Day 20 July 21, 2024 Deadhorse Alaska to Marion Creek Campground near Coldfoot Alaska 234 miles
We ate breakfast at the hotel. Connie got the recipe for the pineapple cake the cook made yesterday. The cook made a couple of minor adjustments which she wrote down. We also talked with the manager about their expenses. They buy 5000 gallons of water every month at the cost of $0.62 per gallon. Same cost to remove the grey water. Occasionally they must purchase 10,000 gallons in a month. Trash pick up is $237 a week plus $1000 a month to rent the dumpster. They get two supply trucks a week. Don’t know the cost.
We also learned that within 4-6 years the oil field will no longer be viable. Then they will shut it all down and return everything to what it was. Time will tell on all of that.
We left at about our usual 9:00 am. Starting at this end the highway is a smooth terrific surface for about 50 miles except for four gravel patches. We made really good time on that stretch. After that it gradually deteriorates.
Eventually we came to the 16 miles of road construction. Once again we were slower so some of the construction workers called the pilot car. Then it slowed down. We came to the stretch that had been the worst on the way up. It was worse today. The mud was several inches thick and well grooved. But the problem was the hill. We got stuck for a few minutes. Somehow Rob got us going again. I think our guardian angel was helping out.
The Dalton Highway is a little of all kinds of surfaces. There is some asphalt that is full of potholes and there is asphalt that is very smooth. There is gravel with lots of potholes and grooves and there is gravel that is packed hard so its smooth. There are three major construction projects with pilot cars. The pilot cars usually go about 50 mph.
About 2:00 pm we stopped to add fuel and eat lunch. We can’t make the entire distance from Coldfoot to Deadhorse on one tank of gas. We wanted to have the gas in before going over Atigun Pass. That is the continental divide. The road on both sides is steep and long. The car did not overheat today. Then when you meet one of the big trucks, they kick up so much dust its like going through dense fog. Once you get over the pass the trees are back. What a difference between the two sides of the divide.
We saw the brightly painted school bus again. It is parked on a wide spot by a river. It has solar panels on the top and a satellite dish for internet coverage. We thought it looked like a modern hippy bus.
We just kept going and made it all the way to Marion Creek Campground. This is another BLM campground and is really nice. Only a few mosquitos. This is so much better than Galbraith Lake Campground.
We averaged about 25 MPH today. That explains the road conditions.
Spoffords Travel 