On June 21st we set out from Fairbanks with the intention of sleeping on the Arctic Circle. The Arctic Circle is he southernmost point at which the midnight sun is visible on the summer solstice. In other words, we got to experience Alaska’s famous midnight sun!

Driving to the Arctic Circle campground took us by some beautiful places:

First stop: Walmart in Fairbanks – not so beautiful, but necessary. There are very few stores between Fairbanks and Deadhorse.

Second stop: Trans Alaska Oil Pipeline Visitors Center in Fox, AK. Our class studied pipelines in Alaska and Virginia – so this was a must. Here we got to see our first pipeline pig.

Pipeline Pig — used to inspect and clean pipeline

Third stop: Gas station in Fox, Alaska. This was the last time we saw gas for under $5.00 a gallon until we got back to Fox, six days later.

Forth stop: Lunch at the Arctic Circle Trading Post in Joy, AK. Gifts are available here. We ate “out of the coolers” on the front porch and were joined with a friendly squirrel (our first wildlife of the trip, luckily not our last).

Arctic Circle Trading Post

Fifth stop: Dalton Highway sign! To get to the Dalton Highway from Fairbanks you must travel about 70 miles of the Elliott Highway. We were excited to start up the famous Dalton Highway, made famous by the TV show, Ice Road Truckers. You can read a New York Times article about the Dalton here.

Sixth stop: Yukon Crossing Visitors Contact Station. This is a BLM (Bureau of Land Management) managed stop with access to gas and pit toilets. The students spent some time reflecting on the banks of the Yukon River.

Yukon River

Seventh stop: Finger Mountain BLM Wayside. Here students climbed on rock formations that hunters used as markers for where they were and where they were going.

Students at the top of Finger Mountain.

View from Finger Mountain

Around 6:00 pm we made it to the Arctic Circle. The position of the Arctic Circle is not fixed; as of 1 July 2017, it runs 66°33′46.7″ north of the Equator. I (Dr. Pederson) got our 12 passenger 4×4 van stuck in a mud puddle (a rather large mud puddle) on the way to our campsite. Camping at the Arctic Circle is rustic. There is one pit toilet for the entire campground. That is the only amenity.

We made it to the Arctic Circle

Day one of the Dalton Highway was action packed. All along we followed the Trans Alaskan Pipeline. We would continue to do so for days to come.

Day two coming soon!

While on the Dalton Highway, we did not have internet or phone service. Therefore, the blog is behind schedule. As a way to catch-up and document our monumental journey, I will be adding a blog post for everyday we traveled over the next several weeks.

Stay tuned!

Today was a busy day. Students started out at the Museum of the North learning about the culture, history, art, and ecosystem of Alaska. Then, we ate lunch at Pioneer Park. Pioneer Park is a public area that many tourist visit. From Pioneer Park, students went to the Morris Thompson Cultural and Visitors Center. There a park ranger explained politics of public lands in Alaska from many perspectives. Lastly, students discovered Fairbanks in their Place-As-Text exploration.

Tomorrow, we will leave Fairbanks to travel the Dalton Highway. I (Dr. Pederson) will not be blogging for a few days because we will not have internet or phone service. Mr. Josh Blakely will be updating the blog with our progress and locations.

Stay tuned!

Today students met with Ed and Nannette Rouleau. They talked to students about living in Fairbanks, politics related to mining, oil, and natural gas, and the history of this area. Today, downtown Fairbanks was our classroom as we await the arrival of the rest of our group.

Today, we purchased enough food for 13 people to travel up the Dalton Highway and back. Lucky, the LU@YNP (Longwood University at Yellowstone National Park) has feeding students while traveling down to an art and a science. Like many things in the LU@TAC program, we used the LU@YNP model for planning our meals.

While in Fairbanks, students who are part of the LU@TAC program will be staying at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. This campus is a 100 year old land, sea, and space grant institution.

As we begin our journey to Fairbanks and Northern Alaska, you can get daily updates here!

While we will not have cellphone service on days we spend on the Dalton Highway, we will be checking in each evening (using a satellite phone) with Mr. Josh Blakely at Longwood University and he will post updates here.

For three days at the end of May, students in the Alaska program studied at Longwood University. During these three days, students learned about and discussed issues that will be examined during their time in Northern Alaska. One of the issues this course will focus on is the use of pipelines to transfer natural resources. Students met with David, who helped build the Trans-Alaska pipeline in the late 1970s. Today, he works with the Friends of Nelson County to oppose the natural gas pipelines being proposed in Virginia. Additionally, students talked with a medical anthropologist about the potential historical and health implications of the proposed compressor station in Buckingham County, VA. These local issues will help students understand similar issues in Alaska through political, environmental, and economic lens.

This course will count for GNED/ENGL 400, or Goal 13. We will be in Alaska from June 19-June 28th. After you return you will need to turn in your assignments via Canvas online.

Here are some cost details – (Scholarships are available!)

This information secession will include free Italian ice!