Dalton Highway, 24 hours of sunlight - 24 hours of gas services?

[jfman]

I want to travel to Prudhoe Bay in the summer and I am curious to know if its possible to purchase fuel late at night up there in the summer? How are most gas stations setup? I can live for days on canned food but running out of fuel is my main preoccupation.

Because of the endless days, I would like to ride a lot of miles per day. In previous trips I rode at night a lot as well.

It also seems like a lot of the cost of traveling there comes from pricey hotel rooms and expensive restaurant meals. How feaseable is it to travel up to there without using hotels? I am guessing because it the dirt you must get dirty real quickly and I am curious to know if theres places where you can grab a shower without any problem.

Thanks all!

[m37charlie]

It is about 250mi from Coldfoot to the fuel pump at Deadhorse. I'd guess it is open 24h/day but after all you need to rest!
I don't there are any free showers on the Dalton, I've been up it about 4 times in pickups and Unimog. Although there just might be at the campground 5mi N of Coldfoot.
The gravel bar west of the highway at the S Fork Koyukuk crossing is very nice camping.

Charlie

[MountainMan]

It is very feasible to travel without stopping at the expensive hotels, there are tons of camping options and if you are experienced at keeping your eyes open, you can find some pretty neat spots.

I would guess that the reason that most people end up using the hotel options rather than hotels is the weather, rather than the dirt. Most bikers can go a number of days without a shower but since it's pretty far north, the weather can be unsettled any month of the year and a bit of wet makes stopping to camp a level of commitment that can scare away the most hearty of campers.

You have to haul a bit more gear to be an all weather camper so the path of least resistance is to stay at the hotels. Shame, there are some great spots as mentioned. In regards to Prudoe, you can stay 5-10km before town beside the river where usually there are some hunters parked. A great place to stop as long as it isn't raining and if you have the time, you can hang out a couple of days there and get a feel for the high arctic. Much nicer than a town in my opinion.

[jfman]

Thank you for these tips.

How rainy is it up there in June and July? I hear snow is a possibility in some spots as well.

I heard that Deadhorse itself doesnt get much precipitation.

[MountainMan]

The weather is hard to predict year to year. As an example, in most of B.C. last June was an very wet month and if you rode up north most of your days would have been wet. In July, it switched over from spring weather to summer and became nice and sunny. Next year, who knows?

There's a comfort factor to riding in the wet but also a safety factor and an enjoyment factor. It's a pretty special part of the world and very scenic if clear-ish skies allow for looking around.

Take a look at the weather averages for the cities on the way up and try to target a time to maximize your chances of better weather. In general, July and August are the peak summer months and while they see the most traffic as that is summer holidays for the school kids, it is also the period that offers the best probability of decent to good weather. I'd say that June and September are also good shoulder months, with September ranking ahead of June for the better of the shoulder season. These are of course generalizations as you'll be cutting through a few thousand kms and a few temperature zones but offer a fair starting point. Happy planning.

[jfman]

In regards to camping in AK weather, what are some things that you dont normaly need elsewhere that youll need there?

Mosquito netting for you face is a given that and some heated gear that I have not had the chane to buy yet.

Doesnt look there would be much if any firewood laying around there so campfires may be harder to start if wet as well.

On my previous trips if I caught too much rain with limited rain gear I would go to a Laundromat/truck stop and wash/dry all my clothes.

I am not sure how/if I would manage to dry wet clothes on the Dalton if the weather got real bad.

[m37charlie]

Originally Posted by jfman

Thank you for these tips.

How rainy is it up there in June and July? I hear snow is a possibility in some spots as well.

I heard that Deadhorse itself doesnt get much precipitation.

The optimum time to go if seeking dry warm weather is definitely 20 June-15 July. August and Sept are wetter and cooler. You can definitely see snow in Sept.
I have been an Alaska resident for 35 years.

Charlie

[jfman]

Thanks Charlie.

Any FM radio up there? I have the SMH5-FM that I love but curious to know if I should bring a bluetooth device for the spots w/o any FM service.

[m37charlie]

Originally Posted by jfman

Thanks Charlie.

Any FM radio up there? I have the SMH5-FM that I love but curious to know if I should bring a bluetooth device for the spots w/o any FM service.

No radio.

Charlie