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Febuary 2006
Alaska: North to South!
By Tobin Lampson
The orange-tinged jagged mountain landscapes,
some 20,000 feet below, were time-lapse dissolving, frame-to-frame in
my mind. It was early evening. The United jetliner was descending, leaving
me in Anchorage for the night. The next morning an Alaska Airlines jet
would deliver me onto another crazy looking landscape, tundra.
A flat brown plain pocked with dark pools of clear water, stretched alongside
the infinite white polar pack ice. Also in Deadhorse, near Prudhoe Bay,
there was the damnedest trailer park village I’ve ever seen. It sets
as an elaborate house of cards before some of the world’s harshest
weather. You would never think this flimsy town could survive! They even
have so-called hotels and restaurants inside, HA!
I must admit, I don’t if I’m the
tour taking type. But here, once again, I was on one. We had come together
as one of Phil Freeman’s Alaska Rider Tour groups. Our bunch was
varied and skilled. WE consisted of: Nancy and Chris from Trail Boss Tours
of Southern California, Dee from Washington, Jeremy from the UK, Barry
(owner of House of Harley Anchorage), Paul and Natalie from Ohio, Phil
and his support crew, and me—Dual Sport News live. For five days
our crew wound south, touching in at places like Coldfoot, Manley Hot
Springs, Livengood, Chatanika, Fairbanks, North Pole, Delta, Paxson, Tangle
Lakes, and Cantwell. In total we would travel from Prudhoe Bay to Anchorage,
or roughly 1,400 miles.
The haze in my mind was beginning to clear as I headed into the fog of
the first day’s ride. It was 7 or 8 AM as I turned south, ahead of
our pack of riders, in search of photo spots. As the fog lifted I encountered
my first of several Caribou. In the mist they looked like huge, shadowy,
gangly ghosts from another time. Shy and cautious we eyed each other.
“I must resemble some form of mechanized, perhaps omnivorous, musk
ox to them,” I figured. Then I wondered how the great Caribou herds
must look as they migrate across the wide plains and valleys which stretched
east and south of me. As the damp chilly early morning air stung my skin
I moved on.
The long flat road gradually ascended and started to curve. One-by-one
the group of riders began ambling past me as I stopped often to look and
shoot pictures. Semi-supply trucks heading north passed us as we continued
climbing and curving, destined south. By last morning we were smack in
the middle of the North Slope. From our path lay some beautifully wide
glacially formed valleys and the equally respective drainages of the Sagavanirktok,
Itkillik, and Toolik rivers. By noon we’d climbed up and over the
Atigun Pass of the Brooks Range, and subsequently off of the North Slope.
Our twist laden descent crisscrossed a wide clear river. Fortunately,
in our 300 mile day toward Coldfoot we had time to play in its immense
field of rock, crystalline river, and sand. Here the brilliant gold sunlight
glistened on the rapidly moving water, “Just as it must have been
since forever,” I thought to myself. It was all intensely pure the
colors, the wind, and the warmth of the air.
There’s nothing better than meeting locals
during rides like these, like Susan whom I met en route to Deadhorse.
Susan and husband, Joe, operate a remote Arctic Expedition business. Their
camp is at the edge of the Arctic Natural Wildlife Refuge in a place called
Kavik. Get this: they use a giant malamute sled dog team on tours! In
winter they contract their sled dog team to haul supplies from Prudhoe
Bay to natives near Kaktovik when the weather is too harsh for vehicles.
Then there was Kermit of Cape Smythe Air. A veteran pilot in Alaska for
20 years, he is one of the last true remaining bush pilots. Then there
was Bob of Manley Hot Springs. Bob not only enjoys hosting folks at his
Manley Roadhouse (built around 1900), but he also fills roles such as
store clerk, town post master, ad hoc sheriff and judge. Once a busy mining
and fish processing community of 2,000, Manley now has less than 50 residents,
and sports a greenhouse enclosed natural hot spring which keeps a full
garden growing happily all winter. Then there was the Alaskan native Steve.
Probably 30, he was a very friendly outgoing local road worker on break
at the Chatanika Lodge. While explaining how the dots on a seal-hide indicates
its greater or lesser value, he joyfully shared with me many unique aspects
of true Alaska living.
From the North Pole to Delta the scenery was commendable. But the stretch
from Delta to Paxson and then Tangle Lakes kicked it up a notch, to awesome.
Just west of Paxson I played my little game of cat and mouse with the
sweep crew—Paul and Natalie—following me. We escaped on a switchback
trail only venturing 150 yards off the highway. There was no need to go
further, for above and beyond the remnants of an abandoned campfire-ring
arose the perfect view point for the Alaska Range. To imagine it pretend
your chair is at the center of a circle 50 miles in diameter. Now envision
snowy mountain tops between 8,500 and 13,000 feet extending along the
full half-circle in front of you, from just off your left shoulder to
all the way around on your right. Got it?
After enjoying the pristine fire-ring view
spot I rode with an inner calmness. Absent was the typical chatter going
on in my mind. The sun was low and seemed to hang suspended forever. It
was peaceful. We began comfortably galloping through the tantalizing twists
toward the Tangle Lakes Inn. It was as if the vast rolling green-covered
hillsides beckoned the soul to expand. Later, after reaching Tangle Lakes
Inn, a beautiful rainbow appeared, as if to honor us just as we arrived.
But the magic was not over. The following
morning the view through the dining area window, from my favorite table
was like that painting everyone in the world has on their living room
wall. Only it was real. It was morning by a lake, framed by the mountains
beyond, whose reflection mirrored on the glasslike water. “I will
always remember this place,” I thought, as we continued onward and
west toward Gracious House and Cantwell.
If you think of Alaska think big. Here rivers,
mountain ranges, and roads crisscross to create a complex of habitats.
By exploring them one might discover either pristine nature or perhaps
ugly mineral development. Amidst the abundant wildlife the bears are big,
the fish are big, the birds and even mosquitoes are big! To a great extent
Alaska’s road system serves to accommodate industries like logging,
mining, oil production and fishing. They also permit a substantial amount
of tourism and recreational access. Many of Alaska’s roads are still
dirt. While wandering on them it si good to keep an eye out for construction
vehicles and the water they tend to disperse in order to keep dust down.
Still, many use other means to travel Alaska including: planes, boats,
air-boats, kayaks, trains, and even horses. In winder many continue to
rely on snowmobiles, or even sled dog teams.
Through most of Alaska is wild and rugged,
there are hints Alaska may be at the portal of a tenuous time in its ecology.
I do recommend visiting this interesting state. While still personally
an intermittent tour-taker, a survey of this specific ride group indicated
a unanimous thumbs-up in favor of Phil Freeman’s Alaska Rider Tour
operation.
In 1,400 miles some meaningful friendships
had formed and by the rides end our entire group seemed to have bonded.
While many tour companies vary in approach or accommodation, use of tour
companies is one to consider when desiring to explore a far off land.
Whether soloing or group touring, when covering miles like these, I recommend
riders always ride prepared and aware.
One final editor’s note: The editor of Dual Sport News extends a
heartfelt thanks to all those Alaskan Natives, including the twin fawn
moose, who provided a positive and meaningful experience to the author.
One I’ll treasure always.
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