Fairbanks to Nenana

Day 1--Friday, July 19, 2002

Well here I sit in Skinny Dick's Halfway Inn (no joke—you can even get a t-shirt sporting copulating grizzlies and other vulgar stuff) at mile 328 of the Parks Highway, about 25 miles from our campsite in Nenana.

It's been a very strenuous first day. Lots of climbing and HEAT—85°F. Very up/down with one long hill about 5 miles out of Fairbanks and several others to rival it.

Jess and the bartender and the other two patrons are avidly watching "Law and Order" and enjoying a brewsky as I sit here downing a whole pitcher of ice water trying to get cool.

I was up at 6:30. Had no problems assembling BOB and my bike, nor did Jess. We sorted through our gear and left some duplicates and tools in our bike boxes, which we stored at the Super 8.

Left the motel at 9:30 (sans breakfast) and headed for a bike and sports shop near the University of Fairbanks. Jess wanted to buy some rain gear and we wanted to check out some bear mace. The latter cost $40 and comes with a holster and gun to shoot it from. We decided to keep a clean camp and not get it. Jess bought a pair of rain pants but could not find a jacket with the features she wanted in her size.

Breakfast at the Fairbanks Bun & Run on our first day

The roadside is lined with fireweed, yarrow, and a yellow flower I do not know. Also beautiful birch forests and tall, skinny evergreens called (the now 5 patrons agree) black spruce ("looks like it's been burned") and white spruce ("the one that doesn't look like it's been burned"). Of course also the wild strawberry and blackberry bushes.

Field of fireweed on the way to Nenana

Vast green vistas from the turnouts. We can see the Alaska Range that we'll be riding on our way up the Richardson on our return to Fairbanks.

Salmon hanging from a primitive drying rack

 A tiny town of 350 or so, Nenana, which means "a good place to camp between the rivers" is between the Nenana River and the Tanana River, but it is not a good place to camp. The campground I had reserved with was closed. We are camped on the lawn in front of a rundown motel. The guy wanted to charge $5 for a shower in a scuzzy little room he reserves for such. We declined, took sponge baths, and then went to Moochers in town for a beer and to find someplace cool and mosquito-free. Met Jan there. She had been working at Skinny Dick's Halfway Inn when we stopped in. Also met Debbie and Greg there, a couple who work in Denali and who told us we can park our bikes in their A-frame while we are bus touring.

An original log cabin in Nenana next to a modern log cabin with a green tin roof

Nenana is famous for its Ice Classic. In Feb. a 26-foot tall 5-legged tripod is set on the ice on the Tanana river. Everyone bets $2 on the day, hour, and minute the ice will melt enough to move the tripod 10 feet—it's attached by cable to a clock. This year the winners (there were 7 of them) split $300,000.