TRIP TO POKER FLATS

Thursday July 17th

We left Fairbanks at 4:00 pm and traveled 30 miles north on the Steese Highway to Poker Flat Research Range where they test solid fuel rockets [ED. COM:  and launch special payload research rockets.  The facility is associated with the University of Alaska, Fairbanks, and it is the only university facility in the US which launches research rockets.].

Learning about the Block House, named for "Frank"!!

All the telemetry antennas are up on the ridge above Poker Flats!

  At Poker Flats, we visited the launch pads and assembly buildings.  It is a great area to test [and launch] because there is almost nothing around.  We also visited the weather balloon facilities there where weather balloons are launched to sample weather conditions prior to a launch.

This ain't licorice spaghetti!!  Just a channel of cables coming from Launch Pad 1!!

We learn about one of the launch pads...with a mock up of a rocket to view.  And no, the balloons are not necessary for the launch of any of the rockets!!

This launch pad is enclosed by a movable "garage" which is pulled away prior to the launch.

[ED. COM.:  the launch window is from early January to mid- to late-March because they are mostly studying the Aurora Borealis from this facility.  Several launch pads have "garages" like you see in the pictures which are heated--a good idea for the scientists and technicians who are mounting the stages of the launch!  When the launch vehicle is ready, a big roadgrader pulls the garage shell away from the pad, and the launch sequence gets underway.]

On the way we stopped at the Alaskan Pipeline where there was [were] signs posted about the design of the pipeline.  Quite a design where you have a hot pipeline and outside temperatures down to -70.

Walking up to the Trans-Alaska Pipeline north of Fairbanks

We marvel at the length and design!

Ritchie says, "Hey, I can reach this!"

And here we are, under the oil channel from Prudhoe Bay to Valdez!  Check out our sizes compared to the pipe!!

[ED. COM.:  as we got out of the car, and started up to the pipeline, Jack says, "Hey, the flow of this thing is really down--about 500 barrels a day!"  ANOTHER JACKISM!!  No, Jack, it is down to 500,000 barrels a day--you are off by a factor of a 1000!!  Informed of the correct number:  "Oh, right, I meant 500,000!"  To his credit, the flow is much below the pipeline's capacity of over 2,000,000 barrels a day!  So he was "right" that the flow is way down!]

After the tour we stopped for dinner at the Chatanika Lodge a couple miles south.  This was a very colorful lodge formally used during the gold dredging days.

As Jack pointed out, this was one of the very few totem poles we have seen so far!!

If you could read the white sign in the middle of the photo, it says, "Reserved for 1955 T-Bird Only"!  It was parked out back of the restaurant!

[ED. COM.:  immediately across the street from this lodge was a major gold dredging pond.  The dredge is still visible through the trees.  We learned from a video played as we sat waiting for our food how this operation worked!  One amazing fact:  it might take as much as 7 months (or was it years?) to clear off the perma-frost soil and then the "tailings" to get down to where there might be some gold!  Sounds a bit like a boon-doogle investment to me!]
Anyway, this [with pics and ED.COM.] posted by
JACK