July 27 - Day 22

Hello Again!

On Wednesday, July 27, we decided to head up the Steese Highway to Central and Circle City. We also visited Gold Dredge No. 8 in Fox, which is a National Mechanical Engineering Landmark, before we went north.

The day was rainy and cloudy, so even though I took a lot of photos, they didn't come out too well. I was especially disappointed that I couldn't get good shots of Eagle Summit and Twelvemile Summit, which are both above treeline and should have had fantastic views. Instead of surrounding mountains, all we could see was fog and cloud.

Eagle Summit and Twelvemile Summit were both prime areas to find alpine and tundra wildflowers. Even though it was raining and the wind was blowing so hard it was difficult to stand up at times, I managed to get photos of several more new wildflowers. The tundra is so beautiful! Every square inch is covered with miniature plants, mosses and lichens. The vegetation is so thick and deep, it was like walking on a sponge.

It is about 161 miles from Fairbanks to Circle City (population 94), which is situated on the banks of the Yukon River just 50 miles south of the Arctic circle. The first 62 miles are paved, and the rest is gravel. The road was in pretty good shape, except for the last 40 miles between Central and Circle City. Unfortunately, there have been several huge forest fires in this area during the past few years. In many places, thousands and thousands of acres of burned trees line the highway. Fireweed, grasses and shrubs are beginning to grow among the charred stubs, but it is difficult to imagine living here.

The Steese Highway provides access to the richest gold mining district in Alaska. Higher gold prices have led to renewed interest in mining. In this part of the country, the gold rush is not over! Fort Knox Gold Mine, Alaska's largest operating gold mine, is located off Steese Hwy. It has produced nearly 3.5 million ounces of gold since beginning production in 1996. No public access, and no free samples!

Artifacts from early mining days include dredges, and the Davidson Ditch, an 83 mile long pipe that was built in 1925 to deliver water to the Fairbanks area to float the dredges. Gold panning is a popular activity, and there are many active mining sites all along the rivers.

Central (pop. 95) is the home of the Circle District Historical Society Museum, which features lots of mining history. Circle City is a small town with lots of run-down and collapsed cabins and houses. Doesn't seem like much is going on there. Residents fish for salmon on the Yukon and hunt game in the forests.

We spent the night about 25 feet from the Yukon in a parking lot in the "center" of town. There was a lot of activity most of the night, with young people driving back and forth and fishing boats coming and going.

We saw very little wildlife on our way out here - only a few ptarmigan, white-fronted geese and one moose. Alaska is supposed to be full of bears, moose, deer, caribou, wolves, sheep and goats. Although we have driven nearly 3,000 miles since we got here -- many of which were driven through prime habitat during peak viewing hours -- we haven't seen many animals - probably the biggest disappointment of the trip. We keep hoping, though!

Tomorrow we will return to Fox, then head north again on the Elliott Highway to the Dalton Highway. We would like to drive at least as far as the Arctic Circle Wayside. How far we go will depend on the condition of the Dalton Highway.

Later!

Cheryl and Donny