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| The Long Long Dalton Highway |
While I am still
loving the Yukon River it has become clear that close quarters and
boredom breed drama, so last Friday I escaped to the big city of
Fairbanks for a much needed reprieve. You'd think that being out in
the middle of no place with the wind and the trees and the river
would be relaxing, but what I was really craving was anonymity. The
chance to walk through a store and recognize no one, to eat lunch
alone, to blend in with a crowd and go unnoticed for even a few
hours.
So I caught the
express shuttle southbound out of the YRC and honestly slept most of
the way into town where I checked in at Sven's Basecamp Hostel.
Sven's is a really
unique place unlike any other hostel I've been to. It has the air of
a brand new facility both because of the cleanliness of the hostel
and the enthusiasm of Sven and his sister, both of whom were very
friendly and accommodating. For $27 I got a bed in what they call a
tent but it really more of a safari tent with permanent wood walls. I
could have also rented a tipi or a cabin for some extra privacy, but
I was the only girl there anyway so I saved some money.
The first thing I
did after checking in was walk down to Safeway, get some dinner, and
sit on the bench outside people watching. You know what was the best
part? Having someplace to walk to. I wish I were a hiker, someone
like my sister who loves to climb mountains and trek far into the
forest, but I am the sort who loves walking towards something, even
through something and I hadn't realized how much I missed that aspect
of New Orleans. The next morning I took full advantage of the city
(It's really more of an oversized town) and I walked more than 11
miles. I went to Wal-Mart, the outdoor sports store, got my eyebrows
shapes, sat by the river, and even stopped at the Cultural and Visitor'sCenter, which I highly recommend if you're in the area.
As it happened a
friend of mine from Vermont way back in 2010 was in the neighborhood
on her way out of Denali so we met up around 8pm when her train got
in. I had this brilliant plan to check out Silver Gultch Brewery
which Google Maps said was just across the rover about 2.5 miles from
Sven's Hostel. After walking all day I suggested taking a cab, but,
as it turns out, the brewery was all the way in the town of Fox
nearly ten miles away and my blood pressure rose each time the
cabbie's fare ticked up. $57! By the time we got to the brewery I was
highly irritated but the beer was very good and my friend found a
nice lady who drove us back to Fairbanks. We stayed up all night
drinking whiskey and smoking poorly rolled cigarets with three
Argentinian bikers and by 4:30am it was time for my to make my way
back up the Dalton.
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| Cultural Visitors Center |
So I show up at the
office to catch a van or tour going north. I'm exhausted in that
slightly tipsy, red eyes, why didn't I sleep last night sort of way
and they tell me that they're going to put me on a plane to Coldfoot.
Awesome! It's a little six-seater and the pilot stows my pack in the
wing. We take off... and the next thing I know we're landing in
Coldfoot. I slept through the entire ride, right over the arctic
circle! I'm still exhausted but we (myself and the four others that
were on the tour) pile into a van and we drive to Wiseman, a small
off settlement with a lot of history, and we get a great tour around
some of the original buildings. Then we're on to Coldfoot Camp where
I sit and chill with one of the tour guides for a few hours. This is
about the point I realized how badly sunburned my face was, the
office must have though I was a mess! Eventually I caught a supply
van down the Dalton the 120 miles to YRC where I slept for 14 hours
and woke up rejuvenated and ready for a another three months at the
river.
All in all a good
adventure, I just wish I had been a bit more conscious for the second
leg. I got to see a few moose though and the next time I cross the
Arctic Circle I will be much more rested.