July 16, 2007
To Elliot Highway: Milepost Tolovana
Twenty four miles of the Dalton Highway left to do.
We wake up to find the mosquitoes are still here...lots of them. Rachel remembers a family vacation to Merrimac Island on a buggy ride. The driver tells us "There isn't a single mosquito here....they're all married with large families."
We put on our rain pants and jackets plus the head nets and bear the great outdoors. Patrick lowers the bags with our food from the trees while Rachel packs up inside the tent. We eat our cereal and get out of there as fast as possible.
From Hess Creek we start with a long climb, then a couple more ups and downs. There is about four miles of pavement, then all gravel to the junction with the Elliot Highway. We stop here to eat sandwiches and take pictures of the beginning of the Dalton Highway sign. About 17 miles to go to a campsite we made note of on the way up to Prudhoe Bay. It's hilly but we are on pavement now. The weather is sunny and we are able to dry everything out and pitch the tent on a gravel bar next to a small river. The water looks like tea and even after filtering stays discolored with a metallic after taste. We wash up, it's a little cold to swim though, then cook our mashed potatoes with baked beans and the foil packed chicken breasts. A very nice meal in the middle of nowhere!
While we are eating a beaver cruises by on the surface of the river and checks us out. For about half an hour it goes back and forth in front of our camp site before diving. Patrick tries to get some pictures. The camp site had a previous campfire and still had dry pine branches ready to go. Patrick finds more firewood and we have a nice fire going.
The mosquitoes are not as bad here.
Today's ride: 62 km (39 miles)
Total: 10,626 km (6,599 miles)
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