A trip to where corn don't grow

tim s · Dec 4, 2017

Tomorrow I am going to Fairbanks Alaska to view the Northern Lights,,normally when I go on a Trip I try to visit some YT'ers..but it's not likely this time Darn it.. I will be Flying in and out so there will be no side trips,,Google states the drive time to be 67 hours,, I would be up for that.. but the Wife says no...

3020G · Dec 4, 2017

I wonder if there's any corn planted in that state that is actually for "Row Crop" type production.

Hendrik · Dec 4, 2017

Sounds like a fantastic trip.
Do not know of any YTer calling home there. However, on Red Power magazine there is member AKwelder.
Look at the YT member map (link attached). Zoom out or in as needed.
YT Member map

erskine2017 · Dec 4, 2017

Tim, you have such an incredible knowledge of Deere Tractors. I was hoping that you would be teaching a class at Gathering of the Green in March. Thanks for sharing your wealth of information!

Mike M · Dec 4, 2017

My cousin is part owner of the JD A that made the driving trip to Alaska and back. I think this trip was in the 1990's ? I just bet if you ask nice enough they may just let you take it !

tim s · Dec 4, 2017

I don't think there are any row crops planted in the state,,and Fairbanks is way up there..I have read about truck patch gardens in the lower part of the state,,and that looks iffy...the day light is only 4 hours long at this time of the year.. The farthest North I have been is Calgary Alberta for the Stampede Rodeo and I liked the drive up through Alberta,,and hope to go back there some time..

tim s · Dec 4, 2017

That 64 hour drive time would be a bit longer on a 12 mph A...

Dieseltech · Dec 4, 2017

Saw the PBS special recently about the Northern Lights, I'm sure it's much more amazing in person. Enjoy your trip!

John Eatwell · Dec 4, 2017

Was on a bus between Tok and Fairbanks three years ago. Saw something coming down the highway. It was a big New Holland hay swather. Started looking beyond the trees along the highway and saw fields that appeared to be small grains. I saw some cattle so had to have hay. There were small grain bins at building sites. I didn't think there was any agriculture there either but must be some. I know there is cattle north of Anchorage along the rail line going to Fairbanks so must raise some type of feed foe them

John Deere D · Dec 4, 2017

Enjoy your adventure Sir:

My wife (Lois) and I were in Fairbanks on the 50 th Anniversary of Alaska Joining the Union:

Pioneer Park in Fairbanks.....Tractor related:

Bob....Summer home...Dawson Creek Canada..Southern Terminus of the Alcan / Alaska Highway

Dave H · Dec 4, 2017

Enjoy the trip Tim. Those norther lights dancing in the sky are one of a kind site.

Going to skip this spring trip up there in June. First time in 4 years running. happened to catch a scrawny 87 lb halibut out of Seward this June.

J. Schwiebert · Dec 4, 2017

There was a guy on here a couple of years ago from there asking some questions on setting his John Deere combine for oats.

centash · Dec 4, 2017

We hope to drive up through there next summer
Ben

Dan in Ohio · Dec 4, 2017

Enjoy the show Tim.

akdna1947 · Dec 4, 2017

If any of you come by Soldotna on the Kenai Peninsula, give me a hollar

K Effective · Dec 4, 2017

Down around Palmer, AK we saw a guy running an old JD combine with grain head across a field, but couldn't see a crop. We HAD to stop and ask- he was harvesting grass seed- cutting grass that was headed out at 6-8 inches tall. Must have kept the sickle sharp!

Spent a summer working in a fish cannery in Soldotna, we started during halibut season, fish up to 300 pounds. Seven twelves gets old when most of the folks are tent camping without showers, good thing we were working with fresh fish!

Fairbanks is in a bowl-like valley, temperature extremes from 80+ in the summer to -80 in the winter. Beautiful.

K Effective · Dec 4, 2017

I know it is time consuming, but the drive to Alaska and back is the real treasure of the trip. I have done it three times so far and always recommend driving, when at all possible. I imagine the old Route 66 drive was similar back in the days.

ArleninOr · Dec 4, 2017

Have a great trip. Sounds like you will enjoy your self. Sent a baler, mower, and 2 rakes up there back in the 90's. Don't think they were baling snow.

cumminspuller · Dec 5, 2017

Enjoy the trip Tim! My dad and uncle lived in Anchorage when they were young as my granddad was stationed there in the air force. Granddad had a late 60's early 70's Chevy truck he put a camper top on. They would come home to Tennessee whenever they could. Before they went back they loaded the truck down with fresh watermelons, cantaloupes, tomatoes etc. They would have all their friends and neighbors over when they got back to Anchorage and eat all the fresh stuff they had carried back.

tim s · Dec 5, 2017

It's always fun to share goodie's from home with those far away from what we take for granted...

41B-boy · Dec 5, 2017

Oh, my goodness.
Who amongst you can shed any light on that spiral tread monster; that's fascinating.
That is one unique critter. Perhaps relating to traction on ICE? just a guess...

Bob

Glen D Anderson · Dec 5, 2017

Long before my time but it's a Fordson Snow-motor: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fo31_3UzTTY

(quoted from post at 12:31:18 12/05/17) Oh, my goodness.
Who amongst you can shed any light on that spiral tread monster; that's fascinating.
That is one unique critter. Perhaps relating to traction on ICE? just a guess...

Bob

41B-boy · Dec 6, 2017

Thank You, Glen.
Great video.
Bob

tim s · Dec 6, 2017

There is a you tube clip of it being run back when it was developed.

tim s · Dec 6, 2017

I am up there now waiting for the sun to shine, the plane ride was long, I would rather load hay all day as to make the trip in a plane,,,,,

ArleninOr · Dec 6, 2017

Tim, are you going to take pics for the rest of us so we don't have to fly?

tim s · Dec 6, 2017

I just got back to my room,,and it's getting dark here at 3:30 only about 4 hours of day light,, i drove North out of Fairbanks to see a ice place,,the road got bad 45 miles out, im driving a Toyota Corola,,not the right car for snowy roads,,got into about 4 inches of snow and turned around,,the wife was gripping the dash board kinda hard,,went to PIONEER village,12 to 14 inches of snow there and it was open but snowed over,,I waded around looking for that Fordson snow buggy,I didnt find it saw the Fordson on tracks. I can't do pics till I get home to my big computer. It is cloudy here now,,it will need to clear up to see the Northern lights. As far as coming up here...I won't be back,,would lot rather drive through the mid west,,and the plane ride was nasty in the tight fitting plane seat,,from now on if i cant drive my Hot ROD LINCOLN..i dont want to go..

CPeter · Dec 7, 2017

I spent two years up there in the 60s while in the Army. Was stationed at Ft Greely 100 miles down the Richardson in Delta Junction from Fairbanks. Even colder there than Fairbanks. It was an Cold weather testing and training site. Now it is a "Star Wars" missile site. You can see the silos on Google Earth. When the Pipeline first started pumping lots of money into the Alaskan Government coffers, they thought they could grow barley tin the Delta valley. They cleared hundreds of thousands of acres to grow the barley and only after they had the storage bins and other infrastructure built did they figure out that it would cost more to ship to Seattle than they could sell it for. Now a lot of that cleared land is in hay for the growing horse population and also someone is raising Yaks for meat.We have been back several times, most recently in 2003 when we took our camper and spent 5 week touring around the state. Spent a lot of time with friends in Delta.

tim s · Dec 7, 2017

I saw one area that could be a hay field,,maybe 30 acres,a few round bales at the edge,,other than that 2
drinking Irishmen couldn't raise a disturbance up here...

A trip to where corn don't grow

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