The 414-mile Dalton Highway, originally called the North Slope Haul Road and since shortened to the Haul Road by the locals, was built in a mere five months in 1974 to facilitate construction of the Alaska Pipeline. At its peak usage, more than 350 trucks traveled the road daily, carrying everything from food to the fuel. Now, according to a retired trucker we encountered, the traffic has dwindled to about 50 big rigs per day. Traveling north from Livengood to Prudhoe Bay, the Haul Road passes through four distinct Arctic Zones. From Fairbanks to Coldfoot, the stunted spruce trees characterize the boreal forest. The Brooks Range rises up as the highway climbs to the 4800-foot Atigun Pass, Alaska's highest. The North Slope carries the road beyond the tree line to the endless views across the tundra.