Fort Yukon Adventure

Fort Yukon is located 145 miles northeast of Fairbanks.

Sometimes my job offers up some exciting opportunities. On Thursday, I traveled with staff from Poker Flat Research Range and NASA to the village of Fort Yukon. I didn’t know what to expect. I’d heard that Fort Yukon was sort of a tough village, the type of place that isn’t too keen to white folks. If that’s the case, I didn’t experience it. Granted, I was only there for a day, but everyone I encountered was pleasant enough. So, cool!

Fort Yukon is so small that our arrival was sort of a big deal. We were picked up by giant, heavy-duty pick-up trucks from the Fort Yukon Long Range Radar Site, an Air Force installation manned by two guys that work two months on, one month off. The guys were obviously happy to have new folks to talk to. They entertained us for an hour or two. They brought me and a couple of others back to the base to check out the digs and have lunch. It was crazy! The site looks like any other military installation where everything’s clearly marked with a building number, matching paint and clear signage. On the inside of what amounted to a mini-Club, there were the obligatory photos of high-ranking Air Force officials, a huge big screen TV (decked out with every channel under the sun), pool table, kitchen and dining area.

One of the fellow’s at the range explained how he spent his time there getting “ripped” and learning to cook healthy. He explained that every three weeks he could order whatever he wanted, in terms of groceries. So, for lunch we had fresh, hand-pressed smoked gouda burgers. The damn burgers were so huge, though, I only ate about a quarter of it! I missed dinner, but I later heard from colleagues that he whipped up an awesome spread of fresh asparagus, NY strip steaks and scallops!

Once you left the base, though, you were immersed in rural Alaska — people speeding down the street on four-wheelers, dog teams lined up outside of raggedy homes, old snowmachines parked in front yards, a one-room airport. It’s definitely different.

The focus of my trip to Fort Yukon was centered around activities in the Tribal Hall, a big open cabin, with plywood floors and a stove burning hot. As is custom for guests traveling to rural Alaska, we brought a ton of fresh fruit and vegetables that were set out like a buffet. The food was welcomed by all that came to speak with our group at the hall. In fact, some folks just stopped in for the food and left with their plate. Through the experience, though, I witnessed what had been explained to me as “Native time.” Our meeting officially began at 1 p.m., however, folks rolled in more than a half an hour after we were there. This wasn’t an indication of their indifference to our presence, though. In fact, some of these folks were very engaged and interested, just starting promptly on-the-dot wasn’t much of a concern. These were the details I found so fascinating. Plus, news such as gas goes for $7.48 a gallon right now!

Here are some other cool things I learned about Fort Yukon:

*The village is Gwich’in and the Native name for it is “Gwicyaa Zhee,” which means “House on the Flats.” It was established about 1847 as a post for the Hudson Bay Company.

*In the 1950s, the U.S. Air Force set up a radar station there. This small site is tied into our country’s air space surveillance.

*Fort Yukon is located on the north bank of the Yukon River at its junction with the Porcupine River.

*According to the 2010 Census, there were 583 residents in the village. The racial make-up of the community is 88.7 percent Alaska Native, or part Native.

I really had to buck-up for this adventure because I have a fear of small planes. I brought this topaz and cross pendant of my grandmother's for good luck. It worked!

Although the flights to and from Fort Yukon were awesome, I was glad to have my feet back on the ground at the end of the day.

I hitched a ride back from Fort Yukon on this U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service plane. It was awesome!!! We flew about 600 feet above the ground, so I could really see the terrain and I had some excellent guides.