Thank you for the post. I agree what was he hoping to do there? His friends didn't seem to know much about the trip other than when he was supposed to return home. I just get the feeling that something else was going on like maybe catfished?? Wonder how he was doing in his studies.
I cannot imagine the reason for the travel to be tourism, not with those temperatures and snow. Nothing much,to see and you cannot be outside for long at -40ish JMO.
One thing many people may not realize about Alaska is not only just how vast it is, but how few police officers there are once you get outside of the more populated areas.Hari is listed here:
Missing Persons
dps.alaska.gov
Amazing how many people go missing in AK, one after the other .. 3 on the same date 12/31
Thank you! The Alaska Train website said that currently they only run from Fairbanks to the Denali area until September 17. The Alaska Railroad Denali Star Route. But outside of a couple guided trips (dog sledding etc) offered by a lodge other than where he was staying I didn't see much of anything to be a draw there this time of year without a car.
Their website's not great, but they run weekly service through the winter under the Aurora Winter Train. Currently you can buy a ticket for Sunday 1/18 from Fairbanks to Healy.
This is my thought, he traveled there to meet someone - JMO.
I agree, a graduate degree program is something that for the majority of areas of study, requires an marked degree of focus. He may have met a new friend online as others have said and said "I'll go visit them - it's Alaska it's beautiful!" on what I assume was a holiday/winter break in his coursework. Or he just decided to go make the trip on his own, in either case, being woefully unrealistic IMO, as to what the conditions would be like.
The only reason to visit a place that far up north in the middle of winter that I can think of would to be able to see the Northern lights (Aurora Borealis), although the weather seems to have been foggy around the New Year. Fort Wainwright, AK Weather Calendar | Weather Underground
Yes, the Auroras definitely bring tourists in the winter. Obviously far fewer tourists (not for Auroras) than the summer, but still a fair few. Up outside of Fairbanks there is a large hot springs resort that caters to winter visits from mostly Japanese (iirc) tourists (or at least they used to). Honestly, taking photos of the Auroras is about the only plausible explanation I can think of for him to be there in winter.
I think the big issue with this location is that the law enforcement presence is essentially nonexistent. I'd imagine there's a trooper working the case remotely, but I doubt they've put boots on the ground IMO.
Yes, I forgot you mentioned that earlier. Note to self - don't travel alone where there is little to no law enforcement presence.
