1962 over Anchorage

[Jim Wilke]

Cold war days, site is now a rather rundown ski resort. Airplane long gone.

[VirtualBalboa]

Google maps suggested I could visit an old Nike site near Anchorage when I was there last May. Of course it wasn't actually accessible as there's a lot of signage indicating I'd have committed about 100 felonies trying it. Sure looks like it...still great views of the city from up there on the road up the mountain if you have a telephoto.

[Jim Wilke]

Google maps suggested I could visit an old Nike site near Anchorage when I was there last May. Of course it wasn't actually accessible as there's a lot of signage indicating I'd have committed about 100 felonies trying it. Sure looks like it...still great views of the city from up there on the road up the mountain if you have a telephoto.

That's Arctic Valley Road, I go up there in the summer although the upper section is dirt, there's a ski resort at the very top. There are great views from up there.


A cautionary note, though. 25 years ago, a young woman got into an argument with her boyfriend, stormed out of the house and went for a drive to cool off. She drove up that road, got stuck turning around. The ski resort was closed, this was before cell phones so she decided to walk back down to the highway. It wasn't that cold, 15 degrees and it wasn't that far, about 3 miles. She didn't make it, froze to death. The next morning, police found her and then found the car, warm and idling.