W
NW
N
N
NE
W
the Degree Confluence Project
E
SW
S
S
SE
E

United States : Alaska

10.6 miles (17.0 km) N of Ester, Fairbanks North Star, AK, USA
Approx. altitude: 348 m (1141 ft)
([?] maps: Google MapQuest OpenStreetMap topo ConfluenceNavigator)
Antipode: 65°S 32°E

Accuracy: 4 m (13 ft)
Quality: good

Click on any of the images for the full-sized picture.

#2: View to the North #3: View to the East #4: View to the South #5: View to the West #6: Ground Zero #7: GPS Reading #8: The Confluence Hunter #9: The Bearing Tree in about 600 m distance #10: Overview of the confluence valley at 700 m distance

  { Main | Search | Countries | Information | Member Page | Random }

  65°N 148°W (visit #2)  

#1: The Confluence from 30 m distance

(visited by Rainer Mautz)

17-Jul-2016 -- This is the 8th out of 11 reports on confluence visits in Canada’s Yukon Territory and Alaska. The story starts from 61°N 137°W and continues from 66°N 150°W.

I got up at 4:16 AM and departed at 4:30 AM from our campground in Fairbanks. The early departure had the advantage that I would be back before the forecasted rain would set in around 8 AM (which did actually happen). At those early hours the roads were empty such that I reached my planned parking spot at a distance of 1290 m after driving 50 km within 45 minutes.

I was able to follow a forest track up to a distance of 800 m. I continued through a spruce forest down into a valley. While descending, I had a great view into the landscape and the valley of the confluence point.

During my hike, I noticed a bearing tree sign nailed on a tree. It had been posted on 20 January 1983 to mark a property corner which is in a certain distance and bearing from that tree. I was wandering, why this tree was so small since it must already have been growing here 33 years ago. But trees near the arctic grow slow. I guess that those days when GPS was not available such signs were of great help to locate property boundaries. I however was more interested in visiting the confluence point which I would not mark with a sign, but electronically in my GPS device.

After I had descended around 200 m, I found the confluence point in a creek at the bottom of a valley. In contrast to the whole hike through spruce forest, the confluence itself was overgrown with various shrubs.

The way back was much harder as I had to ascend those 200 m again. Being back to the campground at 7:30 AM, Elionora was still asleep. I thought about making coffee and breakfast, but as soon as the rain set in, I changed my mind: I went back into our tent and slept for another 2 hours.

CP Visit Details:

  • Distance to a road: 1290 m
  • Distance to a track: 800 m
  • Distance of car parking: 1290 m
  • Time to reach the confluence from car parking: 35 minutes
  • Time at the confluence: 6:00 AM
  • Measured height: 323 m
  • Minimal distance according to GPS: 1 m
  • Position accuracy: 4 m
  • Topography: hilly, CP in a valley
  • Vegetation: horsetails, moss, bushes, shrubs, birch trees, thin spruce
  • Weather: overcast, 22° C (felt temperature)
  • Given Name: The Bearing Tree Confluence

The story continues at 64°N 145°W.


 All pictures
#1: The Confluence from 30 m distance
#2: View to the North
#3: View to the East
#4: View to the South
#5: View to the West
#6: Ground Zero
#7: GPS Reading
#8: The Confluence Hunter
#9: The Bearing Tree in about 600 m distance
#10: Overview of the confluence valley at 700 m distance
ALL: All pictures on one page