Escaping (A Journey to Hell's Gate and Back)

A Modified Stinson 108 is often the aircraft of choice.

Here is a map of the area.

View Hell's Gate Pass in a larger map

My perspective

One Flight Down

I recently found my way up on the Stony River for a job.  Here is the trip home.

Chasing

Here are a few of the often overlooked, lessor viewed, smaller animals that can be seen if you know where to look.  Of course if you get board with the little guys you can always go back to looking for the bears.

Arctic Ground Squirrel or "Tsk, Tsk"

Ptarmigan

Ptarmigan

Learning to Fish 101

Food Fight

Winner, Winner, Fish Dinner

Chasing Dinner

Everywhere

It is once again the end of July and the Salmon are in!  Hot on their heels come the bears, looking to fatten themselves up before winter's exercise in hibernation.  Various levels of fishing experience is easy to see among the bears, as well as differing styles.  One of my favorite styles is the "charge and dive" method.  It involves the bear waiting patiently along the shore until either he gets the nerve to plunge into the icy water, or a fish becomes so tempting he can't help it, at which point he takes a running plunge into the river splashing and thrashing.  This method is rarely successful, but is very entertaining.  There is also a social order among the bears, the biggest get the best fishing spots, and if a younger bear gets a fish they had better start running, as a larger bear will try to take it as well.

The Thinker

Standoff

Handout

Patience

Three of a Kind

Bear in the Grass

Pesky Runt

Ready for Lunch

Playing with Fire

Volcanoes, glaciers, sunny beaches, rivers, waterfalls, and a pristine lake, and all in one location.  This is the "Fire and Ice" tour.  It begins flying through portions of Lake Clark Pass, over numerous glaciers, on the way to Mt. Spur for some aerial views of the volcano.  We stop for a relaxing lunch on the beach at the base of the volcano and enjoy some hiking while taking in the scenery and wildlife.  Then it is back to the planes for the scenic flight home.  A pretty good day.

The Good Life

Spring has finally arrived and given way to summer. The ice is gone, temperatures are on the rise, and the sun has been brave enough to show itself on occasion. The quiet stillness of the early morning is often shattered with the roaring whine of an aircraft departing the bay or the airstrip.  This brief interruption of solitude is brought courtesy of yours truly, unleashing 300 ear shattering horses on the pristine Alaskan wilderness.

Take-Off Run

On the Move

Landing

Peaceful Beaver

Big Green Tractor

This is simply just a cool old tractor at my Uncle's place in Kansas.

John Deere

Old School

On our recent visit to Kansas, I got to see this antique desk that belonged to my great-great-grandfather. It is approximately 100 years old. My great-great grandfather apparently dealt in real estate, and I imagine this would have been the desk he would have used to write out contracts and real estate deals. Many thanks to my uncle, who showed this piece of our family history to me.

Bird and the Worm

On Occasion, I "slip these surely bonds of earth" and work out of a mobile office. This afternoon my mobile office took me to 6,500 ft where the view was spectacular. A quick trip to King Salmon, Kenai, Anchorage, then home with good weather and much appreciated sunshine the entire way.

Office views:

High Flight Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of earth And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings; Sunward I've climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth Of sun-split clouds - and done a hundred things You have not dreamed of - wheeled and soared and swung High in the sunlit silence. Hov'ring there I've chased the shouting wind along, and flung My eager craft through footless halls of air. Up, up the long delirious, burning blue, I've topped the windswept heights with easy grace Where never lark, or even eagle flew - And, while with silent lifting mind I've trod The high untresspassed sanctity of space, Put out my hand and touched the face of God.

Pilot Officer Gillespie Magee No 412 squadron, RCAF