Tag Archives: alaska

Pump stations, Brooks Range, & a raven

Days are getting longer and brighter around here now, but we’ve still got tons of great footage from the dimmer days of winter. Here’s our current favorite.

Over the course of about 2 hours after leaving Prudhoe Bay, Jack drives by Pump Station 3 on the Dalton Highway, then heads down into the foothills of the Brooks Range with Galbraith Airport and Pump 4 in the distance. After communing a few moments with a curious raven, he goes up and over Atigun Pass then down The Shelf, passing Chandalar state camp near the end.

Snow Phenomenon

Below you can see the unique snow phenomenon that Jack saw on the Dalton when he came over the top of Gobbler’s Knob a few weeks ago. The first video shows him seeing it and the low sun casting alpenglow into his cab. The second is a compilation of clips of it with real audio of he and another driver discussing it and other things. The third (at double speed) is coming up and under it and the blowing snow on the road. And the fourth is later that day, just a beautiful drive going south at 4x speed.

Jack believes the snow phenomenon was a localized wind storm that kicked up snow into what looked like a cloud or even a mountain from far away. It was a windy day overall.

Thawing permafrost under the pipeline

There’s a section of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline north of Fairbanks that is threatened by thawing permafrost, and steps are being taken to prevent or mitigate damage. Jack says the work is not visible from the Dalton. We’ll provide photos in the future if they become available, but for now here are some of the thermosyphons that are used to keep the permafrost cold under the pipeline, photos taken by us several years ago at about 26 Mile Dalton.

The below image is from Inside Climate News, Arthur Chapman via Flickr Creative Commons.

Refreezing Thawing Permafrost
Thawing Permafrost has Damaged the Trans-Alaska Pipeline and Poses an Ongoing Threat

The Dalton Highway in September

Last fall we took a camping/hunting trip up the Dalton.  We were lucky to get tons of beautiful weather.  Only a little rain.  Summer is almost here!

This old bridge had a few holes in it...
This old bridge had a few holes in it…
It's unbelievable how long this partially burnt/cured wood burned in the camp fire!
It’s unbelievable how long this partially burnt/cured wood burned in the camp fire!
Judy found some orange lichen.
Judy found some orange lichen.
There are tons of awesome trails along the pipeline.
There are tons of awesome trails along the pipeline.
Those are people over there!
Those are people over there!
Red-tipped lichen.
Red-tipped lichen.
Checking out rocks.
Checking out rocks.
That's the Dalton way over there.
That’s the Dalton way over there.
Zoomed in.
Zoomed in.
Weathered rocks.
Weathered rocks.
We heard a gun shot while we were here so someone must have gotten a moose.
We heard a gun shot while we were here so someone must have gotten a moose.
Cool old abandoned car.
Cool old abandoned car.
Owl pellet....?
Owl pellet….?
Gray Jay
Gray Jay
Bird of prey nest on pipeline machinery.
Bird of prey nest on pipeline machinery.
Jack's creative square fire.
Jack’s creative square fire.

Roadside Spring, Elliot Highway

Truck drivers stop at this roadside spring to clean their lights.  Most of them use a bucket with a brush but Jack recently got a battery powered pressure washer (not pictured here because we’re camping, not trucking).  Some of them use it for drinking water also even though there’s a sign that says it hasn’t been deemed potable.  It tastes great!  We stopped here in 2020 on our way up north to go “camping with guns” as Jack calls it when he doesn’t get a moose.  🙂