Ice Road to Bethel

In the Lower 48, we have a program called Ice Road Truckers. I had never heard of traveling on the frozen rivers of Alaska before that show. I have watched the show a couple of times, and I was rather fascinated by the idea such travel. So, when I heard about the river cab to Bethel, I was interested. Actually, I was ready to go!

We have no roads here in the Alaskan Bush, but once the river freezes, nature gives us a road. Our boys and girls basketball teams were playing at the district basketball game in Bethel (47 miles away) on Thursday, March 4, so I asked around and found a group of people who were interested in going to Bethel. I told our maintenance man Carl and he promptly offered to drive. (YEA, thank you Carl.)

The day did not disappoint. It was beautiful day in March. The skies were overcast and the sun was bright. We were to leave at 2:30. The game would start at 5:30. We had plenty of time. I watched the familiar towns zip by as we drove a steady 45 to 50 miles per hour down the icy road. The road was clearly marked. Crews had taken ample time to mark the road by drilling a hole into the ice and placing a limb into the hole. This marks the road so the driver has a path that is safe to drive. It was obvious that many people used this road.

Even when we passed people on the road, it didn't feel a bit different than driving at home. Yet, I knew we were driving on ice. Our path was one lane. Carl joked that if a car wouldn't move over for him that it had to be a female driver. We laughed whenever this happened. Most of the time one car would have to stop to allow the other to pass. When this didn't happen and both cars kept moving, I held my breath. It was exciting. We returned to Kasigluk on Sunday by the same route. It was a little harder coming back because there had been a blizzard on Saturday night. Both Fannie and Carl pointed out spots for me to help me learn the land. There were the bluffs, various towns, and the overflow.

The overflow is extremely dangerous. This is an area where the water has flowed over the ice and re-frozen. It looks safe, but it isn't. The depth between the weak ice and water could be small or quite deep. I had great faith in Carl, our driver. He has driven this route many times. He also has a GPS to help if there is any question in his mind. I felt quite secure.

Of course, when I returned home, I heard several stories from teachers who had quite a different experience than I. Just Sunday, friends became disoriented while driving back from Bethel in fierce winds (wind chills of minus 54 degrees) and couldn't find the road. Instead, they found the overflow. Their truck went through the ice. Fortunately, it was in a spot where the weak ice wasn't extremely deep and they were able to get out. The truck is still there, but they are safe.

Would I do this again? Yes. I loved the drive, but I would be extremely cautious and never, ever take a chance.