Paxson, AK area help (Anchorage, Fairbanks: buying a house, buying, inspector)

[igloo]

Anyone out there live in, close to, or decently familiar with the Paxson area? We may possibly be buying a house in that area. It's just 50 yards off the Richardson Highway and actually a few miles south of Paxson. Concerned about getting oil, supplies, possibly a repair man (if ever needed), etc. Looks like Glennallen would be the closest town for shopping. Since the house is so close to the highway, I would assume a resident could get fuel oil deliveries or any other necessities you would need (of course at an increased delivery cost for oil). Generators supply the electrical needs, and also there are some solar panels. Any information as indicated above down to mosquito problems would be appreciated. Thanks.

[warptman]

You could always buy a pick up truck and have a tank put in the back and use a 12 volt pump and haul it yourself from Glennallen. They just repaved that area just south of Paxson this fall and the road for the most part is pretty nice. No matter where you go in Alaska you are going to have mosquito problems, no escaping them. Right after the skeeters the whitesox come out in early fall, these things are more annoying than the skeeters. Glennallen doesn't have a wide variety of groceries, most people that I know drive to Palmer/Anchorage and hit the Sam's Club or Cotscos.

[mal_flisk]

One road house/gas station/restaurant I know of in Paxson. You're about halfway between Delta Junction and Glennallen. It's about a 6-7 hour drive in good weather to Anchorage. With road access, you have a lot of options, Crowley delivers up that way I think. What you should do is try to schedule your deliveries with the neighbors.

[Moose Whisperer]

Pretty much ditto to what warpt said. For supplies, you would probably better off making monthly supply runs up to Fairbanks or down to Ancohrage - just look around the parking lot at a Costco or Sam's Club in FAI or ANC and you will routinely see people carrying off pallets of goods. The Richardson is maintained quite well in both directions from there. There's not very much in Glennallen, and what's there is quite expensive. Delta is about the same.

[warptman]

The Richardson is pretty much the best maintained highway in the winter, supplies for the slope come straight up from Valdez and they keep this highway in great condition. The Paxson Lodge has your basic supplies and not much else. There is a little store at the Tok Cut-off and a store at Gakona which is on the way to Glennallen. There is a grocery store in Glennallen, can't think of the name though and maybe three gas stations. The Hub Of Alaska is a busy place year round, it's right on the corner of the Glenn and Richardson highways.

[mal_flisk]

It's the Parks Grocery in Glennallen.

[RayinAK]

The most expensive fuel on the Richardson is at the intersection or the road to Glennallen and the Richardson. When I drive through there, I always bypass those gas stations. You would be better of by buying heating fuel (Warptman's idea) from Delta Junction (at the other side of Delta Junction, on Big Delta's side). There is a fuel delivery company there. Also, for gasoline: the cheapest place is right at Delta Junction, the gas station closest to Fort Greely.

Groceries? Well, there is nothing around Paxon, but a few houses and the Richardson Highway. Land is expensive in that area because of its proximity to the lakes (Paxon, and Summit). The cheapest places to buy a lot of groceries would be Fairbanks, and Anchorage. To live in Paxon would require that you buy foods in bulk from Sam's Club and such, and then store it in your house. If you don't have to buy a lot of food, then you can buy it at Glennallen, or at Delta Junction. And yes, there will be a lot of mosquitoes, gnats, and flies in that area, since caribou migrate through there.

Something else: it gets extremely cold in that area (all along Summit Lake and Paxon), because of its proximity to the mountains, and also because of its altitude. Sometimes the Richardson has to be closed during the winter not too far past Summit (on the Summit side, not the Paxon's side), because of avalanches. If you buy a house in that area, you better make sure that a housing inspector or engineer checks it for you. It gets cold and windy, so it better be well insulated.

Not too far South from Paxon, you will come upon "Sourdough gas station." This gas station is right by the Richardson, and RV travelers stop there to rest or buy fuel. The previous owner (I knew him), had to close the gas station during the winter months because it was too expensive to maintain warm and had running water. He had to drain the water pipes, and add RV antifreeze to prevent them from freezing during the winter. He would then return to his winter home in North Pole.

[starlite9]

Originally Posted by igloo

Anyone out there live in, close to, or decently familiar with the Paxson area? We may possibly be buying a house in that area. It's just 50 yards off the Richardson Highway and actually a few miles south of Paxson. Concerned about getting oil, supplies, possibly a repair man (if ever needed), etc. Looks like Glennallen would be the closest town for shopping. Since the house is so close to the highway, I would assume a resident could get fuel oil deliveries or any other necessities you would need (of course at an increased delivery cost for oil). Generators supply the electrical needs, and also there are some solar panels. Any information as indicated above down to mosquito problems would be appreciated. Thanks.

Everyone has given you pretty good advice here but one...

Best is to see the place in person first before buying it. It may not be what you think it is... No trees, lots of snow, hundreds of snowmachiners in the winter on weekends running though your yard, really cold in winter, very long drives to get supplies and mosquitos that won't quite in the summer....

"Boots" there first is the first thing you need first. All the other stuff is easy if you really like the place.

[RayinAK]

Originally Posted by starlite9

Everyone has given you pretty good advice here but one...

Best is to see the place in person first before buying it. It may not be what you think it is... No trees, lots of snow, hundreds of snowmachiners in the winter on weekends running though your yard, really cold in winter, very long drives to get supplies and mosquitos that won't quite in the summer....

"Boots" there first is the first thing you need first. All the other stuff is easy if you really like the place.

Good points. A lot of those houses (cabins) are used only during the summer months, and for short period of times during the winter (during Arctic Man, for example). A badly insulated cabin in that area would be prohibitively expensive to keep warm during the winter. Also, it would take a lot of trips to the lake to cut ice and melt it.

I just thought about sitting on a cold outhouse seat in the middle of the winter, and it sent shivers down my spine. At -45 the toilet paper probably sticks to one's behind, too

[warptman]

Originally Posted by RayinAK

I just thought about sitting on a cold outhouse seat in the middle of the winter, and it sent shivers down my spine. At -45 the toilet paper probably sticks to one's behind, too

I think you mean up your spine...