A Magical End to Our Alaskan Adventure

 

Yes we do!

Although we had fog and low clouds for the remainder of our stay at Borealis Basecamp, it didn’t interfere with our fun at all. On Tuesday, 2/4, we started our activities with a dog sled ride! Another first that was a solid hit. In fact, Rog said this was his favorite activity of the trip. The mushers introduced us to the dogs and told us a little about them and their history. 

The dogs are eager to get into the harness.

Handsome boys!

Our musher used to race and most of the dogs were retired race dogs. They were Alaskan Huskies and did not look like the typical AKC Husky breed we see in the lower 48. The dogs are bred for health, temperament, strength and stamina, not looks. All of the dogs were so excited to run and not shy about letting you know it! It was great fun and we stopped midway through for pictures with the dogs.

And, we're off!

Randi and Jose.

Photo op!

Frosty pup.

Not a sign you see at home. Lol.

We even got to play with four absolutely adorable 8-week-old husky mix pups that had been rescued and were up for adoption. Who knew I’d get puppy breath in Alaska?! The puppies were super friendly and happy to nom on our clothing or any stray body parts with sharp puppy teeth. As tempting as they were, no fluffy piranha ended up in my luggage for the return trip. I’m pretty sure both Riley and Raney would have something to say about that, and it wouldn’t be good. 😊

Such adorable little piranhas.

In the afternoon we did our second snowmobile excursion. We went a different route, climbing and descending some very long steep hills, until we got to the Alaska pipeline. The Trans Alaskan Pipeline System carries crude oil 800 miles from Prudhoe Bay to Valdez. Fun facts: The pipeline crosses permafrost, mountains, earthquake faults and rivers. More than half of the pipeline is above ground to avoid melting permafrost and its zig-zag design allows it to flex during earthquakes. We rode alongside it for quite a while until we came to Chatanika River. Even though the river seemed frozen solid, that was our turn around point. Our guide, Ryan, was not a fan of riding across the ice unless absolutely necessary. I was down with that.

Jose and Randi. Vrooooooom. 

Alaskan pipeline.

Chatanika River.

We had no early activities on Wednesday, 2/5, so we enjoyed a relaxing morning. The snow-covered landscape is just so beautiful. Rog and I did stroll around the property and took a turn on the fat tire bikes. We stuck to the roads which were packed snow. It was fun and a good workout. It was a little disconcerting when we started out, since the bikes are left outdoors the brakes were completely frozen and did not work at all. Ugh! We kept trying them and after a while they finally started to catch. Good timing, because we had a long downhill ahead of us and I wasn’t interested in speeding down that with no brakes!

Fat tire biking in the snow!

Even the snowman looks cold. Lol.

Who needs artwork with a picture perfect view like this? 

At 2pm, we had a reindeer meet and greet. Do you know the difference between reindeer and caribou? Reindeer are domesticated caribou, so all reindeer are caribou, but caribou are not reindeer. Learn something new every day! There were three reindeer on the property, two younger males and a mature female. Gary was the runt, Uno had just one antler (he’d lost the other in a mishap and will have to wait until next year for a pair) and the female, Rory. They weren’t exactly affectionate, but they were very interested in the food bucket and perfectly happy to be hand fed. The boys, especially Uno, were accomplished duelists and you really had to be mindful of the antlers.

Randi bonds with Roxy...

...and then it was my turn. 

Our last activity was a ride in the snow coach to a viewpoint above the Basecamp to see the sunset, make s’mores over an open fire, and enjoy a glass of champagne or Martinelli’s. The day was still foggy, but the low clouds turned a pretty pink at sunset. Randi is a huge s’mores fan so this was right up her alley. It was nice to just sit around the fire and chat with a few of the other guests and Ryan, our guide.

The snow coach. We rode in the back half.

Evening light was all soft pastels.

We did have a view across the valley of the igloos.
Did you immediately think, "pod people"? Lol. 

Champagne and s'mores. Yay!

While we were sad to leave our cozy igloo, we headed back to Fairbanks and Pike’s Waterfront Lodge on Thursday morning, 2/6. Our rooms weren’t ready until 4pm, so we stowed our luggage and hung out in the large lobby area for a few hours. For dinner, we decided to check out Hungry Robot, a pizza place that was highly rated and had been featured on Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives. Excellent choice!

Worth a stop if you make it to Fairbanks!

We had several inches of snow fall in the night, but Friday morning the skies cleared to a beautiful, brilliant blue making the snow sparkle. Rog and I enjoyed walking the property and checked out the Aurora Discovery Center.  Do you know what causes the aurora? We learned that electrically charged particles are expelled from the sun. About 40 hours later they are picked up by the Earth's magnetic field. The magnetic field steers the charged particles towards the poles, creating two auroral ovals above the North and South Magnetic Poles. The particles collide with oxygen and nitrogen between 20 and 200 miles above the Earth. The colors of the aurora depend on that distance: red is 150 miles and up, green about 100 miles, purple at 60 miles, and blue is less than 60 miles. Most of the auroras we saw were green with some faint red. 

The Aurora Discovery Center at Pike's Waterfront Lodge.

Ice blocks ready for carving.

Wood carvings too!

Friday evening was our scheduled trip to Chena Hot Springs, about 60 miles from Fairbanks. Chena Hot Springs Resort operates a big indoor pool and a boulder-lined outdoor wading lake. The pools are constantly replenished by 165°F mineral spring water that rises from deep underground and is mixed with cooler water. The hot springs have authentic Gold Rush roots and were already a premier Alaskan destination by 1912, with people traveling by stage from Fairbanks. For transportation, we booked a tour with Alaska Wildlife Guides and our guide, Chrisopher, picked us up at 4:30pm. He shared a lot about his 17 years in Fairbanks and some really helpful tips for the evening on the hour-long drive to Chena. 

Our first activity was the Aurora Ice Museum. Containing 1,000 tons of ice and snow, the museum is kept at brisk 25°F all year round. There were lots of very cool (pun intended, lol) sculptures, but the highlight was the ice bar where you could purchase an Appletini served in a glass carved from ice. It was very tasty, and the glasses were certainly unique. After exiting the museum, we were told we should make a wish and then smash the glass. Too fun!  

The Chena Ice Museum.

Ice flowers.

The ice goblets.
The lathe and ice blocks used to make them are in the background.

Jose and Randi under the ice arch.

The Aurora Ice Bar. 

Enjoying our icy Appletini. 

Most of the sculptures were a work in progress,
but the detail on the finished parts was amazing.

Chilly chess anyone?

Hmmmm.... a potential wedding chapel? 😊

Next, we had dinner at the Chena Resort restaurant. Good food, but the service was excruciatingly slow so, if you make it there, factor that into your plans. After dinner, we went to the hot springs. There are indoor soaking tubs and a large pool, but we were interested in the natural outdoor pool. After changing into our swimsuits, we made a hasty exit along a covered walkway to the pool. It was only about 40 yards from the building to the pool, but at a frosty -4°F it seemed like 400 yards! Once in the water it was heavenly! You could move around the pool to find your perfect spot as the temperature varied from not quite warm enough to too hot to handle. The steam rising from the water and the ice and snow covered rocks and trees surrounding the pool made it a beautiful and surreal experience. They also had color changing lights to provide just enough illumination to move around safely.

The tunnel and walkway into the hot springs.

Snow covered boulders and trees surrounded the pool. 

The water was heavenly, but check out my frozen hair!

Then we had a real treat. The aurora came out and we got to see the lights while soaking in the hot springs! Looks like somebody’s “make a wish and break the glass” came true. Lol. It was hard to see through the steam rising off the water, but there was no doubt the undulating ribbons of color above us were the northern lights. We exited the pool around 11:30pm and met up with our group just as the lights came out again. I hadn’t brought a tripod, so my handheld long exposures didn’t come out that great. But it was truly an awe-inspiring sight.

Hard to see through the steam, but the aurora made an appearance!

Although, I don't think everyone was looking up. Lol.

On the way back to the resort, Christopher, stopped at a viewing area right next to the Chena River. We hung out for about an hour, but the lights didn’t make another appearance, so we finally called it a night and headed home. We made it back to the resort around 2:30am. What a spectacular evening.

No aurora, but the snow sparking
in the moonlight was incredible.

Needless to say, Saturday was a sleep-in day. We had a lazy morning and then got a Lyft downtown to do some shopping and try out Soba, a restaurant featuring Mondolvian and Romanian food, that our guide had recommended. It was definitely something none of us had ever had before so we were excited to try something new. Can’t say I’d seek it out again, although a few of the dishes were very tasty, it reminded me a little of German food and I prefer spicier fare.

One nice thing about long nights,
you can sleep in and still see the sunrise. Lol.

We spent the evening getting repacked and organized for our Sunday morning departure. There was one last chance we might see the aurora before we left, so we arranged a wakeup call with the front desk. I had just drifted off to sleep around 11:30pm when the call came. Of course, I’d already packed my boots and parka, but I hastily upended my suitcase and layered up. That turned out to be an excellent idea, since we ended up being outside for about an hour and half and the temp dropped to -14°F.  That’s brutally cold! Especially when I had to keep taking off my gloves to take pictures. Arrrrrrrgh.

Randi and Jose opted to stay inside and see what they could from their balcony. A much warmer alternative. Lol. Rog and I first hiked down to the frozen river. Now I know I’d seen people walking on it and even one guy on a snowmobile, but when we stepped out onto the ice it made a distinctly creaking noise. That was creepy. We walked downriver a bit, stopping in the shadow of one of the resort buildings to get away from the bright lights. One of the staff came out and warned us that the ice along the edges wasn’t as thick and there were holes covered in snow. Ok. Swimming was not on the agenda, so we decided to backtrack and see the aurora from a safer vantage point. Luckily one of the hotel staff, guided us to an area where we had an excellent view. What a lovely, magical time. 

Walking out onto the Chena River.

Another thing I didn’t realize was how dynamic the lights are. They don’t just come out and stay out. They are constantly fading in and out, morphing in shape and color, and moving across the sky. We stayed outside watching the lights until my hands were aching and I could no longer feel my fingers. The touch screen on my phone wasn’t working well either. I’m not sure if it was the low temps affecting the electronics or if my fingers were just so cold it wasn’t registering input from a live human. It was a wonderful way to end our trip!

My favorite shot from our last night in Alaska.

Just a few minutes later the lights had moved behind us
 for a totally different view.

We had a smooth flight back to SeaTac on Sunday, 2/9, and a happy reunion with the puppers. Randi and Jose stayed the night and left early the next morning. They had a great time, and are even talking about a return trip, but I’m pretty sure Jose was happy to see Texas temperatures again. Lol.

Good-bye Alaska! Hope to see you again soon. 😊

Alas, we won’t be heading for warmer climes quite yet though. We have our next adventure planned, but will hang out in the great gray until later in the spring when we meander our way to Yosemite (new National Park for our list!) and then head to Rian’s for some family time and deck building. We’ll keep you posted!