I’ve made it to Fairbanks! The past two days, I traveled from McCarthy all the way up here, passing through breathtaking landscapes. Along the way, I had some incredible wildlife encounters. I spotted both a caribou and a moose in the wild.
I spent the night in my camper on a mountain, and the temperature really started to drop, it was just 4°C (39°F) by evening. Wrapped up in a blanket with two fleece throws on top, I managed to stay warm enough. But it’s making me wonder what things will be like as I head even further north.
When I woke up, the temperature had fallen even more. Then I heard a dull tapping on my roof, snow. Quite unexpected, but it made for a magical view out over the landscape.
Today was all about prepping for the Dalton Highway, a 667-kilometer (414-mile) road that stretches deep into northern Alaska. The Dalton Highway is known as one of the most dangerous roads in the U.S. due to its remote location and long unpaved stretches. It was built in 1974 to support the construction of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline all the way to Deadhorse, near the Arctic Ocean.
There’s a stretch of over 380 kilometers (236 miles) with no gas stations, no towns, not even a single building. If something happens to your vehicle, you're on your own until another car or truck comes by and there’s no cell service out there.
Right now, my camper is charging on electricity. I’ll fill the water tank in the morning. The gas and propane are topped off, and I’ve got an extra jerrycan with 2 gallons of backup fuel. I also picked up some snow chains. Locals have warned me that the road is in extremely bad shape at the moment, worse than they’ve seen in years. And winter has already arrived, much earlier than I expected.
Because of all that, I honestly don’t know if I’ll make it to the end of the Dalton Highway. Maybe I have to go back halfway. But I’ve done everything I can to be prepared: stocked up on water, soup, fuel, you name it. I’m also expecting little to no cell service out there. (Sorry, Mom.)
But for now, the highlight of my evening is the fact that I get to take a real shower. The camper has a 4-minute hot water supply, which is manageable, but washing your hair in that kind of cold? Not ideal. So I’m beyond excited for this little luxury tonight.
