Trip
Information
Dates: TBA
Duration: 8
days
Leader: Dan
Wetzel
Limit: 15
people
Cost*: TBA
From: Tour
#1 starts in Fairbanks, Alaska
and ends in Prudhoe Bay.
Tour #2 starts in Prudhoe Bay and ends in Fairbanks.
Featured
Birds and Mammals:
• Spectacled Eider
•
King Eider
•
Sabine's Gull
• Smith’s Longspur
•
Red Phalarope
•
Pomarine Jaeger
•
Snowy Owl
•
Gyrfalcon
•
Rock Ptarmigan
•
Yellow Wagtail
• Bairds Sandpiper
•
Bluethroat
• Dall sheep
•
Muskoxen
•
Grizzly Bear
•
Barren Ground Caribou
Trip
Summary
• Warm
to cold weather, sunshine to snow
• Great breeding bird and flora photography
• Magnificent scenery, exceptional grandeur and wildness
• Several highly sought-after birds
• Wonderful mammals including Muskoxen, Grizzly Bear, Dall
sheep
• Travels between Fairbanks and Prudhoe Bay
• Unique Native cultural experience
• Optional plane ride over the pack ice
• Meals included where indicated
* deposits
on this tour are non-refundable and payments are 100% non-refundable
90 days or less before departure
|
 The
Dalton Highway is the only road across northern Alaska, one–half
the landmass of America’s largest state. It bisects three biogeographic
regions - Yukon River Basin, Brooks Range and Arctic Coastal Plain. We
cross the 2,000-foot long bridge over the Yukon River, the northern-most
treeline in Alaska, and crest the Arctic Continental Divide on Alaska’s
highest road summit of 4,736-feet. Then, descend beyond the northern-most
limits of Ice Age glacial landscapes and out onto the Arctic Coastal
Plain and shores of the Arctic Ocean.
 Birding along the Dalton is as much about northern Alaska –wilderness landscapes,
wildlife, geology, people and history - as it is birds. These northern regions
have influenced the popular image of Alaska more than any other. Many scenes
have emerged since the first Paleo-Indian hunters camped at Putu more than 11,000
years ago, not far from where today we find Smith’s Longspurs. Alaska’s
connection to Asia via the Bering Land Bridge has allowed an intermittent flow
of peoples, birds, mammals and flora long before the Pleistocene Ice Age. The
cultural history from man in the Arctic begins with Putu and continues onto the
prospectors of 1898, oilfield geologists in 1969 and adventurous birdwatchers
in 2004.
In the world of bird habitat, the Dalton Highway crosses five ecologically and
geographically distinct northern regions until it reaches the Arctic Ocean. It
encompasses 14 broadly defined habitats. Enough diversity to attract the 29 families
and 147 species seen from 1981 to 2003.
· taiga of the Yukon River Basin
· northern-most treeline
· arctic alpine of the Brooks Range
· tundra foothills of the north slope
· the Arctic Coastal Plain
· the Beaufort Sea
See detailed itinerary
below.
To
download a checklist of birds from the most recent Dalton Highway
Tour, click here.
Click here for a
list of all the birds seen on the Dalton Highway Tour with Dan.
This
tour can be taken in combination with an extension to Nome or the
Kenai Peninsula.
See our Adak tour for another Alaskan tour. Click
here to download a registration form
Photos:
Renee Franken, Dan Wetzel
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Itinerary
The itinerary for Tour #1 is below. This itinerary is reversed
for Tour #2
Day
1 -
Fairbanks: Ice Age birds, bison, buillion and biology
We rendezvous in Fairbanks, Alaska’s “Golden Heart City,” and
the second largest community with 85,000 people living in 1,500 square miles.
It is the historic center of the gold rush, northern exploration, science, Native
cultures and transportation hub for the northern half of the state. In the afternoon,
we have a private presentation by staff of the Alaska Bird Observatory. ABO has
their banding stations in operation at Creamer’s Waterfowl Refuge. Time
permitting, we visit the University of Alaska Museum, the states’ official
repository for all natural history collections, and bird South Cushman Ponds,
near the Tanana River. After dinner, we drive 60 miles east of Fairbanks through
the quarter-million acre Chena River State Recreation Park. The road dead-ends
at Chena Hot Springs Resort, up against the Steese Mountain National Conservation
Area. The upper Chena Valley is wild country and some of Alaska’s oldest
landscapes. The watershed is mature spruce and birch forests, amid a maze of
ponds - prime habitat for waterfowl, songbirds, raptors, moose, an abundance
of beaver and other furbearers. Chena Hot Springs is a grand place to spend the
night with fine atmosphere, food, rooms and swimming in the world-class outdoor
hot pool and many activities beyond birding. Night at Chena Hot Springs Resort.
Day 2 – Crossing the Yukon River Basin
Up early, we spend the morning exploring a variety of taiga habitats of the upper
Chena Valley. After lunch, we leave north across the Yukon/Tanana Uplands, with
the Yukon River Crossing 135 miles ahead, and travel through northern taiga forests
searching for Boreal Chickadee, Northern Hawk-Owl, Goshawk, White-winged Crossbill,
Pine Grosbeak and Spruce Grouse.
A 2,000-foot bridge spans the Yukon River, rising above a Bureau of Land Management
visitor center. In the “canyonlands,” the Den’yee Athabascan
Indians anchor their fish wheels used to catch their supply of king and chum
salmon that will feed them and their dog teams during the long winter. The Yukon
River Crossing and Coldfoot, 120 miles to the north, are the only sites for gas,
food, lodging and repairs on the 500-mile Dalton Highway between Fairbanks and
Prudhoe Bay. We spend the night here in clean, simple and comfortable rooms owned
and operated by Coldfoot Camp. The Yukon River is the epitome of all that it
means to be in the “North.” We don’t want to miss this extraordinary
opportunity to experience life and the birds of the Yukon River Basin. (lunch)
Day 3 – Beyond the Arctic Circle
After breakfast, we point north to the Arctic Circle. At Finger Mountain we rise
to our first arctic subalpine, where the trailhead and interpretive kiosks reveal
secrets of life in the Arctic. From here we can see the Brooks Range, and hear
Whimbrels nesting in the open landscape. We commemorate crossing the Arctic Circle
with festivities, photos and food, before descending into the “Koyukuk.” Beneath
the open woodlands of the nearby Grayling Valley are Pliestocene glacial deposits.
But in the meadows are Upland Sandpipers. Beyond is the famous, remote, wild
Brooks Range.
At the Slate Creek Inn at Coldfoot Camp, our rooms are simple but comfortable
with hot showers and carpet on the floor. Buffet-style meals in the dining hall
are highlighted with a panoramic view of these rugged arctic mountains. Coldfoot
is the major service center for all travelers enroute to Prudhoe Bay. Also, it
is the site of the coldest temperature ever recorded in North America – 82
degrees below zero! In afternoon, we will visit the historic Koyukuk gold mining
community of Wiseman, adjacent to the eight-million acre Gates of the Arctic
National Park. Wiseman was made famous by Robert Marshall’s explorations
and writings in the 1930s. He was a founder of the Wilderness Society and author
of Arctic Village and Arctic Wilderness
An evening presentation by naturalist staff at the brand new Coldfoot Visitor
Center concludes our first day in arctic Alaska. (breakfast, lunch)
Day
4 -
Birds of the Arctic Continental Divide
The focus today is on the birds of the northern treeline and alpine meadows
and slopes of the Arctic Continental Divide.. With our lunch bags and water
bottles full, we travel slowly and keeping a sharp eye-out for raptors and
passerines as we travel.
The 50 miles beyond Wiseman, along the Middle Fork of the Koyukuk River and
upper Dietrich, is prime habitat for Dall sheep, grizzly bear and raptors.
The benefits of “edge-effect” for optimal wildlife habitat are
evident here as we approach the northern-most treeline in Alaska. At the last
spruce tree, we pause for photos. Then, we begin the climb over the Arctic
Continental Divide at Atigun Pass. At 4,736 feet, this is Alaska’s highest
road summit. On the Divide, we look for nesting Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch, Northern
Wheatear, Baird’s Sandpiper, Snow Bunting and American Pipit in a mosaic
of snowfields, talus slopes and arctic alpine meadows. These north-facing,
glacial, wind-blown mountain slopes are prime Dall sheep habitat. Ewes and
lambs spend the summer in Atigun, often grazing within easy view nearby. This
is one of the most spectacular and wild settings for birding in all Alaska.
Second night at the Slate Creek Inn. (breakfast, lunch)
Day 5 – From
the continental divide to the ocean
In early morning, with a big lunch and full fuel tanks, we bid fond farewell
to the Koyukuk and leave to cross the Brooks Range, America’s last great
wilderness. For an hour or two, we retrace our steps of the previous day, keeping
a keen eye out for raptors and grizzlies. In June the Atigun River floodplain
is a good place to find grizzly bear, often a female with cubs. Here we go
into full “wolf alert.” Wolves are hunting the same Dall sheep
as did the earliest Eskimos.
North of the valley is Galbraith Lake, an area with the greatest collection
of archaeological sites in Alaska, ranging from the 11,000-year old Putu PaleoIndian
site just down the river to a modern Nunamiut Eskimo camp across the lake.
The Nunamiut village at Anaktuvuk Pass 50 miles west is the only inland Eskimo
community in Alaska. Wolves often den near here to raise their pups on sheep
meat. We see more wolves at Galbraith and Slope Mountain than any other place
along the Dalton Highway. Scan the landscape: back and forth, up and down.
We just have to be patient and look and look.
Leaving behind Putu, we continue north breaking out of the mountains to the
arctic foothills. We follow the Sagavanirktok River to Prudhoe Bay. The medium
shrubs and grassy meadows of the Brooks Range are the heart of Smith’s
Longspurs’ North American breeding grounds. Hoary Redpolls invade the
tallest willow thickets. The high cliffs of Slope Mountain reveal nesting falcons,
hawks and eagles. With passerines in the shrub thickets, raptors on the cliff
skylines, we can then look for muskoxen on the tundra. Beneath Slope Mountain
is Gallagher Flint Station, a 4,500-year-old Eskimo hunting site.
The ancient Brooks Range has a complex, fascinating geologic history. To the
east, the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is nine million acres of pure wilderness.
Toolik Lake, a large kettle (glacial) lake, is the site of the University of
Alaska’s Institute of Arctic Biology field station, where more than 100
scientists conduct research on tundra ecosystems. The Trans Alaska Pipeline
marks our path north to Prudhoe. Raptors are more noticeable as the landscape
becomes more varied, thus showing a greater diversity of small mammals and
birds for prey. Birds include Gyrfalcon, Willow Ptarmigan, Smith’s Longspur,
Rough-legged Hawk, Short-eared Owl, Bar-tailed Godwit, and the little Siberian
beauty - the Bluethroat. Yellow Wagtails bob up and down through the tundra
skies. With the arctic foothills behind, we cross a 20-mile-wide swath of arctic
coastal plain. In the distance we see Franklin Bluffs, reached by English explorer
Sir John Franklin in 1826. Tundra thaw ponds soon dominate the landscape, revealing
Red-throated Loons, Golden Plovers, Rock Ptarmigan, White-fronted Geese and
Red-necked Phalaropes.
Arrive Prudhoe and check in at the Arctic Caribou Inn. Here, an eclectic mixture
of oil field workers, biologists, geologists and nature enthusiasts share a
unique setting of an arctic oilfield. Once settled in our rooms, simple, with
carpet and hot showers, we’ll enjoy the famous pipeline-worker cuisine.
Then it’s off to find our first Spectacled Eider. We won’t run
out of daylight at Prudhoe as the sun hangs in the sky all night. (breakfast,
lunch)
Days 6 & 7 – Phalaropes, pomarines,
pectorals, permafrost and pingos
Arctic Alaska’s coastal tundra is characterized by a treeless landscape
and Ice-Age-old permafrost 2,000 feet deep. Daily weather patterns are influenced
by the nearby ice-covered Arctic Ocean. Mammals that survive and thrive on
the coastal plain - Barren Ground caribou, arctic fox, muskoxen, lemmings,
grizzly bear - have adapted to long, cold winters. Except for ptarmigan, gyrfalcon
and ravens, most species migrate thousands of miles from Arctic, Asia, Africa
and Americas to reach the Arctic Coastal Plain to breed, nest and raise young.
From Prudhoe Bay, for almost three days, we’ll range far and wide from
the wet tundra of the ACP to drier northern foothills of the Brooks. The coastal
tundra of arctic Alaska is big country, and we want to make the most of our
time. We’ll be birding a diverse tundra landscape of wet meadows, thaw
lakes, ocean beach, dry river and creek banks and ice-wedge polygons in the
immediate area, Arctic Ocean and inland along the Dalton Highway. Donning our
high rubber boots and clutching our binoculars, we search for Spectacled and
King Eider, Rock Ptarmigan, Sabine’s Gull, Pomarine and Parasitic Jaeger,
Pectoral, Stilt, Buff-breasted and Semipalmated Sandpipers, Yellow-billed,
Pacific and Red-throated Loons, Red Phalarope, Tundra Swan, and .... find me
a lemming and I’ll show you a Snowy Owl. After our tundra treks, we rest
for coffee and pastries, as staff guides discuss processes and relationships
between birds, arctic ecology, geology, climate and conservation issues.
Early summer on the ACP means mixing NE winds chilled by packice, warm river
meltwater flowing into the Arctic Ocean. With warming, green tundra surface,
conditions can create clear warm days, or thick fog and cold wind. With sightings
of caribou, muskoxen and grizzly, the charter wildlife and tundra bush flight
at Prudhoe has become a highlight for those who fly. The flight is optional.
When we can fly, it yields a fresh, new and thrilling perspective of the unique
geometry of coastal plain tundra its ice-wedge polygons, thaw lakes, pingos,
rivers and ocean beaches – arctic habitat for the birds and mammals.
The flight is the only way to see the only nesting Snow Goose colony in US. (breakfast,
lunch each day)
Day 8 – Farewell to the Arctic
Everyone is up early on the last day. Tundra has become more than an ecological
concept. Now, it is part of our ecological reality of the fascinating diversity
of Alaska. The Tour concludes with lunch at Prudhoe. Then, an Alaska Airlines
jet returns you to Anchorage and beyond. (breakfast, lunch)
What to expect
The schedule
is centered around the best time for birding on the Arctic Coastal
Plain, and the short window in June when Spectacled
Eiders are most likely to be at Prudhoe. At this time, inclement weather
can
be a conspicuous influence on the timing of nesting and distribution
of
birds. Slight changes in early meteorological conditions can accelerate
or impede snowmelt and affect feeding and nesting. The timing of
nesting is related to reduced snow cover on the tundra, occurrence
of meltwater
ponds and availability of food. But with highly variable weather
the last decade, “normal” timing of events fluctuates.
It may snow, and participants should layer their clothing as conditions
can
change quickly while we are in the field. Participants should include
bug repellent and perhaps a head net in their luggage, as there will
be some mosquitos! Bring sturdy footwear that will keep your feet
dry, as we will be doing some tundra hiking.
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