This comment came in and is worth posting. It broke me out of my workaholic, nose-to-the white-board teaching schedule this Fall:

 "Roman, Imagine you must spend the rest of your life alone, recreating within the rectangular bounds of just one page of the Alaska Gazetteer. You can never leave. You have unlimited money, food, gear, and shelter, but no motorized craft or vehicles. The villages, towns and cities of Alaska are erased. Which page do you choose?
 Mike in Fairbanks"


 Since I only get one page, it better cover a lot of terrain.

It's unfortunate I have to spend my life alone, but I'll pick a place where there'll be memories of my wife and children, where our son was conceived and Peggy and I continue to return.

A region where like-minded people might cross paths with me and there're not so many people that I ignore them (like I do downtown), but few enough that when I see them and they see me they are willing to stop and share time with me.

The Page is the one with the central Brooks Range bounded by the Koyukuk and Colville, page 136. It looks bad in the Alaska Atlas and Gazetteer, but includes my favorite USGS 1:250,000 quad for the last 35 years, Survey Pass.

Great question Mike.

I like questions.

Any others?