ALASKA AIRPORT IDENTIFIERS
Some time ago, I know not when, Alaska changed some of their airport
designators. In the previous four bulletins, I discussed the twelve waypoints
along the route from Fairbanks to Deadhorse. You may have noticed that I
sometimes provided two designators for some of the airports, one of which is the
old designator and the other the new one. If you attempted to look up these
airports on your GPS database, you probably can only find it using the new
designator. So to make things easier I am listing below those airports I
mentioned before that have changed their designators.
(NEW) (OLD)
Fairbanks International FAI PAFA
Deadhorse SCC PASC
Barrow/Wiley Post BRW PABR
INTERESTING PLACES AROUND FAIRBANKS
Taking the Waters
Alaskans are great believers in hot tubs and saunas -- in fact, saunas were
introduced to Alaska Natives by the Russians almost 200 years ago and have
become a part of daily life in many villages and towns for both Native and
"gussuk" alike. But given the choice, most Alaskans like to take the
waters at one of Alaska's many hot springs.
Hot springs have a special appeal in any cold climate and Alaska is no
exception. In fact, Alaska has hundreds of hot springs and some of them have
been used for centuries by Natives and more recent arrivals. Your airplane can
be a passport to several of these fascinating and relaxing places, and Fairbanks
is a handy base to three of the favorites.
Geologically, Alaska's hot springs fall into two general categories, volcanic
and non-volcanic. As you can imagine, Alaska abounds in volcanic areas where
molten magma is relatively close to the surface. These areas can contain a wide
range of phenomena caused by the intersection of water with the very hot
temperatures just below the surface. Some of these hydrothermal features include
hot springs, geysers, steam vents, fumaroles, "paint pots" or boiling,
"mud springs", "mud volcanoes," and hot or warm lakes, all
of which are found in Alaska at various locations.
Some of these thermal areas are near active volcanoes, such as in the Wrangells
or the Aleutians. There are a number of hot springs and mud volcanoes at the
west end of the Wrangells near Glennallen, and nearly every Aleutian island has
a few hot springs. Also many Alaskan volcanoes have crater lakes that don't
freeze during the winter. They may also steam vents, hot springs, and other
hydrothermal manifestations nearby. For instance, Mount Katmai has a perpetually
ice-free crater lake; so did Mount Spurr until its June 1992 eruption (Spurr's
crater lake is probably scattered all the way from Fairbanks to Fargo by now).
Other Alaskan volcanic hydrothermal areas are in regions away from the
traditional Ring of Fire. Some of these were volcanically active in the recent
past and still have a magma chamber close enough to the surface to keep things
perking. One such area is the central Seward Peninsula north of Nome, where
Pilgrim Hot Springs could supply the daily equivalent of 5,000 barrels of
heating oil, according to Neil Davis in Alaska Science Nuggets. Volcanic hot
springs of this type are common in places such as Japan, where spas as Beppu
have been known for thousands of years.
In the United States, Yellowstone National Park and California's Geysers
region are our best examples of hydrothermal areas of volcanic origins. Many
people do not understand that Yellowstone sits atop a "hot spot" in
the earth's crust and is actually a giant sleeping volcano. In fact, in the
not-to-distant geological past, Yellowstone was the site of one or more Really
Big Eruptions that would make Pinatubo look like a polite belch at a church
social.
The more traditional kind of hot springs is not associated with volcanoes.
Examples in the Lower 48 include Hot Springs National Park in Arkansas and White
Sulfur Springs in West Virginia. These are usually associated with great masses
of hot but not molten rock (called plutons) that have slowly risen from the
earth's mantle. Water circulating through cracks in the faults above and around
the plutons is heated and rises to the surface as hot springs or in some cases
even geysers.
Alaska's more accessible hot springs are of this variety. The very old terrain
in central and central Alaska has been intruded upon by a number of plutons over
many hundreds of millions of years. There are many dozens of on-volcanic hot
springs scattered throughout a broad area north of the Alaska Range, with even
more in the Brooks Range, the most ancient mountain range in Alaska. However,
the three "classic" Alaskan hot springs -- Chena, Circle, and Manley
-- are all located within an easy hour's flight from Fairbanks, and all have
airports within walking distance. All are also on the Alaskan highway system,
although only Chena Hot Springs offers really easy road access.
Chena Hot Springs
Located 60 road miles east of Fairbanks at the end of the paved Chena Hot
Springs Road, this hotel-spa complex has long been a favorite of Fairbanksans in
all seasons. The local water comes from the ground as hot as 140 degrees
Fahrenheit in a series of pools on the floor of a picturesque valley. This water
is piped into an indoor bathhouse with several hot tubs of different
temperatures and a large heated swimming pool. Rooms include hotel-style and log
cabins which can hold 8 people or more. There is a good restaurant with a bar.
China has a rustic, semi-Victorian atmosphere. It is popular as a conference
retreat because it has no telephones, and only a single radiophone. In the
summer, the area is laced with hiking trails leading up into the forested 2,000
to 3,000-foot hills. In the winter, a small ski area is available. The resort
can provide equipment for various activities. Reservations would be a good idea.
The China Hot Springs airport is on the north edge of the resort. As a rule,
nobody lands at Chena Hot Springs unless they are staying at the resort. It's
2,000 feet long, gravel and dirt, and is unlighted. There is no fuel or
maintenance. The strip is suitable for tricycle-gear airplanes, but a fly-by to
make a visual inspection would be appropriate. The strip is laid out along the
east-west axis of the valley, and has a small but perceptible slope up to the
east. Some parts of the strip may be soft particularly early in the summer and
after heavy rains; use soft-field techniques at all times. Parking area is on
the north side of the runway.
Circle Hot Springs
The Steese Highway leads northwest from Fairbanks to Circle on the Yukon River.
Built in 1927, the Steese linked a number of gold mining areas with both
Fairbanks and the Yukon. There are still dozens of active gold mines along the
mostly-gravel Steese, along with one of Alaska's most popular spas.
Circle Hot Springs is 91 nm northeast of Fairbanks by airplane. According to the
Milepost, it was apparently known to the local Athabaskans for centuries, and
was a stop for prospectors prior to 1900. In 1905 the area was homesteaded and
ultimately sold to Frank Leach, who built the Circle Hot Springs airport in
1924, one of the first in Alaska.
The hotel was built more than 80 years ago and looks much like it did then. The
adjacent saloon is one of Alaska's more atmospheric watering holes. A series of
turn-of-the-century-style shops have been built nearby. The outdoor
Olympic-sized swimming pool is the biggest hot-spring-fed bathing facility in
the state. In the winter when the temperature can hit 50 below zero, Alaskan's
delight in lounging in the 100 degree water wearing fur hats to keep their ears
warm watching the northern lights. (Lately the Japanese have begun to flock to
Alaska to see the lights, and they have also discovered the unique joys of cold
weather aurora-watching in the Circle Hot Springs pool.)
During the summer you probably won't see the northern lights, since Circle Hot
Springs is only about 60 nm miles south of the Arctic Circle and it won't even
get vary dark until about August. However, the resort is still a great
destination for a day trip from Fairbanks. Reservations are definitely advised.
A variety of rooms are available, from fully appointed suites to spartan attic
dormers where you can unroll your sleeping bag on the floor.
The state maintained airport is a short walk northeast of the hotel, Runway
08-26 is gravel, 3,670 feet long, and lighted. The hotel will pick you up at the
strip and return you when you are ready to leave. In the winter, they will
throw in a pre-heat.
Manley Hot Springs
On the other side of Fairbanks is Manley Hot Springs, at the end of Elliott
Highway 160 road miles (or 72 nm by air) west of Fairbanks. It was settled in
1902 and Frank Manley built a large hotel heated with hot water from the springs
in 1907. The hotel burned shortly afterwards, but the town remained a supply
center for nearby mining districts. Today Manley is an Alaskan time capsule. The
immediate area is home to everyone from miners to fishermen to world-class dog
mushers, including the four-time Iditarod champion Susan Butcher.
The Manley Roadhouse, built in 1906, is a true classic on the order of the
Kantishna Roadhouse and the Fairview in Talkeetna; rooms, food, and spirits are
available. The roadhouse also has an excellent collection of historical
artifacts. This is the local gathering place, and you'll almost certainly see
some interesting people there. The Manley Trading Post (same owners of the
Roadhouse) is the local store, post office, and gift shop.
The Manley Hot Spring Resort is less than a mile east of the town. This is a
complete resort with everything from cabins to rooms to a restaurant to a RV
park. The resort is also the best access to the hot springs; you'd be advised
to stay here or at least contact them to ensure a dip in the waters.
The state maintained airport (gravel 2,875 feet long) is literally right
downtown. You can camp next to the runway, but it is easier to grab a room at
the Roadhouse or the resort. An air taxi service operates from the strip. The
Manley Trading Post runs the 100LL pumps, and auto fuel is available at the
local gas station (also at the Trading Post). There is good fishing from
mid-June to the end of September in the Hot Springs Slough, just off the south
end of the runway. Overall, Manley definitely qualifies as an Editor's Choice
for both aviating Alaskans and Lower 48 flyers that want to kick back off the
beaten track for a while.
--
John King
Warrenton, VA