Ice Road Pilots

Piloting - leading or guiding - oversize loads on Alaska's roads can be a challenge at any time of year but winter ice, snow, wind, fog and the ever-present danger of moose or caribou on the road make it far more so. Pickups have neither the weight nor the tire size of semi-trucks so handle the road conditions much differently. Prudhoe Bay is about 522 miles by road from Fairbanks and road and weather conditions, mechanical delays and avalanches can turn that trip into a 16-hour ordeal. Piloting is not for the faint of heart and rarely is it uneventful. 57 pages