There’s always a price to pay to live where you choose, and Alaska is no exception. It’s a spectacularly beautiful place, but the population is sparse. So are the support structures and services. It’s always been this way for Alaska. During the Klondike Gold Rush, butter went for $5 a pound. Before you wonder why that’s absolutely outrageous, keep these facts in mind.

  • The Klondike Gold Rush took place between 1896 and 1899
  • It would make it $142 a pound in today’s money
  • It was canned butter

The gold rush is over. Prices aren’t so crazy. But it’s still the least populated of our 50 states. The current estimate puts it at least than 800,000 people. But those are 800,000 very lucky people. You can’t always get what you want in Alaska.

Worthy Of The Praise

Everything about Alaska is bigger, better, and more majestic than practically any other place.

  • North America’s highest peak? 20,320-foot Denali (formerly known as Mount McKinley).
  • The country’s longest coastline? 6,640 of it. Add Alaska’s islands and it creates almost 34,000 miles of shoreline.
  • The only state capital to share a border with a foreign nation? Juneau, which borders Canada.
  • The northernmost, westernmost and easternmost state? Alaska.
  • The only state name that can be typed using just the middle row on your computer keyboard? Yes, the land of over 100,000 glaciers and more than 70 active volcanoes.
  • And a certain vice presidential running mate who hails from this state is actually correct about being able to see Russia. It’s less than 3 miles from the Alaskan island of Little Diomede, just on the other side of the International Date Line.

Creative Solutions For Building

Is it any wonder that Alaska can be such an allure? It’s worth the sacrifices. With all that space, and an underwhelming need for construction companies, the residents of Alaska look for solutions that fit more into their particular way of life. Most wouldn’t go so far as to call it a subsistence way of life. You do, however, have to employ novel solutions for things that residents of other states take for granted – they are very hands-on and appreciate do-it-yourself solutions.

Take transportation, for instance. You’re probably thinking you’ll hear all about snowmobiles next. Sure, that’s an option for Alaskans. Many residents, instead choose to get a pilot’s license. A small aircraft is the only practical way to cross a state that’s as wide as the rest of the nation in a reasonable amount of time.

Unique needs such as a family airplane turn out to be why Miracle Truss® has seen a growing number of Alaska residents take notice of our DIY steel building kits. Easy assembly and a clear span truss design make them perfect for a variety of uses. Our buildings are manufactured to be rugged and maintenance-free, offering a 50-year structural warranty, and our hybrid wood and steel combo allows for quality insulation and finishing options.

Best yet, they’re affordable enough to use as a hangar for that airplane you’ve been eyeing.

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