Antigun Pass was the highlight of June 29th!

Not that it posed any problem, it was just the most scenic part of the day. On the way into Coldfoot for gas and a quick lunch, we stopped by the hamlet of Wiseman, AK. Pretty small is an understatement. On the banks of the Koyakuk River, it may have twenty homes, along with two overnight accommodation places - The Arctic Getaway Bed and Breakfast, and the Boreal Lodge. Both proper Alaska Rustic in style. I had spoken to the owner of the Arctic Getaway, a very nice lady named Oota, weeks ago about staying there, but their three cabins were all booked up. She was so nice, and the place looked so down-to-earth, I wanted to stop by and see if I could meet her and see the place. And, I did. She's lived there, full-time, for thirty years. Tough lady. Slight of build but about 5' 10", we had a ten-minute conversation on the porch of the Main Lodge (a pretty big label for this place, but still...). Festooned with antlers and racks from different animals, and all sorts of historic, rustic items of leather and, no doubt, bone, the porch was the perfect place for a chat enveloped in clouds of mosquitoes. Anyway, it would be a romantic getaway, but probably for people who live in Fairbanks, or maybe Anchorage. You can look it up: www.arcticgetaway.com.

After that, we went to the Trucker's Cafe in Coldfoot for a quick lunch, and $177 worth of 7.499 per gallon gasoline. (I think we have enough to get to Fairbanks now, where it is more reasonably priced. Visited with a trucker who was transporting a truly "Oversized" load, a huge, metal cylinder about fifteen feet in diameter and about seventy or eighty feet long. Bound for Prudhoe Bay, for use on an offshore oil rig. Have been working on it for a year and a half.

Took some showers outside at our campsite, had some of Ann's famous Chicken Noodle Soup and some lamb stew, and called it quits, except for my blog.

Here are the three "Pictures of the Day", followed by some videos of our traversing Antigun Pass.

Enjoy!

Best Regards,

Davis, Ann, and Tuck

This is my trash container on the back of the truck, encrusted in calcium chloride mud, as is the rest of the rear and undercarriage of the truck. They put this chemical down on the gravel road at least to keep the dust down, if not to, after it sets up like concrete, provide a somewhat durable driving surface. It will be a mess to spray off in Fairbanks tomorrow afternoon...

The original post office in Wiseman... Opened in 1908 and closed in 1956. There's a new one, with no similar charm, across the road from this building...

Where we are right now (same place as June 25th, on our way north)...

Here's a video of our trip over Atigun Pass this morning...

Thanks for your interest!

Best regards,

Davis, Ann, and Tuck