Hiking in Alaska

Posted on Thursday, December 16, 2010

Hiking is an excellent way to experience Alaska. Well marked trails are found near towns and guided hikes by park rangers or private companies are easily found. Excursions from cruise ships escort you from your ship to the hiking area and back.

• Juneau provides some of the most easily accessible hiking trails.
  • In town, go to the top of Mt. Roberts by tramway to find the nature centre and several well marked trails with spectacular views.
  • Hop the shuttle to Mendenhall Glacier. There are numerous walks in the area and park rangers offer guided hikes daily at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. in the summer.
  • Guiding companies and cruise ship excursions can take you to Douglas Island for a walk through the forest to the beach. (The bird watching is excellent here.)
• Denali Park has a series of trails near the park entrance. Ranger led Discovery Hikes provide an excellent introduction to Denali. (Sign up at the Visitor Center.) On these 3 to 4 hour hikes in the backcountry wilderness, expect uneven terrain and small stream crossings.
• An area very popular with serious hikers, is The Wrangell St. Elias National Park, the largest National Park in the U.S. which includes 9 of the 16 highest peaks in the United States. Rugged and natural, this park offers backpackers a challenging experience in the backcountry. Contact the Park Service for a list of licensed guides.

History of Fairbanks Alaska

Posted on Saturday, August 08, 2009

Before Fairbanks was founded, Koyukon Athabaskans lived, fished, and hunted in the area with the Tanana and other rivers serving as trade routes with other Athabaskans and Eskimos. By the early 1900s, gold rush prospectors were spreading out into Alaska in search of gold. The discovery of gold in the nearby area led to the creation of Fairbanks. It began with a trading post started by E.T. Barnette who was forced to disembark on the shores of the Chena River in 1902. The Fairbanks Gold Rush led to the development of an established mining community and it became an important commercial center within a short time. In 1903, Fairbanks was incorporated as a city and named after a popular Senator, Charles W. Fairbanks, soon to become Vice President under Teddy Roosevelt. Eventually the gold panned out and Fairbanks settled into fifty years of modest growth marked by rail and highway construction.