visiting alaska, maybe nenana?

visitors to Alaska sitting in a warm pressurized jet at 30,000 feet over nenana will see rivers flowing north from the Alaska range connecting with larger rivers all presumably flowing to the sea.  but unless one has  examined our geography it may not be clear which way the rivers flow.

maybe to the uninitiated and those without binoculars the water way down there are long lakes. unlikely since we only get tourists and other visitors smart enough to know the differences between rivers and lakes.  besides anyone on a jet aircraft today with binoculars may get 2nd and 3rd glances.  if you want to see what's happening down there,  you can fly closer to the ground in an Alaskan aircraft workhorse, the piper supercub. so leave your binoculars in your baggage.  stretch out your national geo. map across you and your seat mate's  tray table.  it's only the largest of the fifty states and a single map can be used for a dining room table covering.

it doesn't take a geology or hydrology expert to see the river drainage system and understand how it works.  gavity works very well here in the northland. however many alaskans try to defy it with small light aircraft on balloon type tires.  most of these flyers live long lives telling hair raising stories on how gravity almost got them.  i'm a river pilot so i cannot tell you flying stories here. unless i go and borrow that pretty red and white number tied down and sitting on nenana's paved tarmac and modern asphalt airport.   the local plane owners do not appreciate anyone borrowing their aircraft.  for obvious good reason.  they're keeping an eye on me anyway.  a pilot he says,  have to keep ~him~ on the river.  dang!

you're at 30,000 feet, map stretched across you and neighbor's tray table, wondering if  making more room by finishing your toddy would help.  maybe it does. maybe you don't care anymore.

having crossed the alaska range, you finally see small hills and what appears to be a road through the wilderness.  oh hey.. right there honey.. that's a river and it's draining into a larger river there..but the wing is in the way. good time to squeeze...out to the head and give your seat mate the window.
 wondering how far fairbanks is, and if that's the highway you're to drive and visit this place called nenana. hust when you recognize that it is nenana. the little town where the river, highway, and hills meet, the flight attendant announces the beginning of the descent into the fairbanks area. you have 5 minutes to refold a huge map that is designed never to find it's original creases. the temperature and local time is announced.  brr you might say. meanwhile nenana people run around in shorts and t shirts happy for the summer time and 24 hour daylight. no one paying much attention to what time it is.

a nenana morning sun in the summer comes out of the NE and is very intense. after a long day and evening of work or play one may suddenly realize the obvious to everyone but you! OMG I stayed up all night!  wait,  let me ask someone, "is that sun going down or coming up"?  let's see, where shall we have breakfast?  all the makings are in your new friend's fridge but everyone is tired from staying up all night. So where shall we go for the standard american cholesterol started of eggs, bacon, hash browns?

and it's off to the roughwoods inn we go.  or maybe to clear sky lodge or the fireweed roadhouse. unlikely you'll get much rest today so best to save the mondorosa bar and grill for dinner tonight.

but there is no "night"! if you're hungry and your watch says it's close enough, head out to find your morning and evening chow prepared and served by locals, happy to have one of the few steady jobs in our small town.

but you really should get some tourist sightseeing in before the midnight sun returns and resets your internal clock.  remember you have to make pictures to bring home and show to all your friends. yes~we really went there.  saved money for years for these mosquito bites and evidence photos.

if you have saved for this vacation of a lifetime,  maybe you don't want to waste a moment.  but go ahead. get some sleep anyway. order the dessert, maintain your strength. heck with the diet.  relax..enjoy.

we'll still be here when you wake up asking is it am or pm?

then suddenly you have an epiphany. it no longer matters whether it's morning or evening except for the travel schedule and to those way down south in the lower 48, a-mer'-ca.  still tired?  no worries, can sleep back at 30,000 feet heading home. i understand. of course you can't sleep in a hotel room in the middle of the day, even if the window has  heavy thick curtains designed to separate night and day.  doesn't fool you, it's day time out there, or so your watch says.  confused?  you might have the makings of a sourdough. not the bread, a person whose has settled into making alaska home. beyond the condition of being sour in the country with no dough to get out.

not that you'd like to leave or want to relinquish your newcomer status as a cheechako.  i don't know, maybe becoming a sourdough is a lifelong ambition.  makes no difference to me as a native alaskan and alaska native. very few end up staying on the 1st trip.

say you decide to stay. do not be surprised if your first winter happens to be the coldest one ever. one for the record books. after loosing a couple toes but surviving a frozen truck motor and dead battery, you can't wait to leave. yep, you're almost a sourdough.  careful now, most sourdoughs stay and live long lives telling stories to chechakos arriving with new to do lists.

long before this happens and before your chance to pee in the yukon is realized.   you finally settle into a routine.  Setting  out to explore the village you may be surprised to discover that everyone here seems quite rested.

to double check you peek into the visitor's center at the parks highway junction and the tourist shop just across the street.  you are grateful for these  super friendly people.  but what is that fire danger warning sign doing there?  then comes the  inevitable question, are we in danger?  oh..it's people who are dangerous! which ones? can't make a fire? ok.  but maybe it's just what you've come to alaska to do! along with pee in the yukon, make love to a squaw(derogatory), and kill a bear.  a to do list before mosquitoes carry you off.

your visit to our home is survivable provided you do not confuse any of the items on the list.do not confuse try to peeing in the yukon and wressleing a bear. disrespect  one of our women or anyone else. and our bears will kill you.  that is..if our women don't get to you first.  believe me you don't ever want to cross any of our beautiful native woman.  in nenana or anywhere else.  they're good shots and every home has at least one firearm.  to-do list confused again?  throw the list away. it will only get you in trouble and won't work here no matter how much daylight you need.

try to make love to a bear here and you're on your own buddy. but typical of alaskan hospitality we will remove our hats and pay respect to the bear scat that once was you.