Alaska Day 8 - KNBA

Today's stop was in Skagway, a one-time boomtown due to the Klondike Gold Rush.  We got off the ship and was met by our tour operator who gave us the bad news that weather wouldn't permit us to helicopter to the glacier for dog sledding but we would be able to fly on to another glacier at a lower elevation.  Sounds good!  Off we went with our spiked boots and trekking poles for an unbelievable experience.

 

A "glacial facial."  The guide told us the crunchy ice was sharp enough to cut to the bone so she put two rocks down to lean on.  The water tasted great and was cold (obviously) and clean despite the dirty glacier around it.

 

Later we walked around Skagway and got the obligatory post office photo.  Another great day in the books.

90.3 FM KNBA airs public radio programming along with Adult Album Alternative music in Anchorage, Alaska.

Alaska Day 7 - KMXT

Our next stop was Glacier Bay National Park, one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen.  Highlights were Margerie Glacier and Lamplugh Glacier.  Photos don't do it justice.

100.1 FM KMXT is a non-commercial station in Kodiak, Alaska.

Alaska Day 6 - KFAR

We sailed south overnight to Yakutat Bay and saw Hubbard Glacier.  This glacier is 76 miles long and it takes about 400 years for the ice to traverse its full length and calve off into the water.  Most of the ice at the foot of the glacier is underwater and chunks that break off can shoot up dramatically although we didn't get to see that unfortunately.  A few days after our trip ended a Royal Caribbean cruise ship hit an iceberg while heading toward Hubbard Glacier in heavy fog.  The ship then sailed to Juneau to assess the damage where they decided to end the cruise.  What a bummer.

660 AM KFAR airs a News/Talk format in Fairbanks, Alaska.

Alaska Day 5 - KIAK

The land portion of our trip came to an end with an 8 hour train trip from Denali Park to Whittier.  The double decker train cars had dining areas on the bottom and "Ultra Dome" seating on the top giving us 360-degree views of endless stunning scenery (including mountain goats!)

102.5 FM KIAK is a Country station in Fairbanks, Alaska.

Alaska Day 4 - KIAM

Today we took a Denali Natural History Tour.  After a short film about the early history of Denali National Park we boarded a bus and stopped at various incredibly scenic spots.  The driver wore a headset microphone and broadcast interesting things along the way.  

For perspective, the mountains in the foreground are about 12 miles away while the massive, snowcovered Denali (formerly called Mount McKinley) is 75 miles away.  Apparently getting a good view of Denali is kind of rare as it is often covered with clouds or even smoke from various wildfires.  We got lucky as our view was clear and we could see it all.  It almost didn't even look real but more like a painting off in the distance. 

Later we visited Denali's sled dogs and got a demonstration of their abilities.  They get VERY excited to run!  That night we took a very interesting guided hike including a bit "off trail" and on to the spongy permafrost.  We walked until past 11 PM but the sun was still bright as it is this time of year in Alaska.

KIAM, KYKD and KAGV are co-owned Religious stations spread across the state on their main signals as well as multiple translators.
 

Alaska Day 3 - KIAL

We had some time to kill in the morning so we walked around the lodge area and made sure to wear bug spray because mosquitos were everywhere.  Checked out a treehouse that was built for the Animal Planet reality show Treehouse Masters.  Then it was time to go horseback riding so we mounted Dozer and Clyde and took a nice stroll through the Alaskan woods.  

After a quick lunch we hopped on a bus to go on a Black Diamond ATV tour.  As we were getting our helmets and watching a safety video the skies opened up and it began pouring.  The rain pounding on the metal shed we were in was so loud you had to yell to be heard.  Thankfully, the rain mostly stopped in time for us to hop on our Kawasaki ATVs and ride through some giant mud puddles.  The back country trails adjacent to Denali National Park were a blast to ride on.  At one point we took a break and a double rainbow popped out in front of the snowcapped mountains.  It was a great day.

1450 AM KIAL was a 50-watt station owned by the municipality of Unalaska, Alaska.  In 2008 they moved to 89.7 FM with new call letters KUCB.

Alaska Day 2 - KRPM

Today started with a quick walk around downtown Anchorage before loading up for a 3 hour bus trip to Denali National Park.  Along the way we saw the first of many moose sightings.  After lunch at the lodge we took another bus to the quirky town of Talkeetna which many people use as a base for expeditions to Denali (formerly known as Mt. McKinley.)  Talkeetna reminds me of Yellow Springs, a town near me with an offbeat, hippie-ish vibe.  The town of about 1000 people was supposedly the inspiration for the TV series Northern Exposure and at one time the honorary mayor was a cat named Stubbs.  We walked through some shops, got some ice cream and took the required picture in front of the post office (my employer) before heading to our excursion.  We took a float down the Talkeetna River and while we were getting geared up I noticed a sticker on a mini-fridge from KTNA and wondered if they were the inspiration for KBHR the radio station on Northern Exposure.  (I guess not--the show went on the air in 1990 and KTNA began in 1993.)  The float was scenic and the guide did all the rowing which was great.

96.3 FM KRPM was a Classic Rock station licensed to Houston, Alaska near Anchorage.

Alaska Day 1 - KHAR

Today we packed up the radio sticker suitcase and flew from Dayton to Dallas to Anchorage to begin our Alaska land tour and cruise.  After a long day of travel it was nice to finally make it to our lodging for the night The Hotel Captain Cook.  After unwinding for a bit we decided to take a trolley tour of Anchorage to learn some of the history of the area much of which is centered around a devastating 9.2 magnitude megathrust earthquake which lasted over 4-and-a-half minutes.  We then headed to dinner at around 8PM which to our east coast bodies felt like midnight.

For the next 10 days or so I'll be posting radio stickers from Alaska--not necessarily from the exact location where we traveled but from somewhere in this giant state.

590 AM KHAR went on the air in Anchorage, Alaska in January 1961.

WUGA

91.7 FM WUGA is operated by the (W) University of GeorgiA and licensed to Athens, GA.  They went on the air in 1987 and air a mix of public radio Talk and News along with Classical, Jazz and Folk music.  The 97.9 FM translator is no longer used but instead they can be heard on 235-watt translator W233CA at 94.5 FM.
 

WPLO

590 AM WPLO (W PLOugh Broadcasting Company) broadcast in Atlanta, Georgia from 1959 until 1987.  They were a Top-40 station at first and then flipped to Country in 1966.  The WPLO call letters still reside in Atlanta at Spanish station "La Bonita 610 AM"
 

WMBH

1450 AM WMBH is a Sports station in Joplin, Missouri.
 

WHSH

WHSH was an Oldies and later Beautiful Music station in Albany, New York.  They were on the air from 1973 until 1980 when they bacame WPYX.
 

WDOD

WDOD "96.5 The Mountain" was a Classic Rock-leaning Adult Album Alternative station in Chattanooga, Tennessee circa the late 1990s/early 2000s.  The call letters reflect the city's nickname "The Dynamo Of Dixie."
 

WARM

WARM has been on the air in Scranton, Pennsylvania since 1940 originally at 1400 AM and now 590 AM.  They were a popular Top-40 station for many years known as "The Mighty 590."  This early 1990s sticker is from when they were an Adult Contemporary/MOR station.  They currently air a Classic Country format branded as "Bigfoot Legends"