Alaska's Dalton Highway

[Houndoc]

Each of my kids have been allowed to pick a trip with a parent when they turn 15. Earlier this month my daughter and I completed her trip: camping in Alaska.

We flew into Fairbanks, spent two days in and around Denali National Park. Did lots of hiking (we like that inside the park they encourage you to bushwhack your own trail instead of restricting you to existing paths) and had a fun day of river running on the Nenana River (some great whitewater, and very cold river 34F as it comes out of a glacier only 45 miles or so upstream).

Denali area pics:



Sorry they are not in much of an order or labeled!

 

[Houndoc]

Here is one of Mt McKinley. Doesn't look very impressive until you realize it is about 75 miles away.



Our camp for the first two nights was at Otto Lake, just outside Denali NP on the north. We also did a little fly fishing for grayling (caught one little 6incher, but it is a species I have wanted to catch for years, so am still happy.)



And a few more moose pics.

 

[Houndoc]

We then drove the 120 miles or so north back to Fairbanks, hoteled it for one night and went to church Sunday before starting the trek north to the Dalton Highway (the Dalton Highway ends about 500 miles north of Fairbanks at Deadhorse and the Prudhoe Bay Oil Fields, 6 miles from the Arctic Ocean. We didn't make the entire trip.)

The Dalton Highway starts about 84 miles from Fairbanks. Mile Posts associated with photos are Dalton Highway, so just add 84 to know how far from Fairbanks.

First highlight was crossing the Yukon River (MP 54, I think). We also took a few minutes to pose by the Trans-Alaska Pipeline.



Next, at MP 120 we cross the Arctic Circle (I was disappointed by the lack of fry sauce.)


60 miles or so further up the road is Coldfoot and just beyond that the Marion Creek Campground, which was our base for the next two "nights"

 

[Houndoc]

"Night" a very relative term. Never did see darkness the entire week in Alaska (Fairbanks and Denali have 2-3 hours between sunset and sunrise, but stays twilight the entire time.) By the time we reached Marion Creek, sun never even sets.

Our first night we started a 5 mile hike, at 12:45am. Photos of the creek and falls by natural lighting at 2am. Got back to camp and read at the table until about 4:00 when finally went to sleep.



Coldfoot is at MP 175, Marion Creek at 180. The highway is a mix of paved, gravel and dirt (and technically off-limits to most rental cars. Don't tell Alamo on me.)

The next day we worked our way further up the Dalton Highway. At this point we are in the Brooks Range, with Gates of the Arctic National Park off to the west.

Sukapak Mountain (MP 204):

Chandalar Flats (MP 237):

Antigun Pass (MP 244):

A fun side note is that day we enjoyed the company of "Billy the hitchhiker" We picked him up in Coldfoot, left him at our 'furthest north'. He was planning to get about 30 miles further along the road then start a 5-6 day solo backpacking trip into the Brooks.

 

[Houndoc]

View from Antigun Pass, looking north. Now we are onto the "North Slope" of Alaska as the rivers run into the Arctic Ocean.



We stopped for lunch then started back south at MP 257. About 155 miles from the Arctic Ocean, 340 miles from Fairbanks.



On our way back to camp at Marion Creek, we made a few stops for pictures and a short hike since Billy was no longer with us.

We were along the Koyukuk River. We hiked across it at one point so we can say we officially entered Gates of the Arctic NP (no roads enter the park.) Loved its "Bear Lake Blue" coloring.



The next day was a wet and smokey drive back to Fairbanks, movie in town and 1:00am flight home.

Fantastic trip with a great kid!

 

[Greg]

So jealous, thanks for sharing Drew!

 

[UNSTUCK]

Thanks for making me homesick!

 

[sixstringsteve]

A lucky dad and a lucky daughter. What a great tradition! Thank you for sharing this.

 

[Houndoc]

A lucky dad and a lucky daughter. What a great tradition! Thank you for sharing this.

The trips have been great. My oldest daughter (now 19 and on a mission in the Philippines) took my wife to Kentucky. My now-17 year old son and I toured church history sites in up-state New York (plus some walleye and bass fishing in Lake Erie.) Creates some great time with the kids in what I see as a key pivot point in their lives.

 

[Houndoc]

Thanks for making me homesick!

It is an area I certainly want to go back to.

Would like to make two return trips to the Dalton Highway. One to fish the lakes and rivers along the Dalton, with the goal of reaching Deadhorse.

The second would be to travel the entire length to Deadhorse in the winter. A January trip some year sounds fun.

 

[UNSTUCK]

I love seeing pictures of the pipeline. With it being that high off the ground it's really hard to see how animal activists can say it disrupts the Caribou migration. Like they have to walk all the way around it or something.

Hopefully you stopped at North Pole and walked through Santa's workshop.

 

[Houndoc]

I love seeing pictures of the pipeline. With it being that high off the ground it's really hard to see how animal activists can say it disrupts the Caribou migration. Like they have to walk all the way around it or something.

Hopefully you stopped at North Pole and walked through Santa's workshop.

I remember seeing a photo a few years ago of a grizzly walking along on top of the pipeline (it does go underground occasionally so there are places they could get on it.)

Obviously not too bothered.