Breaking Up is Hard to Do

After a brief stint of near-zero temperatures, and what can only be described as "a good start" of snow cover, we began to enjoy ice skating, sledding, and anxiously anticipating getting out the "snowmachines".
Recently our wintery outlook has changed with our weather taking a rather warm turn. Today the temperature hovered above 50 degrees for most of the day. This is just the latest and warmest day in a disappointing trend as we watch the snow and ice melt away, and our dreams of snow fun with it. This early break-up does, however, present some interesting landscapes and stunning visual imagery if you know where to look.

Nomadic Ice


Stranded "burg"


Top Shelf


Ice on the Beach


Fire & Ice

Monster

This afternoon was finally winding down. We had finished hanging the engine and rigging the skis on a newly rebuilt Stinson 108. I unfolded from the rear seats of the plane after returning from a rather chilly shakedown flight, and was met with the message that my buddy had shot a bear across the lake that is too big to move by himself. I quickly phoned Bran to meet me down by the bay with my hip boots and pack, grabbed the chainsaw winch and drove down to meet her. The boat ride across the lake drove the cold deeper with each spray of icy water across my face as the bow of the boat broke through wave after wave. As we approached the shoreline my thoughts of my personal misery dissipated as I saw my buddy standing on the beach with hands in the air in triumphant exuberance. We jumped in the inflatable jet boat and rocketed up river to the kill sight of his first Brown Bear.

The Bear "Kenny"


What Big Paws You Have

Free

The last weekend in September our family got tickets to see the Broadway Show, The Lion King, in Anchorage. This was the first time I had flown my entire family together anywhere, and the first time our youngest had flown at all with me. The weather was beautiful for both 1.5 hour flights, although we had to wait on fog the morning of our return trip. For those of you who haven't seen the airplane, below is a picture of it with our load for the trip back home. We had all five of us, the pile of gear which included a bicycle, and two extra gas cans with room to spare.

The "Grocery Getter"

Waitin' On A Women

Last evening I was out in the front yard packing up wing covers and other gear brought back from a recent trip, when I happened to gaze over at the garden. Standing at one end, contently munching on what was left of some cabbage, was a cow moose and her calf. After a short while they had acquired a small audience, but they continued to fill their bellies with the free vegetable goodness. Eventually they moved on, but it was an enjoyable sight to watch for a few minutes.

Mama and Baby


On the Move

Time For Me to Ride

Recently I picked up the family "wagon". This older 6-place Cessna, should fit our family's transportation needs just fine. I packed it full with 12oo lbs of food, supplies, and fuel and headed home.

Snow (Hey Oh)

This morning I stepped out of the house and felt the familiar sharp bite of a hard freeze on my cheek. I glanced toward Tanalian Mountain to see if we had some snow last night, this is the view I saw. This first dusting of snow (termination dust) marks the end of summer and the beginning of colder days ahead, for winter is surely not far behind.

Tanalian Mountain with Termination dust


A view of the Kodiak

Sail Away

While out in Palmer for Labor Day, my older brother and I took several of the kids up to try some paragliding. A short drive from the grandparents house and we were up in Hatcher's Pass, ready to tempt the winds of fate. We let the kids watch and hike around while we prepped for launch.

Playing on the Hill


Up the Hill


Laying out the wing


My Preparations


Ready to Launch


The Easy Way Down

Nobody But Me

This past Saturday I was dropped off at Turquoise Lake for a couple of hours while the floatplane shuttled some clients down from another lake. I managed to beat the water with my fly-rod for awhile, catch a few Grayling, hike a short way around the shoreline, and tried to take a short nap that kept getting rudely interrupted by hordes of Mosquitoes and Gnats. The floatplane returned, dropped off the clients, picked me up and off we went, thus ending my brief brush with solitude.

The Start of Solitude


Reflection from the pool nearby the shores of Turquoise Lake


Turquoise Lake


The Beach


Arctic Grayling


Low Bush Cranberries

Keep Fishin'

This Spring a crew from Icon Films came to shoot an episode of "River Monsters" from Animal Planet. They conducted multiple interviews with people in the surrounding villages regarding the Lake Clark and Iliamna Lake Monsters, filmed some re-enactments of some of their stories, and did some fishing for monsters of their own. Did they find them? You'll have to tune in to the episode to find out.

On location - Lights! Camera! Action!


Filming a take-off scene


The Host Jeremy Wade

High on the Mountain

This past week we were blessed by having some of our friends from Kansas fly up, and out to visit us. We were able to squeeze in quite a few adventures from blueberry picking to mountain climbing. Hopefully they had as much fun with us as we had with them. Thanks for coming!

Everyone hanging out on the couch


Reading with Uncle Lee


Sis and Logan


On top of Tanalian Falls


Tanalian Falls


A boat load for picking Blueberries


Blueberry bushes


The girls with their berries


Our bucket full of Blueberries


Crossing Dry Creek


On the Trail up the Mountian


Tanalian Mountain Trail 5.8mi to the summit with 3600 ft vertical rise

View Tanalian Mountain in a larger map

King of the World


The Summit of Tanalian Mountain


Finally at the top


Me and my son


Catching minnows at the lake


Swimming with Logan


Our Gymnist


Saying Goodbye

Walk on Water

While waiting for my family to return from visiting the grandparents, I jumped at an opportunity to catch a ride on one of the float planes for a little bear viewing at Brook's camp in Katmai. On the ride home we stopped at several lakes and tried to remember how to fly fish.

The Falls at Katmai

Lunch

Get your own

Reality Check

The Lake, The Sky

Aerial Falls