2013年3月24日

一路靠北 All the Way Northward, Fairbanks ,AK,USA


           
            為了增加看到極光的機率, 第二天我們就移師到著名的Chandalar Ranch !不過, 在前往Chandalar Ranch的路上,幾乎和溜冰沒兩樣, 下起大風雪的天氣,更讓我們明白什麼叫做雪上加霜!

            就在轉向Chandalar Ranch 的斜坡上 , 駕駛Johnson突地轉頭跟大家說..... 車子卡住了!!卡住了.... 卡住了..... 卡住了......!!  
           大家紛紛下車幫忙擠阿推阿, 我和Chris則是跑去Chandalar Ranch求援! 
            到了Chandalar Ranch, 進門時,因為沒關好門, 就先吃了兇婆婆一頓排頭,但在見到美麗的台灣媳婦Maggie後, 恐懼全消! 她要我們全部的人先進來, 車子等等再處理! 於是, 我們就展開了雪地長征 (其實..... 也沒那麼遠), 將車上的食物先拿進來! 時間也到了晚餐時間,做飯自然是讓專業的來,我和Johnson,Chris就抄起幾把鏟子,再去努力把車子給挖出來!
               隔天, 大夥決定一路向北, 走上罕有人煙也無法通訊的戴頓公路, 妄想著踏入所謂的天涯海角--北極圈!開上戴頓公路, 加上天候不佳, 且前一天車子也卡住, 心中不免惴惴不安, 但我想憨膽就是這樣吧, 大家都擔心,但大家都不說,所以也就這樣上路了! 一路上路況天候都不佳,還看到連柯博文卡車都翻車,自然是感到更加不安!
             最後此行祇來到戴頓公路的中點--育空河,因為天候實在太差,就決定不再前行了! 育空河本應該有個加油補給站,但冬天卻是不開的!正當休息之際,卻在這邊遇見了駕著狗雪橇前來的住民!不愧是在雪地奔馳的狗,每一隻看來都挺精壯的,不用穿Gore-Tax也可以抵禦零下20度的低溫!
             更有趣的是, 雪橇的女駕駛居然也叫Amao(意指希望),在苦寒極地中,男Amao遇見女Amao,也算是此行最意外的收獲 !
              
          We moved on to stay in Chandalar Ranch , a famous northern light observation point and hostel , just in order to raise the probability of seeing northern light . But , on our way to Chandalar Ranch , the nasty weather made our "skating " possible . How slippery it is . 
          Just right on the slope up to Chandalar Ranch ,Johnson suddenly turned to the rest of the group and said that " the car got stuck..... got stuck ......" 
           We soon got off and attempted to pull the car over , but failed . Chris and I ran all the way up to Chandalar Ranch for rescue . 
           Chris and I got a scolding from the grandma of the ranch .just because we didn't shut the door flat . But , our fear soon disappeared as soon as we met the pretty female Taiwanese daughter-in-law. She asked us to come in first and left the stuck car alone for the time being untill her husband came back . So , we began to move our food and prepare our dinner as it was almost time . Johnson , Chris and I decided to get back again with three shovels , attempting to get our car out ! 
           Next day , we were determined to go all the way northward , trying to step into the arctic circle , the so-called end of the world , via Dalton road . Getting on Dalton road ,along with the bad weather and our car getting stuck in the previous day , everybody's nerves were on edge . Every single one was worried but none spoke out . That might be the so-called bravery .
           Since the weather got worse ,plus an accident of a truck turning over took place ,adding our worry , we decided to pull a halt as we got to the middle of Dalton road , Yukon River . Even the gas station in Yukon River shut down in the winter . Just at the time when we took a rest , we met a group of dog sledder coming with a group of dogs .Those dogs are strong enough to sustain the freezing cold without wearing gore-tax .
            The most interesting thing to keep in mind is the female driver of the dog sled is also called "Amao " ( means Hope in their language ) . As for the meaning of my name in my language , it means "Thriving" . Same name , similar meaning , different language ,.So interesting to meet another Amao at the end of world  .
               

卡....住了.....
Got Stuck.......

大夥忙著把食物拿下來,準備做飯!
We are moving our food !
茂哥!什麼時候了,你還在玩用嘴拖雪橇......
Hey man ! pls !  you even have time to play around ! 
千山我獨行,不必相送..

雪地救援隊!去把車子給挖出來!
Rescue A-Team .  Get our car out !

雪地救援隊成功後的合影!
The picture taken after we successfully got our job done .

在晴空下,Chandalar Ranch讓人感覺相當浪漫.... (但昨天要上來的斜坡真是搞死我們了)
Chandalar Ranch looks so romantic under  sunny day . ( but the slope up to here is really our headache )
開闊的視野,美麗的雪景,其實賴在這邊一整天也不錯! (其實好像不少人這樣)
         Wide-open view with a beautiful snow scene . it would be good to stay here all day long without doing anything .


一路靠北前的補給,前往戴頓公路前的最後一個加油站!正如車牌上說的,我們即將前往“Last Frontier" .
Refilling fuel at the last gas station before Dalton road prior to going all the way up .
Just as the plate said , we are going to " the last Frontier "
用排遺來表示到此一遊,可能印象更為深刻一點!
遙想當年在吉力馬扎羅山五千公尺上拉一泡,現在來到Last Frontier,自然也得來那麼一下
Marking my footing by urinating and defecating would be more impressive . 

戴頓公路一景!寂靜的銀白世界!
Silent silver and white world .

苦寒之地下的生命力
Vitality in the frozen land .
一路相伴的阿拉斯加大油管!
Alaska pipeline along the way .
不時可以看到大油罐車穿梭其間 ,而且開得都挺快!
fast passing oil trucks are often seen .

十次車禍九次快....翻車了... 
Flip over.......   
前來救援的柯博文卡車....怎麼還沒變身!?
開了好半天,才只看到育空河的路牌!  其實,一直以來,育空河這個名字對我有著莫名的浪漫,只是現在仍是嚴冬,無緣一窺她的真面目!
The sign of Yukon River just was seen after a half day's driving . 
Don't know why , The name ,Yukon River , has had a beyond description attractiveness to me. However, it is winter now , I have no chance to see what it looks like .  
橫跨育空! 過了橋就是育空河休息站!
Crossing Yukon ! The Yukon gas station just ahead .

馬的....沒開~~ 也沒人~~ 這不是應該像是阿里山上看日出一樣,有人在賣貢丸湯和薑茶去寒嗎?
Holy Cow !  Shut down with no one over there .   I thought there would be at least a Donkin donut over there .
駕著狗雪橇的住民前來和另一位朋友交換補給品!
趁著他們休息,我們就來玩狗吧~  一開始,我還不太敢摸,因為主人說他們會咬陌生人~
後來發現.....  我們一夥人的親和力足以融化狗狗的心!
The dog sledder came to exchange some supplies with a friend .
In the very beginning , I din't dare to touch them . Because the owner said they are likely to give the strangers a bite . 
However, we eventually found that our kindness can melt down those puppies ' heart .
狗群中的領導者!顧盼之姿頗為沈穩!
The leader of the dog group .  usually held its position steady .
等著吃中飯的狗群!
They are waiting for lunch .


這眼神頗殺氣!
The killing eye .

對嘛!這樣不是好親近多了!?
See !  it looks better !?

各位觀眾!!  讓我們歡迎香肉美人---Rebecca !
Let's welcome  "doggy beauty "--Rebecca !
狗主人!!
The owner !
狗主人的女友--- Amao !   在這裡遇見另一位Amao真是有趣!
她問我的Amao在中文裡面是啥意思?  我告訴她是繁榮(Thriving )的意思...
她的Amao是希望,我的Amao是繁榮,看來我們都希望帶給這個世界一點正面力量!
Female Amao !!   So interesting to meet another Amao here !
Both of our name seems to be positive for this world !  ( Her name means Hope , mine means Thriving )

看了一整天的阿拉斯加大油管,終於有機會一親芳澤 !
這裡面可隨時都有原油咕嚕咕嚕地流~   真該當個油蟲,鑽一點回家賣!
We finally come closer to Alaska pipeline ! 
Can we drill a hole on it and bring some back home for sale ?
                                  

至於原油為何可以一直流,不結凍呢? 原因在于裡面有個”Pigs"的東西..
The reason why oil can keep flowing without being frozen , because there is a device called "Pigs" inside .
待續...
To be continued....

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