Arctic Circle or Bust!

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As if the float plane wasn't enough...we had the opportunity to fly in a small plane up to the Arctic Circle and beyond! We boarded the plane at 7pm and took an evening ride north to visit two small villages that lie north of the Arctic Circle. We landed in Coldfoot, site of the lowest recorded temperature ever(-82), in the United States. From there, we rode along the Dalton Highway to Wiseman, AK. The Dalton Highway is an un-paved, truckers haul road, that was built years ago so freight could make its way up to Deadhorse, AK. It's hard to believe they can even call this road a highway. It was bumpy and rugged and the trucks rule the road. We safely made it to the village of Wiseman, population 13. This small village consists of modest cabins, a schoolhouse, various greenhouses and of course - outhouses. Most of the inhabitants survive by living off the land. They grow gardens in the summer and hunt and trap in the winter. Our tour guide, Jack, is a lifelong resident of the village and he went on to raise his own family there. Their way of life is beyond comprehension. Everything is salvaged and nothing goes to waste. Their refrigerator is a hole in the floor, where they use the ground to cool perishables. The cabin where he and his wife raised 3 children consists of one room, a pot belly stove and no modern ammenities. Winters are extremely cold and dark and require months of preparation during the spring and summer to ensure survival. We spent one hour touring the village and from there, made our way back through Coldfoot to the airstrip. On our flight home, we were lucky enough to witness the Midnight Sun. Take a look at the picture. That is the closest we've seen the sun to setting since we've been in Alaska. It remains "twilight" until the morning, until the sun rises completely again. Stay tuned for your amazing 1st round trip to Denali National Park via train........

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