Next day set off about 10 O'clock, and the road was not too bad at first, then it became paved. Arrived at Tok, did some shopping, then on to Delta Junction and saw the marker for the end of the Alaska Highway. After a few days driving, and some beautiful scenery and mountain views we arrived at Fairbanks. Found a campground and paid for a weeks camping. The first day was taken up with repairing a window in the caravan, and swopping the tyres on the Bronco for good ones. Plus taking the back seats out, so we could sleep in it on our way up to Prudhoe. The 505 mile service road for the Trans-Alaska Pipeline had just been opened to the public the year before, and the rough single track road was only suitable for four wheeled vehicles. This road was called the Dalton Highway, at first it was easy going, then it climbed higher and higher up to the Brooks mountain Range. We found ourselves winding our way through mountain passes, with breathtaking views at each turn. We felt as if we were leaving everybody in the explored world behind, and everywhere ahead and around us was unexplored and new. Alaska is so big that at either side of the road there probably wasn't another soul for 500 miles. All the time we kept getting glimpses of the oil pipeline. At first there where lots of trees, then suddenly there wasn't any. Someone had put a sign saying this tree was the last tree North. The way ahead was now tundra and perma frost where nothing grows, exept a few hardy grasses. We came across herds of Reindeer and even bigger 'herds' of giant mosquitos. We drove off the road each night and camped beside rivers, under a big sky filled with shiny stars. The road eventually came to the begining of the pipeline, and Prudhoe. A rather uninspiring place, full of tin sheds, oil storage tanks and massive pieces of machinery. All this is only here, at Prudhoe Bay, because of the massive oil reserves here at the edge of the Arctic sea. We had to be escorted through this area, because it is not officially open to the public. Then we were through all the restricted parts and there in front of us was our goal, the ARCTIC SEA. We were at the top of Alaska! It was so quiet we knew we were in a special place, and we would always remember this moment........................................



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