Today we went on a paddle wheeler to a First Nations village to see demonstrations of the lifestyle.
We got a bit "cool" in the -40°C room. (-40°F = -40°C)
Even though it was only -30°F :P
The paddle wheeler.
Scenery along the river.
We saw some sled dogs. The puppies were near the shore and looked keen to join the big dogs.
The dogs were attached to a quad bike with the engine removed and they pulled it (and the driver) around a track for us. At each of these stops the paddle wheeler stops at the side of the river while the guide chats to the people on shore who are all miked up and there is also a video camera trained on them so if people were standing up in you way you could still see via video.
A fish filleting demonstration.
A fur coat.
A Lynx pelt.
Other pelts - the one in the frame is a Beaver.
Smoking fish to preserve it longer.
Fish wheel for subsistence living.
First Nations - the first "mobile home".
Some Caribou.
Fast shelters for the hunting party.
Birch bark canoe.
Sled dog demonstration.
Some of the homes on the river bank.
Most homes are built with wood because they live on an earthquake fault and also with the permafrost they need to be able to move with the movement of the ground if necessary. Bricks would just move and create cracks in the walls. Also apparently bricks are very expensive.
Just a few solar cells.
Alaska only tends to get 4 months of summer but they have nearly 24 hours of sunlight during that time so it makes up for those long dark winters.
A lot of people are around during summer and then pack up and leave for the winter months. Especially the tourist shops - some head off to other spots or other jobs during winter.
All the "mod cons" plus a float plane. Much more efficient here than a boat when the river freezes. Just take off the floats and put on the skis.
As a surprise Claudia & Chris took us to the Alaska pipeline. Very interesting.
Steven standing next to one of the retired "pigs" for checking the pipeline.
Another surprise:
Musk Ox at the University large animal research station.
The NASA sponsored dish at the University for Aurora study.
Tonight we took a flight to Wiseman via Coldfoot - this is above the Arctic Circle.
Steve - our pilot.
The University from the air.
A ski run on one of the mountains.
The pipeline.
Pipeline pumping station #6.
The Yukon River.
The flight took about an hour then and an hour back. Unfortunately 15-20 minutes into the flight over Dawn was sick (after being fully medicated beforehand). Luckily felt better and able to eat an apple that was part of our dinner order once we landed. Coming back wasn't so bad as the sun wasn't on us and there wasn't much to see as it was getting dark so she could close her eyes.
The Arctic Circle N 66" 33.00'. The pilot explained what to look for on the screen to get a picture of the exact moment of crossing the equator. We saw the screen on the way over and the challenge was to get a picture on the way back.
The highway & pipeline together.
The pipeline, goes around the airstrip.
Our plane.
Some more of our group exiting the other plane.
A talk in a cosy cabin of what everyday life is like above the Arctic Circle. This was not a native man but a guy whose family had lived there for generations and he chose a subsistence lifestyle where he has to provide everything for his family.
Wiseman.
A talk in another cabin - more about the wildlife - with examples - "pieces" of animals, bones & antlers (very heavy). He was keen huntsman.
The pipeline still continues past Wiseman, it goes underground where the permafrost will not be disturbed by the heat of the oil in the pipeline.
Coldfoot - featured on " Ice Road Trucker's".
A sunset - behind the plane.
The lights of Fairbanks as we come in to land.
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