Fairbanks – Day 3 (Day off) and Day 4 (Journey to the Arctic Circle)

July 29, 2013

The only significant event today occurred at Fred Meyer where I found Alaskan King Crab legs for $13.99/lb. They were excellent!

July 30, 2013

The tour left at 0630! After all, it is a 200 mi drive each way. Our tour guide and driver was Maarit from Haines and did an outstanding job in both endeavors. Our first break after 2 hours was the Arctic Circle Trading Post at the “town” of Joy started years ago by the owners. The town is no more than a collection of house is nearby areas. The outhouses were popular. Shortly thereafter we entered the Dalton Highway or the pipeline road and stopped to document that happening.

Arctic Circle Trading Post

 

The Dalton Highway

Our second stop was to take pictures of the pipeline, au naturel. It’s not as bright and shiny as the viewing areas near Fairbanks. After crossing the Yukon River we stopped at the Yukon River Camp for lunch. This is a former workers camp for building the pipeline. The Yukon at this point is nearly ¼ mi wide and 45’ deep and was roaring. Our next major stopping point was Finger Mountain that has a rock formation shaped like a finger that points directly towards Fairbanks. Early Bush pilots used it as a navigational reference.  The rocks in this area are the result of the permafrost pushing the rocks upwards onto the surface.

Pipeline - Note the overhead clearance protection

Yukon River - The only bridge across it!

Yukon River Camp - good food and reasonable prices, but not fancy.

Ice Road Trucker Fans - The Roller Coaster and it is longer and steeper than it looks in this picture.

Typical Northern Alaska Countryside. This area was NOT glaciated during the last ice age. It was too dry.

Pipeline Zig-zagging

Finger Peak

View south from Finger Peak - Finger Rock just to the right of pipeline.

 

Finger Rock pointing towards Fairbanks

Another push north finally got us to the Arctic Circle. Of course we had to document our ceremonial crossing of the line. We all got certificates attesting to this deed.  To celebrate this event our guide gave us all a piece of triple chocolate cake with whipped cream on it.

Charlie's dash across the finish line!

Katherine's Hop

Donna! Go ahead step across You won't freeze solid if you do.

 

After heading south again into the sub-arctic we stopped to see tundra up close and personal. This is not really arctic tundra but alpine tundra. To get to the true arctic tundra we would have had to drive another 200 miles and cross the Brooks Range of mountains. The tundra grass grows in large clumps that are definitely ankle breakers if not careful. In between is moss that is squishy underfoot. The saving grace is the low bush blueberry plants that were loaded with ripe blueberries for us to pick and snack on. The living layer of the tundra is only an inch or so thick. Remove a bit of moss, dig out a big of “muck” and the whole fills immediately with ice cold water. If you drive on tundra, your tire marks will become permanent mini-lakes that grow larger each year. We saw evidence of this on the way home.

Tundra blueberries



Note the top living layer, that below was once frozen permafrost layer. Now thawed the remnants are dry and powdery will erode away until the living layer again covers it.



Alpine tundra

 

Just after leaving our “tundra stop” someone spotted a bear about 100 yds. off the road. The pictures I got document it was a grizzly bear.

 

We again stopped at the Yukon River Camp for our dinner. The food there is really good and all freshly prepared and cooked. Katherine had salmon tacos and salmon chowder. We got home about 9:30 PM. Along but very worthwhile day. I must say I’m glad we did not do this on our own by car!

Fairbanks, AK – Day 2

July 28, 2013

We had a busy sightseeing day today. Our first stop was the Morris Thompson Cultural and Visitors Center. There were some interesting exhibits and a good movie on living in Fairbanks in Winter. Our second stop was the Ice Museum in an old theater.  The real challenge was finding lunch. While there are many good places to eat, they are not open on Sunday. We and many other found the Fudge Pot. They did sell fudge but also had very good sandwiches and soup, the Salmon chowder was good! After lunch we visited the Yukon Quest Visitors Center. The Yukon Quest is an international dogsled race between Fairbanks, AK and Whitehorse, YT. They alternate directions each year. Susan Butcher’s husband is a winner of this race.

Cabin and garden outside Morris Thompson Visitors Center

Donna chilling out in the Ice House

Katherine reluctantly sitting at the Ice Table

Ice carving demonstration...about 10-15 minutes work.

 

Park along the Chena River

Park and Chena River

 

Our final stop for the afternoon was Gold Dredge No. 8 in Fox, AK just up the Steese Highway. When you arrive you walk under the Alyeska Pipeline and board a train for a short trip to the dredge. Along the way they had demonstrations of several older gold mining technologies Plus a demonstration of gold panning. Upon disembarking each person receives a bag of concentrate to pan. Stations are set up with water and pans and an old 35mm film container to put you gold in. With help we finished our panning. I found $27 in flakes, Katherine $16, and Donna $9. We combined our fortunes and had the gold flakes put into a locket for Katherine.

Old time prospector operation.

 

Gold Dredge No. 8

 

Katherine showing off her riches.

 

Katherine's gold bonanza!

 

Alyeska Pipeline cutaway with "dumb" cleaning pig

 

 

Tonight we all had dinner at the Pioneer Park Alaska Salmon Bake. This was a great meal with way too much to eat again. Entrees were baked Yukon River Sockeye Salmon, beer battered cod, and cut to order prime rib. All were great and I wanted more but was ready to burst. Afterwards we went over to the Theater for Golden Review Stage Show that parodied Fairbanks history. The best act was the Alaskan version of the Abbot and Costello classic “Who’s the Lead Dog?” The crew did it flawlessly.

 

Women's fate in early Fairbanks - working or "working."

And sometimes the working were forced into "working."

There was a shortage of women.

Outhouses were common - multi-tasking toilet seat to warm your buns or elsewhere.

The cast who put on a great show.

 

Jeff making friends with Patrick on Friday night.

Jeff and Patrick. Please don't get jealous Walt! ;-))

 

 

 

Fairbanks, AK - Day 1

 

July 27, 2013

We started out early (0830) this morning with a bus ride to the University of Alaska – Fairbanks Museum. This museum is Alaska in a nutshell, starting with the 8’9” Brown Bear from Kodiak Island. The Museum traces all aspects of Alaska history and must be seen by anyone who visits this city. We came back to the Campground for a fantastic lunch Alaska’s Chen Grill on the resort property.

A little Alaskan Outhouse

Jeff Jeffries having a little light dessert...AGAIN. ;-)))

 

After lunch we re-boarded the bus for a short trip down river to the Discovery Riverboat Cruise. This cruise demonstrates several things that are routine here but unusual for most. The first was a float plane landing and take-off right next to the boat using a Super-Cub Floatplane. There used to be a short takeoff and landing strip, but that was closed the city. We stopped next to Susan Butcher’s house. Unfortunately she died of cancer at age 51 in 2006. She was a 4 time winner of the Iditarod. He husband showed us a number of their sled dogs and demonstrating mushing with a motor less ATV, just dog power.

Super-Cub

Susan Butcher's Kennel - Her husband is on the ATV, note the ATV is tied down, otherwise off it would go. Those dogs love to run.

After completing the run at speeds up to 20 mph!

 

 

 

 

We journey down to the confluence with Tanana River. The Tanana is of glacial origin and is laden with silt. The Chena is a Clearwater river. It is interesting to see them mix. The paddle wheeler can no longer go into the Tanana due shifting of the mainstream. We then docked at the recreated Athabascan village where their lifestyle before and after contact with white men was established. It was a nomadic survival existence that they did for over 10,000 years.

Chena and Tanana Rivers confluence.

Our tour guide, an Athabascan teen who knows his stuff, showing off different animal pelts.

Chena River with Fairbanks in background.

Another wee little Chena River cabin.

 

We are running the ac tonight as it hit about 80 today. 

Tok to Fairbanks, AK - And Katherine's Birthday too

July 26, 2013

Yes we celebrated the most important event of the day, Katherine’s 35^th Birthday. We got a ½ sheet Red Velvet Cake from Freddie Meyer and celebrated at our Happy Hour.

The Birthday Girl

Amanda Dostie, Katherine's friend.

 The pictures below are of fellow travelers enjoying the cake.

 

 

The drive north was noteworthy in that we completed driving the Alaska Highway. We also enjoyed good roads and better weather with great views of the Alaska Range to the south and west of us. Our campground for the next 5 nights is Rivers Edge Resort on the Chena River, a great place to stay on a fantastic river.

A beautiful view from a roadside pull-out

Alaska Range Mountains - ignore the bridge support and the fact I stopprd on the bridge to take this one.

WE DID IT!!!

Alaska Range Mountains and Tanana River