Fairbanks

Denali - Early Morning

Last week when I was in Alaska I took a business trip up to Fairbanks.  Fairbanks is about a 7 hour drive north of Anchorage and about an hour by plane.  The flight was early and the sun was just starting to come up.  Our route took us directly over Denali National Park and we could see the mountain that gave the Park it's name commonly referred to as Mount McKinley or Denali (Athabaskan for "The High One").  Denali is the highest mountain peak in North America and the United States, with a summit elevation of 20,320 feet above sea level.  The morning sky was filled with pinks and blues and the moon was full.  The pictures just do not do the scene justice.  A person I met was telling me he flew in from Fairbanks the week before and the mountain is usually covered in clouds.  It was so clear and so calm that day that the Alaskan Airlines pilot asked the FAA to clear them for a "go around" and with the FAA's permission, they were granted a flight deviation and were able to circle Denali in a commercial 757.  Life's different here and in so many wonderful ways.

Tundra - Fairbanks

As we passed over Denali still headed for Fairbanks, the terrain immediately and abruptly shifted to a flat, trowelled tundra, rich with small bushes, grasslands and rocky areas.  The colors were beautiful as the sun was coming up.  There were rivers and pools of water reflecting the pink sky. 

We landed in Fairbanks and I was surprised by the size of the city, second to Anchorage in size in AK, it was pretty sprawling and easy to get around.  The University of Alaska, Fairbanks has nice campus on the edge of the city.  I hope when I have time that I can visit the museum they have on campus that showcases the Native culture and houses thousands of artifacts.  I was hoping that it would be a cool, clear night in Fairbanks and I would have a chance to see the Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights).  If so, another one of my bucket list items could be checked off.  I've always been interested in the Earth's magnetic field and how it moves and fluctuates based on solar interference and the Northern Lights are a true indicator of how the sun's energy affects our magnetic poles.  As night fell, the temperature dropped and the sky was clear. As I left the restaurant and headed to the hotel, I kept checking out the sky but didn't see anything.  I watched from my room for about thirty minutes and had been told that early morning was the best time to see the Aurora so I figured I'd have to catch it on my next visit to Fairbanks.  For some reason, I woke up around 3 am and peered out.  At first I thought I was seeing clouds and then it was clear as the bands of whitish green color moved in slow snake like whips across the sky.  The bands that I saw would move rapidly and change color and shape.  Some started out low in color and then would intensify into a brighter green.  It was pretty cool!  The University of Alaska Fairbanks has a great video about the Northern lights that can be viewed by clicking the link below. 
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x5qvas_alaskaorg-aurora-borealis-northern_travel

Denali - Mid Day Sun

The next day I headed back to Anchorage and Denali was in full view and I was able to snap this shot.  Notice the wind whipping the snow off of the top.  Yea, it was just that strong when we landed in Anchorage - 45 to 50 mile gusts and yes, the pilot landed the 757 in a hell of a cross wind and it was jumping and dropping the entire descent.  It was the second most violent landing of my life.  The first was flying into Anchorage this same time of year last year on a prop plane.  On both flights all of the passengers clapped and cheered at the end. People here are used to the weather and to the extremes and just go with the flow and don't get too excited, they just ride it out and hold on.