While Alaska is billed as the last frontier,

when you visit any of it's larger cities you would never know that you aren't in the lower 48.

However, ride to the Arctic and it all changes. More later.

Our first view of the pipeline. It is smaller diameter than I imagined.

They put these warnings on it for people from the lower 48. Most
Alaskan's still have a little common sense.

These appeared to be the most common support standards.

The first cleaning pigs were cast iron.

Read all about it.

You just learned about this one.

It is higher off of the ground here than in most places.

Most areas were not of this polished variety

The haul road, aka Dalton Hwy, was built to aid in the construction of the pipeline.

Interesting enough, it was only designed to last 20 years but is now thirty five and still going strong.

It seems to be the dream of many motorcyclist to ride the Dalton Hwy. I'll give you my thoughts on it later.

So far, I know I've made it this far. Only about 450 more miles to go.

This is the stuff it was designed for.

If you are nice to them, they'll be nice to you.

The surface of the highway can vary greatly with some being a bit of a challenge to ride.

There are many large rivers along it route.

Including the great Yukon

The bridge that was built for the haul trucks also supports the pipeline.

That's a lot of water. It is some 40' deep and over 2000' wide!

Not too warm either.

We stopped for fuel and lunch at the crossing. $5.49 per gal.

Across the street was a little information center.

Being this far north starts to really affect the plant life.

I just take pictures of these signs so I can read them later without the mosquitoes.

You can thank me later for keeping you away from the mosquitoes. 

However, you will need to provide you own magnifying glass.

Even though it was still 60 miles to the Arctic Circle, you could get a certificate here that said you had been there.

If you look at the light poles on the bridge, you will see that one of them has a couple of giant speakers on it. If you leave the information center with an Arctic Circle certificate but don't turn north to complete the visit, those speakers will blare out, Liar, Liar, Liar as you cross the bridge.

Guess before looking at the next pic

140 left, 280 right

This is the actual tree that the 60 year slice was cut from. They say you can't pound a nail into it.

I made it

My bike made it

Some unknown riders made it too.

By showing my face, I have proof! :)

That is Prospect Camp in the distance.

Some of these are still being used to maintain the line.

Coldfoot, AK

Inside the cafe, gift shop, gas station.

Only truckers were allowed to eat in here. I got their permission to take their picture.

While I was taking a picture of the original cabin this guy made a touch and go.

Always fun to watch.

Only 3% of the population can read this sign, click Share if you are one of those.

Across from the camp was this inter-agency center that shared with the National Parks, BLM, and Fish and Wildlife.

Giant Globe

Selfie, seems all I have these days is morning hair or helmet hair. <G>

I rode to the Coldfoot historic cememtery. I walked the whole thing and this was the only marker I could find.

Walking on the peatmoss there was like walking on a very thick carpet. Right now you are thinking of a thick carpet. This one is twice as thick as the one you were thinking of.

I only made it 223

The management area is 5 miles on both sides of the highway.

This town is the most accurate representation of a town within the arctic circle.

To get there you cross this river and then go another 3 miles.

I liked the flowers

If you are going to ride to Coldfoot, continue another 15 miles and stay here. It is much nicer, and cost less.

The city airport.

I like the sign

I wish I would have walked through this cabin. it was open.

There will be some more pictures that Tim took of the town a little further down.

The trees are getting smaller. They say there is a girl behind every tree in Prudhoe Bay.

Starting to see more tundra

Someone didn't go to reading class.

If you don't slow down, neither will they. However, if you don't you will sure wish you did. They can shoot road rocks 30' feet in your direction.

The road up Chandalar Shelf.

Crossing the Brooks Range

I did expect to see more wildlife. We only saw one Caribou today and it was running away with it's little one close behind.

Very few trees now.

We are getting lower in elevation, but starting to see more snow the farther north we get. 

aka Dalton Hwy.

Only 173 miles to go. The road is showing us loose gravel, mushy sub soil, slick mucky surface, paved surface, potholes, gravel bars.

In the winter, the rivers and creeks freeze then they overflow and start spreading out. It can become pretty dangerous.

Just before Tim and I headed up the Dalton was washed out by one of these in the Deadhorse area. The highway  was closed and it got to where they were starting to have to ration food.

The start of Atigun pass

While descending this grade, you never hear them let off the Jake Brake

It seems like all of the loads are heavy. Even the tankers are oversize.

You get more rocks in the corners.

Who took a bite of this?

Those holes are all natural caves or at least areas where the rock broke out.

On the back side of the Atigun, everything has cooled off a good 20 degrees.

There are now clouds in the sky but no rain.

Surprisingly it only rains an average of 5.5" annually between the north slope of the Brooks Range and the sea.

Maybe it will be sunny later.

These next pics are of the ice flow that damaged the highway.

Add caption

So much of the bay is still frozen

These motels are almost exclusively for the oil field crews.

They only come in singles and cost $279 per night.

This town is all business.

The Prudhoe Bay sign washed out with the road so we took our pictures under this one since they sort of look the same.

As we were heading back to our motel, this jet flew over my head so I snapped a picture of it.

Tim snapped this on of me as I flew by him.

Low price in Prudhoe

We're staying here

The next few are Tim's pics of Weisman

It was dusty in the loose stuff. No fun to see a truck in those sections.

I had to pull out my can 17 miles short of arrival in Deadhorse.

At least I'm getting some nice stickers.

Tim is enjoying this, he got the bigger tank.