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Deadhorse : Alaska

August 7. 2013.

Since we will be travelling to this town situated at the end of famous “Dalton Highway ” starting August 17th 2013, I thought it was wise to check upon the name. One does wonder at such things …!!

Sources conflict on the origin of the area’s name. The most cited theory appears to be that the area takes its name from a local business prominent in the late 1960s and 1970s, the “Dead Horse Haulers” trucking company. How the trucking company got its name remains in dispute. This is also the beginning or end of an Iron Butt Association motorcycle rider challenge called “The Ultimate Coast to Coast”. This ride starts from Key West, Florida, and gives riders 30 days to reach Deadhorse, Alaska. So our challenge from San Francisco to Deadhorse pales in comparison but the adventure beckons and we will answer the call.

Deadhorse is featured on the third through sixth seasons of Ice Road Truckers, a reality television series airing on the History Channel. The show, which dramatizes trucking on the Dalton Highway, often features truckers transporting equipment to the oil companies located in or around the Prudhoe Bay area. It is also the subject of the second episode of America’s Toughest Jobs and is featured in the first episode of the BBC’s World’s Most Dangerous Roads featuring Charley Boorman and Sue Perkins.

Some weather related information.

As the area is located in USDA Plant Hardiness Zone 2,temperatures below −40 °F/°C can be expected during the height of winter.

  • Longest day: 63 days, 23 hours, 40 minutes (12:09 a.m. on May 20 to 11:18 p.m. on July 22)
  • Shortest day: 45 min (11:42 a.m. to 12:27 p.m. on November 24)
  • Longest night: 54 days, 22 hours, 51 min (12:27 p.m. on November 24 to 11:18 a.m. on January 18)
  • Shortest night: 26 min (11:43 p.m. on May 19 to 12:09 a.m. on May 20)
  • Highest recorded temperature: 83 °F (28 °C) on 21 June 1991
  • Lowest recorded temperature: −62 °F (−52 °C) on 27 January 1989
  • Highest wind speed recorded: 95 knots (109 mph; 176 km/h) on 25 February 1989
  • Official lowest wind chill: −102 °F (−74 °C) on 28 January 1989 (air temperature of −54 °F or −48 °C) and wind speed of 31 kn (36 mph; 57 km/h)

I will  share with you more information as we research our trip in the days ahead. My current conundrum was to find somebody local in Deadhorse who could ascertain the time of our arrival , so we could stop the clock on our website and determine who is the winner. For now it seems like a tough ask as most of the working people there work in 2 week shifts and who will be there at our arrival is up in the air. Any ideas how to solve this minor wrinkle are welcome . For that matter any feedback will be appreciated.

Stay tuned for more info as we get ready to take on this adventure.

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