Two cyclists, Ned Rozell and Forest Wagner, are making a journey from Tanana to Ruby along Alaska’s largest river under a waxing moon, according to an April 3 account. The pair are traveling on packed snow over four feet of clear river ice, relying on the condition of the trail for their progress.
This section of the trip is notable because it is rarely traveled and poses challenges due to its remoteness. Rozell said that this part of their route was the one that concerned him most during planning in January because travelers depend on others having already packed down a trail. He referenced Hudson Stuck’s observation that a packed trail is “the greatest gift one northern traveler can give another.”
Along the way, they have encountered only a few snowmachiners each day between Tanana and Ruby, most passing by with just a wave or thumbs-up. Rozell described the landscape as dotted with log cabins separated by many miles of frozen river and remnants of old structures lost to floods or collapse over decades.
The journey also highlights environmental changes in Alaska. Residents in Tanana recalled past summers when king and chum salmon were abundant in the river but noted that salmon numbers have dropped so sharply no fishing is allowed now. As Rozell wrote: “The spruce fish wheels anchored now in deep snow will remain at the Tanana boat landing again this summer.” Ruth Althoff referred to it as a “fish-wheel graveyard.” The decline has affected local traditions such as dog mushing; once supported by dried chum salmon from the river, there are now fewer teams due to high costs for imported dog food.
Rozell reflected on these changes while traveling through what he called ghosted-out fish camps along their route—evidence of how much has changed since he last skied this stretch 25 years ago.
Readers can follow their progress via satellite tracker at https://share.garmin.com/NedRozell. Since the late 1970s, columns like this have been provided free by the University of Alaska Fairbanks’ Geophysical Institute.
