Ice Road Truckers

After driving the legendary Dalton Highway all summer, I finally got to spend a little time with some of the Ice Road Truckers that I had been waving at through a bus windshield.


George is the old pro and is retiring after spending thirty years on the "Haul Road." Surviving that long on one of the most dangerous roads in the world takes a lot of skill and a little luck, he's lost some good friends along the way that had as much skill but just ran out of luck.


Jack is all business and it shows quickly, he's the one that pulls the really big, difficult and dangerous loads today.




Tim survived his first season on the Dalton without a major incident. I asked him how much the show has changed his life, "I'm amazed that people recognize me now, I'm just a truck driver but it has been all been a great experience and a lot of fun."


Lisa is trying to balance all the attention that the show has thrust upon her as well as a new husband. She gets dozens of request for pictures every day, but politely declines those wanting a kiss on the cheek, even one from a shaved head bus driver that had to settle for a hug and a bruised ego.

Lol..... it won't be the last time Tyler is told no.

The Kenai

A quick trip down to the Kenai Peninsula for the weekend was a much needed respite from the smoke that has plagued the interior for the past two months.

The Homer Spit is a great place to visit, it is a little narrow sliver of land that juts out into Kachemak Bay. The atmosphere in the Salty Dawg Saloon is great and the baked halibut at Captain Patties is without a doubt the best that I have ever had.





Other than the fifty miles or so along the coast the drive down the Kenai is not that picturesque.

The road is good but you better be watchful for moose, especially late in the evening, we saw twelve on the way back and that doesn't inclued the one that was hit by a truck just a minute or two before we met them.



The fires burning north of Healy have really increased in size and are pumping out a tremendous volume of smoke. The wind had been blowing from the north for a couple of days but shifted again and is now from the south, bringing the smoke back into town. The ash is covering everything and the air quality is so low that centers have been opened in Fairbanks to allow residents the opportunity to sit inside a sealed room and breath filtered air. It is not as bad as the summers of 2004 and 2005 were but it brings back a lot of memories.