Want to go north to Coldfoot...

[indiesmom]

Before our cruise we want to visit the area beyond Fairbanks to Coldfoot, etc. We would not drive ourselves but would use a tour operator. I see same day fly/drive tours and also tours where you spend at least 1 night. There is also an overnight trip to Beetles in the Toursaver that we are considering. Any recommendations on which way to go or any input from fellow cruisers who have done one of these trips would be greatly appreciated. We would be traveling during the last week of August.

[donaldsc]

We did the Dalton Highway to Atigun pass on our driving trip in AK. If I were you, I would drive instead of doing a tour. The tour books suggest and warn you that the road is horrible and you will be run over by big trucks or that you will be stranded and die. None of this is true.

 

We fell for the hype and rented a car from one of the 2 places in Fairbanks that let you drive anywhere on any road in AK. Turns out that the Dalton Highway is paved most of the way and is well graded dirt where it is not paved. We could have done it with our Honda Accord (although I would have invested in a CB radio just in case) and we saw people doing the road in RVs and on bicycles.

 

You have not said how much time you have to do this trip. We did it in 2 days but we had 2 1/2 months in AK. We stayed overnight in a funky little town called Wiseman which is a few miles north of Coldfoot. The "town" of Coldfoot is just a truck stop with a cafe' and overpriced lodging.

 

Hope that this helps.

 

DON

[SuzyQ123]

:)We took the "Arctic Circle Air Adventure" out of Fairbanks and went to Coldfoot. It was wonderful! We still talk about it. It was on a small plane...about 8 people. There were two plane full of people and we took 2 vans together to do the rest of the touring. It was my first time on a small plane, so it was pretty neat. We drove on up to Wiseman which had about 15 year round residents. Pretty interesting to hear how these individuals live in such a remote area. We also stopped and saw the pipeline. We did the evening tour and were afraid it would get a bit darker before we got back, but I have pictures of my husband getting off the flight at 1am and it is perfectly light out. It was such an unusual thing to do that it was a highlight of our trip. When we went in 2011, we did everything we wanted to do because it would be the only time we'd ever be there. (We're heading back in July!!)

[greatam]

We did the Dalton Highway to Atigun pass on our driving trip in AK. If I were you, I would drive instead of doing a tour. The tour books suggest and warn you that the road is horrible and you will be run over by big trucks or that you will be stranded and die. None of this is true.

 

We fell for the hype and rented a car from one of the 2 places in Fairbanks that let you drive anywhere on any road in AK. Turns out that the Dalton Highway is paved most of the way and is well graded dirt where it is not paved. We could have done it with our Honda Accord (although I would have invested in a CB radio just in case) and we saw people doing the road in RVs and on bicycles.

 

 

 

DON

 

You feel very comfortable driving on a secondary road. So do I and I have driven the Haul Road both ways from Prudhoe probably 20 times in a rental, in one of BP's vans, a semi 4 times when the road was REALLY bad and even one of our friends RV's.

 

Would I recommend this trip for most? ABSOLUTELY NOT. Just too many times you have a minor breakdown (belt comes off, flat tire, clogged air filter, etc. etc) which can be a MAJOR disaster if the person driving can't handle it. Is there enough traffic to get help? Generally. But MOST tourists are not going to either have the time or want to sit on the side of the road waiting for one of the FEW tow trucks to arrive to solve the problem.

 

And for those that have never done it, changing a tire in the dirt is far different than changing a tire on asphalt or pavement. PLUS you are subject to HUGE charges if a regular rental car company figures out you had their car on the Dalton.

 

To the OP-contact Northern Alaska Tour company. They provide a SUPERIOR product. Try to do the fly one way, drive the other because the drive both ways is long and grueling.

 

http://www.northernalaska.com/

 

Why stop in Coldfoot? Not much there except the truckstop and A VERY good ranger presentation. Keep going to Prudhoe if you have the time. And if you want to see something REALLY off the beaten path, there is a charter operator that will take you to ANWR.

 

There is NOTHING there except caribou and a few native Alaskans. But at least you can have an opinion about drilling in ANWR that comes from actually seeing the land and not from a political, environmental point of view as so many in Washington express.

 

Whatever you decide to do, enjoy!!!

[Northern Aurora]

Northern Alaska Tour Company is a Fairbanks owned business, and is very reputable. I agree with greatam that they provide an excellent product.

[Gardyloo]

Want to see the bush and/or the arctic? For about 50 bucks more than the fly/drive tours from Fairbanks you can fly on Alaska Airlines round trip from Anchorage to Kotzebue, an Eskimo village on the Arctic Ocean, or Nome, a marvelous historic gold mining town (and the end of the Iditarod race) on the Bering Sea.

 

(Or with a special bonus offer good through April, buy 15,000 Alaska Airlines frequent flyer miles for around $370 and redeem them for a round trip to Barrow, Kotzebue or Nome.)

[indiesmom]

Thank you all for your responses! I have been looking at Northern Alaska Tour Company so I am glad I am on the right track. We definitely are open to seeing as much of Northern Alaska as we can. For our first trip north of Fairbanks, we want to put our travel responsibility in someone else's hands.

 

Any ideas on whether the day trip is sufficient or should we look at the overnight options?

 

Gardyloo--wow we would love to visit Nome, Kotzebue, and/or Barrow. My question would be once we get to these places, how do we move around and see the area? Are rentals available? I would suspect we should at least overnight wherever we decide to fly to so lodging would be a concern. Any input would be appreciated.

[PennyAgain]

Fair warning. My back will no longer tolerate my driving on the Haul road or most other Alaska rough roads. It's not that I don't know how. It just hurts!

 

I solve the problem by flying.

[Gardyloo]

Gardyloo--wow we would love to visit Nome' date=' Kotzebue, and/or Barrow. My question would be once we get to these places, how do we move around and see the area? Are rentals available? I would suspect we should at least overnight wherever we decide to fly to so lodging would be a concern. Any input would be appreciated.[/quote']There are taxis in all those towns, and rental cars in Nome. In Barrow or Kotz, there's really nowhere to drive; most visits can be done on foot or using local taxis or local tour services (e.g. vans up to Point Barrow from Barrow.) From Nome there three or four local roads leading out into the Seward Peninsula countryside - more than Juneau ;) - with plenty of sightseeing options. There are museums and cultural centers that are very educational, decent (sometimes funky, sometimes surprisingly good) restaurants, bars (in Nome only - no lounges/bars in Barrow or Kotz.)

 

All three towns have hotel and B&B accommodations; I wouldn't be surprised if they're cheaper than the nights you would be spending elsewhere. Food tends to be pricier than on the road system, of course, as most fresh things need to be flown in.

 

I tend to be a broken record on this: Unless you get off the road system - either into the bush, or up in the air in a light plane - you really can't fathom the vastness and the diversity of Alaska, in particular the cultural diversity. Alaska is so much more than moose and mountains. If you have the time to hit a bush village, I really recommend you do so.

[Budget Queen]

Thank you all for your responses! I have been looking at Northern Alaska Tour Company so I am glad I am on the right track. We definitely are open to seeing as much of Northern Alaska as we can. For our first trip north of Fairbanks' date=' we want to put our travel responsibility in someone else's hands.

 

Any ideas on whether the day trip is sufficient or should we look at the overnight options?

 

Gardyloo--wow we would love to visit Nome, Kotzebue, and/or Barrow. My question would be once we get to these places, how do we move around and see the area? Are rentals available? I would suspect we should at least overnight wherever we decide to fly to so lodging would be a concern. Any input would be appreciated.[/quote']

 

I too would only recommend Prudhoe Bay, if you are investing in extra days. This tour is FAR superior to the round trip fly/van day trip to Coldfoot. I have done both and also agree, Northern Alaska is an excellent company to go with.

[donaldsc]

 

Why stop in Coldfoot? Not much there except the truckstop and A VERY good ranger presentation. Keep going to Prudhoe if you have the time. And if you want to see something REALLY off the beaten path, there is a charter operator that will take you to ANWR.

 

There is NOTHING there except caribou and a few native Alaskans. But at least you can have an opinion about drilling in ANWR that comes from actually seeing the land and not from a political, environmental point of view as so many in Washington express.

 

Whatever you decide to do, enjoy!!!

 

Or at least as far as Atigun Pass for those Ice Road Truckers fans. We got about 10 miles north of Atigun Pass and then turned around.

 

I find your comments about the pipeline interesting. I have no knowledge of the long term effects of the pipeline or of any spills that might have occurred since it has been built. However, whenever anyone in the lower 48 thinks Alaska Pipeline which is almost never, they probably imagine a really really big pipeline that overwhelms the environment and is a total eyesore and which interferes with the wildlife. I know that I had that sort of an opinion before I saw it.

 

In reality, the OD of the pipeline is only, if I remember, 48 inches or 4 feet. Even where it is above ground which is probably more than half the route, it really is not that intrusive.

 

I realize that CC is not the place for political discussion and the moderator is free to remove this reply if they wish. However, one of the reasons we travel is to broaden our knowledge of things and I know that seeing the actual pipeline was an eye opener for me.

 

DON

[PennyAgain]

It is hard for me to think of the Alaska pipeline being old, but it is. Literally ground breaking in its time, it is now a read grand daddy of pipelines.

[greatam]

A few interesting facts about the pipeline you may not know:

 

The caribou herd was about 7-8000 strong when they started building the pipeline in 1974. It is now about 28,00-30,000. They are in danger of killing themselves off due to overpopulation. They LOVE the warm pipes and lay under them all the time. Because of the warm pipes, the babies do better and more survive the harsh climate. Mosquitos are the largest killer of baby caribou.

 

When the pipeline was first built, the engineers made special bridges for the caribou to go UNDER. They hated it-their migration routes were getting messed with. What to do, what to do??? The engineers DROPPED the pipeline to the ground. They built little ramps so the caribou now walk OVER the pipeline. Took a lot of time and money. AND they had to install special refrigeration every place the pipeline drops to the drop or the warm oil pipes melt the perma frost. That part alone makes the Alaska Pipeline a true engineering feat.

 

Prudhoe Bay is one of the most environmentally sensitive areas in the world and BP has VERY strict rules to protect the environment. They do NO work that would leave marks on the ground until the ground is SOLIDLY frozen and it is 10 degrees below zero or more. EVERY vehicle owned by BP or their contractors has a secondary pan under the motor to catch ANY drips of oil or anti freeze. You will NOT find even a spot of oil left on the ground under a BP vehicle. IF you are a BP contractor and have a leaky forklift, backhoe or other equipment, you will be FINED by BP and given a VERY short time to rectify the problem. Clean up is also MANDATORY and EPA hazmat cleanup is extraordinarily expensive. You just don't "screw up" in the first place.

 

The pipeline is on massive teflon rollers. It can move as much as a foot back and forth when the oil is gushing through. As high in the air as it is in places, it would break apart if not for the rollers.

 

With the advances in horizontal drilling, BP is now within 2 miles of ANWR. You see NOTHING other than an occasional pump house that looks like an oversized outhouse.

 

I am totally fascinated by the Alaska Pipeline and the soon to be started Keystone Pipeline. I have spent a lot of time in Prudhoe just because I am totally fascinated with all the industrial stuff. I had a lot of friends go North out of CA to work on the pipeline way back when. If they weren't too messed up from Vietnam, they went for the money and the glory. It was a true accomplishment back then to drive truck up there. NO road-just a dirt trail. But someone had to haul all that pipe and all those materials to build the pipeline.

 

One of my ex employees is the safety director for BP Prudhoe and he keeps me updated on all the new happenings. A truly fantastic engineering feat.