Tolovana Pilgrimage

Every December, about fifteen friends make the trip from Fairbanks to Tolovana Hot Springs, but this year was different. New babies and people on vacations left us with only four of 'the gang' going this year, plus three other people we know who just happened to be going the same weekend, which was a welcome surprise.

If you do it right, every trip to Tolovana begins with breakfast at the Hilltop Truck Stop where the menu includes such items as the Train Wreck (which Jeremy tackled with some help from Tom), the Breaker Breaker Breakfast, and the Trucker's Special. Ah yes, after breakfast at Hilltop, you won't have to worry about eating lunch, which is nice because it is an eleven mile trail in to the hot springs and can require a bit of effort to get there.


Usually the parking lot at the trailhead is super windy, but we lucked out with just a slight breeze and pretty good temperatures.


Jeremy and Tom mushed in,


Dianna handled the snow machine with giant gear sled in tow, and I trotted around on my own two feet with a sled for the downhills.


These downhills aren't just downhills. They are sometimes STEEP, which just adds to the fun.


The sled on the snow machine had a little bit of trouble with some soft snow on the way in, but other than that, things went pretty well. Tom took my picture upon arrival, and I was surprised to see that I wasn't even all that frosty.


From there on out, we enjoyed four days and three nights of eating, relaxing, exploring a bit, and soaking in the hot tub under mostly clear skies and temperatures that I think remained above zero. What a life! Good food. Good friends. No email. No cell phone. No plumbing. No electricity. It was great!

The cabin...


The view from the cabin...


The 'Upper' Tub...


Checking out the Airstrip...


Visits from Emma, Brian, and Emily helped to break up the day.


Before we knew it, it was time to head back home. The trip out was beautiful with gorgeous views of the White Mountains, Alaska Range, Denali, and the Minto Flats.



Of course, it wouldn't be a complete trip to Tolovana without just a little bit of drama...on the way home, a flat tire on the snowmachine trailer rounded out the trip.