Arctic Ocean or Bust - Bust (Temporarily)

This afternoon, preparing to repack the truck and head off down the Dalton Highway, we discover that the truck frame has bent to the point of being broken. We are at first completely horrified by the reality of the situation and second, incredibly grateful that we made it this far safely.

Taz and I switch into high gear, taking steps to see if we can get the truck fixed to either limp home or continue down the Dalton. We call locals shops and our mechanic in Homer, seeking referrals. We also call looking for a rental camper, determined that no matter whether we have to literally scrap the truck here or haul it home, we are driving to Prudhoe Bay!

The local Chev dealer provides a recommendation for a shop that does welding and we make plans to bring the truck by. At the same time, we discover that rental campers and motorhomes are booked months or even years in advance and the ones that are available are very expensive and not allowed to be driven down the Dalton. We try finding a truck we can put our own camper on, but that is not allowed either. At last, after hours of phone calls, we find a truck we can rent for the weekend, until we find out if our White Knight can be patched up or not. Thank you to the staff at Enterprise for your kindness, helpfulness and the discount.

While the situation is frustrating, we are of course extremely grateful for our safety...