ALASKA- The Pipeline and The Fairbanks Ice Museum

The Trans-Alaska Pipeline System (TAPS) includes the trans-Alaska crude-oil pipeline, 11 pump stations, several hundred miles of feeder pipelines, and the Valdez Marine Terminal. TAPS is one of the world's largest pipeline systems. It is commonly called the Alaska pipeline, trans-Alaska pipeline, or Alyeska pipeline, (or the pipeline as referred to in Alaska), but those terms technically apply only to the 800 miles of the pipeline with the diameter of 48 inches that conveys oil from Prudhoe Bay to Valdez, Alaska. The crude oil pipeline is privately owned by the Alyeska Pipeline Service Company.

The pipeline was built between 1974 and 1977 after the 1973 oil crisis caused a sharp rise in oil prices in the United States. This rise made exploration of the Prudhoe Bay oil field economically feasible. Environmental, legal, and political debates followed the discovery of oil at Prudhoe Bay in 1968, and the pipeline was built only after the oil crisis provoked the passage of legislation designed to remove legal challenges to the project.

The task of building the pipeline had to address a wide range of difficulties, stemming mainly from the extreme cold and the difficult, isolated terrain. The construction of the pipeline was one of the first large-scale projects to deal with problems caused by permafrost, and special construction techniques had to be developed to cope with the frozen ground. The project attracted tens of thousands of workers to Alaska, causing a boom town atmosphere in Valdez, Fairbanks, and Anchorage.

The first barrel of oil traveled through the pipeline in 1977, and full-scale production began by the end of the year. Several notable incidents of oil leakage have occurred since, including those caused by sabotage, maintenance failures, and gunshot holes. As of 2010, the pipeline has shipped almost 16 billion barrels of oil.

The pipeline is checked and flown over several times a day

We stopped at a checkpoint near Fairbanks

The Fairbanks Ice Museum is downtown in a former movie theater. The temperature of the ice sculpture area is 20 degrees! They have many creative sculptures and a demonstration of an ice carving. It's a fun place to go!

Norman in the ice house

The ice bird carved in front of the audience

ALASKA- Fairbanks

We took a cruise on the Riverboat Discovery into Alaska.

We took a guided walking tour of an Athabascan Indian village. You’ll see an Athabascan Indian village with cabins made of spruce logs, a cache used for storing supplies, a primitive spruce bark hut and fur pelts. Our guides explained how the wolf, fox, martin and beaver were used to provide food and protection in the harsh Arctic climate. They will explained how the Athabascans skillfully survived for over 10,000 years and how they adapted to village life and Western culture in the past century.

We saw an Alaskan bush pilot takeoff and land right next to the boat!

We visited the home and kennels of the late four-time Iditarod champion Susan Butcher as we pass Trailbreaker Kennels along the Chena River. We learned first hand about kennel life and the challenges that go into making a champion dogsled team. A senior handler at Trailbreaker Kennels shared stories of life on the trails as puppies play in anticipation of joining the team. We saw a dog mushing demonstration!

At the end of your guided tour, we explored the village on our own, interacted with our guides and visited the dogs from Susan Butcher’s kennels.

Riverboat Discovery

Riverboat Discovery

Scenery along the river

Learning about the culture

Champion dogs!

ALASKA- Denali National Park and Preserve

Denali National Park and Preserve is a national park and preserve located in Interior Alaska, centered on Denali (Mount McKinley), the highest mountain in North America. The park encompasses more than 6 million acres, of which 4,724,735.16 acres  are federally owned. The national preserve is 1,334,200 acres, of which 1,304,132 acres are federally owned. On December 2, 1980, a 2,146,580 acre  Denali Wilderness was established within the park. Denali's landscape is a mix of forest at the lowest elevations, including deciduous taiga. The preserve is also home to tundra at middle elevations, and glaciers, rock, and snow at the highest elevations. The longest glacier is the Kahiltna Glacier. Today, 400,000 people visit the park annually. They view wildlife, climb mountains, and backpack. Wintertime activities includes dog-sledding, cross-country skiing, and snow-machining.

The name of Mount McKinley National Park was subject to local criticism from the beginning of the park. The word "Denali" means "the high one" in the native Athabaskan language and refers to the mountain itself. The mountain was named after newly elected US president William McKinley in 1897 by local prospector William A. Dickey. The United States government formally adopted the name Mount McKinley after President Wilson signed the bill creating Mount McKinley National Park into effect in 1917 [5] In 1980, Mount McKinley National Park was combined with Denali National Monument, and the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act named the combined unit the Denali National Park and Preserve. At that time the Alaska state Board of Geographic Names changed the name of the mountain to "Denali." However, the U.S. Board of Geographic Names does not recognize the change. Alaskans tend to use "Denali" and rely on context to distinguish between the park and the mountain.

We took an 8 hour bus tour through to park! Gorgeous scenery but too cloudy to see Mt McKinley aka Denali. We also saw animals but from very far and too far for my camera to take decent photos. Bears looked like dots on the landscape. So enjoy these photos of the beautiful scenery we saw in the 6 million plus acres!!

ALASKA- The Alaskan Railroad

The Alaska Railroad extends from Seward to Fairbanks (passing through Anchorage) and beyond to Eleison Air Force Base and Fort Wainwright in the interior of the state. Uniquely, it carries both freight and passengers throughout its system, including Denali National Park. The railroad has a mainline over 470 miles (760 km) long and is well over 500 miles (800 km) including secondary branch lines and siding tracks. It is currently owned by the state of Alaska. The railroad is connected to the lower 48 via three rail barges that sail between the Port of Whittier and Harbor Island in Seattle.

We took a four hour ride north through beautiful wilderness to Denali National Park. An amazing ride!!

 

All aboard!

En route to Denali by train

Awesome scenery on the way to Denali via Alaskan Railroad

Every turn provides another beautiful scene on the Alaskan Railroad!

ALASKA- Native Heritage Center

Today's highlight was a tour of the Native Heritage Center, surrounding a lake. The guide showed us traditional houses of the various original people from all over the state. Lots of valuable and interesting information about different cultures!

The Alaska Native Heritage Center, a renowned cultural center and museum in Anchorage, is an exciting place where all people come to expand their understanding of Alaska's indigenous people.

Guests stroll through six authentic life-sized Native dwellings situated in a wooded area around beautiful Lake Tiulana and are introduced to the traditional life ways of the Athabascan, Inupiaq/St. Lawrence Island Yupik, Yup’ik/Cup’ik, Aleut, Alutiiq, and the Eyak, Tlingit, Haida and Tsimshian peoples.

Each village site has a traditional structure along with artifacts that each group used in their daily lives. We saw the whale bones at the Inupiaq site; a favorite spot for picture-taking.  We visited with a culture representative in each village site.

Lake at Native Cultural Center

Traditional house of the Eyak People

Totem poles carved to tell a story

Skeleton of a gray whale washed up to shore

ALASKA- Potter Marsh

A highlight of the day is a visit to Potter Marsh, filled with birds of many kinds!

Love the colors!

Potter Marsh, at the southern end of the Anchorage Coastal Wildlife Refuge, is an ideal break from Anchorage for birders and other wildlife viewers. From the Seward Highway just before the left turn into the Potter Marsh parking lot, you are treated to a stunning view of Turnagain Arm. A wooden boardwalk winds 1,550 feet from the parking area through the marsh and across watery openings and sedges, perfect habitat for a rich variety of birds.

From late April through September, Canada geese, northern pintails, canvasback ducks, red-necked phalaropes, horned and red-necked grebes, and northern harriers use this wetland. Look for eagle nests in the cottonwoods near the base of the bluff using binoculars or a spotting scope. Eagles have a sharp sense of sight and can see at least four times better than people, enabling them to detect movements of small animals like hares from a mile away. When eagles soar overhead, they are scanning open areas for prey.

From May to August, gulls, Arctic terns, shorebirds such as yellowlegs, and occasionally trumpeter swans are present during spring and fall migration.

In addition to birds, look for slow movement and a v-shaped wake in the waters of the marsh, signs of muskrats swimming past. Their small brownish heads peek just above the water as they meander in and out of the wetland's open areas.

Moose also frequent the marsh year round. May and June are good times to see these large ungulates standing in the marsh foraging for new growth.

About halfway along the boardwalk, Rabbit Creek flows underneath and provides a good spot to see spawning chinook, coho, or humpback salmon from May to August, depending on the species. Spot their bright red bodies swimming in the creek.

With its nearly panoramic view of Turnagain arm, Potter Marsh, buffered by spruce, cottonwoods and alders, is one of the most accessible and scenic wildlife viewing areas in Anchorage.

Potters Marsh

Potters Marsh

Potters Marsh

Potters Marsh

ALASKA- Day 3

On a cruise of Kenai Fjords National Park which includes 580,000 acres of spectacular coastal wilderness, we see puffins, whales, birds, sea lions and magnificent Holgate Glacier among others. Alaska has so many glaciers many are not named.

Puffins on the ledges

Glacier lit by sunlight

Holgate Glacier