Alaska Gallery

It took a little while, but we've managed to sort through all our photos from Alaska. The best of them are are now posted on our Alaska Gallery site.

Enjoy!

A moment of contrast

There are moments in life when opportunities come up and the only thing to do is say Yes.

Just a few days after we returned from Alaska we turned and headed east for France. The occasion was a very special birthday party at the Louvre which we wouldn't miss for the world.
So, bonjour from Paris.

I cannot begin to describe what it is like to go from the vast landscape of The North to the thrum of Le Cite. Up there it was all about the earth. Here it is all about the people. There is no question in my mind which I prefer, where I feel more comfortable just to be.

Yet somehow, without this little experience as a bookend to our most recent adventure, the essence of the northern territories would not have become so evident, so distilled, so quickly.

Home from Alaska

The Flying Fish installed the mag on Monday, cast a last goodbye to the fish in Watson Lake, broke camp and headed south solo for home. The last two days of flying were challenging - mountains, weather, and no copilot/navigator - but 322MX flew true and he made it home last night.

We have thousands of photos to cull. When we're done, there'll be an expanded journal on this blog, and a link to the trip gallery. 

Getting unstuck

The mag arrived in Whitehorse yesterday and this afternoon a SuperCub was kind enough to ferry it on to Watson Lake. It should be arriving there about the time I'm boarding a plane to Vancouver. I'll be arriving in Seattle early tomorrow morning and the Flying Fish should be home in a few days.

Certainly never expected to finish out the trip with a sick plane and a ride on the Greyhound - but then again, it's an adventure!

;)

Stuck in the Yukon

Weren't planning to spend the weekend fishing at Watson Lake, but 322MX developed a cough. Turns out the left mag has failed and isn't getting power to the lower spark on the #1 cylinder. Spent most of yesterday tracking down a new mag and then trying to figure out how to get it here to us. Got one as far as Whitehorse today, but weather, intermittent bus schedules, and a national holiday here in Canada will make the last 350 miles the longest. May take another day or two for it to get here...

I've got to get back to Seattle by Monday, so I'll be taking an overnight bus to Whitehorse to catch a plane southbound in the morning - I hope.

Went as far north as we could...

From Igiugig we headed NW to the Ahklun Mountains. Overflew Tikchik, Upnuk and Nisblik Lakes to find the head of the Aniak River. Flew down the river to fuel at Aniak. Nome was socked in so we headed north to join the Yukon and flew it up as far as Ruby to camp.

From Ruby continued up the Yukon as far as Fairbanks, then turned south towards Denali and stopped at Kantishna. Got a good tip on some "airstrips" - really just tracks in the tundra - and camped out atop a mountain at the foot of Denali for a few days.

Back to Fairbanks for Solstice. Then up to the Brooks Range. Camped out at Lake Chandalar north of the Arctic Circle. Fueled at Bettles and headed north. Through the Brooks and past the treeline to Anuktuvik Pass. Then on across tundra and numerous small lakes in various states of thaw to the icepack of the Arctic Ocean. Found Barrow crushed up against the ice. Finally went so far north we ran out of earth. And by the way, it was perfectly clear and sunny and 55 degrees at the Arctic Ocean beach.

From Barrow to Deadhorse and finally a road. The first we'd seen since leaving Fairbanks. Followed the haul road south through the Brooks, back to the trees and camped at Wiseman.

Found and followed the Yukon east past Fort Nelson to Coal Creek, then stopped for the night at Eagle. Great town Eagle.

Followed the Yukon to Canada and Dawson city, then south to Carmacks where we picked up the Klondike Highway to Whitehorse, then the Al-Can to Watson Lake where the fish are still biting.

Hi from the Katmai Preserve

From Whitehorse through Haines Junction and on up to clear customs at Northway Alaska. Dodged a cell in Tok and hunkered down a little bit at Tanacross before heading through the pass to Gulkana. Got there on our reserve fuel and were happy to call it a day.

Next day we flew down the length of the Copper River - wow - to Cordova. Went back and spent the night at the foot of the Childs Glacier.

From Cordova to Valdez then out across the Prince William Sound. Detoured for an hour of mindblowing flightseeing over the vast Columbia Glacier, then on through Portage Pass and south along the Kenai Peninsula. Stopped for the night in Seldovia.

From Seldovia north to Homer, then on north past Anchorage and up to Talkeetna. Were happy to have someone else fly us up onto the Ruth Glacier and land within sight of the summit of Denali - in a 185 on skis!

Went to Anchorage to take care of a little business, and visited friends in Palmer.
Left Palmer to find more friends out on the tundra in the Katmai preserve - flew the north side of the Cook Inlet til we found the Lake Clark Pass, through the pass (hello bear!) and out the other side, down Lake Iliamna and across the tundra until we saw way out there past Igiugig - the Royal Wolf Lodge.

Well fed and well fished we're heading north again today. Maybe Nome is next...