We decided that the most northern point of our trip would be symbolically located at the Arctic Circle in Alaska. To reach it, it was necessary to take 115 miles of the Dalton Highway, starting north, from Fairbanks (Livengood) and finishing on the Arctic Ocean at Prudoe Bay.
For the record, Dalton was built in 1974 to supply the Trans-Canada pipeline. 666 km of track, along the pipeline, 3 villages and 50 inhabitants. Ultra isolated, traversing remote and wild landscapes, it is nonetheless traveled daily by 250 trucks supplying the Prudoe bay drilling station.
MILES 0: LIVENGOOD
The road is at a smashed dirt road, like impacted by a shower of small meteorites. The pipeline appears, the colors change, the vegetation is more shorter and leaves the field open to great prospects.
In these vast open plains, we can see a Grizzly and his young, looking for the last berries, emotional sequence.
MILES 115 : ARCTIC CIRCLE
The goal is reached, we land for the night in the only campground in this area. At this season, we do not see anybody … The temptation to explore beyond this point is strong, we did not come for the photo (but we take it anyway huh) .
MILES 175– COLDFOOT
So we push to Coldfoot, one of the 3 villages of the Dalton highway. The visitor center is a small pearl and its rangers convinced us to continue, to discover yet another face, probably the most fascinating. This end of the track takes us to the heart of the Brooks range, a mountain range stretching over 1000 km. No other path crosses it, no hiking trail exists. The colors shoot bright orange and the mountains rise up. We climb on a carpet of large pebbles the Atigun pass, then a serious slope. Arrival at Galbraith Lake for the night, a cold polar envelops us.
MILES 275: GALBRAITH LAKE
The awakening is done under the snow. Twice we were advised not to go to the end of the road and even if the symbolism is beautiful, we will find only oil fields with no access to the Arctic Ocean (or with a guide from the oil company). After crossing these wild landscapes, the contrast would have been brutal. This path is as spectacular but it exists only for its purpose : oil.
On the way back, it’s a new atmosphere, more wintery but more intense and contrasting. The 3 phonography that we did a few hours apart, show these radical changes :
We take a warm break in Coldfoot in a typical road restaurant where workers, hunters and some curious.
In the end, we will have traveled 275 miles from the Dalton Highway, an atypical road, difficult but so intense. The van, covered with mud, will carry for a long time its new color two-tone, like a proud returning from the end of the world.
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