About a month ago, on June 19th, we embarked on a long day journey north to the Yukon River. We’ve been wanting to share our adventure, so here goes.
Starting in Fairbanks, we drove the Steese Highway all the way to Circle, Alaska. Almost every day, we travel the Steese Highway to Fox, AK, to work at Gold Dredge 8. On our day off, we decided to venture further north to see what the Steese Highway has to offer.
This is a "highway."
Around here, the term “highway” is used a bit loosely. Completed in 1927, the highway is named after U.S. Army General James G. Steese, a former president of the Alaska Road Commission. Designated as a National Scenic Byway, it certainly lives up to its name with its breathtaking views.
The first 81 miles are paved, which is about half of the highway. The rest is gravel, and the final stretch into Circle is very rough. We had to use four-wheel drive to navigate through the potholes filled with mud. It was quite an adventure, to say the least.
The highway passes through the White Mountains range, taking us over two summits. The first is Twelvemile Summit, named by early prospectors. It is located 12 miles from Mastodon Dome, the site of early gold discoveries. The dome is named after Mastodon Creek, where fossilized mastodon bones were found by those early prospectors.
We were hoping to see caribou at Twelvemile Summit, as it is a major migration route for the Fortymile herd, one of the largest in Alaska. However, the caribou were all in the northern regions due to the warm weather.
Twelvemile Summit
About 20 miles further up the Steese Highway is Eagle Summit, standing at an elevation of 3,652 feet. Known for its challenging weather conditions, including high winds and heavy snowfall, it is one of the most difficult summits to traverse in Alaska. The annual Yukon Quest 1,000-mile sled dog race passes over Eagle Summit, with its high winds, drifting snow, and steep terrain making it one of the race’s most challenging sections.
Eagle Summit
After leaving the summit, we traveled further to Central, AK, a tight-knit community of 66 people. Central is one of the most active mining districts in the state and serves as a checkpoint for the Yukon Quest. We hoped to visit the Circle District Museum, one of the best small museums in Alaska. The museum features exhibits on early mining equipment, dog team freight, and mail hauling, and houses the Yukon Press, the first printing press north of Juneau. Unfortunately, it was closed when we passed through.
Interesting bridge!
We traveled the last 30 miles on the Steese Highway to arrive at Circle, AK. The final five miles were an adventurous four-wheel drive terrain. Once known as Circle City, Circle was the largest settlement on the Yukon River before the Klondike Gold Rush. Miners mistakenly thought the town was on the Arctic Circle, but it is actually about 50 miles south. Today, fewer than 50 people live there.
Store in Circle where we bought a $6 can of Pringles!
At Circle, we once again viewed the mighty Yukon River. The last time we saw the river was in Whitehorse, in the Yukon Province of Canada. The Yukon is an amazing river and served as an important waterway for transportation through Alaska and Northern Canada.
The mighty Yukon River.
This trip offered a glimpse into Alaska’s rugged beauty and rich heritage. We anticipate returning to the summits once again in the autumn with the hope of watching the caribou migration.
We washed the truck before we left Fairbanks. LOL.
Notice the snow on the side of the road up ahead.
Comments