Late start - out of the truck by 11am, put everything back in, but then noticed that we had a puncture! Everything came out again and we changed wheels. Once that was done, we went off to see Murray’s friend Ester who is receptionist for the Arctic Caribou Inn. She was surprised to see Murray again, but was very helpful; lent us a phone for the call to tyre repairers and then allowed us to eat our fill for $7. And we were only charged that coz her boss was about.
Left there to go to the tyre place – a transport depot for one of the Oil companies. A taciturn fellow turned up and fixed the puncture, but didn’t charge for it. “Too busy to do the paperwork” he said. So we gave him a tip and set off.
Got to Murray’s previous turn-a-round point and sorted things out. Flag fixed, car repacked and he was off. Time 6pm. He cycled in 3 sections of 20 miles - each taking just over 2 hours; for a total distance of 50 miles in 6 hours. During my second wait a guy called Larry turned up just to check we were ok. He’d passed Murray earlier and said he’d pass the word to all the other truckers – offered to help, as all Alaskans seem to do. Also, offered gum and a fluoro yellow beanie hat Murray seems delighted with.
I stopped after the 3rd stint and then brewed up and used the last of the cooked chicken in a couple of tins of soup, served with bagels. Just about to turn in – 1.15am and no noticeable difference in the quality of light. Midnight sun… they’re not kidding. Saw some sort of hawk, a raven and a black headed ptarmigan.
It's all downhill from here
Caribou on the foggy tundra
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