To Fairbanks

Yesterday and today, we spent heading gradually north. We are now in Fairbanks and tomorrow we will drive up a dirt road for about 200 miles to the arctic circle where we plan to stay the night.

Yesterday, we finally saw our first moose ever and we saw more today. No bears yet.

We drove through a pass which was only about 3000 feet high, yet had a lake called Summit Lake. It was still about half iced over.

 The Trans-Alaskan oil pipeline runs all the way from the top of the state, to Valdez in the south.

 Just some road works being done. It is not surprising because the whole road has waves through it due to the thawing each spring. Even some of the houses move and bend a lot because of that.

 We ended up staying at a place called Quartz Lake. We went for a hike along the lake and found a log cabin built in the 1940s, although now it has perspex windows. It can be rented out overnight but is 1km from the car park so travel light.

 

Just before midnight last night, I decided to go outside and take a photo. As you can see, it doesn't much get dark here at night.

 

 Today, on our way to Fairbanks, we found some moose that weren't running back into the bushes. Maybe these ones can tell the difference between the Hunters, and gun-toting hill billies out for a meal or a bit of fun.

 These ones are female. They don't have antlers and are apparently the ones that wind up on most dinner plates. People here get most of their meat from hunting, rather than the shop.

 Although we are heading north, the town called North Pole, isn't actually at the top of the world. 20 miles south of Fairbanks, there is a place that is based around the whole XMas theme.
Olivia got to meet some real reindeer.

There was some guy at the Santa Clause house that was talking to the children. Don't remember what his name was though. He said that some of Olivia's PP2 class mates may get a visit from him later in the year. He said that he likes riding behind the 6 white boomers.