Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Alaska Adventure


No Roads Lead to Bethel

Alaska adventure--- sounds like a great motorcycle trip doesn't it?? Well, this time its a work trip. And, there are no roads here......so no motorcycles without knobbies. Well, there actually is one main road that runs through town and out to the airport. The rest of the roads are dirt/gravel....prone to ruts and potholes that will swallow an F-150. I'm in Bethel Alaska for eight weeks working at the YKHC hospital. Bethel is a little town out in the western part of Alaska on the tundra. You can only get here by air.....no roads in or out. It's about a 1.5 hour flight from Anchorage on either a bush plane or a cargo plane. Here are some pics from the trip to Bethel and on my first trip (read hike) to the grocery store.


Alaska Airlines Combi 737 from Anchorage to Bethel. Has both a cargo and separate passenger section


Glacier somewhere in the rockies. This was on the trip between Seattle and Anchorage. It was a beautiful aqua color which the camera did not pick up through the (dirty) airplane window.


Tundra in its fall colors just outside of Bethel at 830 p.m.


Hospital Housing. Not too pretty on the outside, but my apartment is quite nice on the inside. The environment is very harsh here. Temps range from highs of 80's in the summer to lows of minus 50 in the winter. Paint doesn't stand a chance!


Permafrost keeps the water and sewer pipes above ground in Bethel. Its good to have running water here in Bethel, as many outlying villages do not.

Boardwalk into town. This boardwalk starts near the hospital, goes past housing and then on to town. Otherwise, there would be no way to cross the marshy tundra except when its frozen during the winter months. Town is where the grocery store, restaurants, library and cultural center are. My trip was to Alaska Commercial Company which carries groceries, household goods and some clothing. http://www.alaskacommercial.com/


Elevated portion of the boardwalk. It was fun walking on this part as it is like walking on a suspended bridge......it swings side to side!