Chena Hot Springs, July 23, 2009

This is a Tamarac Tree, a pine looking tree but it drops it's needles in the winter. Looks like a coniferous, but acts like a deciduous tree. It only grows in certain area where it can get lots of sun and not compete with other trees.

We found this moose in a pond on the road to Chena Hot Springs. It was so much fun to watch!

You can see her eating plants from the bottom of the pond, something moose like to do.

This was our first shot of her and I thought it was a rock! She went pretty deep to get the plants.

Here she comes out of the water!

Now she is swimming across the pond. How often can you see a moose swimming?

Now she starts to walk up in the pond to a more shallow area.

And she walks further up.

Now she shakes just like a dog, to get the water off her back, head & neck.

See that head shaking? What a treat to see such behavior!

Now, it looks like she is posing for us.

She shakes again!

These rocks are called Granite Tors. You assignment is to google granite tors and see what they are! :-)

This is the Chena Hiots Springs pool with a cold water shower in the middle. It is part of the Chena Hot Springs resort, where some people come and stay a week.

This shows the shower.

Jim is enjoying the cold shower while in the hot water!

This is a distant shot of Jim under the shower.

This is part of a sustanable energy project with the US Department of Energy. They are drilling a hole 3,000 feet deep hoping to find 200 degree F water. They hope to use it to generate 10 megawatts of electricity to power Eilson Air Force Base, near Fairbanks, about 40 miles away. Water currently drawn on the property is about 165 degrees F.

This is the Ice House where you can go in, dress in a warm parka and have an alcholic drink in 40 below temperature.

This sign was on the road going back to Fairbanks. It is not the type of sign you see every day!