Along the Denali to Fairbanks

06.09.2014 / Fairbanks - the northernmost point of the journey

We eat leftovers on the edge of the bed and drive north. The clouds hang low behind us and between the mountains. But looking north, you can already see blue sky between the clouds. The drive is not spectacular, it goes through endless forests, beautifully colored birch and poplar trees, and over well-paved roads. Some paving work is still going on and the construction sites are dirty, our car now looks like after a desert expedition.

We have to wait a long time at a construction site with a grumpy flagger. The man is well dressed, including chunky insulated boots. He is also standing on a rubber mat. We started this morning at 35°F (just under 2°C), now in the sun we reach 44°F (just under 7°C).

We reach the small town of Nenana around 11 and have breakfast in a quaint village café/diner. Delicious oatmeal with blueberries and good coffee!

In Nenana, the so-called Ice Classic takes place annually. An ice bet, on when the ice on the Nenana River will melt. To do this, a tripod is placed on the ice, and when it breaks, the person who guessed the time best wins.

We cross two rivers and drive another 60 miles to Fairbanks, where we arrive around half past one in the afternoon. The Best Western Pioneer Park is somewhat hidden, the room is nice and breakfast is included. I had pre-booked the hotel through Expedia, but I ask at the reception what the price is for a walk-in. It is $75. Since the Expedia rate is twice as much, I quickly cancel the Expedia booking online from the hotel lobby, which allows free cancellation until 6pm, and innocently book the only room with 2 beds at the reception for $75. The hotel is very noisy. The neighbor in the room has a cough and is watching TV...

Fairbanks Visitor Center

We drive to the visitor center. It is large and shows us a nice film. Since the shutter of my small camera no longer closes, we drive to a camera shop. But the guy there is not interested and only gives me his can of compressed air after I insist, and then wants to sell me a new camera for $250. What an idiot. So for the next 2 weeks, I'll have to wind the shutter open and closed with my fingernail.

A few miles north of Fairbanks, you can see the Trans-Alaska Pipeline, which runs above ground. The pipeline is 800 miles long and runs from Prudhoe Bay to Valdez. So-called "pigs" - devices used to clean the pipes - have been placed outside for viewing. The oil is about 100°F (38°C) when it flows through the pipeline. Therefore, it mostly runs above ground, as otherwise the permafrost would thaw and the entire structure would become unstable and in danger.

Actually, we wanted to go gold panning near this pipeline route, but even there it already says "closed for the season", but they seem to have left the 'OPEN' sign there until next spring. So back to the city. The sun is shining and we have 61°F (16°C). We make a short visit to the Eskimo Memorial, but otherwise Fairbanks doesn't really offer any attractions. It looks somewhat deserted and empty. The shopping street is at best 70 meters long, and many stores have already closed.

So we go to the Italian restaurant for dinner. It's okay, but $25 for a pasta dish is not cheap.

Fairbanks

We should wash it...

We drive towards Murphy Hill, which is supposed to be a good spot for Aurora viewing. The road stretches endlessly and we decide to set up our observation post tonight on a lay-by next to the road.

In the hotel, we put a washing machine + dryer on for $6. With a washing time of 21 minutes, it's no wonder that the mud stains, which you get on the back of your pants when you wipe the sills as you get out of the car, don't come out. But everything is refreshed. At 9:30 p.m., we go to the cinema. "The 100-foot journey," the new film with Helen Mirren, is playing and is good entertainment until midnight. Unfortunately, we don't see anything in the sky in front of the cinema. At best a few stars. Nevertheless, we drive to our chosen spot and stand in the dark. Apart from a few car headlights, we don't see anything. However, the moon is quite bright and there are clouds in the sky. It's probably not surprising that nothing is happening - or it was the wrong time. At 1:30 a.m., somewhat frustrated and tired, we drive back to the hotel. No one in Fairbanks is reporting sightings of the Northern Lights online.

Daily distance: 110 miles/170 km