Backcountry Pilot • I'm Joining the "Gold Rush"!

I'm Joining the "Gold Rush"!

Not necessarily information about airstrips or airports, but more general info about a greater area or a route of flight.
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Sun Oct 27, 2013 7:29 pm

I'm Joining the "Gold Rush"!

Just curious if anybody here is in or around Faibanks?

How would you campare the size of the city to Boise, ID?

Traffic and crime?

And most importantly for this ex-SoCal wimp, winter weather? Kinda like Boise or deep freeze like North Dakota? (I do have a pretty good size meat jacket on)

Thanks for the info!

Pat

Edit 11-3-13:
Also, is there anybody on here that works for or knows anybody working for the larger corporate mines like Kinross and Red Dog? If so and if your interested, I sure wouldn't mind connecting and network if you like. I could use all the references I can get. This goes for any of the other large scale corporate/professional mines/company's in the lower 48, too. My main interest is getting started in driving the Haul Trucks.

You can PM me here or [email protected] (NO Spammers!!!)

Thanks!
Last edited by 58Skylane on Thu Feb 20, 2014 11:04 am, edited 4 times in total.
58Skylane offline
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Sun Oct 27, 2013 8:12 pm

Re: Any BCPers in or around Fairbanks?

58Skylane wrote:Just curious if anybody here is in or around Faibanks?

How would you campare the size of the city to Boise, ID?

Traffic and crime?

And most importantly for this ex-SoCal wimp, winter weather? Kinda like Boise or deep freeze like North Dakota? (I do have a pretty good size meat jacket on)

Thanks for the info!

Pat


Pat. It's kinda like putting North Dakota In a Deep Freezer!!
Fairbanks is a great town, I think around 50,000 second biggest in the state. It kinda is it's own place, I don't think you can say it is much like anywhere else, At least I can't!!
There are others who can fill you in more than I. I try and leave during the winter. It did not work last winter so took a couple of pictures, they are over a month apart
If you get set up right, it is a great place to live and play!!
Fairbanks has a problem with Ice fog, comes up to about the top of you hood on what your driving, Cannot see in it or under it, Kind of driving on top of a cloud!!
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It had not got real cold yet as like MTV said, Pete did not even have his fur hat on yet!!
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Sun Oct 27, 2013 8:23 pm

Re: Any BCPers in or around Fairbanks?

Thanks GT! I sent you a PM.
58Skylane offline
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Sun Oct 27, 2013 8:35 pm

Re: Any BCPers in or around Fairbanks?

Well, you're asking about the winter, so the other thing to bear in mind is the daylight, or lack of. If I recall rightly, the sun reaches about four degrees above the horizon on the winter solstice in Fairbanks. Maybe four hours of useable outdoor light, tops, on the shortest day. Not everyone responds well to that. And it's not like the sunlight starts pouring back the day after the solstice. It's a long couple months before the sun even has any warmth to it when it's in the sky.

The flip side of low angle light and temperature inversions is beautiful natural lighting during the daylight hours, and fata morgana on the Alaska range, which is visible from parts of town. As for the ice fog, yeah, it's grim, and there's a big dispute brewing over wood heat and all the outdoor boilers that people have in their yards. At any big rig lot, not only is the rig idling at all hours, but the equipment sitting on the lowboy behind it is idling at all hours too. But frozen fog also makes for neat optical illusions, like light columns rising up from the streetlights. And then there's the chance of northern lights. Living down in "town" vs living up in the surrounding hills makes a huge difference between enjoying the Alaska range in aplenglow from your own door, or spending the whole day in the ice fog.

I also imagine trucking has something to do with your question. Just realize that everything is frozen, and remains frozen, until breakup sometime in March. Actually, -40 ice is much more grippy than +25 ice, but it's still ice and the hills going in and out of town have some substantial grades.

If you find yourself up here though, drop a line. I'm not far from there, by Alaska standards.

-DP
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Sun Oct 27, 2013 9:06 pm

Re: Any BCPers in or around Fairbanks?

Wow! Thanks for the honest replies! Something to think about.

I'll let the cat out of the bag since I'm pretty sure this wont get back to my current boss. Nobody here knows him anyway and he has no idea about this forum, too.

But I'm possibly interested in a open job position with a mining company near Fairbanks. A few people here know I've been trying to get on with a major mining company in the northern Nevada area. But I came across this position in AK tonight and was giving it some thought. I may apply just to see what happens.

Honestly, I don't have much interest in a regular trucking job in AK. Unless its something I would be foolish to pass up :mrgreen:
58Skylane offline
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Mon Oct 28, 2013 6:44 pm

Re: Any BCPers in or around Fairbanks?

Wow! This is some awesome info.
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Mon Oct 28, 2013 7:55 pm

Re: Any BCPers in or around Fairbanks?

buck_justice wrote:Wow! This is some awesome info.

Buck, I've seriously considered coming down your way.

Earlier this year I got talking to a guy that runs Coopers BBQ in Junction. His buddy has a fleet of water trucks working in the oil patch down there. $125K per year to start! :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

But at the time I really wanted to find something up near home in Idaho. The gig I'm doing now still isn't getting me home much. I'd be lucky to get home once every other week for one night. Plus a few other unexpected issues. But AK sounds good now. But, I think I need to be more patient and wait for an opportunity in NV. Thankfully, I have some very good contacts there.
58Skylane offline
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Tue Oct 29, 2013 8:37 am

Re: Any BCPers in or around Fairbanks?

denalipilot wrote:As for the ice fog, yeah, it's grim, and there's a big dispute brewing over wood heat and all the outdoor boilers that people have in their yards.


I assume the dispute is because fairbanks is in a valley and the pollution gets trapped in it, right?

But, really, I'm replying because I have no idea what an "outdoor boiler" is. Are Fairbanksers *really* into fish boils or something? ;-)
Last edited by rw2 on Tue Oct 29, 2013 9:11 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Tue Oct 29, 2013 8:50 am

Re: Any BCPers in or around Fairbanks?

rw2 wrote:
denalipilot wrote:As for the ice fog, yeah, it's grim, and there's a big dispute brewing over wood heat and all the outdoor boilers that people have in their yards.


I assume the dispute is because fairbanks is in a valley and the pollution gets trapped in it, right?

But, really, I'm replying because I have no idea what an "outdoor boiler" is. As Fairbanksers *really* into fish boils or something? ;-)

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Tue Oct 29, 2013 9:11 am

Re: Any BCPers in or around Fairbanks?

M6RV6 wrote:
rw2 wrote:
denalipilot wrote:As for the ice fog, yeah, it's grim, and there's a big dispute brewing over wood heat and all the outdoor boilers that people have in their yards.


I assume the dispute is because fairbanks is in a valley and the pollution gets trapped in it, right?

But, really, I'm replying because I have no idea what an "outdoor boiler" is. As Fairbanksers *really* into fish boils or something? ;-)

Image

http://woodmaster.com/woodfurnaces_4400.php


Oh! Ok, I know those. Some of the people near us in Wisconsin have them. I guess I'm just the last one to hear the term "boiler". Thanks!
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Sun Nov 03, 2013 12:02 pm

Re: Any BCPers in or around Fairbanks? Any BCP Miners?

Well, call me crazy all you want, (Actually, I know some of you would like to call me other things :D ). But, I went ahead and applied for a Truck Driver job in Fairbanks. We'll see how it goes.

I also recently applied for an Underground Truck Driver at a mine in NV :shock:


Also, is there anybody on here that works for or knows anybody working for the larger corporate mines like Kinross and Red Dog? If so and if your interested, I sure wouldn't mind connecting and network if you like. I could use all the references I can get. This goes for any of the other large scale corporate/professional mines/company's in the lower 48, too. My main interest is getting started in driving the Haul Trucks.

You can PM me here or [email protected] (NO Spammers!!!)

Thanks!
58Skylane offline
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Sun Nov 03, 2013 3:41 pm

Re: Any BCPers in or around Fairbanks? Any BCP Miners?

Hecla-Greens Creek and Kensington mines both near Juneau are always advertising for both above ground and below ground help. I can tell you from experience that bouncing around for a 12 hour shift in one of those articulated haulers sucks. Most of these guys don't stop for breaks, lunch, or to piss outside for that matter. The pay is good, but don't plan on living in Alaska if you are trying to save because the cost of living is becoming out of control. A single dude should have no trouble staying in the camp then going home to the US for a break every 3 weeks.

Good luck with your endeavors. There is work here for those who want it.
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Sun Nov 03, 2013 4:55 pm

Re: Any BCPers in or around Fairbanks? Any BCP Miners?

Thanks gbflyer! That's some more great info I've been looking for and will keep in mind.

I am single and no kids. My plan right now would be to stay up in AK for the scheduled work period. Then fly to Boise for off time. However, during the summer months, I would imagine I'd like to explore a bit around AK.

I'm really trying to be patient and wait for something in NV because I'm not known as a "job hopper". But if somebody is willing to hire me in AK before I can find something in NV, I can use that as a stepping stone to a company in NV and stay for the rest of my career (if I don't get laid off).

Thanks again for the info! Looking forward to some more.
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Sun Nov 03, 2013 6:09 pm

Re: Any BCPers in or around Fairbanks? Any BCP Miners?

Pat, I'm still friends and in touch with a couple of the guys driving the haul road for Red Dog Mine. Let me find the scoop for you and I'll let you know. That would be a sweet job. Housing there at site is great, managed by Marriot's as I recall. And that haul road is a beautiful run down to the coast just south of Kivalina.

Gump
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Sun Nov 03, 2013 7:08 pm

Re: Any BCPers in or around Fairbanks? Any BCP Miners?

GumpAir wrote:Pat, I'm still friends and in touch with a couple of the guys driving the haul road for Red Dog Mine. Let me find the scoop for you and I'll let you know. That would be a sweet job. Housing there at site is great, managed by Marriot's as I recall. And that haul road is a beautiful run down to the coast just south of Kivalina.

Gump

As one of our other members here has told me the same. Red Dog would be the Mack Daddy to get on with.

At Yamaha, I've stayed at various Marriotts through out the country the 21 years I've been in racing. I gotta say that every single one was top notch. So that would be awesome!

Thanks Gump! I be PMing you :wink:
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Mon Nov 04, 2013 7:26 pm

Re: Any BCPers in or around Fairbanks? Any BCP Miners?

Hey Pat.

Sent ya names and #'s on a Facebook PM. Those are the guys you need to talk to about Red Dog. Good luck.

Gump
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Tue Nov 05, 2013 6:41 am

Re: Any BCPers in or around Fairbanks? Any BCP Miners?

GumpAir wrote:Hey Pat.

Sent ya names and #'s on a Facebook PM. Those are the guys you need to talk to about Red Dog. Good luck.

Gump

Got it. Thank you sir!!
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Fri Nov 22, 2013 9:51 am

Kayenta, AZ??

Anybody with first hand knowledge of this part of northeast AZ? I've trucked thru this area a few times and remember the beautiful scenery.

There are a few opportunities near Kayenta and curious what it may be like to stay in Navajo country.

I do know it's pretty much in the middle of some awesome year round flying!

Thanks
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Fri Nov 22, 2013 2:41 pm

Re: Kayenta, AZ?? Any BCP Miners?

Pat,
Having only been in Fairbanks for four days in '11, first impressions result in, it's a "Freak Show"!
Mind you, I am a Lower 48 Type like you.
It was May and it was a freekin' 90 degrees there. The reason we were there was to get away from the extreme heat of the Lower 48, SouthWest.
Can't imagine what it's like in January!
We were camped at the KFAI Campground (pretty cool digs) but spend a fair amount of time cruising Fairbanks in our Hertz Suburban (it had air conditioning). After four days, we flew through heavy smoke to McGrath and points West.
While there we patronized the Sportsman Warehouse, purchasing mosquito repellent remedies, that had average results!
This is a place that you must visit before committing to move there!!!!!
Mind you, hygiene is not a priority of Fairbanks (I know there are many good folks, I meet a number of them, but there are many weird folks there) "Deliverance" comes to mind!
If you are going there for a few quick bucks, great, but there has to be better places to live in AK.
I believe this so much that I will be willing to provide you with Airline Travel, Hotel, and Vehicle Rental (using award points that I have available) for you to witness what I/we experienced while there.

I wouldn't offer this if you hadn't worked for Yamaha USA.

If interested, Gump will provide you with my contact info :)

Mark
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Fri Nov 22, 2013 3:59 pm

Re: Kayenta, AZ?? Any BCP Miners?

SkyTruck wrote:I believe this so much that I will be willing to provide you with Airline Travel, Hotel, and Vehicle Rental (using award points that I have available) for you to witness what I/we experienced while there.


He feels strongly about this, Pat. Take him up on it!
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