Day 9: Chena Hot Springs to Wiseman, AK (328 miles)
As we pulled out of Chena, it was raining. Thank goodness, because the bug stuff on my car was getting hard to stomach. You could even smell it! As we made our way towards Fairbanks along a little country road, I saw something moving in the tall grass on the side of the road so I slowed to more or less a stop. It was another mother moose and her baby. As we got close, they slipped into the cover of the forest.
Our next destination was Wiseman, which is off of the Dalton Highway about halfway between Fairbanks and Deadhorse (which is on the Arctic Ocean), inside the Arctic Circle. The Macan’s GPS did not know any of the towns along that road, so we had to wing it. We drove the entire distance of the Elliott Highway to Livengood where it turns into the Dalton, at which point the pavement pretty much ends.
Then we found ourselves on a dirt road littered with potholes. Getting over 50mph was sometimes a challenge, but we inched our way along. After about 20 miles, the tarmac resumed on and off, but it was a constant balance of being aware of the road conditions, weaving around potholes, and keeping an eye out for wildlife. By “wildlife”, I don’t mean ground squirrels and bunnies; I am referring to big things like moose, bear and caribou to name a few!
Shortly after crossing The Yukon, we came to a turnoff to get a certificate saying we were crossing the Arctic Circle. Since we were continuing up to Wiseman, they also gave us a stamp that said we were visiting the Brooks Range (Wiseman is on the southern tip).
At Finger Mountain, we got out and walked around to take in a magnificent view of the Tundra. It was extremely cold (ok, in the upper 40’s) and windy. There was another couple that had arrived just before us with their husky. As we were walking around, the dog came running up to us – it was clearly as enthusiastic as we were to be out of the confines of the car.
Next stop was the actual Arctic Circle, where we met the couple and their dog again. They took pictures of us, and in exchange we took pictures of them.
About 13 miles south of the Wiseman exit is a “town” called Coldfoot. We stopped there for gas and what I thought would be groceries. They had no groceries. It was a gas station/restaurant, and the attendant sold us some homemade hamburger buns and a russet potato. I also stole some ketchup and mayo packets.
Back on the Dalton (it’s paved through this stretch), the exit for Wiseman is a one lane, dirt road that hugs the Koyukuk River. It twists and winds until you reach a sign that reads “Arctic Getaway, Igloo #8”: that’s us. Uta & Bernie own the B&B, and they could not have been more hospitable. The property is absolutely beautiful, and one can immediately see they are 100% self sufficient here. They have turkeys and chickens and do all of their own gardening in beautiful, raised planter boxes.
They also have 3 VERY large dogs that look like they may be part wolf. They are very obviously outside dogs on long chains with dog houses. I’m sure they are meant to deter the local wildlife. Their property is a small compound that looks a little like “The Others” camp on Lost, but smaller and more rustic. We stayed in the “Wolverine” cabin – ironic because Vanessa is going to U of M, and that is their mascot. There was a small kitchenette with a little dining area, 2 full sized beds and we shared a bathroom with 1 other party.
Originally, Vanessa and I were going to make bison burgers for dinner. Seeing Uta & Bernie’s garden, I figured they might have something more for us to put on them besides ketchup and mayo. Uta showed me where the salad greens and Swiss chard were located. In the end, we opted for bison ragu and penne pasta, so Bernie showed me where the basil was in a greenhouse behind their living quarters.
