Here are a few interesting tidbits about Alaska that we have picked up along the way.
Gargantuan Greens In the Matanuska Valley, which is about 300 miles south of where we are in Fairbanks, vegetables grow rapidly and with a size that defies belief. Imagine a cabbage tipping the scales at 138 pounds. And Alaska is home to a super pumpkin so large it could serve as (a very diminutive) Cinderella’s carriage, weighing a whopping 2,147 pounds. We hope to see these vegetable beasts at the Alaska State Fair. Supposedly the fertile soil combined with the 20+ hours of sunlight per day make the growing conditions ideal. Imagine going to the garden, tugging on a carrot and pulling out one that is 5’11” and weighs 19lbs. It’s big enough to serve over 100 people. Yowsers.
Mushing Mushers The whooshing of sleds over snow, the panting of Alaskan Malamutes, the crisp air — this is mushing, the official sport of Alaska. The Iditarod, a race echoing the history of the inhabitants, is more than a sport; it’s a testament to frontier living. In Alaska, dog sledding is a viable method of transportation. We frequently drive by the Alaska Dog Mushers Association in Fairbanks on our way to the dredge.
We witnessed a practice run while touring on the Riverboat Discovery. The boat pulled up alongside Trailbreaker Kennel. The musher was conducted by Tekla Butcher Monson, the daughter of one of the most famous mushers, Susan Butcher, a four-time Iditarod champion and David Monson, winner of the Yukon Quest.
Quantitative Quakes When panning for gold, there is a lot of shaking going on. In Alaska, there is a lot more shaking going on than with gold pans. More earthquakes rock Alaska than any other state. The Alaska Earthquake Center reported more than 150,000 earthquakes in the last five years, 31 of which had magnitudes of 6 or higher. Thankfully, we have not felt any yet. It’s good to know people are prepared for them to happen. Preparedness is a part of daily life. Homes, schools, and municipalities talk frequently about how to be ready in case a quake occurs. As they should.
The 1964 Great Alaska Earthquake, with a magnitude of 9.2, is the second-most-powerful earthquake ever recorded on Earth and the largest in U.S. history. The 1964 earthquake was so powerful that it caused seiche waves as far away as Louisiana and well oscillations as far as South Africa. The tallest tsunami wave height from the 1964 earthquake was 219 feet in Shoup Bay in the Valdez Inlet, which is taller than a 20-story building.
Spacious Solitude In Alaska, solitude is a common practice. We often see houses in what appear to be in the middle of nowhere, with no utility pole within miles, no dish, and no cell signal. These people live off the grid. Many have no deep well because of the permafrost. They get water from the creek. (Is it really off the grid when people post online that they are living off the grid? We don’t think so.)
Half of the population call Anchorage home, around 13% live in the Fairbanks region. The rest of the state is up for grabs, leaving almost a square mile per person.
Guarded Garbage Laws exist not just for people, but for bears. Leave no fish out, no diaper unsecured, for the wild ones will get in your cans and there goes the neighborhood. The state regulation specifically states, “A person may not intentionally feed a moose, deer, elk, bear, wolf, coyote, fox, or wolverine, or negligently leave human food, animal food, or garbage in a manner that attracts these animals” (State Regulation: 5AAC 92.230 (a) (1)). Everyone, including where we are in Fairbanks, is very careful about leaving out refuse that will attract unwanted guests. In Washington state, it’s the racoons. Here, the guests are a bit bigger and hungrier.
Racing Restrooms In the heart of winter, Anchorage’s Fur Rendezvous festival brings a peculiar contest — the outhouse race. Teams craft these mobile privies not just for speed, but for the amusement of all. Each team consists of four runners and one rider, who sits inside the outhouse. The outhouse must have a seat with a hole and be equipped with wiping paraphernalia. Doors are optional, but the rider must wear a helmet and have control of steering the outhouse. Although we are sure it is great fun, we won’t be sticking around for the “Fur Rondy” this winter.
Juneau the Jewel Surrounded by rugged terrain, Juneau stands apart. It’s a capital that carries the legacy of a mining past and the practicality of its geography. It’s unique in that it’s the only state capital in the United States that borders another country. But, despite the proximity, there is no direct road connection between Juneau and Canada; the city is accessible only by air or sea.
Free of Fees Alaska may share the stars and stripes, but when it comes to taxes, it’s a frontier of financial freedom. There is no individual income or state sales tax, but even better, is the contribution made by the oil pipeline. Before the pipeline, Alaska was one of the most heavily taxed states. However, the pipeline changed that dramatically. The influx of revenue allowed Alaska to transition from being the most heavily taxed state to one of the most tax-free states.
Lucious Lakes Alaska is home to an estimated 3 million lakes larger than 5 acres. There are so many, that only around 3,000 are named. Let's put that in comparison. The entire state of Rhode Island is about 988,832 acres. So, 15 million acres is roughly 15 times the size of Rhode Island. Is it more than the great lakes? LOL. Nope. The Great Lakes are over 60 million acres.
In addition to the lakes, we see a great many ponds while driving around. It's unusual to travel a mile without seeing a pond on the side of the road. Many of the ponds are created from the melting of the permafrost near the surface.
Avid Aviators In Alaska, building roads is very difficult. With only 20% of the state car-accessible, the hum of aircraft is as common as the call of the wild. The sky becomes the highway. Here, one in 78 Alaskans holds a pilot’s license—making Alaska a place where flying is a way of life.
Kodiak Kings Kodiak Island is 3,670 square miles of raw, untamed beauty, making it the second largest island in the USA (second to Hawaii and is about the size of Connecticut). Kodiak Island is big and is home to the namesake bears, Kodiak Bears, an isolated species of a brown bear. They are bears of legend roaming the island while weighing as much as 1,500 pounds and standing ten feet tall. They are mostly vegetarians but will occasionally dine on a tasty meat snack. So, don’t get too close.
Denali Delicacy In the land of extremes, even the burgers are monumental. The Denali Mac, is a Big Mac reimagined—with a touch of the frontier in every bite. Maybe that’s a stretch, but we do think it as a valiant effort on the part of McDonalds to make frontier food. If anything, it’s big and filling. Terri and I split one for supper and it was plenty. It is made with two quarter-pound burgers and includes more special sauce. Eating it was a bit sloppy and took a couple of napkins. This burger is a testament to Alaska’s “everything is bigger” ethos.
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