The Last Road North by Ben Huff

Issue 37

The Last Road North is a portrait of Alaska's Dalton Highway. At 414 miles, the Dalton is the northernmost road in America, and was constructed solely as a transportation route to serve the oil fields at Prudhoe Bay. This dirt scar cuts through a heartbreaking landscape, and provides the photographs with a backdrop that depict a landscape, and people, at the fine edge of frontier and progress.

During this project, I drove during all seasons – moving when I felt the pull, sleeping in my truck, and waking with the light to court the landscape and revel in the fleeting relationships with strangers that only a shared path can afford. There are no stop signs, byways, or crossroads on the Dalton. No amenities or services to speak of. People don't stumble onto this road – to be there is to have a need. To be searching. Always north or south – advancing or retreating. At the end, always oil.

Ben Huff is a Juneau, Alaska based photographer.
To view more of Ben's work, please visit his website.