know border crossings are making this a totally different story than years past, but I’m sure some people are figuring it out.
I’m starting to plan for dempster in 2021... hopefully they have this pandemic thing sorted out well before then for many more reasons.
I’m starting to plan for dempster in 2021... hopefully they have this pandemic thing sorted out well before then for many more reasons.
TheGrrrrr
GOLD Star
I'm also planning a trip for next year. Was going to do it this year. Definitely an August run for me, but I'll probably be solo. Let me know if you come across any good info as you plan.
@coleAK, All,
I made it to Fairbanks from Houston with your great advice!
I plan on creating a thread with some sort of travel log with lessons learned to help anybody else who might follow.
But in the meantime, what are your thoughts on driving north to the Arctic circle?
My wife wants pictures next to the sign. I see it’s a 5 hour drive - I am happy to invest the time, but what are your thoughts on road conditions?
I made it to Fairbanks from Houston with your great advice!
I plan on creating a thread with some sort of travel log with lessons learned to help anybody else who might follow.
But in the meantime, what are your thoughts on driving north to the Arctic circle?
My wife wants pictures next to the sign. I see it’s a 5 hour drive - I am happy to invest the time, but what are your thoughts on road conditions?
Easy drive from Fairbanks to the sign. From Fairbanks it is 200 miles one way - take plenty of extra fuel.
Glad it went well.
To the Arctic circle is easy as long as the weather is good (no blizzards or fog). For the most part l The road is better in the winter than summer.
Last gas out of Fairbanks in in Fox. For gas on the Dalton Yukon River camp is about half way to the sign.
www.yukonrivercamp.com
To the Arctic circle is easy as long as the weather is good (no blizzards or fog). For the most part l The road is better in the winter than summer.
Last gas out of Fairbanks in in Fox. For gas on the Dalton Yukon River camp is about half way to the sign.
About 2 — Yukon River Camp
www.yukonrivercamp.com
