Any folks in Fairbanks, AK?

[saggs]

I've received a job offer from a company in Fairbanks.  I'm flying there tomorrow night to check it out and decide.

Just got curious if we have anybody on here from (or familiar with) the area, I will be there Sunday and Monday, meeting with the company Monday morning so I have all day Sunday and Monday afternoon to check out the area.  I just kind of want to get a feel for what life as a citizen is like there, to decide if I want to live there.   I am an avid outdoorsman, backpacking, canoeing, skiing etc.. and I know there are lots of oppurtinities for that around there but I don't know any specifics.  So ideas for places to see or things to do would be appreciated, maybe a short hike, or museums, parks.. stuff like that.

[Dragon]

Our CO SWrokit owns a restaurant equipment repair company in Fairbanks.  Life is good for 2 months than all hell freezes over for 10, rinse & repeat.

[colmbo]

Hell frozen over for 10 months a bit of an exaggeration.   Summers can get hot -- like 90F hot and winters can get -50F cold. (It can stay sub -20 for weeks at a time) You're located in the middle of the state so will be only a days drive from everywhere else with extraordinary opportunity for enjoying the outdoors -- summer or winter.

Small frontier town, two military bases co-located.  All the modern conveniences, just somewhat remote.  Not all specialized medical care available in Fairbanks but Anchorage only a short flight away if advanced care is needed.

The winters are long with little daylight during Nov/Dec/Jan.  Something to think about, some folks don't do well with that.

[eagl]

If you're not married, realize that there aren't that many unattached wimmen up there.  If you're a big fish then you might make out ok otherwise you might find your social life a bit constrained. 

[saggs]

Dragon...

I'm well aware of the climate, thanks for wildly exaggerating the obvious.


Colmbo...

I'm not to worried about the long cold winters, I've dealt with -25° winters before when I lived in MT, also from what I've read Fairbanks gets inversion in the winter, which means (if they are anything like the inversions here in Utah) that it will be 20° warmer in the mountains than in town.  Plus the nice part of this job is I'll be working in a hangar to work in most of time.  I am looking forward to the outdoor opportunists.  Perhaps on the long cold nights I could even take up playing AH again...  maybe...


Eagl...

Yes I am single, and yes that is one of my concerns.  Although in my telephone interview he told me that the entire burough is almost 100K population, which is actually bigger then many places I've lived and about the same as the valley I'm in now.  Honestly I wouldn't want it any bigger, I am not a city person, I hate crowded areas and traffic.



I'm off to the airport in an hour.  Can anyone recommend a short hike or scenic drive I could do in few hours?

[EskimoJoe]

Fairbanks is boring-land! I'm 'valley trash', 40mi North of Anchorage in the Palmer/Wasilla area.

I believe we have a couple forum members here who are up there (one on base) who would know more about fun things to do and see.

[colmbo]

FYI that "borough" is probably about the size of most normal states.   

[Selino631]

What company saggs?

I'm stationed on Ft Wainwright.

Since you like outdoor activites this isnt a bad place for you. Denali National Park is only about an hour or so, South of us. and that place is AMAZING.



If you go onto the campus for the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF), they have a pretty cool museum. The Carlson Center just off Airport Way is a community center where they do abunch of Outdoor Shows and sometimes bands come in and have concerts.

also, during the winter here, there is places you can go snowboarding/dog sledding/ snow machining/ ice fishing pretty much everywhere. And alot of people like to go up to Chena Hot Springs which is about an hour and half north of Fairbanks.

just be prepared for a LONG, COLD winter


any other questions?

[saggs]

In Fairbanks, got in last night, went to local church this morning then just did some driving around this morning checking out town, back in the hotel room now.  Looking up some roads/trails on maps to maybe go for a scenic drive or short hike this afternoon.

So far I like this place, I knew it was in a valley, but coming in on the approach to the airport over the flats south of town I was like wow...  I'm used to valleys in Utah and Idaho where you are closed in fairly tight by the mountains, this "valley" is big on a whole different scale than I'm used too, and 90% of it is still wild and undeveloped which is great.



Selino:

The company is Everts Air Cargo, would be working on their DC-6 fleet mostly.   So far I've not met anyone who has worked for them directly, but talked to a few people this morning who have friends that work there.  Seems like they have a good reputation around here, at least everyone has heard of them and there are no horror stories I've heard.  I meet with their DOM tomorrow morning, so far I'm hopeful that it will be a good fit for me.

[EskimoJoe]

Everts is a name that I trust. I haven't done anything with them, but for some reason, I think they're pretty great.

[Selino631]

Selino:

The company is Everts Air Cargo, would be working on their DC-6 fleet mostly.   So far I've not met anyone who has worked for them directly, but talked to a few people this morning who have friends that work there.  Seems like they have a good reputation around here, at least everyone has heard of them and there are no horror stories I've heard.  I meet with their DOM tomorrow morning, so far I'm hopeful that it will be a good fit for me.

oh ok i know what your talking about, i see those things flying over Fairbanks all the time! If you take the job, when are you planning on moving up here?

[saggs]

I took the job.

Will be moving to Fairbanks mid September.  I'm looking forward to it.

Regarding the long dark winters, all of the locals I talked to told me you need to have at least a weeks vacation to someplace with sunlight mid-winter and that helps you make it through.  I get the impression that it's not so much the cold that depresses people in the winter, but the darkness.

[RotBaron]

Not me, but can you take a trip to Gnome and smack someone around?  J/K 

[Dragon]

Congratulations on the job Saggs.

[EskimoJoe]

I took the job.

Will be moving to Fairbanks mid September.  I'm looking forward to it.

Regarding the long dark winters, all of the locals I talked to told me you need to have at least a weeks vacation to someplace with sunlight mid-winter and that helps you make it through.  I get the impression that it's not so much the cold that depresses people in the winter, but the darkness.

Congrats!

My only advice is as follows :

1) Wear a coat, hat, mittens, and boots.

2) Remember how to drive in/through snow, and on ice!

Other than that, you should be all good.