19 hour road trip to the Artic Circle

Yesterday we left camp at 5:30 am to head for the Arctic Circle.  Our first stop was at the Yukon River, the largest in Alaska--looks like the Mississippi according to John.  The bridge has a wooden deck 1/2 mile long which is built to flex 2 1/2 feet in length.  It is an amazing structure. 

Here's a shot of us by the visitors center next to the bridge with the pipe line in the background.

At noon, Alaska time we arrived in the Arctic Circle

Driving another couple hours to the Arctic Circle Visitor's Center and the Village of Coldfoot we found that the sun doesn't set up there from May 31 - July 31.  Then it was on to the top of Atigun Pass at 4800 feet elevation, the highest highway pass in Alaska.  We were definitely in tundra area - no trees, ground cover that is "mushy" like moss and very unique being at the top of the world.  Here's an image of John's truck on the top of the pass--cold and rainy as a semi tops the crest from the north.

The tundra in the Brooks Mountain Range where some ground snow is still evident--all the mountain tops are clear because the low sun hits them, but not the valleys.

This morning we leave for Denali.