Leaving Deadhorse

After spending three days exploring the oil camp town of Deadhorse, meeting numerous locals and other travelers and finding endless inspiration for photography, we head back down the Dalton Highway beneath sunny skies and into a landscape of autumn colors. Driving the road north to south as we head towards home, we are excited to return to this road we have come to love, and to experience it in the reverse direction.

One of the surprises that awaited us upon our arrival into Deadhorse was the requirement to wear plastic booties over our shoes when entering the motels, to keep the dirt and mud out of the main areas. Even while we are driving away, I leave my booties on and it is only when they rip apart and fall right off my feet during a short hike that I at last bid them and this fascinating community of workers farewell.

Returning to the Haul Road

And we're off, driving back down the Haul Road as we slowly make our way back home.... Onward to even more beauty and adventures!

The Adventure

We traveled 1,000 miles from Homer to Deadhorse in 19 days. Waylaid in Fairbanks for 4 days to get our truck repaired, we encountered only one problem across the long Haul Road with its varied terrain - a flat tire just 50 miles south of Deadhorse. Taz was prepared with tools and an extra tire, so after just a couple of hours, we were back on our way....

We consider ourselves blessed to have had great weather, incredible hiking opportunities, delightful interactions with locals and other travelers, a working fridge full of food since supplies along the way were meager, being able to walk alongside the pipeline, vast views of the Yukon River valley, alpine Brooks Range, White Mountains, Atigun Pass - forests and alpine that was so beautiful we were rendered speechless.

While initially unappealing to both of us, the pipeline turned out to provide an easy access to hiking and allowed us to bring Zip in his chariot along on our adventures.

Now as we prepare to head back down the road, we are eager to experience autumn even more in its full splendor, revisit favorite communities and people, hike new trails and hope to see herds of caribou and muskox.

Onward!