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Published: July 15th 2011
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Friday, July 8th, 2011 Arctic Circle Campground. Happy Birthday Wendell! Starting mileage 11164 76 degrees at 10ish. Sunny.
Our group split up at this point with two RT’s going further north to Coldfoot and 3 of us heading back toward Fairbanks. Two of the group planned to stay north of Fairbanks while we planned to drive either back into Fairbanks or head up toward Chena Hot Springs, which was located about 30 miles north of Fairbanks on another road. We were in search of moose and other animals we understood that hung out along this route.
The three of us stayed together for most of the way back. We first stopped at Finger Mountain. This area was really different from the rest as it had hard irregular rock pushed to the surface from both tectonic plate movement and constant frost heaving. You wouldn’t think that that action could bring large heavy rocks up. Finger Rock looks just like a finger pointing the way to Fairbanks. This marker is used by pilots and others as a navigation tool. A nice trail was laid out along the base of the highest rock pile and we all got out and walked
up to the top. Wildflower and plant identification and other nature information was given on signs along the trail. Picked up a lichen covered rock to bring home.
Great views of the mountains and valleys with blooming fireweed growing like a ground cover for miles and miles. This plant got its name as it is one of the first plants to grow after a forest fire and as you can tell from the pictures a fire burned through this area.
We left off from the other 2 when we got back to the Yukon River Bridge. Had hoped to find a pull-out overlooking the River, but it wasn’t to be so, drove a bit further and found a pond we could look at while we lunched. Lots of blooming lily pads, dragonflies, and butterflies at this spot. . No ducks to be seen.
Watched the rain come toward us over the mountains as we got closer to our turn off to Chena Hot Springs. At Hilltop, in the community
of Fox, we filled our tank with gas as that is the first station we came to and we were now low on gas. Huge trucks filling up with diesel all around us. The trucks here were hauling steel rods and concrete bridge beams. Gas was $3.75 a gallon and we took 18.859 for a total of $75. Mileage at 11347. Called Wendell and wished him a Happy Birthday since we were now close enough to Fairbanks to be in the service area.
Turned up the Chena Hot Springs Highway and found ourselves driving through what looked like the suburbs of Fairbanks for several miles. Finally entered the Chena River Recreation area. Found a camping spot on the river in the Rosehip Campground, that we wanted and went to register and pay our fee, only to find the box had no envelopes. So, went back to the site and figured a ranger would be by and we would pay up then. She came by after dinner, about 9. I asked her if she had seen any moose and she replied that she had seen a moose and an owl in the slough a couple of miles up the road.
So, Valerie put her jeans back on and up the road a couple of miles we went. Disappointed, at not seeing anything, we turned around and started back the way we had just come, stopping to look in every puddle of water---and there were a lot of them. In one pond/lake/slough we saw movement in the water and then recognized the heads of two beavers swimming around. Finally, we spotted a female moose in a slough further down the road. She was eating plant material from the bottom of the water and bringing water up with her head along with the plants. Watched her for a while and then went back to camp and to sleep.
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