Camping with sled dogs in December -- Southern Brooks Range

Lots of snow ... but the weather was relatively warm -- something I had worried about as we had had two weeks of 40+ below zero in Fairbanks. What an extraordinary experience! I flew into Bettles on December 4th to dog-sit 19 huskies for a week, after which my gracious host took me on a camping trip to 12-mile Lake in the southern Brooks Range with 11 incredible animals.

While many of you think living in a "dry" cabin outside of Fairbanks is a challenging lifestyle, the cabin in Bettles goes a step beyond -- melting snow for water, a wood stove as the only heat, and an unplowed access road. I learned to split wood, light the stove every morning (one morning it was 28F inside when I got up), carry-in snow in a large washtub, and store enough water for cooking, washing, drinking, and the dogs. Although it was 20 below zero one night, the rest of the time it did not get colder than a couple of degrees below and was around 20 above the last few days. Spending as much time as I did outdoors, I was very grateful for the mild temperatures.

Bettles Airport

The access road to the cabin with the dog yard at the end.

The cabin with our dogsleds in the foreground.

Sunset from the loft window -- this was about as much color as I saw given the fact it was overcast and snowed every day.

The dog yard.

Cleaning up the yard and feeding the dogs was a daily challenge. They dig holes which then get covered by snow -- this makes walking around the equivalent of navigating an obstacle course. Turning your ankle with a 5-gallon bucket of water in one hand and a bucket of food in the other could have serious consequences. The cabin is remote and carrying a cell phone around is of no use. You could lie out there for days if you became immobilized. I guess you just can't think about things like that. Life requires a good deal more focus than most of us exercise in day-to-day living. In the above photo, the dogs are all excited as Zak is making his way back home.

This is Mahal

-- a fine looking dog and one of my favorites (actually they were all pretty much my favorites). I've never met a nicer bunch of dogs.

Chica Rica in her house.

... and the ever excitable Comatose.

The day before we took the dogs, we snowmachined out to the lake to groom the trail, drop some equipment off, and smooth the campsite. This was about a 25-mile run and the first time I had been on a snowmachine. On top of the sled you may notice the dreaded snowshoes. I found it difficult to get them on when on either side of the trail the snow was up to my armpits, I was in a bulky parka and bib, my fingers were freezing, and the whole system of tightening them seemed to be beyond my comprehension. A low-point on the trip. I was relieved the next day when Zak forgot to pack them.

Hooking up the dogs with Chica and Solita in lead.

A break to eat snow on the trail.

It gets dark by about 3:00pm and snow was falling.

Our camp

... with the "Arctic Oven" tent and a snow melter in the background. I learned that winter camping with dogs is one whole lot of work!

Mahal enjoying the good life!

The tent has a stove inside (hence the Arctic Oven). It gets very hot, but if you open the flap you freeze -- one of the joys of winter camping I guess. The goat skins were a nice touch.

The dogs the next morning.

In the middle of the night the dogs got loose -- it is not exactly clear to me how this happened -- but they all came barreling into the tent knocking everything over and stepping on my head. Zak's only comment was unprintable.

Getting ready to head back.

Yours truly on the front sled.

The fantastic team that made it all possible -- I love these dogs!!!!

... and many many thanks to Zak.

Up the Steese Highway to Central

Here I have a problem. I didn't mean to lead off with a photo of Savannah in the green chair, but I can't seem to delete the photo without deleting the following text. Blogspot has changed their formatting. Oh well, she IS a beautiful dog and she did go on the trip!

The Lonely Planet: Alaska (2009) describes the Steese Highway as ... scenic but severely lonely ... It follows an old gold miner's trail 162 miles from Fairbanks to Circle, an Athabascan village on the Yukon River. About 25 miles from Fairbanks you pass the entrance to the Fort Knox Mine, the second largest active gold mine in Alaska. You also pass Poker Flat Research Range, the world's only scientific rocket launching facility owned by a university. Poker Flat is located approximately 30 miles north of Fairbanks. It is operated by the University of Alaska's Geophysical Institute under contract to NASA's Wallops Flight Facility, which is part of the Goddard Space Flight Center. In addition to launching sounding rockets, Poker Flat conducts research on the arctic atmosphere and ionosphere, including the aurora -- a serious reason for living in Fairbanks.

We had started out a week ago Sunday, which turned out to be the 2nd wettest day Fairbanks has had all year. After about 35 miles when our view was restricted to the road in front of us, we turned back. Last Sunday was a perfect day for a drive into the White Mountains north of Fairbanks.

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Cripple Creek

The Chatanika Lodge

From the lodge comes the traditional "Chatanika Days Outhouse Race". Each March five-person teams race a one-mile course, with four pushing and one riding in the specially built "racing outhouses". This is Alaska, folks. It is akin to the bathtub races that take place during Golden Days at Pioneer Park (formerly Alaska Land).

12-mile summit (2,082 ft)

Twelve-mile summit is the divide between the drainages of the Yukon and the Tanana Rivers. The Pinnell Mountain National Recreation Trail begins here.

The views are spectacular -- 360 degrees of White Mountain peaks. We enjoyed a picnic of sandwiches, fruit, red wine and dark chocolate-dipped macaroons at the summit. Nice!

Savannah also had a good time.

Eagle Summit (3,685 ft.)

Much colder, windier, and stark. Eagle Summit is one of the most difficult points on the Yukon Quest sled dog race. Many teams fail here.

At the summit we are above the tree line, but witness two black spruce stragglers loath to give up!

Savannah went crazy on the tundra.

Central, AK.

One of the checkpoints on the Yukon Quest trail. Not much to do here (not even a good cup of coffee). We settled for diet Cokes.

Finally, fireweed and black spruce under an overcast sky on the way back to Fairbanks.

This was not one of the most dramatic of trips I have taken, but the scenery was awesome. Unfortunately, you would need Jeff Jones' photographic equipment to do it justice. We didn't go all the way to Circle as it would have required another 2-hours drive on what the Lonely Planet characterized as possibly ... Alaska's least scenic stretch of road, ... Plus, we both had seen the Yukon River already.

It was a truly beautiful drive, on a beautiful day, and it would be nice to do it again in different seasons.

BTW, I do intend to write to all of you to whom I owe emails!

The Richardson Hwy to Valdez and the ferry to Cordova

A drive down the Richardson Highway from Fairbanks to Valdez takes you through the Alaska Range, the Chugach Mountains to the southwest, the Wrangells to the southeast, and past a variety of glaciers, lakes and river drainages. It is one of the most scenic routes in Alaska, but it is more often than not covered in clouds and fog, and raining -- which it was on the day we drove down.

The Delta River with the Gulkana Glacier in the background.

The Worthington Glacier.

Just one mile off the road it is the most visited site in the Copper River Basin.

Horsetail Falls is right ON the road.

Savannah in the meltwater pool of the Valdez Glacier just outside the town of Valdez.

The Valdez small boat harbor as seen from the Dock Point Trail on the edge of town.

The end of the Trans-Alska Pipline and storage tanks accross the bay from the town. The pipeline runs 800 miles from Prudhoe Bay to Valdez and the town was the site of the disastrous Exon-Valdez oil spill. Another spectacular view from the Dock Point Trail.

A field of wild flowers on the Mineral Creek Trail near Valdez.

The ferry ride from Valdez to Cordova was spectacular even though it was overcast.

Arriving at the port of Cordova.

Gulls at the ferry dock. My only photo of "wildlife" -- not counting Savannah.

The Cordova Rose Lodge B&B

-- which I can highly recommend even though the one-lane drive off the main road I used to refer to as "suicide hill". Mark and Debbie, the managers, were fun, helpful, and incredibly understanding vis a vis the lovely Savannah.

Summer Solstice from my room -- looking across Odiak Slough.

The Child's Glacier as seen from the Million Dollar Bridge -- 50 miles outside of Cordova.

The "Million Dollar Bridge" over the Copper River -- the TRUE bridge to nowhere. The road ends a mile beyond, and there is nothing (not even a maintained trail) to Chitina -- the proposed destination of the road the locals DO NOT want.

Miles Glacier can only be seen from the bridge -- I almost missed it!

Savannah on the Pipeline Lakes Trail on the way back to Cordova from the bridge.

The Cordova small boat harbor. We were very lucky to have sun on the two days we were in town.

The town of Cordova from the small boat harbor.

View from my room the last morning -- just before catching the ferry at 8:30 am.

A trip I would definitely consider repeating!

Bettles, AK

Bettles is located above the arctic circle and boasts a population of < 30 people. It is the departure point for both the Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve and the Kanuti Wilderness Area. It is basically surrounded by the Brooks Range mountains -- accessible only by small plane in summer and by plane or an ice road in winter. It is difficult to convey the considerable charm of this remote location. I had the unique opportunity of caring for 17 sled dogs (2 more arrived mid-tenure) for 2 weeks for a friend of my landlord.

On the day I flew I was lucky the plane first visited the native village of Anaktuvuk Pass which is well north of Bettles. The flight through the Brooks Range was incredible. There were only two of us on the way up and the guy with me commented that people would pay good money just to experience this flight.

One of the many river basins on the way.

River just before landing in Anaktuvuk Pass.

The village of Anaktuvuk Pass from the air.

Our plane (Wright's Air). You can see Savannah's kennel though the door if you look closely.

... from the runway.

The flight from Anaktuvuk to Bettles (it was a perfect day).

The airport in Bettles.

... and from the other end.

The Bettles Ranger Station (where my host works when in town).

The cabin was not dissimilar to mine in Goldstream Valley.

Chica Rica, one of his gorgeous lead dogs

This is Comatose -- whose name, by the way, is truly ironic.

They were ALL the sweetest dogs ever!!! Truly a pleasure to care for.

Mardil! If he looks dusty, it is because he spends most of his time digging. I would have to keep moving his house as it would fall into his holes.

Mahal is the largest of the dogs (and one of the loudest).

This is Shadow (or it is if he has the right name tag on his collar -- not all of them did).

There were many ravens that delighted in torturing the dogs (especially Mardil).

It was a nice walk to the Float Pond which, by the time I left, was completely thawed.

In the winter the Float Pond is where we spent the night to view the northern lights

(which were not in evidence on December 27, 2007, by the way)

Another view of the pond.

... and a flash back to winter of 2007.

The Koyukuk River was quite high during the time we were there.

Savannah cooling off in the river. I kept her on a long leash in the water as I didn't know whether she understood about "currents" -- even though she is a pretty smart dog.

Spring arrived during the two weeks I was there. Compare the two photos of the river.

Savannah appropriated the dog bed in the cabin.

L.C. slept in the cabin with us at night, but when she would emerge from her kennel Savannah would look at me soulfully as if to ask "Are you going to pay attention to HER now?" She is a sweetheart.

This is 2:30 am from the upstairs skylight a couple days before I left. I don't know if it is sunrise or sunset -- it never actually gets dark at this time of year.