2.30AM FOG BOUND CROSSING

Touched down in Fairbanks after a long 30 hour trip, and was met by a balmy 70 degree temp! So much for the thermals, long pants, boots and wind jackets. But after a good nights sleep in a charming little cottage by the river we packed up crew van,  stopped for coffee, gum boots, and then headed north for Toolik Lake. Where you ask? A remote science station in the far north of Alaska. We drove all day, stopped at the Red Hot Cafe where they shoot Ice Road Truckers and had dinner before starting the last leg - 6 hours and across the Atigan Pass. We needed to refuel and stopped at Deadmans Log, a one town station..totally strange creepy place, all the truckies driving to Prudeo Bay stop here and we managed to hit peak hour 12 midnight. At this stage we found out we still had 3-4 hours to go, and the pass to get across, with fog rolling in, we had 2 options to push ahead or to stay in the portable cabins at Deadmans Log - so you guessed it we pushed on. So up the pass, totally freaked out as we started climbing and the fog started to roll in - it was so heavy we could not see 2 feet ahead and we were at the peak of the pass. We stopped to a crawl and I literally couldn't breathe, but as things go, the fog lifted just as we started to cross the top of the pass and from then on, we were able to see out way down. Next we met the night road truckers who were working on a huge stretch of the gravel road and we waited 30 mins for a "support car" which we had to follow through the road works area. Finally at 2.30am we arrived at Toolik Lake and found instructions to our accommodation - tents, no heating, and no toilets..girls this is not a good look...especially at 2.30am. Unpacked my sleeping bag and fell into bed, the wind then picked up and our door went flying open all through the night/should I mention the sun set at 1.15am and we watched it start to rise at 2.45am, so the tents have a black-out cover which is really fabulous so you really do think its nigh time. All things aside it is an amazing research centre for Permafrost and High Arctic Climate Change research. Though no flushing toilets and 1 shower a week ration is going to be a huge challenge for me - so will let you know how I survive!!! LC x