It didn't necessarily feel colder than yesterday; in fact, I reckon it was hotter today, with average temperatures reaching about 60 degrees F (15 degrees C). But it was certainly gloomy, with nearly the whole sky being covered by alto-stratus clouds. (Google this if you're not a cloud-geek!) In fact, I think it was the first time cars had their lights on at midday! All of these observations will become normality in a month or two.
Today, I set myself the challenge of walking as much of the Chena River as I could; the Chena is Fairbank's largest river, and like the Thames, was very important for industry transport in the early 20th century. Also, like the Thames, the Chena meanders through the city, and the walker who follows it on its course is likely to come across a whole array of fauna and flora. I discovered where the macro button on my camera was today, and had a good little play around with it. Professional photographers will probably glance at these and tut, but I didn't spend hours composing them, as I imagine some 'in the know' do.
The Chena River starts and ends beyond walkable distance so my walk had no official mapped beginning. I started it, just behind Pioneer Park; a section of the river which is used by kayakers I believe. The river is wide enough and deep enough to support this kind of activity, but not too deep as one can often see the bed through the translucent water, and is in laminar (streamline) flow, unlike some of the glacial rivers I've seen on this scholarship. The majority of the bank is not steep, but is composed of sorted layers of sand and silt, which support a variety of grasses and shrubs, and occasionally the view of the water is completly obscured by large spruce trees and white birch.
It was along this stretch of the Chena, that I came across a 'Dog Park' and I have to say it was pretty busy with at least 20 dogs playing, whilst the bunch of owners had a chat. It seemed to me like this was a weekly event for these dogs, as the owners seemed to know each other fairly well, and I guess this basic and free activity is a treat for all the dogs who get the chance to play around in it. I did spend quite a while watching beyond the gates, and at one point, two dogs had a long and thrilling chase, dodging in and out trees, over and under benches, and skirting here and there amongst the group of chatting owners. I remember a time, not so long ago, when I would have wanted to place myself as far away as possible from any dog, but I actually quite enjoyed watching them, and it made me chuckle a bit as I left them to it, and continued my walk along the river.
The light manufacturing industry I commented on yesterday was certainly present, expectedly so, along the Chena. The 'Aurora Energy' Factory and the 'Golden Heart Water Treatment Plant' were causing a lot of air pollution I felt, and to add to this, a large truck pulled out the entrance, releasing black fumes that actually made my eyes water a bit. I continued along the river until the central business district was in full view. Here, I noticed a series of garbage bags leaning against the hedge. This is something you wouldn't see in Anchorage because the bags are literally invitations to bears; here in Fairbanks, it doesn't seem to be a problem. A couple of the bags had split, releasing some of the garbage across the pavement, and whilst this isn't something I encourage, it certainly was a relief to see that bears aren't a major problem in these parts.
I had to leave the river walk trail for about half a mile, as road construction was blocking access, but I returned to it and stumbled upon this very cleverly designed arch. It's constructed out of about 100 moose antlers; the artist wants everyone who walks through it, to imagine the lives of all the hunters and the moose, as each does indeed have their individual story to tell.
The river's wetted perimeter increased as I made my way through the city and it also seemed to be getting much deeper. At one point a bridge's pillar was causing the flow to divide into two separate current systems, one of which was flowing with a greater velocity than the other, and so the common feature of an eyot was seen. I even spotted two dogs playing fetch with a stick that their owner was throwing out. They seemed to be working together; the first fetching it and then giving it to the other one to paddle back with it to the owner. I continued the walk, making my way out of downtown, and along a very well maintained tarmac path, with seating available for those who wanted a moment's tranquility. This path sustained all the way until I met the entrance of the Fort Wainwright Army Base, where all pedestrians would have to be searched before continuing their journey. Not wanting to go through more security, I decided to turn back and start what would be a long trek to the hostel.
When I look at the map and see how far I walked today, I appreciate the length of the Chena. I probably did about 7 or 8 miles of it today, and yet the Chena is 100 miles long, and its regime must meander through a whole variety of different landscapes, supporting a whole range of life. The Chena is just a tributary to the much more major Yukon; a 2300 mile river which by area is larger than Texas. In the time of the US Elections, two men are competing to govern 49 states; every man and every woman, every business and every building- but not nature. It's studying the magnitude of a river that really does put man in his place.
The light manufacturing industry I commented on yesterday was certainly present, expectedly so, along the Chena. The 'Aurora Energy' Factory and the 'Golden Heart Water Treatment Plant' were causing a lot of air pollution I felt, and to add to this, a large truck pulled out the entrance, releasing black fumes that actually made my eyes water a bit. I continued along the river until the central business district was in full view. Here, I noticed a series of garbage bags leaning against the hedge. This is something you wouldn't see in Anchorage because the bags are literally invitations to bears; here in Fairbanks, it doesn't seem to be a problem. A couple of the bags had split, releasing some of the garbage across the pavement, and whilst this isn't something I encourage, it certainly was a relief to see that bears aren't a major problem in these parts.
I had to leave the river walk trail for about half a mile, as road construction was blocking access, but I returned to it and stumbled upon this very cleverly designed arch. It's constructed out of about 100 moose antlers; the artist wants everyone who walks through it, to imagine the lives of all the hunters and the moose, as each does indeed have their individual story to tell.
The river's wetted perimeter increased as I made my way through the city and it also seemed to be getting much deeper. At one point a bridge's pillar was causing the flow to divide into two separate current systems, one of which was flowing with a greater velocity than the other, and so the common feature of an eyot was seen. I even spotted two dogs playing fetch with a stick that their owner was throwing out. They seemed to be working together; the first fetching it and then giving it to the other one to paddle back with it to the owner. I continued the walk, making my way out of downtown, and along a very well maintained tarmac path, with seating available for those who wanted a moment's tranquility. This path sustained all the way until I met the entrance of the Fort Wainwright Army Base, where all pedestrians would have to be searched before continuing their journey. Not wanting to go through more security, I decided to turn back and start what would be a long trek to the hostel. When I look at the map and see how far I walked today, I appreciate the length of the Chena. I probably did about 7 or 8 miles of it today, and yet the Chena is 100 miles long, and its regime must meander through a whole variety of different landscapes, supporting a whole range of life. The Chena is just a tributary to the much more major Yukon; a 2300 mile river which by area is larger than Texas. In the time of the US Elections, two men are competing to govern 49 states; every man and every woman, every business and every building- but not nature. It's studying the magnitude of a river that really does put man in his place.
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