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The sun doesn't set for eighty-four days (May 10 -
August 2) in a row at Barrow, the farthest north
community in the state. For 67 days in the winter
(November 18 - January 24) the sun doesn't rise, but
there is a beautiful twilight for a few hours during the
"day" as the sun's rays peek around the curvature of the
earth.
Alaska sustains about 1000 earthquakes measuring 3.5 or higher on the Richter scale every year. In 1964 an earthquake under Prince William Sound measured 9.2 on the Richter scale, killed 131 people, and released 10 million times more energy than the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima Japan. Vitus Bering claimed Alaska for Russia in 1741. The U.S. bought Alaska from Russia for $7.2 million dollars or something like 2 cents an acre. Russia only occupied a small piece of land in Alaska, so the sale of the entire territory to America was stunning news to Native Alaskans, many of whom were not aware of the event for years. Compared to most places in the U.S., there really are very few roads in Alaska. So, finding a place to fish in the summer without flying into the Bush results in what the locals call "combat fishing." At some popular spots along the Russian River for example, scores of people line the banks for a chance at a king salmon. Charter companies that fly anglers to remote areas are quite popular. 10% of the world's active volcanoes are located in Alaska. Alaska's population increased 37% in the 1980s. With the help of experienced charter boat skippers, it is not uncommon for anglers to pull in halibut weighing over 300 pounds. Alaska moose are very big. When coming upon one, it is best to slowly back away and leave the area -- particularly when the moose is a cow with calves. Mama moose don't like people near their young'uns. The oldest documented sight of human habitation in North America was found 150 miles above the Arctic Circle. It is called the Mesa Site and is 11,700 years old. There are six semi-pro baseball teams in Alaska. Their season begins in June and ends in July. The Brooks Mountain Range is between 35 million and 200 million years older than the Rocky Mountains. In Alaska, a "Cheechako" is a person new from the Outside. A Sourdough has spent a winter or two in the state. There is no poison ivy in Alaska - or snakes. There are plants called cow parsnips, though, which cause blisters and burns. One bear caught 90 salmon in one day in the McNeil River Game Sanctuary. Polar bears will sometimes use their paws to hide their big, black noses when sneaking up on a seal dinner. The average temperature in Barrow is +9.4 degrees Fahrenheit (not taking into account the wind chill factor of course.) Alaska's state flag was designed by a seventh grader named Benny Bensen. It features the constellation "Big Dipper" on a field of blue. A tsunami (tidal wave) following the 1964 Anchorage earthquake completely destroyed or severely damaged several Alaska communities including Seward -- and caused damage in Hawaii, Chile, Japan, and the west coast of the U.S. Fifteen species of whale live in Alaska waters. The gray whale migrates more than 10,000 miles every year, between Baja California and the Beaufort Sea. The Exxon Corporation was fined more than $5 million in punitive damages for the 1989 Valdez oil spill in Prince William Sound. Some of the money actually paid after the issue was dragged through the courts for years, is going toward building "The Alaska SeaLife Center" in Seward. It will be a state-of-the-art marine biology and education facility. Twenty Native languages are spoken in Alaska. There are 100 times more caribou than human residents on the North Slope. About 14 million acres of southern Alaska are rain forest. One of the focal points of Native social life in Alaska, the potlatch commemorates major events (weddings funerals, etc.) and involves singing, dancing, feasting and gift giving. No-see-ums are small, gray, silver-winged gnats that are, uh, ... hard to see. An impressive 974 inches of snow fell on Thompson pass in the winter of 1952-53. Mountain climbers who wish to challenge Mt. McKinley (Denali) must pay a $150 permit fee. If you want to see penguins, you'll have to go to Antarctica. But, Alaska's got polar bears and they don't. |
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