If You Go / Alaska -- Prepare: Dalton Highway Journey Can Be Daunting

Don't let the word "highway" fool you; the Dalton is one of North America's most rugged wilderness roads.

End to end, there are fewer than a half-dozen settlements and official campsites and even less in the way of overnight accommodations, food, gas, vehicle repairs and towing, or even telephones. There are no hospitals or medical clinics.

Careful planning and packing before you go is essential.

To safely enjoy the adventure, you need to be equipped to deal with everything from a growling stomach to a growling bear.

Here are some planning and packing suggestions:

PLANNING

The Dalton Highway is open year-round, but the best time to travel is late May through early September. Earlier, the road is ankle-deep mud; later, there's blowing snow, darkness and temperatures of 50 below zero.

The main drawback to summer travel in the region is that mosquitoes, Alaska's unofficial state "bird," are thick and mean. Try late May or late August, when slightly frosty temperatures slow down the little bloodsuckers.

Begin your planning by requesting information from the Fairbanks Convention & Visitors Bureau. Call toll-free (800) 327-5774, or send a letter to the visitors bureau at 550 1st Avenue, Suite 77, Fairbanks, AK, 99701. Internet users go to FCVB@polarnet.fnsb.ak.us or check out the FCVB World Wide Web site at http://polarnet.com/Users/FCVB/.

The visitors bureau can also provide you with information about the dozen or more companies offering Dalton Highway tours. Organized tours range in price from $99 one-day tours to the Arctic Circle to $600 three-day, drive-and-fly trips to Prudhoe Bay.

Contact the Alaska Public Lands Information Center, 250 Cushman, Suite 1A, Fairbanks, AK, 99701. Phone: (907) 456-0527.

And be sure to call the Alaska Department of Transportation's recorded information line at (907) 456-ROAD.

Also, pick up a copy of "Alaska's Wilderness Highway: Traveling the Dalton Road," written by Mike Jensen. It includes mile-by-mile descriptions of the road. If not in bookstores, order from Epicenter Press Inc., Box 82368, Kenmore Station, Seattle, WA 98028.

While the mileage chart may suggest you could travel from Fairbanks to Deadhorse in a longish day, the wise traveler will allow at least two days to get to the end of the road - more if wildlife viewing, hiking or fishing is on the agenda.

Acommodations

If you're not into camping out, remember overnight accommodations are available only at Mile 56, (Yukon Ventures, 907-655-9001); Mile 175, (Coldfoot Services, 907-678-9301); and at Deadhorse, (Prudhoe Bay Hotel, 907-659-2449 and Arctic Caribou Inn, 907-659-2368).

Rooms are limited, generally clean but basic, and most of all expensive. In Deadhorse, the going rate is $180 a night for two people - including more food than you can eat, and all the hot showers you want. Make reservations in advance, then confirm before leaving Fairbanks.

There are no public camping facilities at Deadhorse. If you plan to overnight there, you will need to make motel reservations.

Otherwise, camping is allowed just about anywhere along the Dalton.

There are seven designated campgrounds including a privately-run camping area at Coldfoot. There is only one semi-developed public campground, it's at Milepost 179.9. The Marion Creek Campground is operated by the federal Bureau of Land Management. It's tucked into the woods, and each of the 27-tent sites is relatively secluded. There is well water, fire rings, chopped firewood, picnic tables, outhouses and bear-proof garbage cans. A fee is charged for campsites and firewood.

Beyond Marion Creek, it's strictly wilderness camping. Tundra is extremely fragile, so use gear that will minimize your footprints on the landscape. Where possible, camp on hard surfaces such as road pull-outs or gravel bars. And never build a campfire on the tundra - the Arctic growth rate is so slow it may take 100 years for lichen, a major component of tundra, to regenerate after being burned off. Also, fires will creep below the surface and may spread and burn for years.

The vehicle

Most importantly, make sure your vehicle is in good working order. A 4X4 isn't required, but highly recommended.

If driving your own vehicle, have it serviced and thoroughly checked out by a mechanic. Install headlight shields and mud flaps.

If driving a rental, make sure the agency knows where you're going and is confident the vehicle will make the long haul.

PACKING

Here are some items and ideas to keep in mind when you're gathering gear for a trip on Alaska's "haul road":

For the vehicle:

-- Two full-sized spare tires mounted on rims.

The Dalton Highway destroys tires. Two or more flats are common and repair shops are hundreds of miles apart. Careful driving, at lower speeds, can minimize the risk of flat tires. Keep tires inflated with lowest recommended amount of air.

-- Five to 10 gallons of extra gas.

Carry gasoline in approved jerry cans, preferably of heavy-duty plastic. Make sure you check frequently for leaks or spills.

-- Extra oil, brake and transmission fluid.

-- Replacement hoses, belts, windshield wipers, fuses, spark plugs, electrical wiring, electrician's tape, and duct tape.

-- Heavy duty scraper (for cleaning thick mud off windshield and headlights), window cleaner, paper towels or old newspaper.

-- Spare headlight.

-- Safety flares and emergency reflectors.

-- Flashlight.

-- Tow rope or chain.

-- Heavy-duty tire jack and lug wrench, spark-plug wrench, pliers, sockets, and other tools needed to make minor repairs.

If you rent a vehicle, check out the jack and lug wrench. Make sure the jack is sturdy and that you know how to use it - before you need to.

-- Shovel, hammer, axe, folding saw.

-- Snow chains (if traveling early or late in the season).

-- Citizen's Band (CB) radio.

You can do the trip without a CB (we did) but you're far safer if you have one along. Most truckers monitor Channel 19 for distress calls: in a life-threatening emergency that's the closest thing to 911.

Camping/Emergency Gear.

-- Tent with rain flap, ground tarp. Even if you're planning to rent a room, carry a tent. You never know if, or where, your vehicle might breakdown.

-- Sleeping bag, one for each person.

-- Cookstove and fuel.

-- Lantern or battery-powered light.

-- Food and drinking water. Carry at least a two-day emergency supply. Not only could you get stuck somewhere, Coldfoot is the only place you can buy groceries, and then the selection is limited.

-- Bug juice, sunscreen. It's nasty stuff, but insect repellant with 100% DEET does the best job keeping away the mosquitoes.

-- Comprehensive First-Aid Kit, including how-to manual. Worst case, it could be a couple days before you get to a doctor. Make sure your kit has such things as battle dressings, antibacterial soap, gauze pads, tweezers, scissors, burn ointment, elastic bandages for wrapping sprains, needle and thread, mole skin, aspirin or other pain reliever.

-- Prescription Medicines. Carry at least an extra week's worth, and if your condition is serious (such as diabetes or high blood pressure) pack extra medication seperately.

-- Warm Clothing. Even in July, you should carry warm clothing such as a pile jacket, hat and gloves. Rain gear and sturdy footwear are essential.

-- Plastic garbage bags (for carrying out refuse and storing wet gear and clothes).