Alaska Journal

[GJM]

Close to home for several AK PF members over in Seward:


https://www.adn.com/alaska-news/wild...eward-airport/


Sent from my iPad

[GJM]

While I was finishing a two day match today, my wife was out in the desert messing around.

[GJM]

My wife and I just spent some fun days flying a helicopter from Montana up to Alaska. About three days, 21 flight hours, 2,000 miles and 10 fuel stops. Excluding jet trips and fixed wing aircraft, this was my 11th helicopter ferry trip between lower 48 and AK, and her 10th trip. Here was our route, from our iridium satellite tracking device.



First night ended up at Fort St John, near the beginning of the Alaska Highway. For those not familiar with the AK Highway, it was completed quickly in 1942, to connect Alaska to the lower 48 during WWII. Originally it was about 1,7000 miles, but has been shortened some as the road was straightened over time. Related to the lend/lease program, a number of airstrips were constructed between Edmonton and Fairbanks, to facilllitate moving military aircraft to Russia.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northwest_Staging_Route

One of four common small aircraft air routes to Alaska is this "Alaska Highway" route, that we generally followed. Second day got us to Whitehorse, in the Yukon Territory, one of our favorite northern towns. Great airport, great hiking nearby and some great food, make this a great place to overnight. Hiking felt just like Alaska, except we were out around grizzly bears without guns.

Day three to cross back into AK traversed some very wild territory, as we flew direct to save fuel because of the distance of this leg, and still we had to carry 15 gallons of Jet A in our baggage area, to make our next fuel stop. Here is the terrain.



While you can't see them in this photo, there was a band of Dall sheep down below on this ridge, along with scattered mountain caribou.



An iPad showing detailed maps is very helpful, and we have a mount rigged up for the iPad in the helicopter.



It was a major hassle coordinating our arrival back into the US with customs, and the guy we were speaking with was afraid to wake up this woman, who was the boss, to figure out where to go. We ended getting directed to this rough, crappy area on the hill over the customs location, where if would be easy to ball up a helicopter if you were not experienced operating off airport. My wife was joking that she was going to say, "Officer Worry Wart, tell Officer Bitch that we have arrived to a the rubble pile," but she reconsidered when we got there.

Rest of the flight was fine, but three days straight of driving a single engine helicopter over mountains is a tough way to put 20 hours in your log book.

[OldRunner/CSAT Neighbor]

Thx for sharing that George, can we expect more updates (sim. to previous ones) while you two are in AK this summer?

[Coyotesfan97]

Warning Photo intensive

I just got back from driving my daughter up to Palmer/ Wasila. She has an eight week internship in the Matanuska-Susitna borough prosecutor's office. She needed her car so guess who got drafted? It took us four days leaving from Carefree to Wasila.

Our route was due north through Flagstaff, Page, and Salt Lake City (the worst traffic of the trip) to Butte.


The Idaho/Montana border. Great country!

The second day was Butte to Grand Prairie where it was raining hard. The Grand Prairie to Teslin in the YT. Then Teslin to Wasila. About 45 miles from Wasila it started snowing but it wasn't cold enough to stick but it was weird for a desert dweller to drive through snow.


The last Timmie's on the AH in Watson Lake. 😭









Kluane Lake in the YT. Almost to Alaska



Old volcano area. It was cold AF there



Rocking the Working Dog Dry Goods hoodie with a glacier in the background



Arrived in Wasila! My daughter is renting a room from a couple who are longtime AK residents.
The Thin Blue Line is personal for them. She lost her brother to a LODD in 2016


Downtown Palmer after dinner at Turkeyred about 2130


State Troopers Museum in Anchorage. The firearm display.


In Anchorage at the 49th State Brewing company enjoying a Saxon Scottish Ale 8%AVR. The burger was as good as the beer!

The AH was beautiful and we saw a lot of wildlife on the side of the road. Bison, Black Bears, Moose, and what I think was Reindeer.








I'm free! I'm free! Thanks for springing me Dad!

I'm going back in July to drive her back in August. I'm looking forward to it.

[GJM]

CF97, excellent trip and report!

Last night, our dog woke us up at 3am barking, and when we looked down, there was a big cow moose ten feet from the house below our bedroom window. No doubt, our bird dog with the bionic nose, smelled the visitor first. Anchorage paper reports eight people injured by moose in just May, so we have to look out before opening doors and going out around the house.

https://www.adn.com/alaska-news/wild...horage-in-may/

[Cheap Shot]

CF Reindeer maybe was a Caribou?

Always wanted to drive the AH. Maybe some day. Thanks for the pic's and congrats to your daughter! Very cool job, and awesome location.

[GJM]

Briefly woken up by a little 3.9 earthquake during the night, but we were so tired, neither my wife nor I gave it much thought.

Small moose in the backyard this morning. And, up near Anchorage:

https://www.adn.com/alaska-news/wild...-neighborhood/

[Doc_Glock]

Rest of the flight was fine, but three days straight of driving a single engine helicopter over mountains is a tough way to put 20 hours in your log book.

Sounds intense and fun.

[imp1295]

I just had my first, brief and albeit some-what antiseptic (it was a cruise) Alaska experience. I now need to figure a way to convince my wife that summering in Alaska once we retire is not a bad idea!

Dawes Glacier, Endicott Arm


A summer musher's camp in Skagway


We also spend a day in Juneau at Mendenhall Lake and Glacier. Pretty awesome. I can only imagine what it is like year round.