The Rich Journey: Saturday Evening August 13th Back from the Arctic

I must be on vacation, I'm loosing track of the days! I took a 1000 mile round trip to the Arctic ocean and Back. That may not sound like much distance for three days but that was about 26 hours of driving plus all the sights to see.The Dalton highway, also known as the haul road, is rough and treacherous. Someone died on this road just this week. It is about half paved and half gravel/dirt/mud. it has been raining and there is always repairs going on.
I reached the Arctic circle Thursday and camped in a old lake bed 100 miles north of the Arctic circle. I could see a glacier from where I camped. That night the sun set at about 11 pm but it was still light at 1:30. it kind of plays games with your sleep, but I got about 5 hours. Its not as cold as you might think. it was 42 at night and about 60 in the day.
Friday I traveled north and it started looking more and more desolate. I saw Caribou and bow hunters. I even saw one make his kill. I walked across the tundra and talked with him. his name was Mark from Michigan and his brother Chris from Colorado. It is really difficult to walk on this land. Its like walking on sponges. It is technically a desert because of the low rainfall, but because of the permafrost just a short way down the water does not soak in. there is water everywhere.... And quite a few bugs.
I made it to Deadhorse and took a tour of the oil facility and stood in the arctic ocean. The water didn't seem any colder than the Pacific but the wind was.The air temperature was 49. Deadhorse felt like you were in an industrial camp. (that's what it is). It is not touristy at all except they give tours by the oil facilities and to the ocean. The first 2/3rds of the trip up was scenic then the trees disappeared and it looked very barren.

The trip back was long. I camped one night at the dry lake again. (Chosen for being dry and fewer bugs). It rained on the last half of the journey back. What a slick muddy mess! My pickup was so coated with mud I couldn't get in or out without getting muddy. Back to a campground in Fairbanks. A shower, laundry,resupply and rest before further journeys.

There was a real highlight for me coming back. I stoped at the Yukon river visitors center. I met a couple there that were field editors for the milepost guide to Alaska. Sharon (the editor) reflected on her childhood trip to Alaska and has been editing for the Milepost since 1971. I told her someone I often thought about was "on the road with Charles Karault" She said he was also one of her inspirations and she had just reread his book!

On this long haul I had a lot of time to think and reflect. I choose the name of my blog to also reflect on life's journey, not just a trip. There are things to learn in reflecting on a trip, and there are things to be gained by reflecting on life. I have personally thought a lot recently about God, Myself, and Relationships. There are things I have observed on this trip that meld in with my thinking. Just to touch on a little...
When your north of the Artic Circle and particularly north of the Brooks range it looks very barren. But if you walk out in the land and observe there is beauty there. Even among bareness and hostility there are good things. I found beautiful flowers, and huckleberrys that were very good. On my trip back from deadhorse I had a headache and Ia long way to go. I was feeling kind of blah. Then I thought of all the good things that I have in my life such as friends. And the things that come along as in meeting interesting people or something beautiful. Is it God that does that? to encourage us, to bless us? Dont let the world get you down ther are good things to be found on the Journey.