Wiseman And Coldfoot

This sign says it all. There is a truckstop here with some food and the only fuel before you get to the Arctic Ocean. So fueling up here is mandatory for us. This is also the halfway point on the road.

One of only a few buildings in Coldfoot and perhaps the only original building left.

                                     The original Wiseman Post Office, now closed.

                                    The Wiseman Trading Company, built in 1910.

                            Looks as though the local boys are fixing to have a moose roast.

A original miners cabin with moss between two roofs for insulation. Desperately low temperatures call for desperate measures. Cabin dwellers fought back against 60 below winter leaking into the cracks of their cabins anyway they could. They chinked their cabins with moss, wadded-up magazines and newspapers, hanks of rope, torn-up old clothing or anything else handy to stop the breeze.

On the outside of the cabins they tacked everything from pieces of metal Blazo fuel cans to strips of willow or leftover wood. This kept the stuffing in and the squirrels out. Roofs were insulated with mud and vegetation.

Trappers cabin with Blazo fuel cans used for roofing. Blazo cans contained kerosene, aviation fuel or white gas and the metal cans were reused for many purposes, commonly as roofing material still useful today.

 Gold was discovered here in 1906 and there are many old relics remaining. There are many mines sill active here today. Basically, the few people living here are miners, trappers and homesteaders.

                                     Pipeline crossing Middle Fork Koyukuk River.

                                          George, Molly and me looking for "color."

                          Gold was discovered right here in 1906, but not today.

Marion Creek Camp is the only developed camp along the highway. All other camping is on river gravel bars and areas left from old pipeline camps.