Circle- Prudhoe Bay (Arctic Ocean) - Fairbanks, Alaska(1156miles, 15rides)

From Circle, my hitching trip started again. Circle was really countryside, so as I expected, hitching was terrible hard. After I got a short ride, no cars passed by for next three hours. I was just standing in the forest without doing anything. The sunshine was strong and lots of mosquitoes were coming around me. I just thought about keeping a walk for a while, but had no idea how far this gravel road was going. It was awful time.

After 3 hours, as soon as I started walking, a car came. This car was heading to Fairbanks, which was exact perfect way for me. There were two guys in the car, the driver, Darren, told me to stay in his house that night. I accepted it, and went to his house with him.

His house was out of Fairbanks, which was exactly standing on the hill. The view out below my eyes was awesome. I could see beautiful mountains, snaky river. Although I appeared suddenly, his families welcomed and invited me BBQ dinner. While I was kayaking in Yukon River, I usually ate junk food like instant noodle or pasta, so I wanted especially vegetables very much. They gave me roasted chicken, potatoes and vegetable salad, which were really yummy. And also I could take a shower, which was really comfortable and made me refresh, because I've not taken since I left from Dawson City 6 days ago. I could spend a wonderful time with Darren and his families. I appreciated their hospitalities. Thanks, Darren.

Fairbanks was very cozy town. I mean, it is not big and not small. Generally people are living out of town like Darren does. Big supermarkets and almost of useful shops are around downtown. If we stay in downtown without a car, it is a little bit hard to live. After I left from Darren's house, I stayed in the hostel, downtown, so that I had to walk an hour to buy some stuff, which was not big deal, though. People were very friendly and the town itself was beautiful. I could buy anything I wanted. I thought about I could live there.

One day, I went to a pub where only Indian people were and they all were drinking terrible beer, "Budweiser." Unbelievable! I asked a woman the reason, she just said,

"You know, this beer is No. 1 over the world. That's why. We love it."

I couldn't figure out their mind. And she also said,

"Do you know the real meaning, "Budweiser"?" This is, But (b) you (u) deserve (d) what (w) every (e) Indian (i) should (s) enjoy (e) regularly (r)."

Is it true?

From Fairbanks, hitching was hard again, because it was such a city. I managed to find a sort of hitching point, which was entrance of highway. Lots of cars went by, but nobody would pick me up. I was waiting for more than 3 hours, and a guy took me out of town, though he was in work.

Whenever I came out of town, heaps of mosquitoes were coming around me. If a wind was there, it blew them away, but at that time no wind. It was terrible. And I was waiting there for a long time, then three students were coming. They were heading up north for rock climbing-just 50 miles away, though. After that, a couple, Rourke and Suzanne, picked me up and gave me their address in Fairbanks and said,

"If you come back to Fairbanks again, call us and have a dinner."

I got one more ride and got Yukon River. I could see this river again. The water was still dark and cold, the flow was still fast. There were, of course, heaps of mosquitoes, which were same as at the upstream. I was thinking about staying or going more. The time was still 7PM and I knew that the sun never went down, because of the 21st Jun which has longest daylight over a year. I decided to keep going, tried to catch a car. Of course, I had to wait for a long time. After Yukon Bridge, cars were much less. Whenever cars, especially trucks passed beside me, lots of dust came up, which was terrible, awful. Finally an old guy, Jim, picked me up, heading to Arctic Circle.

Around Arctic Circle, the environment was little bit changed; no many forests anymore. We could see huge tundra plain which was amazing. Although we kept going more and more, the scenery was bored, totally same as the beginning in spite of our moving. At Arctic Circle, we just took a photo. Nothing to do anymore. That's all. We kept going to the hill, which was 17 miles away from Arctic Circle. Although the camping ground was spread at Arctic Circle, I didn't like to stay with heaps of mos. and tourists.

The hill-Gobblers Knob was amazing. Beautiful view was there; road construction was doing beside us, though. Jim suddenly decided to climb up the hill above there to see the sunset; even the sun never goes down on 21st Jun. Then he brought half dozen of beer; I was, of course, also with him. We kept walking out of trail because at first we couldn't find it, so that heaps of mosquitoes were also following us, which was unbelievable and we couldn't recognize the numbers.

On the top of the hill, we saw incredible scenery-360-degree panorama, nothing to avoid our view. Besides, the wind blew mos. away. We drank beer at first, then started cruising and taking photos. We saw the lowest sun's point we just recognized by ourselves, but on the way back, the sun was still going down. Well, we forgot that the summer time was on then, and that the longitude was a little away from the Alaskan standard one. Generally the lowest point is supposed to be at mid night, but at that time, that was around half passed 1 AM. When we got the bottom, two guys were also watching the sunset and we were talking to kill time. And then I realized the sun was moving horizontally and going up. Of course it never went down. It was amazing phenomenon.

Next day, I was away from Jim and started hitching again. I got a truck and sit the back carrier, which was as if doing in Cambodia. Then I was dropped off in Coldfoot. When I hitched again, one car, in which there were an old couple and their daughter, was stopped in front of me. I knew them and they also knew me. On our way there, we were chasing so that they were surprised that I got there too fast. That night, she had wedding ceremony on the top of the hill we climbed the day before. They were nice guys. I understood their mind. Be honest, they wanted me pick up on the way, but had no spare space for me, because of bunch of stuff for the wedding ceremony. Although they had no space, they took me a couple of miles away -thanks Janet & Roy and congratulation!

Then the students in Alaska Univ. picked me up and I walked up the steep hill, after that a family from Fairbanks took me to the another side of Brooks Ranges. After the ranges, everything was totally changed, which was climate, temperature, weather, and whatever. It was raining and the snow was still there. The temperature was around 0-degree (32F). In addition, no car was passing beside me. I had no choice except keeping a walk, otherwise I was frozen.

The road was too muddy, but I kept walking under heavy rain. I didn't have enough clothes, because I couldn't imagine this situation. Then a truck driver picked me up even for a short distance, but he was such a kind guy. I appreciated him, but hated myself. Because what I could do for him was just to say "thanks." It was such a tiny expression. I considered what the expression was excess "thanks."

Then I started walking with a fuckin' heavy backpack. Of course, it was still raining. I thought I should pitch the tent somewhere, but that day was 21st Jun. So I wanted to get the Arctic Ocean the same day. On the way, tourist bus was stopped and the driver asked me jump on the bus, but I refused her offer, because bunches of passenger were there. They must have paid to take this bus, so I felt sorry for them. That is, I kept walking again.

Suddenly a car passed away and backed toward me. Well, he picked me up. I was supposed to be dropped off 80 miles away from Arctic Ocean. Although he was tired, he took me to the Arctic Ocean. He was working at Alaska Pipeline Company and knew well around. He was driving very fast in spite of muddy road, so on the way we passed that tourist bus; some of them were surprised that they found me at the Arctic Ocean, which means we already pulled them out on the way. He told me interesting stories about the company, the animals, factories around and so on.

Finally I made it. I got the Arctic Ocean on 21st Jun. Such a long day. I, however, tried to watch the sunset which was actually the lowest point of sun, unfortunately thick clouds covered it. I got there, but when I stepped on the ground and got out of the car, couldn't imagine that situation. It was so cold. The surfaces of bunches of pond were still frozen, even those of lake. I saw the thermometer, which showed 32F-0 degree. No camping places around. I asked the guys at the reception of hotel and I pitched the tent in front of a small airport. I was, of course, freezing in the tent, putting on all of clothes I carried, and slipped into the thin sleeping bag which was for summer. Out of tent was terrible windy. The ground was so tight that the pegs wouldn't stick into. I looked for bunches of rocks but I couldn't. The walls of the tent annoyed me all that night.

The next day, I joined the tour trip, which cost 25 bucks, to the Arctic Ocean. Actually I had to, because the territory around Prudhoe Bay is belonging to the oil companies. The hotel contracted with the companies organized this tour. It was not big deal. I was supposed to swim at Prudhoe Bay. So I put on the swimming wear and brought a bath towel. Some guys also joined the same tour, and a bus took us to the Arctic Ocean. My dream was fucked up as soon as I was in front of this shore. The sea was also still frozen except about 30 m away from the shore. It was, of course, windy. If I swim there, I must have caught a cold and got fever. I touched the water, but refrain the feeling right now. You should imagine by yourself.

Around Prudhoe Bay; the town name is Deadhorse which is just a factory town, more than one thousand of workers were there, also bunches of hotels and motels for them and us. Actually nothing to do except joining the tour. So what most of people do there is just to join the tour. These tours are a couple of times a day. If people get at night, they are gonna stay in the camping car or motel, and next day gone after the tour. If they are in time, after that gone to Coldfoot, but in the case of me, I pitched the tent and stayed for two nights, which was very uncommon. So I guess, people working there would have felt a little weird against me, but they were so friendly that we talked each other anytime anywhere, even when I just cruised around. Some guys picked me up for sightseeing to the factory, and gave me dinner. I also got friendly with a policeman.

When I was walking around, a guy came toward me and said,

"Do you wanna see bear? A bear is over there and in the dump box right now."

I cannot figure out what he was talking about, but I got him a couple of minutes later. A huge grizzly, which, I guess, could be 3 m long, was looking for something in the dump box. It was amazing. A guy on the forklift picked me up, took me as close as possible, which was just about 10 m away from the bear, then told me,

"Do you have a camera? You should take a photo for the souvenir."

I, of course, took some, but he said again,

" Your camera doesn't have enough zoom. OK, I gotta go closer. Hey, you. Take a photo right now. He is standing, OK? It is good situation."

He was crazy. I took around 10 shots just for a bear, which was too much. He also said,

"By the way, you are from Japan, aren't you? I heard about a kind of hotel, which is around stations and has small tiny rooms in row. The cost is not too expensive. Is it true?"

Even the bear was still in front of us. He never felt scared. A policeman was coming too and told me,

" Be careful, tonight. A bear would hang out again. By the way, are you Japanese? I've been to long time ago. I've been to---."

Unbelievable! Such an irresponsible attitude, wasn't it? The bear was still chewing something in front of us, but even policeman didn't feel serious about that. I worried about my tent, because I didn't care of bear so that I left bunch of food inside. I also ate noodle the night before and pasta that morning inside the tent. I felt scared and went back to the tent behind the bear before he found it.

The bear come out very often. They are very smart and already recognized bunches of people and dump boxes were there and even where those boxes were. Some of them are already living in that territory. There is such a dangerous place. People already made each name for them; the bear I saw was Teddy, which made nonsense. At that night, the policemen came to my place and suggested moving. He took me to the former control tower at the airport, which was old but very cozy. The worker at the airport, who worried about me, told the policeman to do that. Thanks a lot.

The next day I left there. I stayed there just two nights, but got lots of experiences, so felt sad. I started hitching, but as I expected, no car passed. I kept walking again, and all of sudden a car stopped. They were German old couple. They couldn't speak English well, but tried to talk with me with using a dictionary. They were also very kind. We were going back to Coldfoot where they were supposed to stay. I started hitching again. After Brooks Ranges, the temperature was totally changed and heaps of mos. were coming out. I was standing on the road with mos. around under strong sunshine and that German couple was coming again. They couldn't get a room and decided to carry on.

They drove fast. It is, however, 1156 miles from Arctic Ocean to Fairbanks, I could have got Fairbanks within same day. But an inspiration came up with me, which was the guys we kayaked together were supposed to get Yukon Bridge around that time. This German couple would stay in the motel, Yukon Bridge. I thought about in case. When we got Yukon Bridge and I was looking for some guys, I found a tent I used to see before. Well, it was a German guy, Thorsten's. He also found me and we hugged. It was really by chance. I, of course, pitched the tent beside his. He ran short of drinking water. He could buy it at the motel, but it was terrible expensive. So I introduced him to this German couple, because they all were German. They could make conversation easily and he got drinking water.

We were talking about the kayaking in Yukon River especially after we separated. He, two German guys and a Japanese guy were going together at first, but divided into each party later. The rest could be still fine. We hoped so.

Next day, we talked for a while and I started hitching again. He saw me off and I wished he could get the Bering Sea safely. I got a camping car, which was going to Fairbanks. That's it. It was easy hitching. The driver was constriction worker there. He came from Minnesota, the States. He told me about construction work in Alaska, which was very interesting. In summer, bunches of people were coming to work, of course, to get money. The wage was quite high. Some local people could spend the rest of year just with those wages. They could work only for 4 months, though.

I finally got back to Fairbanks safely. And I went to the former hostel. In Fairbanks, I came over Rourke Suzanne's place, which were on the hill out of town. They picked me up on my way to Arctic Ocean. When I phoned, Suzanne was surprised and invited me a dinner as they said. They looked happy to meet me again-of course me too, and asked me something about the story. Their house was huge. They had four big doggies and also their own airplane. We got BBQ at the garden. I ran short of vegetables on the way to Arctic Ocean, so that salad was really yummy. Beef and fish steaks were incredible great. I've eaten only junk food for a while, so I felt their affections and humanities from those dishes.

I also met Darren, who picked me up from Circle to Fairbanks, again. We went to a pub and met his high school classmates. Fairbanks is actually town. But comparing to other ones in the States, it is such a tiny countryside. I love Fairbanks, because it is easy to live, not crowded, and we can buy anything we want. It is just based on tourist's mind, though. More than half of his classmates were already gone to other states. It was sad, but real. I was happy to talk with them and watch they were talking about how their classmates were going.