Day 8: Chandalar Airstrip Day

Don't eat who-knows-how-old TVP from last year's outfitter trip.

Anywho, it rained a lot, but not as much as the night before, so I think stream levels actually dropped. I walked around the stream a bit, then started walking/hitching south. There was not much traffic (easily 15 minutes between vehicles) and it's mostly semi trailers, which are *not* stopping. I was hiking off the road on a maintenance trail for the pipeline, waived to a work pickup truck, and he stopped! Turns out, he stopped coincidentally, but my going up and asking him induced him so say yes. And he (or his crew) also gave a ride to Gerald Klamer, a German hiker I know who happens to be around.

"Where'd you come from?"
"I hiked east into ANWR from Chandalar Airstrip."
"We just picked up a guy yesterday who did that same thing!"
"Was he German? Named Gerald?"

Small world.
Anyway, Taylor took me as far as the strip (where his airplane was stored). Unfortunately, I couldn't get further than that all day! It was too cold and rainy to stand by the side of the road constantly, so when the rain really picked up I went and sat in the DOT gravel shed. It was not my favorite.

Eventually it got sunny, but there was so little traffic I gave up and went for a walk. I tried to climb a hill across from the DOT facility, but it was (obviously) very boggy so I gave up and walked the pipeline maintenance road parallel to the airstrip. I saw the DHE shuttle go by northbound, and some more cyclists I would have liked to say hi to.

Made dinner, then tried to thumb some more, but the civilian traffic has stopped completely, and it started to rain again, so I set up my tent. Should be good to go from right here for the shuttle tomorrow, but I'll inReach to DHE to make sure.


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