Fairbanks Adventures

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Yes, still catching up. I'm hoping to include some of Fran's impressions or photos in some of these posts, as well. If she lets me!
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Fairbanks is known as the "Golden Heart City" partially because of the 1902 gold rush, but also because it considers itself the heart of Alaska. 

Young reindeer at LARS (Large Animal Research Station) in Fairbanks

For a small city (population about 32,000 in 2013, about the half the size of San Rafael, CA, which was almost 60,000 in the same year), Fairbanks has a lot going for it! Fran and I had a good time seeing some of the highlights.

Muskoxen adult females, front and rear view

Large Animal Research Station (LARS), at University of Alaska, Fairbanks (UAF)

We decided to head to the LARS because of the opportunity to see reindeer, caribou and muskoxen close up. Other than that, I wasn't sure what to expect.

We got there just in time for the 10am naturalist presentation. I think all of us on the "tour" (there were probably 30 of us) all thought we were going to be able to walk around the LARS campus, but that turned out to not be the case. (I actually can understand this, since the animals are big, strong, and unpredictable, although the ones we saw looked mild-mannered enough.)

It was a fascinating presentation. Our guide was well-informed and passionate about the animals she was talking about. She went well beyond the standard talk and was able to answer most questions.

Freya nibbling willow leaves

Muskoxen used to be native to Alaska, but they were hunted to extinction by about 1880. In 1930 a group of 34 animals was brought from Greenland to Nuivak Island, an island in the Bering Sea off the Alaskan coast. By 1968, in the absence of any predators, that small herd grew to 750(!!), after which that herd became the source for re-introducing them to the mainland.

Besides Greenland, muskoxen are also found in the polar regions of Europe, Asia (Siberia), and arctic Canada.

They are remarkably adapted to a harsh environment. Their wide feet are stable on snow; they have powerful shoulders for digging through snow and horns for defense against wolves (their primary predator); they can consume a wide variety of vegetation; and their fur coat is highly insulating. There is an undercoat of fine downy winter hair called qiviut that is shed all at once with the onset of spring. It keeps the animals alive in unbelievably cold (-80° F) temperatures, and is reputed to be eight times warmer than wool, and as soft and comfortable as cashmere.

Two baby muskoxen

Here is a cool video showing the qiviut harvesting. Since it is a "synchronous shed" it's released all at once, and can be combed off to make what really looks like a fleece. Of course, in the wild, it wouldn't come off like this!

While they might look like a yak, they are most closely related to goats. If you look at their faces (and consider their dietary flexibility), you'll see this!

They have about 30 muskoxen at the facility, and while they are trying to keep the population somewhat stable because of limited resources, there were BABY MUSKOXEN, about three months old.

What is it about baby animals that makes them so adorable? Could it be their fluffy coats? The way the delicately nibble on willow leaves or dandelions? Their twitchy noses and soft brown eyes? Ohhh. Too cute!

Fran lunching near the muskox paddock; note the double fence!

You may notice that they, and the other animals at the Station, are wearing halters. This is a new development. In the past they'd thought to keep the animals as wild as possible, but in order to conduct research on them (and harvest qiviut), they do need to handle them, and it makes it considerably easier when they are more accustomed to humans.

So, enough with the muskoxen!

The station also studies caribou and reindeer. I finally learned the difference between them: reindeer are a domesticated breed from Europe and Asia and were bred to be stockier (for meat and hauling). It is illegal to "own" caribou, even reindeer ownership in Alaska is strictly regulated: only Alaska natives, or Alaska native organizations, or their designees, may own Alaskan reindeer. (Special permits for research and "display" may be obtained.)

Young reindeer at LARS

Caribou are also remarkable animals. We didn't actually get to see caribou up too close, but certainly closer than all the wild sightings I've had so far (and since), which have been brief and from far away. Caribou have a springy gait; it's hard to describe, but they don't walk or trot, they prance!

They also have a slew of adaptations: caribou fur is hollow (think "Quallofil") and very dense, trapping air for warmth and also providing flotation for when they migrate across rivers. Their hooves are split, able to spread out and act like snowshoes. Both males and females have antlers (which are bone) and are regrown every year. Antlers are bone, and can grow very fast, up to one inch per day! While they are growing, they are covered with "velvet," a soft, fur-like covering that protects the new bone grown beneath. Male caribou shed their antlers in the fall, after the rut; females keep theirs for defense through the winter, and shed them in the spring. They actually can EAT them as a source of nutrients during the stressful time of nursing.

Alaskans are looking into using these animals, already so well suited to their environment, to supplement their economy (reindeer for meat; muskoxen for fiber).

I think Fran and I were both reeling, our heads stuffed with new information. We did a bit of shopping at the little shop; I'm entranced with the qiviut, but balking at the price ($85/ounce), so am still considering that purchase. I was looking for a kit, but may have to do that in Anchorage.

We had lunch out by the male muskoxen paddock. It's hard to believe that these seemingly gentle animals can be dangerous, but they are. We did not test the two-fence barrier!

Creamer's field and barn

Creamer's Field State Wildlife Refuge

SO MANY CRANES!

I really wanted to go to Creamer's Field and do some birdwatching. We went there after lunch.

We lucked out, as there were a LOT of sandhill cranes there.

At Creamer's Field there are a viewing areas on two sides of the main field, plus you can hike around the 2200 acres of the refuge as well (as long as you stay on the trails and don't go onto the fields and bother the birds. They seem to be pretty habituated to people; they weren't at all bothered by cars driving, people walking by, or even dogs on leashes. There were few people walking on the trails, though.

So many cranes!

There was a small pond in the main field, and there must have been a hundred cranes there, quite a different situation from California where we counted ourselves lucky if we saw one or two! There were also Canada geese, but, I'm sorry I just couldn't get excited about the geese!

The cranes were beautiful and stately, but also amusing in their antics. I was pretty excited to be able to watch their natural behaviors from pretty close up: ducking in the water, scratching, flapping their large wings, feeding and flying.  

Arch of trees along the trail; elevated viewing platform just to the right

And to see so many at once! I'm still gushing!

We decided to take one of the shorter hikes around the fields in the hopes of seeing more birds. There were supposed to be some elevated viewing platform/blinds, and I was hoping they might provide some additional photo opportunities.

While a nice idea, it turned out that ALL of the birds could best be seen from the original viewing points. There were NO birds, except some ducks in the flooded parts of the fields (more on that later).

It was a pleasant enough walk until we got to the far side and did the "Chickadee Loop," which was infested with mosquitoes. I was regretting getting lackadaisical about mosquito repellent; I hadn't even brought any in my pack (neither had Fran).

I made an abortive attempt to find a letterbox, but with stopping and trying to figure out clues, it was fairly miserable, so we high-tailed it out of the swampy bits. 

We did the loop hike, almost back to the tree arch... only to find that the field was flooded with at least a foot of water. We tried to find a way around, but were unsuccessful. All the rain that has been falling for the past days/weeks had just gathered in the low spots and was deep enough that we didn't want to wade through it. Also: forest gets thick and brambly and swampy in unexpected places. 

Compton tortoiseshell (Nymphalis vaualbum)

I have renewed appreciation for why the natives and early explorers kept to the river highways!

So we turned around and got some exercise retracing our steps. We did not linger in the mosquito-ridden area!

It wasn't a huge hardship; as with all walks, there is always something to look at! We were treated to a beautiful butterfly and a whole bunch of dragonflies.

Apparently there are many species of dragonflies in Alaska, and we saw quite a number just on this little hike.

There was a very impressive one that was black with iridescent blue, green and yellow spots: I think it was one of the darners (maybe a sedge darner?); there were blue dragonflies and a red dragonfly. Fran was very understanding as I attempted to get pictures. The dragonflies were not at all cooperative. 

Cherry-headed meadowhawk (Sympetrum internum)

(I have since learned that dragonfly photographers catch them by netting them, then putting them in an icebox to cool them down and make them more tractable. Only after that do they take them out and pose them on a bit of grass, and quickly take the picture before they can fly off. Not knowing this at the time, I was glad to get the photo I did manage to get of the one red one at right. 
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If you want to know more about Alaskan dragonflies, a couple of researchers have a fabulous online book, with all the pictures I did not get!)


I could have spent more time looking at the cranes, but Fran was eager to see the botanical garden back at the University of Fairbanks. I wanted to see that, too, so we headed back up the the University of Alaska, starting to get around like natives at this point!

Georgeson Botanical Garden (UAF)

More speechlessness.

The garden was bountiful and beautiful. There was so much to see there!

I actually don't know how to communicate this all in words, but here's a start, and then there will be pictures.

The main idea of the garden is to feature plants that do well in northern climates. Just as there are elsewhere, there are micro-climates: the UAF property is slightly warmer than Fairbanks proper, since UAF is up on a hillside (cold air sinks). Aptly, the community around North Pole, just 13 miles south of Fairbanks, is colder still. 

They are doing research into how to get vegetables growing earlier. Some of the techniques are: use of black plastic and mulch; orienting crop rows north-south so they don't shade each other; and using raised beds to get plant roots off the permafrost (not something we have to consider in California!).

Fran and the giant cabbage

There were large beds of related plants: medicinal plants, vegetables, sweet peas, lilies, zinnias, lupines, iris, peonies. Peonies actually do so well in Alaska that they are expanding their plantings and looking at turning them into a cash crop! Even though the season was ending, they were still selling bouquets of peonies for $5...

One of my favorite flowers: lilies

Pompom dahlia

It's hard to think "eggplant" and "tomatoes" in the same sentence as "Alaska" but with the long, warm summer days (70-90° F) these warm-weather plants actually do quite well. VERY well, in fact.

The giant Alaskan cabbages are legendary, as are the pumpkins and squash. Scarlet runner beans were prolifically producing, verdantly rampant over supporting arbors.

Ornamental flowers — and very busy bees — were just as happy, as shown by some of these photos. 

In one area of the garden, they rescued plants from an "arctic seed bank" that had to close, and they are going to see what survives. Only the strong will survive the extreme cold.

Red cabbage in the dye garden

There was a children's garden, too, with a stream running though it, a botanical maze made from vines, a small playhouse, child-sized tables and chairs, and a "tree house" with some beautiful ceramic bird tiles to help with identification. It was just beautifully done, and very welcoming.

I was also quite interested in the "dye garden," where they are growing plants used in natural dying, such as marigold, coreopsis, red cabbage (not the most fast dye in the world, but it does definitely grow well here), yarrow, lupine, beets, hollyhocks, and I think tansy or goldenrod. 

I was looking for indigo, but didn't see it. (In researching this, I found this interesting article about dying with lichens, but unfortunately no instructions!)

Saskatoon

There was an entire patch of lupines in intense shades of blue, red, yellow and maroon.

There were also shrubs and trees: currants, gooseberry, buffaloberry and more. It was helpful to have them identified, but by this time my head was swimming. 

There are native plants as well. I was quite excited to see saskatoon and chokecherry. These were plants that I'd had questions about waaay back at Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump, no knowing what they looked like! Now I know!

Red chokecherries

But what I didn't know is that chokecherry, which is used in all kinds of ways (fresh berries cooked for jelly, syrup and jam; dried chokecherry for pastes, flour and baking; even wine!) has different color berries and foliage! There are red berries with green foliage, black berries with green foliage, and dark berries with maroon foliage. I'm sure there are other combinations, and now that I know what to look for, I'm seeing chokecherry bushes and trees everywhere!

Check out some chokecherry recipes!

If I lived in the Fairbanks area, I know I'd be spending a lot of time here at the Garden. There are volunteers who adopt a bed and take care of it, deadheading and pruning. I can see myself doing that!

Phew!

A night out

Black chokecherries

It was a lot to take in, but the day wasn't over yet! Early in the morning, Fran had been talking one of the gals back at the hostel, and we decided to "do something" together in the evening. Upon getting back to the hostel, Renée recommended a falafel place for dinner, and Fran wanted to go to "Music in the Garden" — this time a performance by a steel drum orchestra.

Renée is a physical therapist on a contract job in Fairbanks. She'd been here for about a month, and was wrapping up her stint and would be heading back to Arkansas in a week or so. She was very happy to join up with us, as most of the people who had been staying at the hostel were guys, and she said it was a little testosterone-heavy!

The falafels were delicious and filling (Fran and I each got a whole one, and saved part for lunch the next day); then we all went back to the botanical garden for the musical evening. Unfortunately we hadn't realized that (1) you could bring dinner to eat while listening, and (2) you were supposed to bring your own chairs or blankets to sit on the lawn. If there was a next time, we'd know! Fortunately, there were benches in back of the performers, so we sat on those. They had their backs to us, but, on the other hand, we were really close to them and the music! 

Captivated by the music!

The group, consisting of about 20 members, was called "Cold Steel." Knowing nothing about steel drums, it was fun to see the different kinds, and how they were used. I think there were maybe eight "soprano" drums at the front that carried the main melody, another eight or so that played counterpoint, maybe four bass drums (kind of like kettle drums), and a rhythm section with a congo drummer, a drumset drummer, and somebody else that played special percussion instruments.

They were awesome! They played a selection of Caribbean- and Brazilian-inspired music, some of it adapted from well-known songs ("Black Magic Woman" by Santana, "Margaritaville" by Jimmy Buffett), and some music specially written for steel drums. All of it was toe-tapping and made you feel like dancing! Some of the players switched around a LOT, playing bass for one selection, melody for another. It was an energetic performance; sweat was flying!

This video will give you some idea of the music!

Unfortunately, rain started about 2/3 of the way through the performance. The hardier folk on the lawns just opened umbrellas or put on jackets, but some came under the pavilion. Near us there was a mom with three little boys. They were adorable, very well behaved, and appeared to thoroughly enjoy the music. We congratulated ourselves that we had the foresight to sit in the pavilion already, didn't have to move to stay dry!

It was still light when the performance ended around 9pm, and we girls weren't done yet. Since my birthday was tomorrow, we decided to go out for a drink as an early celebration, so Renée Googled "best margaritas in Fairbanks," and we all went off to Miguel's for a nightcap.

It was quite a day.