North to Alaska

I have a special treat for you today!  One of my friends is having an adventure in Alaska...working way up North.  I have permission to share my friend's adventure, with the caveat that I don't disclose any personal information.  Deal!!!  You will love this.

Hello, down there in the Lower 48. 

I spent time in Anchorage and then met up with someone from one of the villages and began our drive to Prudhoe Bay: 7 hours to Fairbanks, 7 hours to Cold Foot (only place to gas up for $5.00 a gal) and 7 hours to Prudhoe or Dead Horse. A long drive and no place to sleep.

We crossed the Arctic circle, saw porcupine, moose, fox and lots of Ice Road Truckers passing us at high speeds and calling us 4 wheelers. (We had a CB and listened to them). It was raining and foggy the higher we got. Those steep hills up and down were great fun to drive and the dirt road was really packed with few and small pot holes, the dirt was better than the paved.

We flew from Dead Horse to our Village. As soon as the river freezes we'll have the ice road to drive instead of flying. It was really cold, 40 wind chill 35 when I got here and I wanted to turn around. But since then it's been 45/50 really nice and cool and the mosquitos are gone too.

All the houses are built about 4 to 5 feet in the air on poles above the perma frost, and most have standing water under them. There is a puddle for everyone to fall in if you're not careful. Since I have been up here there have been 4 deaths from drowning in the nearby villages. One man was water bogging on the tundra on his snow machine and there was a deep pond he didn't know about, Father of 7, so sad. They really push life jackets here, that are free.

So far so good except for the fact that my left leg has been swollen since our drive. I went to the clinic (no doctor) and they wanted to take me to Anchchorage for a blood clot.  So I took myself to Fairbanks on Friday and spent all the money we saved by driving. No clot, kidneys are fine, just no circulation, having to take a pill for excess water. So It cost me about $1,500.00 for a $12 dollar bottle of pills. Aggravating!