Sunday, July 23, 2023
Today we began our journey toward Manley Hot Springs at 9:30 a.m. after dumping the tanks and putting on fresh water. It was a sunny 64 degrees out, but would get to balmy 85 degrees. Even though our day had started out great, it would soon turn bad with a camper breakdown on the highway.
We drove by the community of Fox again.
We continued on over Washington Creek. And Manley was now about 125 miles away.
It was now 10:30 a.m. and it was already starting to warm up quite a bit. We had just begun driving on the Elliott Highway 2, which seemed to have a lot of big truck traffic as it is part of the North Slope Oil Fields 'Haul Road.'
We had now gone about 40 miles on our journey to Manley Hot Springs (see map below) and the road had definitely become rougher with several potholes. (In reality, the road surface varied from paved portions to somewhat rocky areas with pot holes sometimes across a large portion of the road.) We were taking it slow and steady.
And then a few minutes later (after looking in the truck's rearview mirror), I began to see black smoke flowing out from underneath the trailer. I immediately told Mel about it. And then as soon as possible he then pulled to the side of the highway -- as far 'off the road' as he could.
Mel determined that the gloomy prognosis was that we had a broken spring on the passenger side's back tire of the trailer that would have to be replaced before we could continue on. And to make matters worse -- there was no cell service where we were stranded on the road.
So we unhitched the truck so Mel could drive the 40 miles back into Fairbanks, while I sat and waited with the trailer for his return -- with my water and a canister of bear spray in my hand. It was a lonely 3-1/2 hours until Mel got back at around 2:00 p.m. Of course, several people traveling by stopped to ask if I was ok, or offer bug spray or water, but one creepy man kind of frightened me when he got out of his truck and began walking toward me asking all kinds of questions. At that point, I was sure glad I had the bear spray in one hand because I knew if it could deter an aggressive bear, it would work on a human as well.
While in Fairbanks, Mel called our Good Sam Road Service and tried to find a place that was open on Sunday with trailer springs. He had no luck finding the springs on Sunday though. When he got in touch with the Good Sam Road Service they told him that a tow truck driver would call him back when the job was picked up. While he was waiting for road service or the tow truck driver to call him back, Mel stopped at McDonald's to get four cheeseburgers and fries. Well needless to say, Mel never got a call back from either the tow truck driver or our road service -- so that was worthless too!
When Mel got back to where I was at around 2:30 p.m., we hitched the truck back up to the trailer. I then ate the cheeseburgers he had brought back for me while he began to jack up the trailer. He had to remove the back tire and work at getting the broken spring held up with a ratchet strap. It ended up that he had to remove the back tire on the other side as well and get that side of the spring held up securely before we could finally and gingerly limped the trailer another 1,500 feet up the highway to pullover where would be spending the night.
It was now 5:15 p.m. and Mel was exhausted -- but we still had to get everything set up as well as get the generator going to cool things off. Dinner tonight was pizza using the air fryer.
Monday, July 24, 2023
It was a sunny 68 degrees this morning and the sky was pretty hazy with smoke hanging in the air. Mel was up early this morning to head back to Fairbanks to find some trailer springs. This time he was successful finding them at a RV shop, Six Robblees' Inc.
After Mel got back from Fairbanks to where we had stayed last night, he began the tedious job of replacing the springs (he had decided to put new springs on both sides just to be sure). It was sunny and very warm with the temperature hitting the 90 degree mark. Mel stayed on task and by 2:45 p.m. we were back on the road again toward Delta Junction, Alaska.
We crossed the Con Miller "The Original Santa Claus" Bridge near the North Pole.
We passed the Moose Creek Intersection and then went past the exit for Eielson Air Force Base along the Purple Heart Trail.
Some more views of Eielson Air Force Base from the highway.
As we continued on, you can see the haze hanging in the air.
We drove by where there had been a fire not too long ago. The Birch Lake State Recreation Site turnoff was just ahead.
Delta Junction was now just 28 miles away.
We crossed Banner Creek and we were soon leaving the Fairbanks North Star Borough.
It had begun to sprinkle and the smoke and haze was getting worse.
By the time we got to the Tanana River Bridge the smoke was really thick and heavy.
We drove by the Big Delta State Historical Park.
A few minutes later we saw the "Welcome to Delta Junction" sign.
Delta Junction has a population of 984 and an elevation of 1,180 feet. It is located at Historical Milepost 1422 of the Alaska Highway and is the official end of the Alaska Highway. Delta Junction began as a construction camp on the Richardson Highway in 1919. (It was first known as Buffalo Center because of the plains bison that were transplanted here in the 1920s.)
In the late 1970s, the state encouraged development of the agricultural industry in the Delta area by selling local land for farming purposes. Barley became the major feed grain grown in Delta. Delta Junction was named after the nearby Delta River.
We had heard that moose might be along this highway so we kept a look out for them. And sure enough we found a beauty (see below).
She was just standing there and had been eating very close to the road before we drove by her. We had seen two other moose earlier today.
We arrived at our destination for the day -- Snowed Inn RV Park in Delta Junction. We decided to stay two nights at $45/night ($90 total).
We had pork ribs and zucchini for dinner tonight and settled in for hopefully a good night's sleep.
Tuesday, July 25, 2023
We awoke to partly smoky skies with a blessed, milder temperature of 66 degrees since it had rained pretty good last night. We decided to go in to the Delta Junction area to see the sights.
Our first stop was at the Delta Junction Visitor Center where we were going to get the "Official Certificate" for reaching mile 1422 of the Alaska Highway. Since the visitor center didn't open until 10:00 a.m., we looked around at the information boards (see one of them below) along the outside of the visitor center.
Shirley stops to take a selfie in front of the "End of the Alaska Highway" sign, and then again in front of the "Welcome to Delta Junction" sign.
The Delta Deep Freeze Thermometer on one side of the Delta Junction Visitor Center showed that on January 6, 1975 it was -70 degree below zero. That is really hard to believe!
Below is the official certificate we got at the visitor center. It did cost us $3. The "Official Certificate" certified that we had gone through the trials and tribulations to reach mile 1422 at the end of the highway in Delta Junction, Alaska.
They say that everything is bigger in Texas, but these mosquitos at the Delta Junction Visitor Center in Alaska were gigantic.
Mel stands in between then to show just how big they really are.
The above story board tells about Delta Junction as the Northern Terminus of the ALCAN Highway:
"This highway was constructed during World War II as a military supply route for interior Alaska military and Airfields in 1942. 7 Army regiments and 42 Contractors and Public Road Administrators working from Delta Junction South and Dawson Creek North completed it when they met at Soldiers' Summit at Kluane Lake Yukon Territory in November 1942. At the peak of construction, 77 contractors employed 15,000 men and 11,000 pieces of road-building equipment. The total construction cost for 1422 miles was $115,000,000."
Above and below, the 'End of Alaska Highway' milepost monument is located in front of the Delta Junction Visitor Center.
The story board above tells about the Trans Alaska Pipeline "Pig" used to clean the walls of the pipeline. Below is what the "Pig" actually looks like.
Above shows the dimensions of the pipe passageways from 3 inches at Canol to 48 inches at Alyeska. Three major pipelines have been built through the Delta area in the past. Only one is operating today (the Alaska Pipeline). The pipeline begins in Prudhoe Bay in ends in Valdez.
The first pipeline was the three-incher built as part of the famous Canol project during World War II. It delivered refined petroleum products from Whitehorse to the emergency airfield on the Canadian side and to Northway, Tanacross, Big Delta, and Ladd Field, now Fort Wainwright, in Alaska. During the September 1942 - September 1945 period, 7,943 aircraft were delivered to the Russian Air Forces under the Lend-Lease program utilizing these airfields. At war's end, the line fell into disuse, and most of the pipe has been salvaged out in recent years.
The second line is the eight-inch Haines pipeline, which was built in 1954 to transport petroleum products from the port of Haines to military installations in Interior Alaska. Parts of this line are still in place and though the line and its pumping stations have been inactivated, the line was used as recently as 1980 when some surplus military fuel was moved out of the Tok area.
The third is the 48-inch Trans-Alaska pipeline, which was completed in June of 1977, twenty-seven months after the first length of pipe was laid. This line was built by private contractors working for Alyeska Pipeline Service Company, the agent for the eight major oil companies who own the oil being transported. The total construction cost was over 9.5 billion dollars. The Trans-Alaska pipeline transports crude oil from the oil fields on Alaska's North Slope to the Port of Valdez.
Inside the visitor center we watched a film about the building of the ALCAN Highway that was very interesting. We also looked at the exhibits inside.
We next went to the Sullivan Roadhouse Museum that is located right next to the visitor center. Built in 1905, the Sullivan Roadhouse is the oldest roadhouse in Interior Alaska. It was built on the Donnelly-Washburn winter cut-off, a part of the Valdez-Fairbanks Trail.
We walked around the outside of the Sullivan Roadhouse for a while looking at all the antique implements and machinery.
(Above is a 1942 Caterpillar dozer D8.)
(Above is a 1941 LeTourneau Tournapull Scraper - heavy equipment used for earth moving.)
(Above is a 1941 Allis Chalmers Grader.)
(Above is a 1942 Caterpillar D7.)
(Above is a 1942 GMC 6x6 truck.)
(Above is a 1945 Studebaker 6x6 truck.)
(Above is a 1941 Osgood Steam Shovel.)
(Above Mel looks at a 1941 Ingram Roller.)
The story board above tells how the original Sullivan Roadhouse was comprised of a main lodge and several out buildings. It was a main stop for passenger and freight lines. A large barn and blacksmith shop were essential for maintaining horses and sleds. The Sullivan was one of the few stops on the trail to offer a separate building for guest quarters. Today the main lodge is all that remains.
Below is the wood stove discussed in the story board above. The wood stove is an excellent example of Alaskan ingenuity. The collared opening and door are brake drums from an old automobile. Although it does not come from the same time period as the roadhouse, it does demonstrate the inventive re use common during that early period. Alaska was a perfect place for the saying, "Necessity is the mother of invention." One had to be careful about what was thrown away. Most saved everything they could, because materials were scarce in the north as late as the 1960s. The early pioneers were famous for their ability to effectively use seemingly worthless scrap.
The story board above tells us that the Valdez-Fairbanks Trail was ten feet wide and crossed 386 miles of steep mountain passes, rivers and muskeg (similar to a bog).
The above story board tells us about the historic location of the Sullivan Roadhouse that was originally located 18 miles southwest of the city of Delta Junction, at the midpoint of the Donnelley-Washburn Winter Cutoff. The cut off shortened the trip by 35 miles, more than a day's travel at that time. The roadhouse was moved to Delta Junction in 1996.
Above and below is the outside of the Sullivan Roadhouse.
The story board below tells about the beautiful garden at the Sullivan Roadhouse. Gardening was an important activity at Sullivan Roadhouse. The main crop was potatoes. This was typical for many roadhouses along the trail. A large potato patch was located behind the house and provided enough potatoes to last through the winter. The ground was worked with a horse drawn steel walking plow. Moose were a constant threat to any vegetable garden, but the potatoes that survived to harvest time were stored in a dugout cold cellar and used to feed the hungry travelers in the winter.
The story board below tells about the novel written by Margaret Murie, "Two in the Far North."
The story board below tells about the construction of the Sullivan Roadhouse. John Sullivan built his roadhouse out of unpeeled white spruce logs. It was originally chinked with moss and had a pole decked, sod roof covered with galvanized corrugated steel panels. The logs were crudely notched and pegged together. The windows were double glazed, very rare at the time. Window sashes and door trim were made from hand sawn lumber and the exposed sides were hand planed for a finished appearance. John Sullivan was not considered an accomplished builder, but the fact that his roadhouse remains standing is a testament to his skill.
John and Florence Sullivan operated the log inn from 1905 - 1922. Through the early years of gold rush Alaska, they welcomed the weary winter traveler into their spacious and well-appointed roadhouse. Today, the restored log structure is a museum that houses many of the now antique items that were used by John and Florence.
A well-stocked kitchen was recreated and includes typical turn of the century cookware, utensils, food containers and a charming wood stove. The bedroom showcases the Sullivan's iron bed, hand-sawn furniture and personal affects. A private sleeping quarters has been recreated to give the visitor the feel of what it was like to stay at an old roadhouse.
Above is the sign as you walk inside the Sullivan Roadhouse, while below is more information on the roadhouse.
Below is information about John "Jack" E. Sullivan.
Below is information about Florence Hamburg Sullivan.
Above is the large dining room, while below shows the logs used in the ceiling.
Above is a Valdez-Fairbanks Trail.
Above and below are letters written by J.T. Geoghegan.
Above is the kitchen and stove, while below is a dining area.
Above and below are information boards about gardening, gathering and hunting.
The above panel talks about the printed cloth with a wallpaper border that was used on all the interior walls of the roadhouse. While the panel below talks about the dining room and parlor.
Below is a picture of what the Sullivan Roadhouse dining room and parlor looked like back then.
Above is a picture of Felix Pedro who discovered gold in Fairbanks in July 22, 1902.
Above and below are recreated bedrooms/storage rooms in the Sullivan Roadhouse.
Above is the corrugated sheet panels used on the roof of the Sullivan Roadhouse.
Next we drove to Big Delta to go see the historic Rika's Roadhouse. Big Delta has a population of 484. The current town of Big Delta, originally called McCarty, began as a trading post in the early 1900s, as a stop on the Valdez-Fairbanks trail. It was located on the Tanana River at the intersection of waterways, trail and telegraph lines. The roadhouse was built in 1905 to serve gold rush prospectors and other travelers on the original trail between Delta Junction and Fairbanks.
Rika's Historic Roadhouse is located inside the Big Delta State Historical Park.
This roadhouse like many others in Alaska, served as a hotel, restaurant, post office, trading post, liquor store, and community business and social hub for over four decades. Erika "Rika" Wallen, a Swedish immigrant who came to Alaska with her sister in 1916, was hired the next year to operated the roadhouse for its owner. It absolutely flourished under her management and she was able to purchase the building in 1923 for "$10 and other considerations." At that time the roadhouse had eleven bedrooms, a living room, and a large kitchen/dining area. Rika became a U.S. citizen two years later and filed a homestead claim on 160 acres of land around the roadhouse. Later she was able to acquire another 160 acres of adjoining land.
Rika was quite the enterprising entrepreneur and folks loved the place, which soon was called "Rika's Roadhouse." Guest knew they could always get a comfortable bed and tasty meal at Rika's place. Rika made extensive improvements to the original building and added a large wing to it in 1926 for more living space, a post office, liquor store and fur storage. This hard-working woman served many roles in addition to being the manager of the roadhouse -- chef, postmaster, farmer/gardener, and weaver/ seamstress. One of her many skills was in farming/growing and it's been reported that she could grow things that no one else could in that area of Alaska.
Rika wanted to be able to serve a variety of fresh foods to her guests, including milk, cheese, butter, meat, poultry, wild game, berries, orchard fruits, and vegetables. With assistance Rika built pens and a large barn to house Holstein cows, sheep, goats, and other animals year-round, even though the frigid winters.
Rika had an orchard and grew crops in her large garden to feed her guests. She kept horses, mules, and oxen to help cultivate grain crops to feed the livestock. She also raised ducks, geese, chickens, rabbits, honeybees and silver fox as other sources of food to eat and fibers to weave. That was quite a menagerie! All this was hard work for one woman. At times she employed a cook and hired some miners to help with the crops, construct, and repair the buildings and perform other jobs. She needed the help and they needed the grubstake during the winter when mining was difficult.
Rika continued operating the popular roadhouse until the early 1950s. Various circumstances had changed significantly by then and roadhouse every 15 to 20 miles were no longer necessary for travelers. Since the 1970s the road house, outbuildings, and ten acres of land surrounding them have been part of the Big Delta State Historical Park, maintained and managed by the Alaska Department of Natural Resources Division of Parks & Outdoor Recreation.
The barn was home to cattle, sheet, goats and horses. Rika raised cattle for mile and meat. Calving was carefully timed to have milk available year-round. Sheep were sheared for wool and provided mutton for the roadhouse. Rika made cheeses and butter from goat's milk, which she kept cool in the spring house. In addition to keeping her own livestock in the barn, Rika occasionally wintered horses for miners and prospectors in the area.
Above is Rika's barn.
This outbuilding, now serving as a museum, had several uses. Archaeological excavation uncovered tack for horses. Dog harnesses, sleds, tools, and feed grain were also stored here.
Above and below is the outbuilding that serves as the museum.
Above is the spring house. A spring ran under and through this building keeping Rika's eggs, butter and cheese cool during the summer months.
Rika tended a large vegetable garden in the area between the current museum and the roadhouse. Because her renowned garden was so successful the Cooperative Extension Service at the University of Alaska studied her farming techniques.
Miners and prospectors heading to the gold field of Interior Alaska traveled on the Valdez to Fairbanks Trail, now called the Richardson Highway. All were welcome at Rika's Roadhouse on their 380-mile trip from Valdez to Fairbanks.
Accommodations were rustic: one dollar would get you a spruce bough bunk, a place on the floor, or a bench or table to roll out your blanket. Another two dollars put a hot meal in you belly -- perhaps sourdough pancakes or hearty rabbit stew.
Although each roadhouse was unique, all offered a hot meal and a place to sleep for the weary traveler who came on foot, horse-drawn sled, or dog team. Most roadhouses were one-story log structures, but some were tents and hastily constructed lean-tos. Roadhouses sprang up every 15-20 miles, approximately a day's travel from each other.
The trail gradually improved and by 1932 the trip from Valdez to Fairbanks took only two days, decreasing the need for overnight accommodations. In order to attract customers, many roadhouses offered more sophisticated housing, such as separate bedrooms. Others, like Rika's Roadhouse, provided additional functions, serving as trading posts, liquor stores, and post offices.
Rika's Roadhouse kept up with the changing times and evolved to meet the needs of travelers, trappers, traders, and prospectors who journeyed along the Richardson Highway and on the Tanana River. This roadhouse continues to serve travelers today by offering a glimpse into Alaska's past.
On the farm, Rika cultivated crops to support her livestock and roadhouse. In addition to harvesting hay, potatoes, and turnips, Rika raised chickens and ducks so she could serve fresh eggs to her patrons. The "Guide to Travel on the Richardson Highway," published in 1928, described Rika's as a "commodious roadhouse boasting such luxuries as fresh milk and domestic fowl."
The windmill powered the pump for the well and later generated electricity to charge vehicle batteries. Carl Twelton built the original windmill for Rika in 1932.
Above and below are pictures of Rika's Roadhouse.
(Rika Wallen in front of her roadhouse.)
Rebel truckers took the law into their own hands when a ferry toll was imposed. The federally-built Alaska Railroad was losing money, in part because it was cheaper to truck freight to Fairbanks on the Richardson Highway. In an effort to force freight onto the railroad, the U.S. Department of the Interior established fees in 1935 for truckers on the Richardson Highway. When truckers refused to pay, the Department instituted a toll for use of the Alaska Road Commission (ARC) ferry here at McCarty, now call Big Delta. To avoid the toll, truckers began using the ferry without permission. In September 1942, deputy U.S. Marshall O'Connor was dispatched from Fairbanks and arrested 14 men.
On October 14, 1940, while O'Connor was providing testimony in Fairbanks, truckers seized Deputy U.S. Marshal Dennis Doyle, took his shotgun and locked him in the scale house at McCarty. They moved ten loads of freight across the river before releasing Doyle and returning his gun. The Grand Jury in Fairbanks refused to charge the truckers with assault and the previously arrested truckers were acquitted. Shortly after, the ferry was removed from the water and the controversy simmered down.
In June 1941, the truckers built a private ferry to avoid the government-owned ferry and toll. The government retaliated by erecting a gate twelve miles up the road at Shaw Creek, where truckers had to show their toll receipts. The truckers reacted by pulling down the gate.
The ARC and the truckers finally agreed that fees collected would be placed in escrow until a consensus could be reached. The validity of the tolls was upheld in district court. With the onset of World War II, the railroad started making a profit and the Department removed all fees on the Richardson Highway in July 1942. A bridge was built across the Tanana River in 1943, making the ferry obsolete and ending the conflict.
The wide Tanana River flows about 200 feet from Rika's Roadhouse. It used to be a very busy landing area for boats carrying goods up and down the Tanana River to Fairbanks and other communities. A ferry carried people and supplies from one side of the river to the other before a bridge was constructed, especially prospectors traveling the early gold trail between Valdez and Eagle. When the Alaska Highway was built in the 1940s, it was located about a quarter mile from the roadhouse. A wooden bridge was built over the river, rendering the ferry obsolete. The current steel span was built later. The Alyeska Pipeline also crosses the river at this location.
The Alaska Road Commission installed a scale here in 1935 in order to charge a toll to users of the Richardson Highway. (See the scale below.)
Alaska Road Commission ferryman Louis Grimsmore built the cabin below in 1929. Louis also worked with Rika Wallen and John Hajdukovich.
Above are the chickens at Rika's Roadhouse.
The original ARC garage, which the building below resembles, housed graders and other road machinery in the winter and functioned as a maintenance shop in summer.
The Alaska Road Commission outbuilding below was constructed in 1914 and house road building supplies and equipment.
The building above is Rika's Cafe & Pantry.
WAMCATS (Washington-Alaska Military Cable and Telegraph System) provided communication between the military post in Alaska, and headquarters at Washington, D.C. The soldiers who built, manned and maintained the line persevered through adversity.
The Signal Corps constructed these building at McCarty after the Goodpaster station upriver was destroyed by fire in 1905. Its location on the Valdez to Fairbanks trail made it easier to obtain supplies. The post once consisted of four building used for the telegraph station, soldiers' residences, and a stable. WAMCATS eventually carried more messages on behalf of civilians than the military providing a vital link for the gold camps.
Constructing the telegraph line by hand and hauling supplies by packhorse and dog sled was hard work, especially because the line was built across a vast expanse of frontier territory. Crews had to clear a route, erect telegraph poles, and string 1,422 miles of cable to connect the military posts of Fort Liscum at Valdez to Fort Davis at Nome, and all stations between.
Soldiers assigned to transfer telegraph messages and maintain line established stations like McCarty were approximately 40 miles apart. A Signal Corps officer and two infantrymen, with incomes between $13 and $54 a month, staffed the stations. These soldiers lived under lonely, harsh conditions, being exposed to extreme weather and existing on limited rations.
Life at McCarty was difficult but as the territory grew, conditions gradually improved. The men began acquiring amenities such as portable bathtubs, screens for doors and windows, and linoleum flooring. Digging a well for fresh water in 1910 became necessary after a typhoid fever outbreak the previous year.
Above and below is another view of the Tanana River here at Rika's Roadhouse.
Below is an antique pickup truck at Rika's Roadhouse.
After we left Rika's Roadhouse, we went to see the Trans-Alaska Pipeline crossing the Tanana river on a cable suspension bridge.
The 1,200 foot span of this bridge is the longest of the 50 elevated crossings. Unlike the usual modular steel girder bridges, cable suspension was considered more appropriate for the Tanana river span. Specifications were needed to meet 100-mile-an-hour winds, temperatures from -70 to 100 degrees F., heavy icing, and seismic shocks as high as 7.5 on the Richter scale while supporting a 48-inch pipe.
This bridge carries 1.5 million barrels of North Slop oil per day. The pipeline just lays on the crossbeams, free to slide left to right on Teflon pads, with "pillow" bumpers limiting the movement. This is how it deals with the expansion and contraction in the 48-inch pipe.
Above is the vehicular bridge at the same area as the suspension bridge for the pipeline. After that, we decided to go to lunch at the Big Delta Brewing Company in Delta Junction.
Mel had three pulled pork sliders, and shared poutine fries with me (which is French fries, cheese curds and gravy). The poutine fries are shown below.
Shirley had the garlic parmesan wings shown below.
And lastly, above Mel enjoys a craft beer. We experienced a lot of history today at both of the roadhouses. It's time to hit the hay as they say!
Shirley & Mel
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