Tanana River Day 1

I pulled into this paved wide and long pullout on Saturday.  The weather was great, and I walked the length of it numerous times to get some exercise. 

I spent two nights here just above the Tanana River.  There is a swath about a hundred feet wide that lets you see the river, and a path leads down to the river.  The river is flowing swiftly and when it is quiet, you can hear the river gurgling as it rushes past. 

There is a unique fish in this river.  Humpback Whitefish, a cross between a salmon and trout.  The Tetlin Refuge protects two of only a few known spawning sites for Humpback Whitefish in Alaska.  Humpback Whitefish begin to spawn at age 5 and can live for 20 years, unlike salmon that die after spawning.  From time immemorial, the Athabascan set up fish camps along the Tanana River and processed the fish like other tribes processed salmon.