Concern over an incoming front prompted us to leave Fairbanks early this morning. We had a scheduled flight, but Dirk, the Coyote Air pilot, will only fly if conditions are safe. The forecasted rain and wind were worrisome.
The five hour drive up the Dalton Highway brought gradually changing scenery – the thick forests of Fairbanks thinned to sparse and wobbly trees, the temperature dropped, and the rain became more and more persistent. Turns in the road brought wildlife sightings: a moose and her two calves, a bear disappearing into the brush. We stopped for quick breaks at the Yukon River, so big that I initially mistook it for a lake, and the Arctic circle.
A quick photo stop at the Yukon River, with the Dalton Highway in the background.
Darrell and Chris (right) are in the Arctic, Rebecca and Ellie (left) are not.
Once in Coldfoot, Dirk informed us that we wouldn't fly. According to locals, August 1 is the unofficial first day of arctic fall and it showed in the weather. Too many clouds, too much wind at Lake Peters. Instead, we headed to the Interagency Visitor Center to enjoy the arctic exhibits and the chairs in front of the wood-burning stove.
We will check back with Dirk tomorrow morning. While we are anxious to start work, we can't force the weather to cooperate so our next best option is to take advantage of our down time. We'll camp in the small grassy area behind the truck stop, enjoy Coldfoot's famous dinner buffet, and hope to wake to sunny skies.
Coyote Air flights were grounded due to bad weather.
Add new comment