Day: March 7, 2026

Fairbanks to Gakona – Part 4 of 4

September 21, 2025

And finally, here are some of the things I saw on the last leg of my 234 mile journey south from Fairbanks. This stream was just off the highway. There was a metal overlook that I took the photos from and signage that indicated it is popular with fishermen. I didn’t see any fish or fishermen in the area.

And further down the road I came to Paxson Lake. The clouds were lifting some but they still looked rather ominous. The lake surface was almost perfectly calm.

That dilapidated house was at the spot where I took the two photos of the lake. As I was walking down to where I took the first photo I thought “this might be the last picture I ever take…” but there hadn’t been any vehicles out by the road and although there was a picnic table down by the water, there wasn’t anyone else on site.

As I was walking back to my car I noticed this plant down by my feet. It might help explain the multi-colored shrubs I have been seeing.

As I drove even further south the clouds started to break up some.

I could see some dark clouds in my direction of travel, though, and it looked like they were dumping a good bit of rain. Fortunately the road took me around it and I was soon treated to this rainbow ahead of me.

I could soon see the mountains of Wrangell St.-Elias National Park in the distance ahead of me.

Shortly before I arrived at Gakona Junction my eye caught this yellow sea-plane parked on a lake next to the highway:

I finally got to Gakona Junction which is where Hwy 4 intersects Hwy 1. The town of Gakona was just a short distance east on Hwy 1. I had driven through it on my way from Tok to Anchorage and remembered that there were some cabins there. Fortunately some of them were listed on Airbnb so this is where I will spend the next two nights.

Fairbanks to Gakona – Part 3 of 4

September 21, 2025

Here are more of the things I saw as I drove south on Hwy 4.

I was approaching some relatively tall mountains just off the left side of the road. The low clouds kind of swirled around and one or two times that I stopped to take photos I just stood and watched them for a few minutes. With no one else around it sometimes felt kind of spooky.

I spotted the Trans Alaska Pipeline, this time off to my right.

Further up the road the pipeline came down the hill to a river and then went underground. You can also start to see more of the multi-colored vegetation I mentioned in a previous post. There will be places on this stretch of road where it comes very close to the highway.

After the tall mountains the area around the road opened up a good bit, though visibility wasn’t very good and it had been raining lightly. I would soon come to a large lake right next to the road.

After I passed the lake I came to gathering of houses. There were no signs, and I didn’t stop to explore any. I believe it is the town of Paxson, which is described online as a “census-designated-place” with a last known population of 26. It is the only “sizeable” town shown on the map between Delta Junction and Gakona Junction.

And there was this small cabin standing by itself just after the “town,” but it was boarded up and is perhaps a hunting cabin of some sort.

(Continued in next post)