Day 27 of Lupe’s 2nd Summer of 2022 Dingo Vacation to Canada & Alaska!
Noon, Dalton Highway MP 237 – The morning’s continual mist, rain, and fog had made it clear just how very lucky Lupe had been to make it up Table Mountain (6,314 ft.) yesterday. The exhausted Carolina Dog had slept like a rock the entire morning, while SPHP made considerable progress on the trip journal. About time for a sniff!
Despite a steady mist, much of the Chandalar Shelf was dimly visible, as if seen in a dream, as Lupe patrolled the border of the muddy pullout. Nothing else was in sight, the mountains hidden by fog.
Good thing this is a rest day, SPHP! Talk about dismal! Do we have any plans?
Nothing definite, Looper. None of your possibilities are going to work out on a day like this. When I finish getting the trip journal caught up, we’ll continue N. Only 7 miles to Atigun Pass from here!
The weather won’t be any better there, SPHP. How far N are we going?
If it stays like this, all the way to Deadhorse, Loop, although we won’t get that far today. No reason to stop anywhere other than for the night unless conditions improve.
2:00 PM, Brooks Range, Dalton Highway MP 237 – Raining harder now, foggy and darker out, but the trip journal was caught up, and lunch was over and done with. SPHP fired up the RAV4.
Onward, aye, Looper? Hope conditions aren’t too bad going over the pass.
2:37 PM, Brooks Range, Dalton Highway MP 244 – Driven by a powerful SW breeze, fog and light rain hurtled through Atigun Pass (4,739 ft.). Although the wind made it feel cold, at 42 ºF conditions were actually better than expected, balmy even. Try telling that to the American Dingo, though!
Hurry up! Snap the picture, and let’s go, SPHP!
Continuing down the N side of the pass, the RAV4 was soon below the fog, making it possible to see the sights. The Dalton Highway made a couple of big curving loops before straightening out, and heading N down the Atigun River valley.
Lupe was now on the N side of the Brooks Range. The gloomy sky was still completely overcast here, but it wasn’t raining. Although there were bushes, not a single tree existed N of Atigun Pass. Practically everything was clad in Arctic yellow, brown, gold, gray, or red. SPHP made several stops along the way.
Soon a familiar sight was on the horizon.
There’s Lake Benchmark Mountain (5,000 ft.), Loop! Remember when we climbed it back in 2017?
Sure do, SPHP! We got lost in the fog, and wound up climbing the wrong peak before realizing our mistake. Only time that’s ever happened to us!
Yup. We got there, but due to the fog never did see the North Slope from the summit, which was kind of the whole point.
Still could, SPHP! The road is dry here. Doesn’t look like it’s been raining at all. We could climb Lake Benchmark Mountain again!
You’ve got a point, Loop. There’s another objective somewhat farther on, though, that we ought to take on first that would be truly awesome, if we can manage it. Maybe we should find a place to hang out here tonight, and see what the morning brings?
3:37 PM, 55ºF, MP 270 – Hard to believe after all the precipitation S of Atigun Pass, but trucks were actually raising clouds of dust along the Dalton Highway when SPHP parked the RAV4 at a pullout just S of the 2nd bridge over the Atigun River.
Let’s have a look, Loopster!
After trotting across the bridge for the first time in 5 years, Lupe went down to the boat ramp. At a big bend, the Atigun River turned NE here. 10 miles downstream it would join the Sagivanirktok River, leaving the Brooks Range for Alaska’s North Slope and the Arctic Ocean.
We started for Lake Benchmark Mountain from the opposite side of the highway, didn’t we, SPHP? Let’s go over there.
Climbing a bank on the E side of the Dalton Highway, the big golden slope E of the Alaska oil pipeline the Carolina Dog had once climbed starting her trek to Lake Benchmark Mountain was in view. That day seemed like a long time ago now.
Heading S toward the river, Lupe enjoyed a fabulous view of the sharp spire of Peak 5308, crown of the massive mountain wall overlooking the Atigun River gorge. A terrific view of the Dalton Highway bridge over the river was on display, too.
Despite the cloud cover, conditions really were a lot better here than they had been S of Atigun Pass.
Supposed to be a campground near Galbraith, Loop. Shall we check it out?
How far is it to Galbraith, SPHP?
Not far at all, Loopster. The turn is only another 5 miles N. Galbraith Lake is actually just a mile W of where we are now. We had a pretty good view of the lake on the way to Lake Benchmark Mountain, remember?
That’s right, SPHP! Yes, let’s check out the campground. Love this area!
The turn W to Galbraith was near MP 275. Half a dozen much smaller lakes, and the N end of Galbraith Lake were visible from here. Galbraith was 1.5 miles from the highway. Really wasn’t much there other than an airstrip. Another 2.5 miles got Lupe to the Galbraith Lake Campground.
4:07 PM – The Galbraith Lake Campground was 1.5 miles W of the big lake, which could be seen from some of the sites strung out along 2 big loops on a gently sloping plain of tall, yellow bushes. The campground featured an outhouse, garbage service, several informational displays, plus a picnic table and metal fire ring at each site.
Only a pawful of the many sites were taken, and the price was certainly right. Campsites were free! After driving around the loops once, SPHP claimed a secluded one at a dead end among the bushes.
Breezy! The wind was from the S or SW as it had been for days, perhaps explaining why it was dry here. At least lately, Galbraith Lake was on the lee side of the Brooks Range. Although the wind kept SPHP from heating up anything to eat, the breeze wasn’t strong enough to bother the American Dingo at all.
Galbraith Lake Campground turned out to be an awesome experience! Between rests in the RAV4, Lupe made many exploratory forays among the bushes on strolls around the campground loops. Enormously excited by this stunning environment, the Carolina Dog eventually roamed well up the slopes W of the campground, gaining 200 feet of elevation.
Many mysterious peaks were visible to the S, but a gray mountain only 1.5 miles SW of the campground was of particular interest.
I think we could climb that mountain, SPHP! Maybe tomorrow?
Appears like something we’d be capable of, Looper. Definitely a peak worth keeping in mind!
Does it have a name, SPHP?
Not that I know of, Loopster.
We should give it a name then, SPHP! What should we call it?
How about West Galbraith Peak, Loop? Descriptive of where it’s at.
Not all that snazzy, SPHP, but it’s better than Peak XXXX like so many of them are. Fine for now, but let me know, if you think of anything better.
Marmots whistled warnings as Lupe ran, sniffed, and explored until dusk came on. As far as the American Dingo was concerned, this easy evening out among all the beautiful bushes on the soft tundra was as good as climbing most any peak. A few miles E, Galbraith Lake was in sight, with both Lake Benchmark Mountain (5,000 ft.) and Peak 5308 beyond.
A marvelous, gorgeous evening it was, too! And one that held out some promise of even greater adventures tomorrow.
Links:
Next Adventure Prior Adventure
Lake Benchmark Mountain, Brooks Range, Alaska (8-19-17)
BLM Dalton Highway Visitor Guide
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