We drove out the Steese Highway to see the historic Gold Dredge 8 near Fox, take a train ride around the dredge on a narrow gauge railroad, try some gold panning and eat cookies. After a briefing on the Alaska Pipeline by a local high school history teacher, we boarded this train for a tour of the gold dredging operations. The train is a replica of the Tanana Valley Railroad which operated in the goldfields of Interior Alaska.
We stopped several times for actors to show us how, in this photo, the dirt was removed from the earth and transported to be processed. This spot was originally over 100 feet higher before they, through the use of hydraulic mining, removed the topsoil to access the gold-bearing material.
We were given a “poke” of dirt to try our luck at panning. After a few minutes of this, we pooled our flakes into one container, which was then weighed, resulting in $85 at current market price.
Jason somehow would up with all of the gold.
This is one of the largest nuggets found at this location, assayed at $75,000. It would not fit in Jason’s pocket.
After viewing the brief history of gold mining in Fairbanks, we drove to the site of the original claim, made by Italian born Felice Pedroni. He was soon referred to as Felix Pedro. Felix’s discovery of gold in the remote Tanana river valley sparked the 1902 Fairbanks gold rush, which resulted in the development of Alaska’s largest gold district. Over $7 billion worth of gold was removed from a single creek bed. $7,000,000,000!
This is the original claim and the signage behind the creek explains that the area is open for panning. You can see many holes where panners have taken dirt to pan, hoping to find something. I have to believe that all gold at this particular spot has been removed.
Jason just had to throw some rocks anyway.
Next, we drove to the 100+ year old Chena Hot Springs Resort, taking the 50 mile drive up the Chena Hot Springs Road. We passed through 26 miles of the Chena River State Recreation Area en route to the hot springs.
This is one of the original cabins at the resort, with the well-insulated roof intact.
We came to visit the Aurora Ice Museum and took the last scheduled tour of the day. There are natural hot springs on site and a large natural hot springs lake for soaking, a swimming pool and several hot tubs available. The entire resort is powered by geothermal energy and the geothermal plant is open 24/7 for visiting. This ice museum is also powered by geothermal energy. Once inside, you enter a second building within this outside shell.
This airplane made its last landing at the short airstrip at the resort and is planned to be a bar, with access by a spiral staircase (yet to be built) and egress by a zip-line (also yet to be built). I can imagine the patrons, after spending time in the bar, zip-lining to the ground.
Waiting for our tour, Jason found this old tractor to drive and went through the gears.
We were offered parkas before we entered the building and it indeed was cold, 25 degrees cold. This is the shop area where the ice carving and martini glasses are turned from blocks of ice.
There were many ice sculptures inside and this even can be booked at a two bedroom B&B. We saw the rooms, the beds are made of ice, the chairs are made of ice, but you have to leave the structure for nature calls. They brag that no one has lasted beyond their nature call, the longest to date was to 3:00 am.
Now for the highlight, apple-martinis in hand-turned, solid ice glasses, while sitting on ice bar stools at a solid ice bar. Too bad I was the designated driver.
Once outside the glasses began to visibly disappear/melt.
Tradition is to whisper your wish into the glass and then smash it. Spotting the opportunity at hand, Jason became the official “glass smasher”.
On our way back to Fairbanks, we spotted this lady and stopped to take a few pictures. She allowed us to be pretty close.
Next up for us was to take a ride on the authentic Sternwheeler riverboat “Discovery” on the nearby Chena River. Our camp, River’s Edge in Fairbanks was on the Chena. Michelle, Jason and Cathy are ready for departure.
We slowed a bit to watch a bush pilot demonstrate a seaplane take-off and landing on the river next to us.
Next, we passed the home of the late Susan Butcher and saw a sled dog demonstration. Her daughter and husband were present and helped narrate the presentation. Susan became famous for winning the Iditarod Race four times.
We saw several caribou at the turn-around point at the Old Chena Village.
Jason had a chance to pet one of the real, Alaskan sled dogs from Susan’s kennel.
Jason asked for this sled dog book about Granite, one of Susan’s favorite dogs and the lead dog for all four championships, being signed by both the co-author David Monson (Susan’s husband) and her daughter Tekla (pictured below). We cannot say no to book requests.
We were in Fairbanks during the Golden Days celebration, memorializing the original date of Felix’s discovery. Of course, we had to participate in the Golden Days Race, which led the Golden Days parade. We ran/walked through people stacked two or three deep along the route. Our “parade” was not really the event, they were waiting for the real thing. We allowed Jason to run his race, which meant that he could leave me in the dust.
Jason and I ran the event and Cathy and Michelle walked. Jason ran back to finish with them after he crossed the finish line.
The honor guard began the parade.
The first marching band was from nearby Fort Wainwright.
A float honored the founding of Fairbanks and recognized Felix Pedro.
A very large fire fighting piece of equipment from nearby Eielson Air Force Base followed. There was also a fly-over by two fighter jets.
The Alaskan Division of Forestry had a truck followed by several tired and dirty firefighters from the recent and nearby fires in the area. They received a lot of appreciation from the crowd. The hoses from the fires were being cleaned near our camp and we saw the work going on for days.
A float drew attention to the Rubber Duckie Race for charity on the Chena River.
An authentic racing bi-wing aircraft was displayed on a flatbed.
Then came one of the more modern motorhomes in Fairbanks(?). I think it even had a kitchen sink.
There was a bagpipe marching band in Fairbanks.
What would an Alaska parade be without a sled dog?
Two elders from the Native Cultural Center were honored.
We headed to Denali for the day, as the weather report showed that it would be sunny and clear. It rained most of the way there and never really cleared enough to see the mountain. We decided to take a walk on the Savage River, which crosses near where the road is closed to all but park buses headed to Kantishna. We passed the now usual bear warnings on the hike.
The trail is well marked and easy to navigate. There are several opportunities to take strenuous side trails.
Jason had to be the first at the bridge crossing the river and the half-way point of the two mile hike.
Jason showed off his serious injury…a mosquito bite. The mosquitos are joked to be the state bird in Alaska.
Cathy and Michelle headed up the trail. The landscape varied from tundra, to rocky, to level meadows, the full gamut. This is one of our favorite of the easier hikes.
We stopped in Denali Village in the commercial area to walk through the souvenir shops looking for that great t-shirt (just kidding). But we did find an ice cream shop that had ice cream locally made with fireweed and honey. I went conservative and stuck with wild raspberry and Jason went ultra and had vanilla.
We stopped for dinner at the 49th State Brewery. Michelle had the halibut cheeks and Cathy chicken wings. Jason and I were not hungry so we watched. Jason did sneak a couple of fries from Michelle.
Michelle posed in the bus from the movie based on the Krakauer book “Into the Wild” in Healy.
Sadly, Michelle had to leave us on Sunday night and we drove to Healy to our new RV Park. We arrived at 11 pm and the sun was still out. On Monday, we returned to Denali, after Jason completed his Junior Ranger project and he received his pin at the visitor center.
On Tuesday, we slept in late then went back to the park to try a longer hike. We spotted this spur hike off the Savage River trail on our previous hike and decided to take the challenge. Jason is up the rock at the first rest point, our start was near the bridge below him.
Jason enjoyed taking pictures from the first viewpoint. This was our original destination as we spotted it a couple of days earlier when we hiked the river below. Since we made it here much quicker than anticipated, Jason and I continued on to the next hill, about a 2,500 foot ascent from the river. The total distance to the top and back was a little over a 5K and we completed the hike in less than an hour.
Cathy enjoyed the view of the valley below. She decided to wait for us here but actually continued up the trail after we took off.
The view continued to improve as we gained elevation.
The road snaking up the valley is the secured road to Kantishna.
Jason relaxed at the summit, we took five minutes before starting the descent.
The view looking back towards the Parks Highway at the base of the mountains in the distance is lovely. The road visible is the road we took to the bridge and the trailhead.
From the trailhead, our original destination was the rocky peak in the foreground, we wound up climbing the peak in the background.
Travelling with the Schinglers 