I pity those who are cubicle bound...next stop Sitka in a couple of weeks for the 50th anniversary of Alaska Statehood.
Nome was incorporated in 1901 and at one time had Wyatt Earl as a lawman
Sill a lot of false front buildings...on the other side of these buildings is the Bering Sea
Umiak frames (skin boats)
The infamous Board of Trade Saloon
More my speed
Old mining equipment and ruins are everywhere
Early 1900s gold dredge south of town
Not much vandalism here compared to other villages
Tough way to make a living
Kevin and his kids Emily and Scott
Now days, people camp on the beach and float small dredges into the Bering Sea and they are still pulling a lot of gold from the beaches, its cold and unforgiving.
The Bering Sea coast
Fish Camp
Looks like a very cold Burning Man eh?
Ruins of an old mining railroad near Solomon 35 miles south of Nome
Its very beautiful in this area, kind of looks like the Black Hills
Hadnt seen a person for hours
An old roadhouse on the way to Solomon...dont be fooled by the weather in this pic, we had experienced rain, sleet and snow within 20 minute of this picture and it was about 33 degrees (September 21)
Solomon, year round population zero. Its not a painting really.
I wish this building could talk
I remember exploring old mining ruins in the Yukon when I was a kid (and we found some very cool artifacts that I still have)...would have loved to explore the inside of this building but it needs to be preserved for others
The old tracks had sunk into the tundra
White Alice Communications System. This is a relec of the Cold War and was used for communications for the DEW line and Ballistic missile control systems as part of NORAD. It was obsolete within a decade or so when satellites replaced them. The parabolic antennas are huge and dominate the skyline over Nome. In the distance you can see Anvil Mountain (Nome is also called Anvil City).
To quote COL Flagg from M.A.S.H., "it is so secret (but not any more) that even I dont know what I know"
Nome from White Alice site
Road from White Alice
Its a beautiful area and again, it reminds me of my travels through the Dakotas
Rock Creek mine, its a Canadian gold mine that promised an economic boom to Nome but shut down within 2 years...strange that with gold over $1000.00 an ounce that it hasnt re-opened but its owned by Canadians so what do you expect?
One of the groceries in Nome; prices were high but not as bad as the Yukon-Kuskokwim area.
Finally, we flew through Kotzebue on the way back...windy, cold, and a hair raising landing..yahoo!
