Starting in Fairbanks, Alaska, the ride up the Dalton Highway to Deadhorse/Prudhoe Bay is 498 miles one way. From Livengood, the actual beginning of the Dalton, approximately 25% of the road is paved, and in the summer, the rest is gravel, dirt or mud depending on the weather. It is strongly recommended to bring two spare tires, and to carry extra gas for the 239 mile stretch between Coldfoot and Deadhorse where there are no gas stations. Although not recommended, many people travel the road on motorcycles and bicycles. The feeling of accomplishment after such a feat must be incredible. I know it felt pretty awesome for us doing it in the Jeep! The road is challenging and beautiful, and the best way to avoid catastrophe and enjoy the journey is to first do your homework and don’t approach it casually. Once you’re traveling, just take your time. For more detailed information about the Dalton Highway, traveling on it and considerations to take before embarking on this journey, take a look at this page on the Bureau of Land Management website, where you will find a very thorough downloadable PDF guide.
Our first day on the Dalton was grey and wet most of the time, but still provided some interesting scenery. The road parallels the Alaska Pipeline for a good portion of the distance, and there are numerous access points for pipeline maintenance along the way.
Crossing the border into Canada went very smoothly. They asked a series of questions, we declared our two rifles and made sure we had them stowed according to their laws. Since we had filled out our paperwork for the rifles ahead of time, the process was simple and painless, and the officers who dealt with us were very pleasant.
Our first day of travel in Canada was uneventful. We were still in fairly civilized territory, so the paved roads were in pretty good shape.
We arrived in Great Falls with dampened gear and spirits. While we holed up in a hotel for three nights, it rained pretty much the entire time. We were scouring the internet for anything and everything related to RV campers, and second guessing our plans for the remainder of the trip. If we were experiencing this kind of weather in Montana, what would Canada and Alaska bring us? Although this weather isn’t normal for this time of year, anything is possible. We are not properly equipped to deal with snow or persistent freezing wet conditions. Should we head back south and cut the trip short by a month or two, or should we try to purchase a camper to tow behind the Jeep? Should we go back to Arizona or Texas where we knew it would be warm and dry for the rest of the time and skip Alaska until we had a camper? Then it hit us both at the same time: Don’t wimp out!!! We will press on and take our chances as planned, and deal with whatever comes our way when it happens. It’s all part of the adventure.
After driving through miles upon endless miles of farm country, fields, and rolling hills, the mountains of Glacier National Park became visible on the horizon, and grew bigger with each mile. So, too, did our excitement, as this place was one of our must-see, more highly anticipated stops on our journey. We were teased by patches of blue sky peeking through the thick puffy clouds overhead.
