Lots of Pictures of Alaska

If you like pictures ... get set!

Chitina, Alaska: This is a very remote town where local people provide almost all of the basic services. This means that emergency care, firefighting and cleanup are all volunteer jobs. A;though it is a very small town, thousands of people from Anchorage and Fairbanks descend every summer to catch salmon in the Copper River. The day we drove there, Fish Netting Season had just opened and fisherman were in the river trying to catch salmon with huge nets! Think that's simple? Try it sometime! The town is in a place known as the Copper Valley - copper mining was done here during the fist part of the 20th century - the river even has a green tinge to it!

Below are pictures of "Spirit Houses - As you know, Alaska was once owned by Russia, and the Russian Orthodox Church had a strong hold on the coast of Alaska. Natives joined the church and a blend of Russian and Native cultures yielded a unique art form : the spirit house. A spirit house is a brightly colored grave site. The cemetery I found had small fences around them and had traditional crosses. Some are brightly colored with Russian crosses.

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THE ROAD TO EAGLE....

The town of Eagle is 177 miles north of Tok. It has a lot of historic Gold Rush buildings in a beautiful setting along the Yukon River. In Alaska they call it "the mighty" Yukon. Villages along the rivers like slow springs, so the ice can melt away. This May, an unseasonably hot week of spring weather caused a fast breakup, hurtling house-sized chunks of ice onto the shore, crashing into businesses and homes.

The ride to Eagle was spectacular! The fireweed turned the hillsides pink!

7. Fireweed

8. On the road to Eagle

9. Along the road to Eagle - cache (to keep food away from animals

10.Gardenin Eagle

11.Yukon River in Eagle

12. Downtown Eagle


13. Fireweed on the hillside

14.Brook along Taylor Highway (road to Chicken and Eagle)

15.Last beer before Eagle - it's For Sale

16. Road to Eagle

17. Power and Phone Company in Eagle



Elliot and Dalton Highway on our way to the Artic Circle


The Elliot Highway goes north out of Fairbanks. We couldn't see too much - smoke from fires filled the valleies....but 60 miles later we reached the Dalton Highway. Yes, that is the highway of the "Ice Road Truckers" - but no snow!

18. Tors - out croppings of granite in the hills.

18a. The tor on the top of Finger Mountain - don't think that's a finer...I have a better name for it!


19. Yukon River along the Dalton Highway

20. Dick's truck after the Dalton - new color? Nice..........


21.We reached the Artic Circle!