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Needy a great place to stay in Fairbanks to meet other travelers that's super economical? Billie's Backpacker Hostel provided the perfect jumping off point to explore the area while preparing for the Arctic Circle run. Just say "no" to hotels....

I found a great place to stay at Billie’s Backpackers Hostel in Fairbanks. When not camping, I prefer hostels and recommend them highly, worldwide. Most are havens for travelers on a budget and outstanding resources for making friends and discovering unique details about their locales. Billie’s is no exception, and there I met several riders who’d tackled the Dalton with varying degrees of The gas pump mentioned in this story was located at least 100 yards from the office that was already about a quarter mile from the road. Slogging back and forth through mud in a raging downpour, I had to make three trips to get it working. The average wait time between users of this one and only contraption was about 15 minutes. Want mroe irony? The Trans-Alaska Pipeline serving the entirety of North America ran next to it.success. They provided good information about what to expect, conditions and expenses, as well as the all-important incidentals—like where to acquire a rare Arctic Circle sticker.

Most have heard of the Dalton Highway. It starts about an hour north of Fairbanks and runs a tad over 400 miles to an oil town, affectionately known as “Deadhorse,” which kisses Prudhoe Bay on the Arctic Ocean. The road exists for the sole purpose of supporting the Trans-Alaska Pipeline, even though in recent years riding it seems to appear on many bucket lists. Although there are a few random and short patches of pavement, it’s mostly a dirt and gravel road with precious few resources along the way. The Arctic Circle marker is some 115 miles from the beginning with a poorly marked, easy-to-miss, important refueling stop about half way.

This is Alaska, where in August the sun never truly sets, making it an ideal time to “do” the Dalton because conditions are as close to ideal as they ever get. If skies are clear, a ride to the Arctic Circle and back can be accomplished in a day with almost any vehicle. The roads are often like a roller coaster, with long and sometimes very steep drops and inclines that make their winding way through the mountainous tundra. At that time of year, count on a mother lode of mosquitos; it’s wise to go heavy on the DEET and have a head net handy. If you stop, the mossies will find you and eat you alive!

No matter the conditions, due to the road’s mostly dirt surface it’s not a leisurely ride, and can be anything from mildly technical to a serious trial keeping a bike upright. Especially for motorcyclists, there are significant risks, and crashes are common. Breakdowns can be both dangerous and expensive, with towing charges reportedly in the $1,200 range. And it’s very definitely bear country—both black and grizzly!