DAY 50 JULY 6 RADAR STATION

Day 50. Today we had a most interesting experience. Last Saturday while sitting by the Yukon River we met two men working as contractors for the Air Force. It seems the Air Force maintains one of its 15 Alaskan long-range radar installations in Fort Yukon. They invited us to visit. Today we took them up on the offer. It is an impressive installation on the outskirts of Fort Yukon. With only two staff the installation provides strategic radar coverage, along with the other 14 installations, for the entire northwestern United States. The technology is sophisticated and the facility modern in every way. Gail and I commented that it was like walking into the 21st century from our accomodations these past two weeks in the 19th/20th century. They invited us to stay for supper which we gladly accepted: chicken breast in a tomato sauce, pasta, fresh acorn squash, fresh spinach salad with tomatoes and zuchinni, toasted bread, chocolate milk, and brownies with Alaskan coffee for dessert. Best meal we had had since my birthday dinner two weeks ago. They work three months straight away from family before having six weeks vacation back home. It would be lonely work at times but they are generously compensated. Glen, the station technician, showed us some footage of the northern lights, which are out from October to February in Fort Yukon. Spectacular. We won't see them with our own eyes this trip, but perhaps on a future trip during the winter. It will take a while to screw up the courage to come here when its 50 degrees below zero!