Wiseman alone is worth the trip to Alaska. The village was founded in the Klondike Goldrush times of 1888, 99 by prospectors and has always had mostly whites and some Indians and Eskimos living there. Bob Marshall, a leader in the wilderness movement in America, lived in Wiseman for a year in the 30's. He wrote a book, "Arctic Village" about life in Wiseman. The character of the village remains largely unchanged and most visitors will be surprised at the extent to which it fits the ideal image of a frontier settlement. The population (around 22) relies largely on the land for food, and scattered about the area are tower-like structures used as bear-proof meat (caribou, moose) storage. Some families suspend the butchered game from nearby trees, and if the timing of the kill is right, winter closes in quickly and freezes the season's supply. During colder months wolves and smaller mammals are caught in traps, more for their pelts (which are sold) than for food. Surving here (where temperatures can reach minus 60 degrees F.) is a real test of self-reliance. Jack, father of two and head of the largest family in the village, flys his own single-engine plane, pilots his salmon fishing boat in summer, traps, builds his cabins, and hunts his game. Not long after my visit there, the dog team (pictured below) was out on a run and got tangled up with a winter grizzly (older bears are occasionaly unable to get enough food to survive hibernation and are forced to forage). The driver escaped, and all but one of the dogs was killed. Jack Wyckoff found the dog badly wounded. That night, with a needle and thread he sewed the dog up, and the next day hunted the Grizzly down and killed it. There is an extra cabin or two in the Village which can be rented for extended periods of time. Any postal mail sent to Wiseman or Coldfoot and addressed to the Wyckoff family should reach it's destination.