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Not any longer, no. Though I don't know about the inside of the Swanberg dredge...it's nearly impossible to get inside without getting wet AND probably having to break in. And I didn't want to do that.

But there are some other old dredges, of various ages (and states of decay) out in the Nome region. Most probably post-date the 1920s. But they are listed on various sources, and are tourist attractions (even for bird watchers, as the birds gravitate to the dredges for nesting and security).

Yeah, they just don't make 'em like they used to.

Holy crap these are real! Of course they drew that in the films! It's Nome.

Though it's nome, these films also have fiction to it and therefore the locations could be made up to help with the story. xD It's fascinating that this stuff truly is real and we could visit these locations in real life. (The key locations from the town of Nome, anyway.)

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Those are some really nice new locations you've added! I also find the boiler room to be really interesting. :]

Quite right there, Paxis. There are several aspects of the version of Nome, seen in the Balto movies, which are not real (or never were). I can delineate those either in this topic or a related one over the weekend, but for now let me summarize:

• There were very likely no gold dredges, of the kind seen in the Balto movies, floating in the surf on the beach of Nome, just off the town. The surf would have been too rough even for those large structures. And big dredges are not easy to move...when the storms of the fall and early winter hit, the Bering Sea tosses around like crazy, even near shore. That would be hazardous to those big dredges...to mention nothing of the sea when it freezes over in winter, and the obvious hazards to a wooden structure which encroaching, thick ice could do.
  
  
• The surf line on the Nome beach was far too shallow for docking boats and small ships. Though there were some piers off the beach of Nome, the shoreline was not dredged for the purposes of docking boats. That would have been impractical in the surf anyway (boats and small ships were anchored off-shore, and both people and supplies were brought into the surf, to actually land and come ashore IN the surf, via small, usually flat tenders known as "lighters". People and supplies most often had to be plucked off these small vessels, while they tossed in the surf, by men standing IN the surf. Not very optimal...and usually very wet). But there was a protected "harbor", of sorts, which boats were drawn into, via the entrance of the Snake River on the north end of town (the river is still there). And there were docks there for boats of all sizes. The harbor (more of a lake really) is no longer there, however. But there is a large, low-lying area north of town which I believe may, at one time, been part of that lake. The name of the lake escapes me for the moment, but I will look it up and post it.
  
  
• The Inupiat culture (the Native Alaskans also known as "Eskimos") do not carve and post totem poles. Those are made by the Tlingit peoples of southeastern Alaska and western Canada...hundreds of miles to the southeast of Nome and its surrounding region. There would never have been a totem pole in Nome unless some of the white citizens posted it there, which is very unlikely (and there is neither photographic nor written evidence of such a thing ever happening). Nevertheless, the Inupiat culture, just like all Native Alaskan (and Native American) cultures, has a rich spiritual and mystical heritage when it comes to animals and nature, and much of what is seen in Balto 2: Wolf Quest has at least some foundation in truth. The wolf, bear, caribou, fox, raven, and even the wolverine are animals known to the region (though the wolverine is extremely rare that far west...preferring inland habitat instead), as were other polar animals, and they would have been known to the Inupiat people. Though polar bears, as represented by Muk and Luk, would have almost never been seen in and around Nome, as it is too far from the perma pack ice for them (they were only seen in the very coldest months, when the Bering Sea was frozen solid...and then only as rare, seasonal visitors).

etc.

Thanks! Yeah, that boiler room thing threw me for a long time too. And it is not easy to pin down. But that is the most plausible explanation.

The boiler room was smaller than I thought it was, but still it is awesome.

I think that, in a real gold dredge of the time period, the boiler room would be but one small part of the whole structure. Not the whole thing...

Now I wanna be exactly like Balto and live on the streets in and around Nome in the boat and hang out in the boiler room.

You would find present-day Nome to be very different from that which either the real Balto, or the fictional cartoon Balto, ever knew. And no boiler room left to hang out in. lol

This is extremely well detailed and researched JerseyCaptain. I love how much you dig into the real story of Balto, and greatly look forward to the re-opening of your Balto website. C;

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It's amazing to think that some of the buildings and landmarks that we see in the animated cartoon of Balto, could be (at least) based off of real objects and landmarks in the real city of Nome. I wish that I could go to Alaska right now, and see these sights for myself... but I'll suffice for now for all of the detailed pictures that you have. I would definitely want to see the boat and the church if I went... C;

Heh heh...thanks! I appreciate the notice! Well, I returned to a job I held for quite some time, at a very good rate of pay. So the site should be back up quite soon indeed! Thanks for being so patient, and so loyal! I do it for Balto, Togo, Fritz, Seppala, Kaasen and the rest. I ask for no recompense from anyone, nor expect it. That I can do that for them is enough for me.



The experience is quirky and humbling all at once (and at times, one or the other). Alaska is one of the most awe-inspiring and beautiful places on our planet, and has vistas to make your jaw drop! And so many different kinds of terrain, that everyone, I think, should experience it at least once in their lives! It is a shame that it is rather expensive to get to.

Nome is a fascinating little town. There are good aspects to it, and bad ones. The bad ones have to do with how poorly some people keep their own properties, and how, because of the prevailing winds (which are ever-present out on the open, sweeping tundra near the Bering Sea), bits of flotsam and trash do occasionally blow out from the town dump, which is actually some distance outside of town. Though they do try to keep it as clean as possible on a municipal level. The winds are hard to fight. lol But there are some charming, quirky and interesting things to see in Nome, and some beautiful, breathtaking and very quiet and peaceful things to see outside of the Nome environs (when you hike out into the surrounding countryside). I miss it terribly, and it definitely left its mark upon me! I will do anything I can to get back someday and, hopefully, move out there! (Well, maybe not move to Nome, but certainly to Alaska!)

Your welcome, and I shall keep my eyes open for it. C; I agree with that motivation.



That sounds awesome. It sounds like your visit turned out to be a spectacular experience. I will make it a future goal to eventually set foot in Nome, Alaska. Good luck in the future should you move to Alaska. C;

I wouldn't be surprised. They got a lot of ideas off broken boats similar to this one

VERY cool.....I never knew that.

I used to know a thing or two about dredging......I used to watch older history channel shows,there was one about an extremely deep hulled ore ship and they had to dredge the harbor before its arrival. Also I used to watch Gold Fever with my Granddad......