The Mighty Yukon River

Galena is one of many villages on the Yukon River which happens to be the third longest river in North America.  This river originates in Canada where it flows northwest from British Columbia through Yukon and cuts west across the entire state of Alaska where it empties into the Bering
Sea. 

This is still a natural river; it is not dammed or channeled.  This is Alaska in the wild.  There are no roads connecting villages out here.  You can’t hop in the car for a road trip a couple of towns over.  There are only a couple ways of travel out here during summer.  You can either fly where you need to go or you go by boat.  The Yukon is the major highway for the many villages here.  Galena, Ruby, Nulato, and Tanana are just a few of the villages I know of in this neck of the woods.  Most villages are inhabited primarily by Native Alaskans.  The Athabascan Indians are who I am most familiar with here in the interior.  Believe me, I am no cultural expert and I stick my foot in my mouth more often than not.  My best friend just happens to be Athabascan and grew up in this small village.

Anyway, back to the river.  The Yukon is the major east west highway for the interior.  To travel from village to village you either fly or boat.  It is the same with supplies coming in.  Everything comes in by freight plane or barge.  There are no trucks supplying box stores on every corner at all hours of the day or night.  If you order something in, you best make sure you get it right the first time.  If you mess up, you order again.  It gets shipped or barged in and that gets real expensive in a hurry.  This is isolation at its finest.  I like it!

These are just a few pictures of this main thoroughfare that was about a 10 minute walk from the barracks.  I decided not to go any farther down the bank as I had no protection with me at the time.  A .44 magnum is a must out here.  You have no idea just when you and a bear are going to cross paths and startle each other.  It doesn’t happen often but it does happen, so it is better to be safe than sorry. 

Hey, thanks again for stopping in to take a look at my world right now.  Fires have not started yet so I have a bit of time to do a little exploring.  Wait and see what I come across!

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