It's only me, Mike & Brett... & the trees.So, my mind started to wonder when Mike was talking to Brett. Brett mentioned earlier that he drove up & down the same highway at least twice a month. I wonder... how did he go through that solitude. All alone in the wilderness... As a matter of fact, how did all those truckers do it?It's very lonely out here!Until later, then I realised...
No way, Brett, there's no way you could get both Mike & me to hike into that jungle no matter how beautiful it is!That's suicidal & I still have many places to visit!It's pure madeness that I'm out here at this time of the year!I pleaded guilty! Temporary insanity!!!
Quoted from Byway.Org.Length: 414 miles / 662.4 km."Construction began on the Dalton highway on April 29, 1974 and was completed in five months by contractors for the Alyeska Pipeline Service Company. The "haul road," as it became known, existed only to support the construction and mainetenance of the Trans-Alaska pipeline system. The Dalton was only recently opened for general public travel in 1994. The highway begins at its junction with the Elliott Highway one mile west of Livengood (north of Fairbanks). It ends 414 miles north at the Deadhorse Airport, a few miles from Prudhoe Bay and the Arctic Ocean. The Dalton Highway is the only road that joins the area between the Beaufort Sea and the Yukon River to the rest of Alaska as well as the "Lower 48" states. The highway is currently unpaved, although paving and reconstruction are set to begin in the summer of 1999."
The Dalton Highway may have been built for commercial purposes, but the views it offers are one of the most memorable in the world!Stretches & stretches of snow-covered trees & endless white snow (are they ever any other color? ;-) Well, sometimes when they turned slushy or when someone wears a pair of tinted contact lens, I suppose ;-)).Beauty is in the eye of the beholder...
I was hallucinating... Rudolf, where are you? Until I saw this sign.Oops, humanity reigns...The legendary James W. Dalton Highway. The highway which extends all its way to the top of the world! Prudhoe Bay... where the Trans Alaska Pipeline ends. To read more about TAPS, click here.800 mile long & extending from Valdez to Prudhoe Bay.The Dalton Highway is now maintained by the government. Also known as Haul Road.During winter, mostly truck drivers ply this road.Sometimes, you might get lucky ( ;-) ) & see some Japanese tourists. I was told the northern light viewings are popular with the Japanese.
Lots of trees.Some caught fire & yet not the entire area was razed.it's a strange phenomenon.This area reminds me of Christmas.All those trees, the snow, the cold wintery feeling...Very christmasty, very nice & cozy from the interior of the van. It's a nice feeling...Until we get out of the comfort, that is. ;-)
Yes, Annk was very observant.No trees or even grass in Antarctica. The contrast.Lots of trees in the Arctic.That's the main difference between the 2 poles, in terms of landscape.Arctic is actually an ocean. It is an ocean surrounded by continents.Antarctica on the other hand is a continent surrounded by ocean.Vters built pages on Arctic mostly for their trips across the Arctic Circle. Hence, any landmass that spans above the Arctic Circle are considered as the Arctic.Mostly, Alaska, Russia & Greenland.But it should really be noted that Arctic is an ocean & not land!
... appeared out of nowhere.Living in such remoteness, well... there must be some advantages to it.Solitude... for some, it's intolerable.But for others, it's a luxury to revel in.I had wanted to ask Brett if we could possibly knock on the door... for some reason, I had the funny feeling that it's Santa Claus behind those doors.Then again, I thought, these people probably don't wish to see a single soul in their entire life, that's why they choose to live here.Everyone has choices in life, no?
As light begins to fill the sky, the path becomes clearer.Now, I'm feeling much more myself...Darkness is not something I'm used to living in. For some, the nights beckon. For me, even though I stay up late each night & can think better in the night than in the day, I don't fancy moving about in the dark. It's a strange thing.How I know I think better at night? 'Coz in the university days, I studied through the night & would only go to sleep around 4 am. That's why ;-)Hence, waking up at 7 am in total darkness is really not my cup of tea. Not when there's no sunrise to look forward to (until 10 am, that is).Well, we move on...
Speaking of oil & commercial interest...Brings to mind another exchange.Fair?Who knows!Do u know Alaska was sold to the United States by the Russians at a bargain?Guess how much the American government paid for it!Just take a guess!If you are Russian, you won't want to know that answer!If you are American, congratulations! You'll be VERY happy.Happiness is in one's own hands. You want to know the answer, go & find out from the internet sources ;-)
Reviews and photos of Arctic attractions posted by real travelers and locals. The best tips for Arctic sightseeing.
Q: I suddenly mused that it might/should be more interesting to check out the Canadian North, the Inuits etc instead of checking out...
A: Sheherezad, I think “Into the Northwest Passage” tour is definitely unique and is the kind of tour that you’d remember for the rest of your life. I’d say, go for...
Read 8 Replies
