Dan's Wanderings: November 2007

On Nov. 9th my good friend, Wendy (Wendell) Shiffler helped me on build and install the stairs to the second floor. We knocked it out in about 7 hours. I had spent a few hours the day before sanding and rounding the corners of the rough cut lumber. The wood was really wet, having been milled from fresh cut trees not long ago at the local saw mill. So the stairs will have to dry for a month or more before I can put a coat of polyurethane on them to protect the steps, etc. For now I've got scrap pieces of carpet on the steps, because I'll be going up and down a good deal as I start to finish the upstairs. That is the next project.

They are really solid stairs. All the lumber (white spruce) is a true 2 inches thick. The stringers are 2x12s and the steps are 2x10s. Later on, as I have more time I may replace the 4x4 legs of the landing with real logs.
The house is pretty humid these days with the house logs drying and now all the lumber from the stairs drying. The hygrometer (humidity gauge) that I have reads between 50 and 60%. I've yet to have any static electricity from my bed sheets or clothes!! A rare thing here in the dry Arctic.

Tolovana HotSprings Trailhead on the Elliot Hwy on the way to Manley, 100 miles from Fairbanks. There was a stiff breeze which is normal, so you need to be bundled up to prevent from getting cold at the start. The trail is 11 miles long, taking 3 to 4 hours depending on the conditions of the trail and your physical condition.
On Friday afternoon 8 of us skied in. That nite 5 more followed. The next day another fellow arrived so we had 14 for dinner on Sat. nite and Sunday morning breakfast. It was an awesome trip with really great people. I've been in Fairbanks for 16 years now and this was my first time to this gem of a place.

Almost immediately from the trailhead you begin a descent, first thru birch stands and then on to spruce. The downhill is about 2 miles. The wind present at the trailhead also disappears.

About 3 miles of fairly flat skiing before another 2 mile climb.

A look back at the climb, but more to go yet. It was easier to walk than to ski or use skins. The sled was attached to the belt I took off my back pack. Pulling a sled is a bit easier than having the pack on your back, but you still get sore hip flexors from the sled pulling at you.

Some great shots of trees covered in some snow/hoar frost. This area burned a few years ago.

Nearing the top of Tolovana Hotsprings Dome. Here the wind can be very strong. It was blowing on this day but not badly.

You can see that the wind is a constant presence here.

Now a steep descent to the springs. There was very little snow so it was safer to walk down, rather than ski.

The newest cabin at the hotsprings. There are 3. I stayed here with 3 other folks.

Where the hot water seeps out of the ground at 125-145 degrees. It has no odor. Pipes carry the water to 3 tubs that are spread out along the small creek.

The upper tub. It is a round plastic holding tank. It can hold 12 persons easily.

Looking down the little valley.

Mike Hayes, a fellow I met while working at Pogo Gold Mine, soaks in the bath tub next to the upper tub.

The main cabin that can sleep 6. All our meals were taken here. All 3 cabins have propane lights, propane stoves/ovens and wood stoves. All utensils and cooking pots/pans, etc are provided. There is yummy fresh cold water available from a spring. All you need to bring is your towel, a sleeping bag and loads of yummy food!

The oldest and 3rd cabin. It can sleep 4.

Enjoying a group soak. Swim suits are not worn here!!

Cooling off in the tub.

Getting dressed after a soak.

Natalie showing here hook trick.

Downing whip cream in a can. I provided desert the nite before, brownies and ice cream, and forgot to serve the whip cream, so it was passed around the next nite. We ate like kings out there.