It takes about 45 minutes to an hour to reach the SILO from Fort Wainwright/Fairbanks. From North Pole, it's about 30-35 minutes.
What I have learned is that this area is known as Yukon Training Area #4, and the good news is - all I have to do is pick up a 1-day recreational permit pass from Fort Wainwright that represents all of us, and then on the day of our game I have to call a number that has an automated check-in service which tells them we are in the area - also, when I dial the number, it will tell me if that training area is closed for the day so we don't drive out there for nothing.
But if it happened to be closed, the big yellow gate would be closed anyways, and today it was open and should remain open on Sundays since 99% of any training that would happen to be there would take place on a weekday. Personally, my unit has never trained in Yukon Training ARea #4 so that's good news for us. It looked pretty damn abandoned, there were no tire tracks in the snow leading up to it at all.
This is the sign stating that I need to obtain a pass from Fort Wainwright Visitor's Center. That will be easy as pie for me.
[url]http://maps.google.com/maps?q=64.5820774477473,-146.750693321228+%28NIKE+Missile+Base+[Site+Mike+%22Pacman%27s+Revenge%22]+[exact]%29&hl=en&t=k&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=&ll=64.582077,-146.750693&spn=0.001879,0.008487&z=17[/url]
This is the site that we are most likely going to play at, because this site is completely abandoned and the second site seems too big for our use and has some recent construction going on there. There is a sign for asbestos but it appears to have been put there in the 1980's, it looks really old. Plus, any "asbestos" areas are clearly marked and sealed off with sheet metal and a sign. This shouldn't be an issue.
I even found some airsoft bb's on the floor.
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[url]http://maps.google.com/maps?q=64.5820774477473,-146.750693321228+%28NIKE+Missile+Base+[Site+Mike+%22Pacman%27s+Revenge%22]+[exact]%29&hl=en&t=k&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=&ll=64.586802,-146.729214&spn=0.003757,0.016973&z=16[/url]
This area is humongous, and there were 2 modern cranes there as well as some modern shipping crates and a recent portajohn. I think there is/was some work going on here - judging by the brand new satellite and new covered building. I think we would be better off at SILO #1, but here's the pics nevertheless.
