Here goes the best bit of my trip so far...Left only the odd hour or two late from Fairbanks for the 533 mile ride into the unknown ride north. After a fuel stop and stocking up on essentials such as Werther Originals, Muffins, Chocolate, oh and water, first up was the tourist 'Arctic Circle' sign. As for me and my muppet comment in BC...it was lovely weather, sunny and warm!
Twenty minutes later and we were off again, meeting fellow riders Walter (New Jersey), Paul and Scott (UK) at various points along the way either coming or going. This was a monster ride. Not as savage as my 800 miler on the Trans Siberia Highway as on this occasion we had a tent and sleeping bags and as each corner/mountain passed each view was more spectacular than the last. Very few other vehicles were on the road, only truckers (think Ice Road Truckers, which series two was filmed there apparently) and 'hurnters' in their pick ups out 'hurnting' the local wildlife, Muskox, Caribou and Moose. All under license though and for food so we were told. The road was 50% OK tarmac, 20% loose gravel, 20% hard packed mud and 10% slippery mud. The weather changed from nice and warm/sunny to major fog, rain and once over the Atigun pass minus loads for the last 150 miles!! The last 80 miles saw me and BJ chasing the very odd sunset that I guess you only get in places like these at high speeds, totally frozen, finally into 'Deadhorse' which is as far as anyone can go with the Prudhoe Bay leg only possible by way of an organised tour by the oil refinery companies within the compound. $50 each for a room in a workers accommodation block but we drunk about half of that each in hot drinks! Knackered, still not quite warm and into bed.
No comments:
Post a Comment