Day 29 Denali to Fairbanks (7th September)

After an early breakfast we took a quick walk down the road to the Denali National Park sign for a photo opportunity. A balmy 3°C. On the way there we saw a group of people readying for a ride down the rapids on the Nenana River. On our return they were setting out. The only good thing I could think was that the water would not be much colder that the air.

We then headed back to our room to collect our gear and head up to the main lodge for the coach trip to Fairbanks.

The further we drove from Denali, the finer the weather became. At the end of the 3 hour trip we arrived at the Chena River for lunch, followed by a Paddle steamer ride.

The lunch was in a big dining hall with long tables and bench seats. There was a hearty beef and vegetable soup followed by roast vegies and cranberry/pecan salad. Dessert was a small slice of a very rich fudge slice.

We had just enough time after lunch to experience the -40F below room. This is the temperature that Fairbanks reaches during the winter months. We would not have been in there more than a minute and the cold had already started to penetrate our clothes and into our bodies.

The paddle steamer is a true working rear wheeler. The (female) captain is the 4th generation in the family to join in boating down the river.

The boat trip includes several stops where locals entertain the passengers. The first of these was a float plane pilot who takes off and then lands again by the boat. Then, via radio, the MC on the paddle steamer chats to the pilot, learning more about the importance of float planes in Alaska.

Next stop was a dog kennel. This kennel is run by the husband of Susan Butcher who was the first woman to win the Iditorod Dog Sled race. Susan went onto win another 2 races. She also had a lead dog that is the only dog to have been the lead dog to win the race on multiple occasions. Susan's husband races in the Yukon Sled race. This is another race over 1000 miles.

We were shown some young pups and some dogs about to start their training. We were finally shown a harnessed team of dogs that pulled a ride on mower minus the engine. They had to reinforce the brakes as the only way to steer and stop the dogs is by voice commands. Sometimes the dogs can be a little hard of hearing and they absolutely love to run.

We stopped at a reconstructed Indian village. Here we were taken in 3 different locations within the village where they spoke about village life, the wild animals that they hunted in surrounding areas, the reindeer (domesticated caribou) and the history and events of the arrival of the white man.

They also had some reindeer in a pen. Reindeer are a domesticated caribou (something that has occurred over several centuries). As it is coming into the cooler months the antlers are shedding the "velvet" covering that is actually a system of blood vessels feeding the growth of the antlers. At this time of year, the reindeer will rub their antlers against trees and bushes to remove the dying vessels hence creating a gored look to the antlers.

Properties along the river front are rather varied. There are some that date back to the early days of Fairbanks. These are of log design. Where the logs cross at right angles at the corners of the house which today is used for hanging baskets in the early days were sued for hanging game. There are also large modern style houses on large lush green properties. Interspersed amongst these large properties (both the old and new) are small properties with houses of varying age and style.

We then returned by paddle steamer to our berth and the coach dropped us off at our hotel. Once checked in we headed downtown to find a grocery store. Once again this involved a couple of kilometres walk.