Take-aways

Alaska's History and Our Journey Take-aways

The largest state (in the area) of the United States, Alaska was admitted to the union as the 49th state in 1959 and lies at the extreme northwest of the North American continent. Acquired by the United States in 1867, the territory was dubbed “Seward’s Folly” after U.S. Secretary of State William Seward, who arranged to purchase the land from Russia. Critics of the purchase believed that the land had nothing to offer, but the discovery of gold in the 1890s created a stampede of prospectors and settlers.

Alaska is bounded by the Beaufort Sea and the Arctic Ocean to the north; Canada’s Yukon Territory and British Columbia province to the east; the Gulf of Alaska and the Pacific Ocean to the south; the Bering Strait and the Bering Sea to the west; and the Chukchi Sea to the northwest. The capital is Juneau.

What we learned, saw or experienced

The remoteness and isolation of Alaska makes it the last frontier
The early settlers struggled and endured hardships to build & survive here - for money and freedom
Mt. McKinley's name changed to Denali in 2015 - it is the highest elevation above sea level in N America.
There is essentially one road and one main rail system
Tourism in Alaska most often ends mid to late September each year
Most tourism-dependent workers are non-Alaskans, coming here for work and the Alaska adventure
Those working for tourism companies are provided lodging, partial food allotment, etc.
Moose kill more people than bears
Bear confrontation - never run from a bear, raise arms and yell, appear big; Moose confrontation - slowly back away
There are more pilot licenses than vehicle licenses
One can obtain a pilot's license at age 14
Much of Alaskan does not have paved roads, requiring access via plane, hiking, and/or dog sleds
Over 70% of the time the weather is cloudy and wet
Significant vegetation growth occurs in Alaskan during its short growing periods due to ~ 20 hrs a day of sunlight per day
There are tribe villages and off-grid residents in the remote interior areas of Alaska
TV Alaskan shows are mostly exaggerated for public consumption and entertainment
Glaciers are breathtaking (and climate change or warming is real)
Alaska has one of the largest fishing industries in the US
Costs for most items (food, gas, travel, etc) is 20-30% and higher than in the states
Alaskan Huskies 'train' for at least 3 years and serve to the age of 9, then they are adopted by families living in cold climates
60-degree temps are 'hot' for Huskies, as their layered coat is made for the cold
Alaska has the most number of active volcanoes in the US
Whittier, Ak. is known as the 'most isolated town in the USA' - all residents (200-300) live in one building
Alaskan huskies are not AKA accepted. They are direct descendants of early Athabaskan tribe animals
Flash and controlled fires are needed approaches to rejuvenate vegetation as it provides nutrients for new spores/seeds
Anchorage is larger than Rhode Island
Alaska has one town (Sherman) consisting of 2 - 90+ yr old residents - Mary and Clyde Lovell - living there part-time
Alaska has the most acres of forests in the US
Personally gained an appreciation of how our living environment is an extensive eco-system. It is an integrated hierarchy of sub-processes supporting and building upon a predecessor natural activity. Each sub-process is there to nourish, feed, and/or provide the successor entities value - disrupt the chain and the system adjusts.
Above 2,000 - 3,000 ft the tundra (no trees above that line) begins
Alaska has one of the last 'Flag Stop' train systems in the country https://wanderingdawgs.com/tag/sherman-alaska-city-hall/
Alaska is subject to many (and frequent) natural calamities - earthquakes (most active of any state), melting permafrost (affecting plant life, animals, roadways and potentially the Trans-Alaskan pipeline system), flash fires, glacial dirt, loss of king crab to cooler Russian waters, 3-4 months of little sunshine (depression), transient workforce
More ... 51 Alaskan Facts that are Interesting to Know