North Slope , Alaska

[Northart]

Friend of mine from NC Machinery working on the Slope sent me these pictures of the recent weather they have had in the last few days.

He went with another mechanic to Pump 4 ,which is on the North side of the Brooks Range, left Prudhoe Saturday in some bad weather , got south to Pump 4 , sunshine, and then returned Sunday, to the severe weather at Prudhoe Bay, got stuck behind a snowbound truck, waited till State DOT plowed out the road.

Just another adventure in everyday life on the North Slope.:)

[Northart]

Continuing : 2nd picture shows migrating Caribou near the pipeline visible in the upper right.

[Northart]

Continuing ; This is the return trip back to Deadhorse, or Prudhoe Bay.

Fiberglass Snowpoles are the roadside markers. Clues as to where the road is during whiteout conditions. Set usually 100' apart, sometimes 50' apart.

Stuck truck ahead, Loader and grader working to open the road .

[Northart]

Continuing ;

Snowblower mounted, loader clearing snowdrifted road.

The Office girl justs laughs at the adventuresome duo's trip. :)

They were stuck behind that truck from 8:30 pm Sun,and didn't get back till 6 am Monday. As indicated by the wall clock.

They had snack food,sandwiches , some coffee in the truck to tide them over.Most everyone carries such goodies, just in case.

Phase 2 is severe weather , travel is supposed to be limited.

This is the weather on the North Slope in the 1st week of May 2008. :)

[EZ TRBO]

Awesome photos, what is the temp like up there this time of year(on the Slope?)? Just amazing to how much different it is up in AK. Some of the guys on here have never hardly seen snow, you guys hardly get away with it.

Thanks

Trbo

[Lashlander]

It sure seems to me that winter is hanging on a little harder here this year. Nice pictures Northart. I thought the pipeline killed off all the Caribou though.:confused:





:lmao:lmao

[Wolf]

Those caribou are pretty tasty. A friend of mine makes "boo bobs" on the grill. But not as good as a moose, if you can get one. Goes great with a nice red.

[Northart]

Well, it is spring time in Alaska, and the weather sure is a contrast, over the State.

20F temps up at Prudhoe Bay.

Tanana River Ice just went out Tuesday. $300,000 jackpot for the lucky guess there.

The caribou are still flourishing :) despite the environmental wackos perdition.

[95zIV]

It sure seems to me that winter is hanging on a little harder here this year.


You know Lash, the railroaders where saying basically the same thing that winter just does not want to let go around here.

[Big Iron]

The bummer is that we get all your left over weather down here and yes it is time for summer to get here!
Having been stuck in my fair share of blows I can tell you it is not that much fun. I spent 3 1/2 days in the production module on Yankee pad (pushing snow on the pad from the last blow w/our 8) took me an hour to get from the end of the pad to the module, about a 1/3 mile. The wells were at 50 to 100' spacings then, so after running off the pad several times i finnaly found a well house, got aimed the right direction went about 40' (counting the grousers as they went by) got out, took my ball of twine tied it to the push arm and wandered off to find the next well house, repeat, repeat, repeat. At times I could stand on the top of the EROPS and see the top of the well house to guide me. As the blow tappered off enough they picked me up (there were 30some hands that had to be picked up by Rolligon after that blow) in a Rolligon. I wish I had some photos of the 8 I was running after the blow, when I opened the door on the to the cab was packed floor to roof with snow, had a perfect imprint of the inside of the door in the packed snow (and yes I had shut it down, duck taped the stack and air filter inlet shut)
Some photos of early blows
Start of a blow in front of BOC BP side:
After the blow in front of the North Slope Borough camp
and cleaning up at GC-2

[stretch]

Wooowww...:eek:

[bear]

You guys in those areas are an inspiration to me. I honestly don't see how you can get anything done. Occasionally we get a primadonna here that complains about our piddly weather, have to tell these babies to shut up or leave. I can't work with whiners. You guys are balls to the wall and I have the utmost respect fer the work you do. Don't know if I could do it would like to try sometime... Love the pics, have anymore? :D

[King of Obsolete]

northart, here is your friend having fun with us after he returned from the south pole.

http://kingofobsolete.ca/ilford_camping_trip_WEBPAGE.htm

thansk
KoO
Published Author

[Northart]

Hello KoO,

Yes Steve sent me the pics. He told me he had stopped in to visit you. He was impressed. :)

Anyway he is enjoying the great cuisine on the Slope. :)

I just a helluva kick out of that Office Girls expression (Laugh) as they come back in ! Like a mother hen .cluck,cluck, now boys get back to work. I don't care if you been out all night ! LOL :) :)

[King of Obsolete]

i asked him of the office girl would go out with the King of Obsolete, all he said was the girl would probally not stop laughing when i ask her, LOL

thansk
KoO

[stepp3360]

Hey, Big Iron
Don't happen to have any more pictures of that Mack RD-800 dump? do you. It's in the background of your picture with the ADT hauling snow. I've seen quite pictures of Autocars, and Kenworths pulling dump trailers on the Slope, but never a big Mack RD-800.
Thanks, 'John

[Big Iron]

Hey, Big Iron
Don't happen to have any more pictures of that Mack RD-800 dump? do you. It's in the background of your picture with the ADT hauling snow. I've seen quite pictures of Autocars, and Kenworths pulling dump trailers on the Slope, but never a big Mack RD-800.
Thanks, 'John
I'll look, but I think thats one of the only ones i've got left. We had 6 or 8 of those, during the winter they pulled 40 cy Maxihauls, (sometimes doubles) for snow removal. After 12 or 14 hrs in one of those Macks you had to push your spinal column back up your hindside to where it was at the beginning of your shift!!!

[Big Iron]

Oh by the way those were the little Macks, these were our Big Macks (SX-45's).