A moose was killed on the train tracks sometime during the wee hours of the morning, and the body was deposited on the road right in front of the lodge, at the railroad crossing. Apparently, when large game is killed by trains or vehicles and becomes road kill, the state troopers contact “meat hunters” from a call list of local folks who come out to collect the carnage. It’s a really cool system, and we were privileged to get to see it in action. The train crew guts the animal right away, and then they deliver it to the nearest town and alert the authorities. Locals are contacted using the call list, and the first “callee” to say he or she wants the beast gets to have it. (The catch is that these calls generally come in in the middle of the night or from super-remote areas.) The two men and a woman who arrived on the scene of today’s unfortunate moose let us watch and learn (and film) as they cut the still-warm animal into several big pieces and loaded it into their minivan. They can get 400-500 pounds of meat off of one of these kills, and they can feed off of it all winter. They said they generally share it with friends, family, and neighbors. It was so interesting, and so cool, and it’s just a great example of the ability of these sturdy Alaskans to survive and thrive in conditions that would make most of America hightail it to Florida, California, or some other warm and pampered territory. But these folks would have it no other way. And they’re glad that the rugged lifestyle doesn’t suit too many people; they like their region’s low population.

After departing Cantwell, we filmed a few convoy shots with Mt. McKinley (or Denali) as the backdrop. On our way north, we stopped in to visit Ranger Fred at Denali National Park. He was as enthusiastic as he was intriguing, and we loved hearing his stories about the bears and wildlife he has witnessed at the park. Adam and Mark filmed the former Marine as he told us about the park and about his Alaskan experiences.

We finally arrived in Fairbanks in the early evening and braved the frigid temps to walk a few blocks to a local Mexican food joint. It’s nearly -40F here, and the air freezes our nostrils and lungs.

FYI: At 8 this morning, the temperature was -38F, with a wind chill of -54F.

(N.O.)