The Lure of the Dalton

[frijole]

rgiroux out of gas @ Atigun pass

[rgiroux]

Originally Posted by frijole

rgiroux out of gas @ Atigun pass

Got off your lazy duff and finally posted some shots, eh?

(this be the fool we blame all our good trips on)

[frijole]

Originally Posted by rgiroux

Got off your lazy duff and finally posted some shots, eh?

(this be the fool we blame all our good trips on)

I got the itch to do it again!

[akskirider]

Here are some photos I snapped of Sukapak Mtn on the way back to Fairbanks in fall of 2009. Thought the clouds looked cool that day.

[bigvern]

Cool thread so I thought I'd share some pictures...

Full Ride report (shameless plug):
http://advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=590535

We only went up as far as Galbraith lake just after Atigun pass, but it was a really cool ride. Amazing weather on the way up and "most" of the way back down, but from the Hot Spot down it was cold wet and really slick but still worth it.






















The view over the river just across from where we stayed in Wisman






Back on the road.....






Approaching the shelf




















Start of Atigun Pass







Looking south before heading up over Atigun






At the top...(we let him go by first before heading down)



















































On the way back down (Grayling lake) ....where my mirror fell off











And finally back at the start....

[dave58]

Alcan Rider, I crossed Atigun in perfect weather less than 3 weeks after your aborted attempt on May 30, 2009. I remember sitting at home just before departure looking at that pic. thinking, "Shit, am I gonna run into THAT?"

All these gorgeous shots make me want to go home and start packing...

[rgiroux]

Originally Posted by bigvern

Cool thread so I thought I'd share some pictures...

Full Ride report (shameless plug):
http://advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=590535

We only went up as far as Galbraith lake just after Atigun pass, but it was a really cool ride. Amazing weather on the way up and "most" of the way back down, but from the Hot Spot down it was cold wet and really slick but still worth it.

Great pics. looks like you had similar weather to our 2009 trip. question, tho: why not go all the way to Deadhorse?

[Alcan Rider]

Originally Posted by FLARider1

Jack, your eye with the camera is simply amazing! Just when I thought your pics had amazed me to no end, I stumble upon another thread of yours that raises the bar even higher!

Thank you. Wish I could claim all these photos as my own, but quite a number of talented photographers have contributed to this thread. You'll be expected to donate to the cause after you get back home as well.

Originally Posted by FLARider1

86 days till departure from south Florida! So cannot wait! Plans and purchases are down to the minor details, I could actually leave tomorrow, but it might be tough riding up there still!!

Spring is here - it almost got up to zero at Deadhorse today. Come on up.

Originally Posted by FLARider1

We plan to do our best to get through Glenallen to buy the infamous ALCAN Rider a cup of coffee and hear some of the tales in person!!!! We should make Fairbanks around July 10 or so sometime after that we should be in your neck of the woods!!!

Looking forward to meeting up. You aren't going to restrict me to telling TRUE stories, are you?

Originally Posted by FLARider1

PS........looked up where your cabin on the edge of the park is! WOW, I bet that is solitude and amazing!!

Yeah - I love it there. Not far from Tok, so I can run up there to have a cup of coffee or a meal with riders coming through who won't be going down toward Anchorage. Only trouble is - the highway only goes in two directions.

[Alcan Rider]

Originally Posted by Delta88

These are mere snapshots as opposed to the many wonderful photographs you've all posted but here they are just the same....

You're being too modest - those are some good ones. Each photographer has his/her own perspective, and the cumulative effort helps to present a broader view of the whole experience. Thanks for your contribution.

Originally Posted by Delta88

We didn't see much wildlife in July of '06 but this moose.

Reminds me of 99% of the moose photos I've taken - the south end of a northbound moose. But I like the way you captured the moose and the pipeline.

[Alcan Rider]

Originally Posted by frijole

This wide angle panoramic shot is a nice one. That is one of my favorite stretches, along the Dietrich River.

Originally Posted by frijole

Another nice one. That jog at the Old Man gift shop is really exaggerated. You must have been using a telephoto. Really enjoying looking at photos from other riders - they show things I hadn't thought to try capturing. Good job.

From your photos, it looks like you may have been using several cameras. What were they?

[Alcan Rider]

Originally Posted by akskirider

Here are some photos I snapped of Sukapak Mtn on the way back to Fairbanks in fall of 2009. Thought the clouds looked cool that day.

Excellent application for B&W!

Sukakpak certainly displays multiple personalities, doesn't it. And it really rewards patience, and waiting for the right light.

Originally Posted by akskirider

Another nice one. The sepia is almost as good as the B&W. Keep 'em coming.

[Alcan Rider]

Originally Posted by bigvern

Cool thread so I thought I'd share some pictures...

Full Ride report (shameless plug):
http://advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=590535

Excellent collection of landscapes. Helps to display the vastness of that area for those who have yet to experience it. And glad you included a link to your ride report.

[Alcan Rider]

Guess it's time to throw in a few more from my collection and make room for some new ones that will hopefully be added starting next month.

May 11, 2008 - From the BLM Visitor's Center at the Yukon River, looking north at the pipeline before leaves pop out and obscure the view -


May 11, 2008 - Around Mile 29 looking north -

As you can see, the road here is relatively narrow, twisty, and hilly. Many of us suspect that DOT keeps it that way in hopes of discouraging tourists from continuing on any farther.

May 12, 2008 - Looking down at the Coldfoot airstrip with the braided floodplain of the Koyukuk River still showing signs of the previous winter -


May 13, 2008 - For those foolish enough to challenge the Dalton before the end of May, there are some benefits not available later - such as ample natural refrigeration. This is a side channel of Gold Creek, around Mile 196.5 -

While the creek below has thawed and is flowing, the dome of ice formed of overflow during the winter is still holding out for warmer weather.

May 13, 2008 - The Kanuti Plain is covered with melting snow, and the Kanuti River is high, and flowing deep and dark -


May 12, 2008 - On the north side of Sukakpak Mt the Bettles River has its beginning high in the mountains of the Brooks Range -


June 6, 2008 - Pump Station 3 appears as a small town next to the highway in this photo from Mile 310 -


July 4, 2008 - Across the highway from Pump 3, and appearing peaceful and inviting, the Sag River has calmed down appreciably from a month and a half earlier -


August 10, 2008 - Sometimes the view isn't all it could be as the ever-present weather demonstrates its power -


July 4, 2008 - Mile 387 facing north, with the sun very close to its nadir at 11:00 PM -

[bigvern]

Originally Posted by rgiroux

Great pics. looks like you had similar weather to our 2009 trip. question, tho: why not go all the way to Deadhorse?

The main resaon was we just didnt have enough time - its a big place up there in Alaska and we had a fixed schedule to work with.

We also didn't have quite enough gas to make it with a comfortable margin - I was running with an oiled pre-filter which unfortunately had more of an impact than I thought it would on my gas mileage, especially combined with a fully loaded bike.

Still it did its job....the main air filter (in the background) still looks brand new.








At the end of the day we actually did more than we thought we would. The original plan had been to only to go as far as the Arctic Circle, but we decided that we really wanted to see Atigun pass.

In the end it worked for us and it means we still have something new to do the next time

[frijole]

Originally Posted by Alcan Rider

This wide angle panoramic shot is a nice one. That is one of my favorite stretches, along the Dietrich River.



Another nice one. That jog at the Old Man gift shop is really exaggerated. You must have been using a telephoto. Really enjoying looking at photos from other riders - they show things I hadn't thought to try capturing. Good job.

From your photos, it looks like you may have been using several cameras. What were they?

Believe it or not, I used a Canon G10. It's a small camera with some big camera features. It amazing what good lighting will do for ya too! The wife wouldn't let me take the SLR . The G10 or G11 is a great camera to keep in the tankbag.