Dalton Highway in Alaska

[florida]

We left for Fairbanks, Alaska on Sept 14th for a 10 day trip.  I had won a Road Lottery Pass for Denali National Park for the  19th so our trip hinged around being at Denali early
so we could spend the day driving the park.  We arrived late at night but got up early to get to the car rental office. We were renting a gravel road SUV, in our case a 2008 Suburban, since there were 4 of us and our luggage.  This was a very expensive car at almost $500.00 a day but we were headed up the 500 miles of the Dalton Highway and needed a tough vehicle.

We got on the road about 9:30 AM and were on the Dalton by 10:00. We were all really excited to be on our way north!  We had all read about and watched many videos of the "Deadly Dalton" that we felt like we were starting a serious adventure. We had been advised to carry 3 or 4 extra mounted tires, extra gas cans and even water and to plan on our windshield being broken by flying gravel! I'll cut to the chase here and say that while it was a fun trip it wasn't as bad as driving down the dirt road to my daughters house. Longer for sure but thats about all.  The first 70 miles to Livengood is a very nice paved road. At some point after that it turned to hardpan. We all agreed that calling it gravel would be an exaggeration as the only gravel was on the very edge of the road where no one would ever drive anyway. The road is plenty wide, actually the paved sections are the only place where the road is what I would call a normal size, and kept in very good condition. The worse section of all is the 50 or 60 miles paved section before Coldfoot camp at mile marker 244. It's so potholed that they are impossible to miss.  Beyond Coldfoot the road is mostly hardpan and except for  frost heaves and some small potholes in good condition.

About every 50 miles or so on the dirt sections we passed very large road graders either grading or parked.  Our guess is that grading is continuous as there is a lot of heavy truck traffic.  Another thing we had heard was that we needed to get out of the way of the trucks as they would practically run you over, another bunch of baloney. We were never passed by a truck as most of them were driving 40 or 50 while we were doing 60 or 70.

Even counting the trucks there was very little traffic. At times we would drive for 30 minutes and not see another vehicle. The nice thing was that when we made a pit stop we just stopped in the road, got out and whizzed, go back in and drove off never having seen another car. We did see 2 cars that had run off the road and into the tundra. One of them had rolled and was in tough shape. The slide bed wrecker  had to come 270 miles from Fairbanks to get the car then it broke down so they had to send another wrecker to pull the first one back!

Gas was available in Coldfoot, $5.00 a gallon, and in Deadhorse Camp at Prudhoe Bay so there was no need for extra gas at all. All total I think we used about $600.00 of gas up and back. We did not have a broken windshield, no flat tires, we didn't run out of gas. Going up we made it in exactly 10 hours of driving so we averaged 50 mph. Having said that our speed was excessive and stupid but we had to be at Deadhorse Camp by 9 to get the rooms we had  reserved at the camp.

We had a blast but it's not like crossing the Congo. Keep in mind that semis drive this road constantly. I talked to a woman driver who makes the round trip 100 times a year so in spite of all the hype it's obviously not a terrible road. We did get sideways twice but that was due to wet conditions and driving too fast.

[coxy]

glad you had a great time  and thanks for sharing it with us  8)

[Gearbox]

I did it in July of 2010 on a motorcycle . Not quite as fast as you . I have been on lots of dirt roads in the lower 48 that were way worse .

[starmac]

, It sounds as if you made the trip at a very optimum time. One days rain can leave all that hard pan to where it is so potholed that that bad stretch of chip sealed pavement would look like a glass highway.  I have driven many a mile less than 25 mph at times due to just bone jarring rough. Then again very soon it will be smooth hard pack ice all the way.

Truck traffic is also extremely light on the haul road and has been for 2 years, which also makes a big difference.

[Raider Bill]

I did it in July of 2010 on a motorcycle . Not quite as fast as you . I have been on lots of dirt roads in the lower 48 that were way worse .

That's my dream trip. Largo Florida to the Arctic circle on a Shovel-head. Every time I think this is the year something comes up.

[starmac]

A lot of bikes ride the Dalton in the summer, but a few years ago we were in a blow in January, just south of Galbreth and at 9 below with 50 feet or less visability, a friend ahead of me hollered watch out, you are about to meet a motorcycle. lol I had just enough time to think he was kidding, when I met a Yamaha pulling a trailer.

I made it back to coldfoot that night and the guy spent the night there, so I got to check out his rig and talk to him the next morning.
I heard other guys talking on the radio, that it was blowing and 29 below when he went by 62 mile. lol

[Raider Bill]

Depending on if ol what's her name goes with me I maybe pulling a trailer too. Me, spare pair of jeans and skivvy's, her, well you know what traveling light means to the female companion.... trailer. :D :D

Actually my bike trailer has been there twice, sadly I wasn't with it.

[starmac]

Well if you do come up, let me know and you can leave your trailer here while cruising the Dalton. There are times that road goes south in a hurry and takes every bit of attention on a bike you can muster, you wouldn't want to be tied to a trailer.

[florida]

starmac,

I agree conditions were really good. The road graders were doing a lot of business.  It was really wet on Atigan Pass and was slick! Lots of rocks in the road off the side of the mountain too. The manager of the place we stayed told us that the dumbest people that came up to Deadhorse were the motorcycle riders. He said most of them weren't prepared for light rain much less cold weather.

[submarinesailor]

I did it in July of 2010 on a motorcycle . Not quite as fast as you . I have been on lots of dirt roads in the lower 48 that were way worse .

That's my dream trip. Largo Florida to the Arctic circle on a Shovel-head. Every time I think this is the year something comes up.

Bill - I know exactly what you mean.  3 years ago when I retired, the plan was to go fishing or hunting at least once per week.  Been fishing only twice and hunting once.  It is hell when life keeps getting in the way.

[starmac]

If it wasn't for the road graders, that road would be four wheeler only. lol They work it 12 months a year, pretty much nonstop.
I have literally seen it go from smooth to potholes 2 foot deep so close together that you can not possibly miss them, no use in even trying in just a couple of days time. lol

I have talked to countless motorcycle riders, most it seems like is fairly outfitted, I will say t is hard to carry enough gear on one to account for every possible condition you may encounter. What is worse is bicycle riders and there is a lot of them, it is near impossible to just carry enough water on one to get you between stops, much less the gear needed.

[Raider Bill]

Well if you do come up, let me know and you can leave your trailer here while cruising the Dalton. There are times that road goes south in a hurry and takes every bit of attention on a bike you can muster, you wouldn't want to be tied to a trailer.

Thanks, I'll be looking forward to meeting you!

I did it in July of 2010 on a motorcycle . Not quite as fast as you . I have been on lots of dirt roads in the lower 48 that were way worse .

That's my dream trip. Largo Florida to the Arctic circle on a Shovel-head. Every time I think this is the year something comes up.

Bill - I know exactly what you mean.  3 years ago when I retired, the plan was to go fishing or hunting at least once per week.  Been fishing only twice and hunting once.  It is hell when life keeps getting in the way.

Ain't that the truth.