#1: [05-Apr-03]

17-Jul-2016 -- This is the 8^th out of 11 reports on confluence visits in Canada’s Yukon Territory and Alaska. The story starts from 61°N 137°W and continues from 66°N 150°W.

I got up at 4:16 AM and departed at 4:30 AM from our campground in Fairbanks. The early departure had the advantage that I would be back before the forecasted rain would set in around 8 AM (which did actually happen). At those early hours the roads were empty such that I reached my planned parking spot at a distance of 1290 m after driving 50 km within 45 minutes.

I was able to follow a forest track up to a distance of 800 m. I continued through a spruce forest down into a valley. While descending, I had a great view into the landscape and the valley of the confluence point.

During my hike, I noticed a bearing tree sign nailed on a tree. It had been posted on 20 January 1983 to mark a property corner which is in a certain distance and bearing from that tree. I was wandering, why this tree was so small since it must already have been growing here 33 years ago. But trees near the arctic grow slow. I guess that those days when GPS was not available such signs were of great help to locate property boundaries. I however was more interested in visiting the confluence point which I would not mark with a sign, but electronically in my GPS device.

After I had descended around 200 m, I found the confluence point in a creek at the bottom of a valley. In contrast to the whole hike through spruce forest, the confluence itself was overgrown with various shrubs.

The way back was much harder as I had to ascend those 200 m again. Being back to the campground at 7:30 AM, Elionora was still asleep. I thought about making coffee and breakfast, but as soon as the rain set in, I changed my mind: I went back into our tent and slept for another 2 hours.

CP Visit Details:

• Distance to a road: 1290 m
• Distance to a track: 800 m
• Distance of car parking: 1290 m
• Time to reach the confluence from car parking: 35 minutes
• Time at the confluence: 6:00 AM
• Measured height: 323 m
• Minimal distance according to GPS: 1 m
• Position accuracy: 4 m
• Topography: hilly, CP in a valley
• Vegetation: horsetails, moss, bushes, shrubs, birch trees, thin spruce
• Weather: overcast, 22° C (felt temperature)
• Given Name: The Bearing Tree Confluence

The story continues at 64°N 145°W.