The Flight back to Fairbanks.

These are the black spruce trees of the permafrost. They are the only ones adapted to live on the mossy layer above the ice. The shorter the trees, the closer the ice is to the suface. These trees that are pictured could be 100 years old!


This is the area above the Arctic Circle.


These are the planes that flew us back to Fairbanks. The group that flew up in them, took the bus back to Fairbanks.


I sat right behind the pilot. Rick enjoyed watching all the dials from the seat to my right.


The terrain above the Arctic Circle.


A very gray and rainy day.


The bridge from the air over the Yukon River. There's a picture taken on the bridge and pipeline 2 posts before this one. See the mountains in the distance?


The pipeline heading to Valdez.


About to land in Fairbanks.


Seaplane lake at the Fairbanks airport. One of the largest in Alaska.

Alyseka Pipeline

Our bus driver was in contact with people in Coldfoot, our destination, and with the pilots for our return trip. Coldfoot was fogged in. They decided to fly the planes to the airstrip at one of the pipeline pump stations. We had about an hour to kill, so the bus driver brought us up close to the pipeline.


We went under the gate.


And closer.


With the people in the picture, you really get the perspective of size.




This is a close-up to show how the pipeline can slide from side to side due to heating and cooling and also in case of earthquakes. The pipes are insulated and the oil is very hot...over 100 degrees F., the whole trip across Alaska. That's over 800 miles of pipeline. It is above ground like this where there is permafrost. They do bury it if there is no permafrost.

The Arctic Circle

Yes, we did go over the Arctic Circle.


See the red carpet? The bus driver gets it out, lays it down and then...


greets everyone, one by one. This is Frank Colligan from California.


This is the view, even if you turned 360 degrees.


Only a few survive up here.


See? We were here!!


Truckers beware.

Following the Pipeline

The Dalton Highway is the highway from Fairbanks to Deadhorse in Prudhoe Bay and follows the Trans-Alaska Pipeline.




One of the times the pipeline goes over the river. It's on the same bridge as the highway. Where there is permafrost, it makes construction of anything MUCH more difficult.




The next rest area.


Does this picture seem really bright to you? When the sun is out... it is REALLY bright.


Notice the sticks in the ground around here? Pay attention. Permafrost. When the pipeline is above ground, there is permafrost close to the surface. Remember this in all the pictures.

Almost Crossed the Arctic Circle

The caravaners were divided into 4 groups. One group went in the morning by bus to the town of Coldfoot, AK, across the Arctic Circle. The second group left a little later in the morning and flew to Coldfoot. Then there was a trade... bus group flew back and plane group took the bus back. At least that's how it was supposed work. Day one was too foggy in Coldfoot for the plane to land. Group one had to take the bus back... this was a 7 hour one way trip. The fliers were flown to a different Native community and landed there and explored. They flew back. Day 2 and groups 3 and 4: Rick and I bused up. This is the rest stop maybe a little over half way to Coldfoot.


This family was very interesting. They had their own kids (I don't remember.. 2 or 3) and then became foster parents for somewhere around 34 or 35 kids. They lived here in the many log buildings. We didn't see many during our visit, and I think most of them are now grown. This was a souvenir shop, coffee, sandwiches, etc.



The way to the "deluxe outhouses".


Yep. The restrooms. They are even worse than they look. But... them or nothing...


One of the family houses.

Fairbanks Visitors Center

Right downtown is the Visitors Center.


The Natives of the State of Alaska.


The river through downtown.


See the Plug? All cars have them up here. It's so cold in the winter, the cars must be plugged in, in order to start again. There are posts in the parking lots (like Walmart) to do so. I mean, really, -60 degrees daily....is that daytime or night-time...oh...there is no day....


The summertime brings out wonderful color in the flowers. There are flowers everywhere.

Snowbaby Airstream

I just had to share this Airstream with you. Really cute. No, didn't get it... too pricy... :-) But what an Airstream...

North Pole, AK

North Pole?? THE North Pole?? As in SANTA CLAUS??

WOW!! He's a favorite of mine... :-)


This is Santa Claus House in North Pole, AK. Next door is the RV Park.


All these next pictures are on the outside of the house.
















And live reindeer in the back yard. What a treat!!








You just never know where your adventures will bring you.

Delta Junction, AK

Our first view of the really high mountains.




This is a river bed. Like nothing we've ever seen before. It's almost a mile across. The water is on the far side of these stones and trees.


Flowers along side the river.




Mountains look bigger in this one. Lower foothills, then higher hills, and the level of the start of the snow on the high ones. What a view. It was spectacular.