Olnes Pond

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North to Alaska By RV 2021
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- Jun 2, 2021, 11:00pm
- ⛅ 55 °F
- Altitude: 492 ft
- United States Alaska Fairbanks North Star Borough Olnes Pond 65.08036, -147.74879565°4’49” N 147°44’56” W
Day 31
Day 31 Ends @ Olnes Pond
June 2, 2021 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 55 °F
When we left Denali NP this morning, we had two possibilities for tonight. Plan A: boondock somewhere along the Steese Highway. Plan B: dry camp at one of two campgrounds at the beginning of the Elliott Highway.

When we arrived at the junction of the Steese and Elliott around 4:00p, the skies made the decision for us. Instead of following the black clouds portending rain, we followed the blue skies with puffy character clouds. Essentially, we decided to head up the Elliott.

I’d seen a photo of Olnes Pond ... around mile 10 on the Elliott ... in the Lower Chatanika River State Recreation Site. It looked beautiful ... quiet and peaceful. So that’s where we landed.

We’re paying $20 to dry camp here ... but what a site we have ... right on the lake shore ... with a picnic table and a fire ring. Green trees rimming the pond behind the perimeter road reflected on the still surface of the pond ... along with the sky and puffy clouds.

The one family here for the day has vacated their site ... glad to see them go since we really didn’t want to have to listen to their conversations clear across the pond ... yes, they were that loud. There are only two other campers here ... one across the lake ... one at the far end from us. We can’t see them. They can’t see us.

After settling in, we spent a couple of hours sitting outdoors ... our Thermacell mosquito repeller is keeping the darn mosquitoes away ... at least they aren’t biting yet.

Just a light jacket was sufficient to stay warm until the wind kicked up and the sun went behind the trees, leaving us in the shade. Suddenly, it got cold. We lit a campfire, but even its heat wasn’t enough to ward off the chill. Luckily, we once again parked the RV with the dinette facing the view, so we did not have to give up the pondscape that attracted us here in the first place.

Now, at 10:00p, all is calm ... the wind is no more ... the birds are chirping ... the waterfowl are coming into skidding landings on the pond ... the gulls are no longer screeching. The pond is still again ... the reflections perfect.

Well worth the $20 nightly rate ... and we don’t have to take the RV on a curvy, gravel road when we go off to explore the area tomorrow. It can rest here for the day.Read more
Traveler well, that certainly is better than our Fairbanks camping in the paved parking lot! beautiful
6/5/21Reply
Two to Travel It was a great place ... but the ATVers showed up last night ... to get their spots for the weekend ... parked their rigs and went home. It’s going to be party time tonight and through the weekend. Good thing we were moving on today anyway.
6/5/21Reply
Traveler geez. they are everywhere. that is much different than 11 years ago.
6/5/21Reply
Two to Travel At least we know that if the campground description includes ATV trails, we stay away from them on weekends.
6/5/21Reply
Traveler Lovely place to camp/be!
6/6/21Reply
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North to Alaska By RV 2021
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- Jun 3, 2021, 8:00pm
- ⛅ 66 °F
- Altitude: 499 ft
- United States Alaska Fairbanks North Star Borough Olnes Pond 65.080482, -147.74879565°4’50” N 147°44’56” W
Day 32
Day 32 Ends With a Stroll @ Olnes Pond
June 3, 2021 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 66 °F
We returned to the campground from our Elliott Highway day trip to find a lot more people than there were when we left.

It’s only Thursday, but the locals have come out to “stake out” sites for this weekend. One RVer has put his rig in one site, lawn chairs in another site, and his tow vehicle in yet another site ... holding them for the rest of his group, I assume. There are lots of ATVs parked near the trailers, but no one has been riding them ... something for which we are grateful.

The only noise is from three dogs in one site who bark incessantly at the smallest movement halfway down the road in either direction. I get that they are supposed to be on alert to protect the occupants, but this is ridiculous.

Anyway, since we were in the car all day with little in the way of exercise, we went for a stroll around Olnes Pond ... stretch our legs and check out the birds along the shoreline.

According to the US Fish & Wildlife service, “Alaska is home to more than 470 species of birds.” Most of these birds are migratory ... here for the breeding season.

Today, we saw lesser yellowlegs; a semipalmated plover ... a first for me; a merganser pair; and other waterfowl too far to identify.

Even though we weren’t very active today, we’re exhausted. Methinks an early night is in order.Read more
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North to Alaska By RV 2021
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- Jun 4, 2021, 10:00am
- ⛅ 59 °F
- Altitude: 492 ft
- United States Alaska Fairbanks North Star Borough Olnes Pond 65.080278, -147.74886865°4’49” N 147°44’56” W
2 1 1
Day 33
Quiet Morning @ Olnes Pond
June 4, 2021 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 59 °F
The receipt that the registration machine spit out when we paid the campground fees two days ago indicated that we had the site until 11:59a today. And by golly, I was going to make the most of every minute of that time before checking out.

It was only 42F when we had breakfast around 8:00a ... so we ate indoors. But by the time I was ready to relax on the patio with my thermos of hot tea, the temp was up to 55F. Armed with the Thermacell mosquito repeller, I made myself comfortable, opened my Kindle, and read ... trying to tune out the dogs that were still incessantly barking from a nearby site. No adults around so the ATVs were still thankfully silent.

Mui had just joined me when a commotion overhead had us glancing up to see what was happening. Two mew gulls were trying to keep a bald eagle at bay. And they did. Anything to protect the nest … I still have no idea where it was hidden. It was such an unexpected sight that I never even thought to click on the phone for a video.

There are multi-use trails in the forest … and mosquitoes, too. Though our Thermacell unit does a pretty good job of keeping these pests at away from us, we decided to just do another walk around the edge of the pond.

That turned out to be a good decision as we immediately spotted the bald eagle perched atop a tree, keeping an eye on things. I got a couple of photos before it flew off. But minutes later it perched atop another tree … got my best shots from that spot. We saw eagles on the mudflats along Turnagain Arm earlier in our trip, but this has been our closest encounter yet this year … and an unexpected one since I didn’t think they lived this far in the interior of the state.

No sooner had we moved on from the eagle that a movement overhead caught my eye. I looked up to see three sandhill cranes in flight. I was so dumbfounded that again I neglected to click on the phone for a video. I came to Alaska hoping to see these birds at Creamer’s Field sometime during our stay in Fairbanks. I never expected I’d see them in flight at Olnes Pond.

The rest of our stroll yielded sightings of the same birds we saw yesterday ... lesser yellowlegs; a semipalmated plover; sandpipers; and mergansers.

It’s now 11:00a. We’ve packed up the rig and are ready to leave. But first, we’re going to enjoy our last hour here with a picnic along the shoreline.Read more
Traveler Looks cute, doesn't it?
6/6/21Reply
Two to Travel Yup ... had never seen before, or if I did it wasn’t in its breeding plumage.
6/6/21Reply
Traveler They're so stellar in the high country.
6/6/21Reply
Traveler Beautiful!
6/7/21Reply
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