Hmm--it's strange how we're repeating titles. There truly is a reason for the "bust" part of the saying. DJ and kids made it up 494 miles along the gravel Dalton Highway, became honorary polar bears in the Arctic Ocean, and then 250 miles back. They fueled and then camped near Coldfoot, woke up in the morning, and the gas had leaked out. No problem, right? They're at the repair place along the road. HOWEVER..... The repairs that are done at Coldfoot are
only tire repairs. Not fuel pumps, lines, or anything else. OK... We have AAA's 200 mile tow package. That should work, right? Not in this part of Alaska, it doesn't. After calling the towing place in Fairbanks, DJ found out that it would be $1700 and at least 3 days before the tow truck could make it there. I was flying into Fairbanks in 4 days. Not my idea of a fun time. DJ checked around, and all the trucks coming back from Prudhoe Bay had full loads. Wow--was this getting fun, or what? DJ and kids had a prayer, and he got the distinct impression, "Don't worry--someone's coming." OK--that's a good thing. However, as the hours passed, and passed, and passed, he was getting worried. The kids started wrestling in the car, Tre' cracked his head on the spare battery DJ was carrying, blood was running down his head, and then a truck pulled up and the trucker said, "Do you need some help?" Turns out, the trucker and his wife couldn't get a load, and came back; they loaded up the van, took the 2 oldest kids, and farmed DJ and the 2 younger ones out to another trucker they knew who was headed back. When the wife was talking to our kids, they talked about the school they want to go to (BYU), and the trucker & wife were Mormons. We went to church with them on the Sunday after I got to Alaska. Small world?
Here's some other pictures from the Prudhoe Bay adventure--I love that peak. It's so typical of the Alaskan mountains.
Hmm--it's strange how we're repeating titles. There truly is a reason for the "bust" part of the saying. DJ and kids made it up 494 miles along the gravel Dalton Highway, became honorary polar bears in the Arctic Ocean, and then 250 miles back. They fueled and then camped near Coldfoot, woke up in the morning, and the gas had leaked out. No problem, right? They're at the repair place along the road. HOWEVER..... The repairs that are done at Coldfoot are only tire repairs. Not fuel pumps, lines, or anything else. OK... We have AAA's 200 mile tow package. That should work, right? Not in this part of Alaska, it doesn't. After calling the towing place in Fairbanks, DJ found out that it would be $1700 and at least 3 days before the tow truck could make it there. I was flying into Fairbanks in 4 days. Not my idea of a fun time. DJ checked around, and all the trucks coming back from Prudhoe Bay had full loads. Wow--was this getting fun, or what? DJ and kids had a prayer, and he got the distinct impression, "Don't worry--someone's coming." OK--that's a good thing. However, as the hours passed, and passed, and passed, he was getting worried. The kids started wrestling in the car, Tre' cracked his head on the spare battery DJ was carrying, blood was running down his head, and then a truck pulled up and the trucker said, "Do you need some help?" Turns out, the trucker and his wife couldn't get a load, and came back; they loaded up the van, took the 2 oldest kids, and farmed DJ and the 2 younger ones out to another trucker they knew who was headed back. When the wife was talking to our kids, they talked about the school they want to go to (BYU), and the trucker & wife were Mormons. We went to church with them on the Sunday after I got to Alaska. Small world?
Here's some other pictures from the Prudhoe Bay adventure--I love that peak. It's so typical of the Alaskan mountains.
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