September 17, 1995
Well, let’s see – as of today, I’m just driving back from Prudhoe Bay. It’s as far North as anyone can drive. You can almost see the Arctic Ocean, but due to oil refineries, they won’t let you go the whole way. But I must digress.
After Denali, we went on our way to the Brooks Range in Northern Alaska [above the Arctic Circle]. I talked Frank ?? into coming up with me (Go Front Desk – Hey!). We were supposed to meet Rob, Jim and a couple other guys from the kitchen (Erik and Jason) – never saw them in Fairbanks. So, Frank and I drove up to the Arctic Circle. Just out of Fairbanks the road turns to dirt and it’s dirt all the way up to Prudhoe Bay. At the circle we camped for a night and watched the Northern Lights above us. They look different than further south, most likely because we were under them. Across the sky they stretched like rays of light coming from behind the mountain. Pretty amazing. There was frost already forming on the ground when we went to sleep. It was twilight forever, at lest until 11:00PM at night.
The next morning we set off for Atigun Pass in the Brooks. Didn’t make it. The road had collapsed and we had to turn around. We had seen a huge slab of granite on the side of the road and decided to go back and climb it. Immense. We hiked around the backside of it to get around to the top. We scaled through this chimney and split into 2 directions. I thought we could meet at the peak. Well, I was wrong. I reached a point where it flattened out and the ridge went out and way up to the right. Frank was already walking along the ridge looking down on me. Well, no way to go but up. I was going to hike down and around following Frank’s route, but it was so long – at least and hour and a half. So, I looked up. To my left, the cliff didn’t seem to be so steep and I decided to go up. Do or Die was the feeling – literally. I got up about 20 feet and looked down – WRONG idea! If I had fallen I would have gone over the saddle and off the cliff – a few hundred feet. “Do or Die and don’t look down!” I kept climbing up. Fortunately, I knew how to climb. The whole face had loose and weak rock. Every hold I had to test. Solo climbing. I can see where the thrill is, but you’re fuc*ed if you mess up. I went up close to 250 feet and finally made it over the top. What a relief!
Hiking along the ridgeline was incredible – the ridge was almost concave and very narrow. The cliffs dropped off into sheer elevation. I finally caught up with Frank, we could see the whole Brooks Range from the top. On our way down, we saw the other four guys drive up. the Subaru Erik and Jason bought was a riot. No passenger seat and no backseat. So 1 person drive and three sat in the back.
The road was still out when we drove up to it. So we turned around and camped in a truckers pull-out. The [northern] lights were out again and it was beautiful. It was hilarious to be camped in a truck stop. It got pretty cold that night. The next morning we drove on. Atigun Pass was really not that far away. The Brooks Range is actually pretty small. the highest peaks are only in the 8-9000 foot range. Quite large, granted, but not tremendous. Beautiful weather – we stopped to decide exactly what we wanted to do. Everyone leaned toward driving to Prudhoe Bay. Thus was it decided. Prudhoe is definitely an industrial oil refinery. It was almost like the twilight zone. Tons of machinery and buildings, but no people. We finally found a place that directed us toward food and gas. Food was our main concern. We ended up going to one of the hotels – and I use that work loosely – and talked to the chef. Jim and I got a bunch of beans, butter and staples for everyone He wanted $40 but I was able to get him down to $30. Of course he pocketed the money, but at least he was chill about it.
We ended up camping in an airstrip. What comedy. Rob was saying “Well, we’ve camped at a truck-stop, now an airstrip in the Arctic – perhaps we should get a little more extreme.” Quite fitting, I think. It was a riot camping there with the air tower flashing behind us and a half-moon lighting our dreams, we went to sleep. The next morning (today) we started the drive back to the Brooks. I thought I saw a musk-ox and we pulled off to the side. (Be aware of soft [road] shoulders – mental note). We got stuck, a huge semi had to pull over and pull us out. So now, we’re parked on a lonely road waiting for the others to catch-up with only trucks and a few other vehicles passing us every little while. This is the road to nowhere in the Arctic Wastelands.
