Fairbanks Day 2 of 2 July 6, 2013

We did ride a riverboat name The Discovery III on the Chena River down to where it meets the Tanana River.  We saw a float plane taking off right next to the boat to see how the Alaskans survived in a place where temperature range from 95 degrees to minus 65 degrees below.   We saw were the internationally acclaimed athlete Susan Butcher lived, trained her sled dog and the kennel (she is the four-time winner of the 1,100 mile Iditarod Race).   We also stop at a Chena India village.  We got to see how the ancient Athabasca Indian culture lived and survived the wild frontier of Alaska.

 

This is the front of the Discovery III is the riverboat we took for a 3 1/2 hour trip down the Chena River down to Tanana River.  This riverboat was run by the 4^th and 5^th generation of Brinkley.  The first Brinkley arrived in Alaska 1898        

 Back of the Discovery III        

        The riverboat headquarters, gift shop, Dining Hall and 40 degree below zero chamber for a souvenir picture.         

The float plane that took off right by the riverboat.   It does a very short and fast takeoff, because of the short lakes.     A lot of families have a plane as there means of transportation.    Children can get a pilot licence before a vehicle drivers licence.   

 Going around for a quick landing           

Almost down         

Down 

    He landed right beside the riverboat and was talking to the Captain.   The Captain has put the conversation on the speaker.        

Discovery II Riverboat, they still run it for smaller groups.     

    Log cabin that are along the river.    

    Log cabin that are along the river.    

  Susan Butcher Iditarod Champion home.  Susan won the Iditarod 5 times; 1986, 1987, 1988 and 1990.                  

 Some of the dogs are ready for run.      

  Puppies in training, everyone needs to learn to go over obstacles.      

They must learn to follow. 

 

 Trying to get the puppy into the water. 

 

 Maybe they will  make the water next time.       

 

Dogs ready for their run and also the dog yard with the other dogs.       

 

 Susan Butcher home.  Susan passed away in 2006, but her husband is carrying on the tradition along with their two children.       

Straightening out the harness.      

  The dogs are in the ready position.    Someone just needs to let off the brake.       

 They use an old 4x4 without a motor and an extra rope brake.    

Sometime you just can’t keep the dogs in line.      

 Almost ready, the helpers are still trying to hold the dogs in place.          

  And there are off                   

Coming back from around the loop.                 

    Undoing the dogs        

 One last thank you from Mr Butcher.   

They are getting a refreshing dip                  

 The helper waiting for the dogs              

 

  Log cabin by the Chena Village     

Fishing wheel           

 Showing a fish that came from the fish-wheel        

   Cleaning fish from the fish-wheel  

  A nice fillet                  

 

   How it is cut for the drying racks        

 Reindeer are a domestic elk       

 The Chena River (which is clear, because it is spring feed) is meeting the Tanana River (which is gray in color, because is it glacier melt).      The gray color in the glacier melted rivers are from the glacier moving on the mountain and picking up small rock.  The coloring is called flour (not sure how it got the name).    

 Where the two rivers meet.  See the different colors of the two rivers?

A better picture of the two rivers meeting.  Can you see a definite line?   

   Log cabin in Chena Village     

 A cache and fur display.   A cache is a raised small building used for storing food items from wild animals.  There were red, black, grey and white foxes, wolf, beaver and lyncs.       

Wolf and lyncs furs.

A better picture of the different foxes.

 Reindeer in their inside pen.      

 A Chena native providing info for the reindeer and some of their baskets.      

  A fake moose that is a real size.     

   Native jackets    

  Native dress     

Native fur coat with a real wolverine on the hood.  They put wolverine around the face, because the fur does not freeze. 

Granite was the greatest lead dog for Susan Butcher.            

The building for drying fish.    See the fish drying inside the building? 

  The Iron Dog is a name that the Alaska natives call the snowmobile.    

    Trapper’s line cabin   

   Eagle just sitting in the river.  

 Sled dog at the Chena Village.    

 

 Trading Post      

 Wolf   

Don't remember.

Bear hide drying.