Although not snow capped, the mountains were still beautiful.
The highway follows the Tanana River.
We stopped to stretch our legs & enjoy the scenery. We also had fun playing in the mud - aka saturated silt deposited by the river.
After being intrigued for several miles, we found a pullout by the Alyeska pipeline. This particular location is where the pipeline crosses the Denali Fault.
Of course being engineering nerds, we had to check out the rail system that allows the pipeline to shift laterally in the event of an earthquake.
Photo op. Think of all the oil flowing past us.....
A 48" diameter pipe....is not this big. The elevated 48" pipe is encased in 3.75 inches of insulation, making the total diameter of 55 1/2 inches.
Just north of the pipeline viewpoint, we were driving along and noticed a large brown figure in a pond. We turned around, and sure enough, it was a female moose.
From far away, the moose didn't look very big. I am sure if she was standing next to us, we would think otherwise.
Quentin & Christina lent us their telephoto lens, and we put it on the camera just in time for for the moose to show us her 'best' side.
Here's an example of the condition of a typical sign in Alaska. Rumor is they are favorites for target practice.
Here is a nice shot of a pipeline crossing under the highway. As a geotech, Sara was especially excited about the towers that follow along the pipeline, and in most areas support the pipeline. The towers act as heat exchangers by circulating ammonia to keep the permafrost frozen.
After a bite to eat in Fairbanks, the girls were very happy to get a chance to stay in a hotel for the night. Luckily the guys went for staying at the Chena Hot Springs Resort, about a half hour east of Fairbanks. This is supposed to be the 'hot' spot in the winter for watching the northern lights. The geothermal springs felt great considering the 'summer' temperatures in the 50s, and were a nice end to a fun day.
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