1,000 Places to See in the U.S.A. & Canada Before You Die (98 page)

The Last Great Race on Earth

Anchorage, Alaska

Starting from Anchorage each March and ending 8 to 15 days later in Nome, the Iditarod is one of the great endurance tests in sport, with competitors from around the globe mushing sled dogs across 1,150 miles of snow
in temperatures as low as 40 below zero. No wonder it’s been called “The Last Great Race on Earth.”

The Iditarod Trail began as a mail and supply route from Seward to Nome for gold miners. In 1925 one of its legendary dog teams, led by the great Balto, became national heroes after rushing diphtheria serum to epidemic-stricken Nome. The route was revived for racing in 1973, and today an average of 65 mushers and their teams come from as far away as Norway, Japan, and Russia to compete for a share of the $600,000-plus purse. It’s the largest spectator event in Alaska, with crowds showing up for the pre-start party and camping out along the trail. The course record is currently held by Martin Buser, who won in 2002 with a time of 8 days, 22 hours, 46 minutes, and 2 seconds.

To get into the race yourself as an “Iditarider,” place a bid for a spot on one of the mushers’ sleds for the first 11 miles (the auction begins in October, with winning bids sometimes in excess of $4,000). For a less competitive take, contact musher extraordinaire Raymie Redington, son of “Father of the Iditarod” Joe Redington, who offers half-day, full-day, and overnight wilderness trips on the Iditarod Trail. The much more remote fly-in Winterlake Lodge, also directly on the trail, offers four handsome guest cabins and the opportunity to traverse the trail with the lodge’s team of 24 Alaskan huskies. The dinner menu is as remarkable as the wintry surroundings, with daily cooking classes and special culinary weekends scheduled throughout the year.

Each Iditarod team has 12 to 16 sled dogs, most of which are huskies bred for speed and endurance and who show extreme loyalty to the musher.

W
HERE
: headquarters in Wasilla, 40 miles north of Anchorage. Tel 907-376-5155;
www.iditarod.com
.
When:
early Mar.
I
DITARIDERS
A
UCTION
: Tel 800-566-SLED or 907-248-6874.
When:
early Oct–Jan.
R
AYMIE
R
EDINGTON
: Wasilla. Tel 907-376-6730.
Cost:
half-hour dog sled rides $40.
When:
beginning with 1st snow in Nov.
W
INTERLAKE
L
ODGE
: Finger Lake checkpoint. Tel 907-274-2710;
www.withinthewild.com
.
Cost:
$1,755 per person for 2 nights, includes air transfer to/from Anchorage, meals, and activities.

A Little Portion of Our Planet Left Alone

Alaska

As conservationist Margaret Murie told Congress in 1959, arguing for the creation of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, “I feel so sure that, if we are big enough to save this bit of loveliness on our earth, the future
citizens of Alaska and of all the world will be deeply grateful. This is a time for a long look ahead.” She was right, of course, about both the importance of preserving the land and the future’s appreciation of a place that remains preciously, absolutely wild. That protection is not guaranteed, however: With suspected oil deposits in the region, talk of opening it up for drilling has persisted for more than two decades.

Only about a thousand people make the trek here every year, but that’s not the point: Unlike the vast majority of the country’s public lands, ANWR’s mission is to put the sanctity of wilderness ahead of the needs of human visitors. Though the reserve measures about 19 million acres, there are no visitor centers, no campgrounds, no roads, and no trails. People who come here have to know what they’re doing, but they’re rewarded for their effort with access to utterly unspoiled wilderness that encompasses alpine and coastal tundra, coastal lagoons and salt marshes, rolling taiga uplands, 18 major rivers, and seemingly endless stands of birch, spruce, and aspen.

The four highest peaks of the Brooks Range are here, as are most of its glaciers, and the land supports an animal population that includes brown, black, and polar bears; the second largest caribou herd in Alaska; and nearly three dozen other species of land mammals, an equal number of fish species, and 180 species of birds. There are no known introduced species living in the refuge today, and people are almost absent. Even the area’s Native population—a mix of Inupiat Eskimos and Athabascans from the interior—live only on the reserve’s borders. This is what they meant by “undisturbed nature.”

A polar bear family relaxes on the refuge’s coastal plain, an area marked by rolling hills, lakes, and rivers.

W
HERE
: north of the Arctic Circle in northeast Alaska. Tel 800-362-4546 or 907-456-0250;
www.arctic.fws.gov
.
H
OW
: Arctic Treks (tel 907-455-6502;
www.arctictreksadventures.com
) and Arctic Wild (tel 888-577-8203 or 907-479-8203;
www.arcticwild.com
) both offer guided backpacking and canoeing trips in the refuge.
Cost:
from $2,750 for 9-day trip, includes air transfer from Fairbanks and meals.
B
EST TIME
: June–Aug, when temperatures are moderate and the sun is out 24/7.

Starry, Starry Nights in the Alaskan Interior

Chena Hot Springs, Alaska

Ninety-three million miles away, a huge explosion on the sun’s surface sends a rush of charged protons and electrons into space. A few days later they collide with Earth’s magnetic field and atmosphere, releasing
energy that appears as bands of red, green, and sometimes blue light, traveling down the magnetic field lines toward the surface—and thus we have the northern lights, aka the aurora borealis.

John Muir had a more poetic take: “Gazing into the starry sky and across the sparkling bay, magnificent upright bars of light in bright prismatic colors suddenly appeared, marching swiftly in close succession along the northern horizon…. Sense of time was charmed out of mind and the blessed night circled away in measureless rejoicing enthusiasm.” The northern lights have that kind of effect on people. They’re awed, struck by a sense that the sky they’ve looked at all their lives holds great mysteries. The aurora, said Muir, is “the most glorious of all the terrestrial manifestations of God.”

The Chena Hot Springs Resort, outside Fairbanks, is particularly blessed as a viewing spot for aurora borealis activity. Located 60 miles beyond the city’s ambient light, the 440-acre resort was opened in 1905 by a rheumatic prospector and his brother and has been a getaway spot ever since, its waters touted for their curative powers. You can’t help but feel buoyed sitting in a natural outdoor rock lake as the lights dance right above your head, or in a Snow Coach bound for a nearby ridge for unobstructed views.

The resort’s low buildings are set among the trees in a bowl of fir-covered mountains, with accommodations that range from rustic log cabins to newer hotel-like buildings. Also on the grounds is America’s only year-round ice museum—its vaulted rooms, Stoli Ice bar, gallery, and wedding altar all carved entirely out of ice. Outside, the soaking is the best of any Alaska hot spring, whether in the rock lake or hot tub, or you can head to their indoor pool. Other activities range from snowshoeing and dogsled rides in winter to canoeing and fishing in summer, with massage and flightseeing year-round.

The Alaska Railroad’s Aurora Escape train is also a magnificent way to explore the state (see p. 914). It operates year-round from Anchorage to Fairbanks, skirting the edge of Denali National Park (see p. 912) and offers great views of the mountains, scenery, and wildlife, with informative and entertaining commentary.

The aurora borealis gets its name from the Roman goddess of the dawn, Aurora, and the Greek god of the north wind, Boreas.

W
HERE
: 60 miles northeast of Fairbanks.
C
HENA
H
OT
S
PRINGS
: Tel 800-478-4681 or 907-451-8104;
www.chenahotsprings.com
.
Cost:
cabins from $65, rooms from $160.
B
EST TIMES
: Northern lights viewing is best near the equinoxes (in late Sept and Mar) or during dark nights (from 10
P.M
.–2
A.M.
) Sept–Mar. Feb for the Yukon Quest International Sled Dog Race (
www.yukonquest.org
); Mar for World Ice Art Championships in Fairbanks.

The Great One

Alaska

For centuries, the Athabascans of central Alaska looked up at this 20,320-foot mountain and called it Denali, “the great one.” Then, in 1896, businessman-turned-prospector William Dickey rechristened it in honor
of President William McKinley, who hailed from Ohio and had never set foot in Alaska. That’s never sat well with a lot of Alaskans. But whatever you call the mountain, its grandeur transcends any language.

The tallest peak in North America, Denali is the primary attraction of Denali National Park and Preserve, but it’s not the only draw. Visitors return from the 6-million-acre park with tales of the grizzlies, wolves, caribou, moose, and golden eagles they sighted. And then there are the views, sweeping vistas of subarctic tundra and taiga, glaciers and deeply gouged valleys, and a good number of massive mountain peaks that almost compete with the Great One.

Touring and tent camping are controlled to protect the park’s fragile ecology. There’s only one 90-mile road, of which only the first 15 miles are paved, and vehicular traffic past the 15-mile point is limited to buses and official vehicles. Summer brings long northern days, with 16 to 20 hours of light in which to take in the scenery. For an upstairs view, a number of operators offer plane or helicopter flightseeing excursions. For a more in-depth, active experience, you can stay at the sylvan Camp Denali, founded in 1951 by homesteaders on the not-yet-designated national parkland. Located in the heart of the park, the camp’s 17 cabins offer views of the mountain and other peaks in the Alaska Range. Naturalist guides lead hikes to explore the backcountry and offer evening educational programs.