Fairbanks

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Fairbanks is the northernmost population center in Alaska, with about 30,000 residents, and after 8,500 miles, it is where we will make the turn and begin our trip back home. It is a real frontier town with a colorful history of boom and bust cycles. It was founded in 1901 by Captain E. T. Burnette as a trading post. The site was selected because it was here that the water became too shallow for the riverboat to go any further. The next year gold was discovered nearby and the first boom was off and running. The latest boom was the construction of the Alaska Pipeline in the 1970s, the largest privately funded project in history ($8 billion).
While we were there we had the truck serviced and found that the brakes needed to be relined. The parts had to be shipped from Anchorage, giving us an extra day with nothing to do. Since we were only about 120 miles (as the crow flies) from the Arctic Circle, we decided we would go up there and have a look. This involves a 400 mile round trip, about two thirds of it on the Dalton Highway. The Dalton Highway is a gravel road built by the oil companies to supply the Prudhoe Bay oil fields on the Arctic Ocean. The road runs through some beautiful country, but it is also some of the wildest and most inhospitable terrain in the world. Traffic on the road is mainly supply trucks and a few venturesome (foolhardy?) sightseers like us. Other than a couple of isolated roadhouses, there is virtually nothing along the 115 miles of the highway we traveled. We were told that in case of a breakdown you are on your own, because the tow trucks won’t go up there. Well, we made it without any problems, and it was an interesting trip. By the time we got back the truck was so dirty you couldn’t tell what color it was, but we have now been about as far to the northwest as you can go by car in this country. Time to turn around and start making our way back home.

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Photos

Who, Me?
I should find another sign to stand next to. Actually, a pig is a device that is sent down the pipeline to scrape and clean the inside of the pipe.

Beginning of a Long Ride
This is the Dalton Highway, which runs from near Fairbanks to the oil fields at Prudhoe Bay on the Arctic Ocean (about 450 miles of gravel road).

Only about 85 miles left to the Arctic Circle.
Coldfoot and Deadhorse. Hmm.. they sound like nice places to live.

Crossing the Yukon River
Only about 55 miles left.

Roadhouse at the Yukon River
With a gift shop, no less.

The Oil Pipeline
It was with us the entire trip. The zigzag pattern is supposed to make the pipeline less vulnerable to earthquake damage.

Airstrip Near the Arctic Circle
This was one of several along the way owned by Alyeska, the company that operates the pipeline.

Desolate Country
This was an observation point about 5 miles from the Circle.

Finally Made It
Here there is no sunset or sunrise on the winter and summer solstices. There wasn't even a gift shop up there. The campground was empty. The next picture may tell you why.

The Sign
We found this on the door of one of the campground bathrooms. Makes you want to go for a walk, doesn't it?

Happy Campers
At this point, we hadn't yet seen the sign about the wolf.

Big Caribou
We saw this guy just a couple of miles from the Circle. Look at the size of those antlers.