We stayed in a campground just outside the park and drove in every day. Everything in the park is located by distance from the entrance, called mileposts. One can only see a small fraction of the park because it covers 6 million acres….about the size of Massachusetts . Our main objective was to see the Mountain Top….something we did not do the last time we were here. The mountain top is most always covered with clouds, because it is the tallest mountain in North America at over 20,000 ft. One day as we drove in the clouds started to clear….as we got closer. Driving down the park road, approaching Mile Post 9….we sighted the mountain, massive and snow covered, glaciers were clearly visitable even though we were 80 miles away. It was called Mt McKinley in 1967…but in the 70’s they reverted back to it’s original Native people’s name….Denali meaning in Athabascan Indian, “The Great One”. We were esthetic for the rest of the day….after driving thousands of miles we had a clear view of the great one. Because of weather conditions only about 20 % of the people who come here see the top. I wondered if Aunt Jessie had seen it when she went there in the 40’s. Other things we did around Denali were….ride bikes and geocache, hike the Knife Edge trail, look for wildlife, get a lesson about Athabascan culture from Mary, see a dinner show about Denali and attend Church. We have seven Catholic couples on the caravan and we usually attend church together.
Knife edge trail....red arrowArctic Ground Squirrel ....top of Knife Edge TrailView of trailers from Knife Edge TrailRanger station at Savage RiverMary the Indian teacherMon at MP 17Gravel bars in the Savage RiverDenali ( then McKinley) 1967Denali sign 2010Denali from nearly 70 miles away.....
After reading that there was an abandoned gold dredge near the Steese Highway, North of Fairbanks, we decided to take a look. Dredges were constructed to process gold bearing material; rocks, sand, gravel, etc. much faster than the traditional water sluice method. Dredges were huge machines powdered by gigantic electric motors. Material was scooped by a bucket ladder and brought inside the dredge. There it was turned in a massive steel drum called the trommel. The trommel had small holes in it and the finer material, with the gold, fell through these holes. The silt and gold was then passed through riffle boxes separating the heavier gold. Rocks and unwanted material was taken by conveyer belt and deposited at the back of the dredge in huge piles called tailings. We arrived at the dredge site and after scrambling over massive piles of tailings….
Gold Dredge # 9...Viewed from the top of the tailings pilesInside the dredge operators room...levers to control everything.The massive trommel screenBucket ladder and buckets.....from front deckDredge diagramThese gears may have rotated the trommel screenOne of the main winches...The main entry....ladders going everywhere...For 40 years...24 hours a day it turned the landscape to piles of rock.
there it was; an abandoned, graffiti scared, rusting monster, the second largest dredge ever built in Alaska. After exploring inside….we wondered what in sounded like while it was working. Rocks clattering in the trommel, belts, gears and winches, motors humming and water flowing through the riffle boxes.
Yesterday we decided to investigate the oldest cemetery in Fairbanks. While we were walking around we met the caretaker, Frank Turney. Frank gave us the history of the cemetery: where the Catholics, Russians, bad guys, famous people and almost everyone else was buried. He was very interesting and we left with a greater understanding of Fairbanks history.
Frank the caretakerHer husband was first to find gold in the fairbanks areaRussians were the first settlers of FairbanksRussian Jewish emigrant Yellow flag represents a miner.
Yupik Eskimo Mask....carved woodYup'ik wolf mask...carved wood
Athabascan beadwork dress
Athabascan beadwork vest and moccasins Blue Babe: Mummified 36,00 year old Steppe BisonPainting of an Eskimo Dance...Large circles are walrus gut drums...loud !Blanket toss dolls...each about 5 inches tall.Ice fishing: a Yup'ik Eskimo carving in walrus ivory...about 6 inches longBlanket toss Eskimo drawing
We spent quite a bit of time at the University of Alaska Fairbanks; a beautiful sprawling, modern, hilltop campus. The campus looks down on the city and Mt. McKinley is supposed to be viewable from it, we didn’t see it. The hazy smoke from forest fires always interfered. One evening we went up to the Botanical Gardens which is also an agricultural research station. On another day we spent several hours in their Museum of the North.
University grain fields and veggiesCabbage...largest weighted 143 poundsUniversity student building a structure for the children's garden.Raspberry cross...cultivated and wild.
On Monday August 2nd the caravan went for a stern wheeler riverboat ride down the Chena river to where it joins the Tanana and back up to Fairbanks. On the way we were shown a demonstration of how little water it takes for a float plane to take off and land. We also got to see the famous dog racer Susan Bucher, winner of the 1000 mile
Athabascan Parka
Iditarod four times, kennel and dogs. They, her family, (Susan passed away in 2008) did a demonstration dog team run. They hooked the team to a 300 lb. ATV (motor not running ) and the dogs did 1 lap of the training course, at about 20 miles/ hour. The most difficult job appeared to be controlling them before the start signal was given. They really wanted to run….Later we got to meet some of the dogs, up close. Toward the end of the trip we stopped at a reconstructed Indian village and fish camp. There native people told about their culture. One Athabascan Indian girl was especially good telling about old and new ways. One tradition she spoke about was decorative bead work, for which they are famous. At the end, of her talk she modeled a ceremonial parka. Later at the museum we saw many more examples of Atabascan bead work.
Riverboat DiscoveryDog team pulling ATVOne of the dogs....One of the dogsI
For much of the highway north to Fairbanks we drove beside the Tanana River. The Tanana is a huge tributary of the Yukon. In spring meltwater stage it is 25 -30 times as wide as the Connecticut. We stopped at a scenic overlook to take a photo and started talking to an Asian family. They wondered what an Airstream was like inside, so Bob and Barbara gave them a “tour”. On the way we also stopped at the visitor center for the Tetlin wildlife preserve. Finally we crossed the Tenana River bridge, stopped at North Pole, Alaska, to see Santa’s Post office and massive gift shop, then went on to our campground.
Tenana river south of FairbanksWe like Airstream...Chinese enjoy the tour.Tetlin Visitor center... cabin made from fire killed black spruce.
Reaching Delta Jct is a milestone on the Alaskan caravan because its the official end of the Alaskan Highway. From now on , to Fairbanks, we would be on the Richardson Highway. This is one of the oldest roads/ trails in Alaska, it joins Fairbanks and the deep water port of Valdez. Valdez is also the southern terminus of the oil pipeline. So upon reaching Delta Jct we had completed 1422 miles of Alaskan Highway plus a 700 mile( round trip) “side” trip to Dawson City, YT.
End of the highway...Sullivan's Roadhouse 2010Sullivan's winter of 1911....copied from a photo in the museum.Sullivan's entry room...with stove and clothes drying rack.
One of the interesting spots in Delta Jct was the Sullivan Roadhouse. It is now a museum but it served as a spot for warmth, lodging and food for travelers from before 1900 to well into the 1920’s.
On our first trip up the highway we saw many signs to commemorate fatalities and also, I guess, encourage people to be careful. This time 2010 the signs were all gone….not one
Grave of a famous explorer...Dawson CityHorses on the road...Malcolm, Bob, Chuck and Ray stare at a hitch....is it fixed yet ?Our walking tour guide explains "paradise" alleyMural of a miner...Whitehorse,YTWash me......Alaska range of Mountains at Delta Junction
We camped at Burwash Landing, and are stopping again on the way back down, it’s on the shore of Kluane Lake. Kluane Lake is the largest in the Yukon. The road follows the shore line fom many miles with great views, water to the right and massive mountains very near on the left. One of the ladies in the caravan, who had never been fishing, caught a 41 inch Northern Pike. Kluane Lake is almost the size of Kent County Delaware.
Burwash Landing giant gold panBurwash Landing log churchRoad around Kluane LakeBurwash campground catMom at Burwash campground, Kluane LakeView on the road north of Klune Lake
Dawson grew from zero population to over thirty thousand when George Carmack and his partners found gold in nearby Rabbit Creek. Rabbit Creek was named Bonanza Creek and the gold rush was underway. Thousands arrived in Dawson only to find most of the good spots already claimed, some started businesses to provide services to the miners: dry goods, food, lodging, etc. Early buildings were built without regard of the permeant frost layer in the soil. Once built and heated the frost in the soil started to melt, this did strange things to the foundation. Many of the early structures, that still survive, are sitting at odd angles. Now, they have a method of building that allows it to float above the frost and move with it. While we were there we went on a walking tour of the town, ate in one of the restaurants and took a ride up the Dome road. The Dome road lead about 4 miles to a dome shaped height of land where you could look down on the surrounding countryside. We were up on the Dome at 10 o’clock at night and planned to stay for the sunset….until we found out sunset that night was 12:40 am. On the way down from the Dome we stopped at the Catholic cemetery..which was interesting. While taking the walking tour we found out that the exterior of some early building were covered with leaded tin that was made to look like stone. In the cemetery some larger memorial stones, looked like stone, but on closer inspection were leaded tin. We learned a great deal about the gold stampede. It was, in my opinion, a sad episode in our history. Very few people got rich, thousands of people and animals died. We saw a feature, from the train, called Dead horse Gulch, were thousands of pack animals died (horses, mules, dogs). But it was an extremely interesting place and I’m glad we went.
Bonanza Creek: this little stream had millions in gold.Cabin in Dawson City.Catholic Cemetery in DawsonCatholic Cemetery: 10:30 at night.Yukon River from the domeDome view: snakelike things are gold dredge tailings.Perma-frost damage.....1998 buildingsModern foundation in DawsonSod Cabin: in town.Old Bank building: Leaded tin cladOur trailers from the Dome ( in the circle)Library Building: restored tin clad
Sue: Dawson City was a most interesting old-time town but the intrepid Air streamers were waiting for the word that would send us all driving up the Top of the World Highway. However, rain, road washouts and finally the closing of the road to Chicken sent us all back down the Klondike Highway to stay overnight wherever we could find a haven. We, with the Helwigs and the Landes decided to stay at the Canadian Super Store parking lot. J.J. and his wife Marilyn, went ahead and got permission to use their free campground from the store manager. He was most accommodating and instructed his security people to check on us during the night. When we arrived J.J. was set up and invited all of us to share a moose stew with them. Malcolm made a salad, Chuck made corn muffins and Paige brought a cherry pie and ice cream. It was a wonderful meal with lots of laughter and good fellowship, not to mention a great stew.
The camp site....superstore parking lotThe Campers: Ray/Paige, Sandy/JJ, Sue...I took the picture.Campout food: Moose meat stew, salad, corn muffins.Dessert: Cherry pie and ice cream.
The Klondike Highway runs approximately 350 miles from Whitehorse to Dawson City. It was constructed in 1959 roughly following an early 1900s stage coach route. In 1903 there were over 50 Roadhouses along the route where stagecoaches, horse drawn sleds in winter, could obtain lodging and meals.Fox River Burn….Road travels through an area where a forest fire burned over 300, 000 acres in 1993.
Conglomerate MountainSue with "pudding stone" boulderFox River BurnBraeburn Lodge Cinnamon Buns...bigger than your head !Shell of the Montague RoadhouseOld stove in the roadhouseMontague Roadhouse winter of 1903Klondike Highway.....in the mud again.
Montague Roadhouse…Log shell of an original roadhouse on the Klondike stage road.
Conglomerate Mountain… Eons ago volcanic activity formed this mountain and the surrounding area. The mountain is made of “pudding stone” so called because it looks like a pudding with raisins, except the pudding is a rock matrix and the raisins different size stones. Freezing & thawing causes giant conglomerate boulders to break away from the mountain and roll to the bottom. The best part…..there is a rest area at the bottom to look at the boulders. What if one should break away while you’re in the port-a- potty ????
Braeburn Lodge….About 50 miles up the highway we stopped at Braeburn Lodge, an old roadhouse on the highway, famous for the size of its cinnamon buns….it took us two days to eat one.
Sue: The Yukon River has its beginnings near the bridge that Malcolm showed the contrasting pictures of the 1967 crossing and the 2010 crossing. During our stay in Whitehorse we went on a boat trip on the Yukon River through a section called the Miles Canyon. When the “stampeders” (gold fevered miners) of 1898 had climbed the Chilkoot Pass from Skagway they reached the Yukon River, built rafts to float down the river (this river flows North to the Bering Sea) to Dawson City where the highest amount of gold was being discovered. They were then faced with this canyon with bad rapids and whirlpools where many men drowned. A dam built in later years deepened the water and eliminated the rapids. We also saw tied up floatplanes which are the favorite mode of transportation here in the Yukon and Alaska.
Our second boat trip was aboard the Klondike Spirit Paddle-wheeler which was also a dinner cruise in the evening, The weather was perfect: warm and no rain. We were given the choice of salmon or chicken which was delicious as was the rest of the meal. One of the waitresses spoke to us about life in Dawson City and about the First Nation inhabitants. We rode down the river to view the village of the First Nation called Moose- hide and then back up to view the remains of paddle wheelers that were abandoned when the road and bridges spelled the end of river traffic.
Miles Canyon near WhitehorseThe boat we took through Miles CanyonMiles Canyon during the gold rush...Photo taken from a book.Klondike Spirit RiverboatOn the Klondike SpiritMoosehide a Native People's village downriver from Dawson CityYukon River island from the bow of Klondike Spirit
Into the tunnel...keep your head in....Passing the old trestleSkagway, Alaska from the train...in the White PassTrain on the new trestle: wait for the curve and take the photo...Dad fooled around and got sucked into the 12foot rotary snow plow
On Tuesday we boarded a bus in Whitehorse, YT and went to Fraser, right on the Alaskan border. From there we took a White Pass & Yukon train down to Skagway. We boarded the train and rode about 27 miles up over White pass and down into Skagway, Alaska. The White Pass is a narrow gage (3 feet), it was built this way to allow tighter radius turns on the steep mountain tracks: it was also much less expensive. Built during the Klondike gold rush of 1897 to helped get miners and supplies to the Dawson City gold fields. Because of the high rocky terrain 450 tons of dynamite was used in the construction. Going through Customs was unique, it consisted of a customs agent walking slowly through the car while we all flashed our passports at her. The ride down was fantastic with, snow, tunnels, trestles and sheer drops to the valley below. Chuck, Ken( a former Port Authority director in NYC) and I spent most of the ride on the outside platform between cars, where the ride was scenic and cold….we learned very quickly not to lean out in tunnels ( where are the rocks?).After about 2 and one half action packed hours we arrived in Skagway. On the way back (bus) we stopped in a small Native People’s town called Carcross….its old name was caribou crossing because it is on a major caribou migration route.
Bovel Island: near CarcrossCarcross ChurchCarcross general store...Window shopping ?Home in Carcross (photo..."painted with the computer")Down the train from the outside observation between cars
The Nisutlin Bay bridge crosses the Teslin River were it forms a bay, as it flows into Teslin Lake. Teslin Lake is 86 miles long and averages 2 miles across. The Bridge is over 1,900 ft long, the longest on the Alaskan Highway. Teslin means long and narrow in Native people’s language. The Yukon River bridge spans the river at Milepost 867. The 2010 picture was taken at exactly the same spot as the 1967 picture. Notice the the Landrover fender it the lower left of the picture. The road leading up the hill beyond the bridge is gravel, two narrow lanes in 1967. In 2010 it is , counting a turn and climbing lanes,
Yukon River 1967....Yukon River bridge 2010....Yukon River just North of the bridge.
Sign forest 2010.....Caravan sign: Caravan leaders Al & Gracie (left).Our Delaware shaped sign....in the second row.
In 1942 a homesick GI, working on the highway, posted a sign giving the milage back to his hometown in the states. Ever since then people passing through Watson Lake have added their own signs. In 1967, when we were there, there was about 3000 signs. Now, 2010, there are over 69,000. We added a sign for the caravan and one of our own.
Inside the sign forest....The sign forest 1967........
Pictures were taken along the Alaskan Highway traveling North to Whitehorse
Muncho Lake: 78 miles long....Buffalo on the road....real closeDown into the construction zone...Playing in the mud...Our Lady of the Yukon ChurchTetso River Lodge: Famous for sausage rolls & Cinnamon bunsRancheria FallsTetso Lodge cat...The famous buns & sausage rolls....plus guest book & coffeeSue shoots a moose.....with the cameraTetsa canyon....note cars coming up on the leftThe Toad River
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