If you take a drive just south of Fairbanks, then turn and head out past Moose Mountain ski hill and the surrounding subdivisions, you’ll eventually find yourself climbing up to Murphey Dome. There’s a turn off there to the left, just before you reach the crest. As you drive past it, you may congratulate yourself on not taking chances with the rocks visible, just waiting for someone’s oil pan. However, If you are careful, of are on an ATV or truck, you may choose to venture down this road. If you do, you’ll be glad you did.
This is my home. Actually, it isn’t my HOME, but when relatives and friends ask me for pics that explain the interior of Alaska, and why I came here and have stayed all these years, this is the place that comes to mind. This picture is from a turnout that a group of outdoors enthusiasts and ATV riders affectionately call “The Flintstones”. There are several places where campfire rings are build up in the rocks, and friends and family alike can have a cookout, roast marshmallows, trade stories; all with this view of the Minto Flats basin
This highway is just north of Tok, and it was where I first fell in love with Alaska. This particular pic is from a year ago, where my son and I joined a very large group of men and sons for a wilderness experience, but more about that later. On my first trip into Alaska in 1998, aside from the travel through Canada the few days before, Colorado was the most “Remote wilderness” experience I had ever had.
Having to stop my car along with several others and wait while bison cleared the road, and feeling the crisp cool and clean air while looking up into an azure blue sky; I almost couldn’t believe it was real. And stepping forward with the fearlessness of youth, I was ecstatic about the adventures I would have. It didn’t hurt that I was coming up in pursuit of a girl I had gone to school with in high school, and now our long distance relationship would be remedied.
As they say, “That’s all history”. Fast forward seven years, and we are married and have a newborn son. And while the adventure could be more accurately described as “misadventures” and hardships, Alaska is still our home and when compared to other states, where we find our best fit. Although, after having our daughter, one of those misadventures came in the form of moving to Colorado for a year, which after a series of disastrous events beyond our control, we moved back. We have remained here since and the place has grown on us and in us.
The above pic was taken last year, and the place is significant to me because of the fact that that week was by far the most “remote” we have ever been. Traveling by truck and eventually dropping your ATV’s in order to travel another 30 miles in and around mountain ranges, fording rivers and winching people out who couldn’t make it, the trip was very tough, and fantastic. My son didn’t really enjoy it, and part of that was the lack of cell phone coverage, and the fact that there was a grizzly that would cruise through the camps at night. I loved it.
This pic was also taken last summer. The noise of several ATV’s on the drive above my house was nothing unusual, and at first, I thought it was my son and daughter. But then I realized that it couldn’t be them as they were already back at school. (We chose to send them out of state when Covid 19 started playing havoc with the school system and they have continued as they now have friends there and beg each year for us to send them back.) So going outside, I found several boys from a youth group I use to be leader of, pulling their quads and bikes into my driveway and asking if I had time to go on a ride with them.
Leaving my house and taking backwoods trails up to Ester Dome, and then off the back side, they took me to a place I had never been before called “trappers cabin”. The ride was a medium difficulty ride and we only had to use a winch once to pull someone out of a bog. I am more than honored that they would come and seek me out and I am proud of the young adults they are becoming (one of them just got married). But looking at this pic reminded me also, that one of my youth (now 30) was also arraigned and and sentenced to 75 years in prison.
This was a lucky shot. Most of the time, this breeding pair of swans are far from the traffic side of the beaver pond in Ester. Every day, my wife and I look across its waters to see if they are hanging around. She has named them Frank and Stella, and it’s one of the little things that makes Ester home for us. Last year, they were late in leaving, and their signate was with them well after the first snow fell. the temps had dropped and ice was sheeting one the pond, yet they stayed. We were worried that they wouldn’t make the journey in time. But, I was able to take this shot today when we were picking up trash for the “Clean-up” day.
This is the entrance to the property where I grew up in North Carolina. It was my Grandparents land, a little over 17 acres, mostly heavily wooded. This entrance is different than how it was when I grew up, and in a different location. The small field that this exits through, belonged to a person who was utterly contrary. My grand father had offered to buy the property, and the man initially accepted, but then asked what church my grandfather went to, he changed his mind and wouldn’t sell.
So, even though it meant putting in a bridge that flooded out and got washed away several times, the entrance to the property was initially put in on the other side of the property. Just beyond the right side of the gate, there is a small memorial set up. My grandmother and grandfather’s ashes are there, and my mother, sister, uncle, and some of his family now occupy the grounds I used to run around in as a child.
The above pic is my half sister, who is the primary care taker of my mother. The field she is standing in is much more refined now than it was when I was a kid. The fence is a new addition as is the large stones. I’m guessing that’s my uncle’s work. When i lived there, the fields were crisscrossed by my dirt bike as I did my best to break up any field grass that was looking overly healthy (I was a bit of a menace).
There were so many times when talking to my grandmother on the phone that she would ask when I was coming back. Part of me has always felt guilty for leaving, and the fact that I have aging parents has compounded that in recent years. But when My grandfather died and my uncle called me concerning the will, he informed me of the parcel of land that was mine if I wanted it. Part of it contains the field my sister is standing in. It was then that I was finally honest with that side of the family. “Keep the land together, use it for the family or whatever way you see fit.” The truth is, I’ll never go back.
My sister sent several pics, and this is the one I chose. I feel that it represents most how I feel about The place I grew up and North Carolina as a whole. It’s hard to judge the size from this angle, but this house is three stories with the pull-in garage. A lofted living room, and enough space for family to stay when they came for a visit, or having friends over for a meal after church, it was my grandfathers grand design, and it was a wonderful place to grow up in.
I left in 1998, and only visited a couple times over the years. Upon coming down with the kids, so they could meet the rest of the family, I was astounded by the amount of overgrowth the forest was allowed. The pavement up the hill was broken and almost back to the gravel it was bonded with. Everything, was changed, and little for the better. This feeling was the same when I traveled around to the surrounding towns I grew up frequenting. It was a sobering thing to realize that with the death of my last grandparent, my old home died along side.
So, this is my home now. But, we’re actively making plans to leave it. It’s bitter sweet, but we’re ready for a change and the health concerns we have with one of our children has us traveling outside all too often. And if there’s an emergency, well- medivacs are ruinously expensive, even with stellar insurance. On the upside, I am taking my little clan with me this time, and we are forging a new path forward together. Of course my wife also said this afternoon when I snapped the selfie in the lower corner, “You know we’re gonna have to get a small summer house somewhere up here right?” I laughed and said, “Well, the one we have is small, we could just keep that!” she punched my arm and said, “I meant a NICE, small, summer house.” There’s a reason there are no pics of my current cabin/house, but for now, it’s home. Thanks for reading my post.