Day Eighteen and Nineteen: Disaster and Hitching Back to Fairbanks

The scenery on the drive north was amazing.

From 74-2011

The Dalton Highway was built during the construction of the Trans-Alaska oil pipeline. The pipeline is visible from the highway for most of the 300 miles north to Prudhoe Bay.

From 74-2011

I crossed the Arctic Circle on land for the first time.

From 74-2011

There were many wildflowers.

From 74-2011

The Brooks mountain range separates the oil fields of Prudhoe Bay from the rest of Alaska to the south. Fresh snow was visible on some of these peaks.

From 74-2011

From 74-2011

I was warned that the Dawson Highway was dangerous. The highway is mostly gravel but also mostly mud/dirt in some places. I made it through these parts just fine, without even a flat tire for which I was doubly-prepared. It was the giant rock in the middle of the road in a construction zone that smashed the falcon's oil pan. Its oil spewed all over the dirt road there, but it kept running admirably. When I saw the oil, I switched the engine off and some construction workers towed me to a nearby parking area.

There I surveyed the damage and decided there was no way to fix the huge hole in the oil pan with what I had on hand. I had brought several gallons of oil, but with a huge hole in the pan, it would all leak out quickly. I hitched a ride going south. A very nice man named Roger was kind enough to give me a ride to a truckstop where I slept for the night. I camped outdoors north of the Arctic Circle, so the sun did not set at all. This is a photo of my tent.

From 74-2011

At one point in the night, a pack of wolves approached the truckstop where I was camped. The howled and barked for a few minutes, and suddenly instinct took over. I had an intense desire to urinate. I wasn't very worried about the wolves, so I walked to a nearby tree. The wolves apparently took this as a message and stopped howling. I went back to sleep. I woke up to find some amazing clouds.

From 74-2011

I made it back to Fairbanks, and I've been formulating a plan to get my car back. I have assembled a repair kit. It includes seven tubes of liquid steel, a powerful epoxy, sandpaper, and high temperature tape.

From 74-2011

On Tuesday when the weather is set to clear, I will leave to rescue the falcon. For now I'm going to hang out in Fairbanks for the Independence Day fireworks.