Thursday night’s sunset in Fairbanks happened after midnight. Making it the first of the summer where the sun set the next day.
I absolutely love Fairbanks summers.
Monthly Archives: May 2024
SS Nenana partially opens for visitors
This Memorial Day weekend, the cargo hold of the old sternwheeler was open to the public for the first time in six years.
The steamer Nenana plied the waters of The Yukon and its tributaries from 1933 to 1952. During that time, the Nenana brought goods, news, transportation and employment to the villages along the Yukon River.
Inside the cargo hold, you can see the boiler and the engine room. The boiler is the steamer’s second when it was fitted to run on oil, instead of cords of wood.
The cool feature is the diorama that runs along the outside walls. The display depicts all the villages that the SS Nenana served. At 340 feet long, with a mural background of close to 240 feet, the diorama is one impressive piece of artwork.
Besides the villages and the Alaska Railroad, six Interior Alaska rivers are also depicted: The Yukon, Tanana, Nenana, Innoko, Koyukok and Porcupine.
The plans are to have the cargo area open most of the summer, with a major restoration project to begin on the Nenana in 2025.
Climbing Season
The first successful summit party of 2024 returned to the lowlands this past week.
Currently there are 261 climbers on The Mountain, with 952 having registered to attempt Denali this summer.
There is no “best” time to climb Denali, although May – June are the most popular. One never knows what the weather will be on Denali. Winter ascents are attempted, but are rare.
There are several possible routes, but 90% of climbers choose the West Buttress Route. It is common to spend 17-18 days on a summit trip, depending on experience, weather and group size.
Most climb in groups of 5-6. No groups larger than 12 are allowed.
The Muldrow Glacier Route was the northern counterpart to West Buttress and was considered the less technical route, but that changed with the Muldrow Glacier surge in 2021. Currently the glacier appears impassable from the air.
Photos credit: Denali National Park and Preserve
Green Up Day 2024
The Fairbanks phenomenon known as Green Up Day occurred this Saturday.
When I drove into work early that morning, there was not a green bud noticeable.
Upon my return in the late afternoon, the hills were glowing a vibrant green.
As a reminder that we are in Alaska, it snowed all day Monday.
Call of the Sandhill
Early Saturday morning I heard the calls of sandhill cranes echoing from the Goldstream Valley.
It was the first time this season. It is officially spring.
Right Day; Wrong Time
The ice officially went out on the Tanana River on 27 April at 5:18am.
Another year; another breakup.
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