Thu Sep 06, 2018 5:09 pm
#1636424
Today was the day. Bears! We met Jay at the dock where Vertigo’s Beaver was moored, along with the other 2 passengers and the bear guide. Conditions were blustery, but Jay’s knowledge of the bay had us off with no fuss and we were soon winging south across Kodiak island.
Jay’s Beaver:
Here we go!
It’s Bear time!
Yes, please keep walking that way…
The bears gather here as the salmon slow down to take the fish ladder up the falls. Two interns live here full time and count the salmon, one by one, as they go past. This determines whether the fishery is opened.
From Kodiak we flew north, past Anchorage, destination Denali Park.
Retracing our steps north of Kodiak:
We landed at Talkeetna for fuel, marked online and in flight guides as 24 hour self serve (this has since been changed after I moaned on AirNav). It turns out, it was not self serve, and they were only open 9 – 5. The “after hours” number on the door produced no answer. Don’t bother landing there after hours if you need fuel. Luckily we had plenty to get where we were going, so we pressed on. Another airplane landed looking for fuel as we were leaving, having been misled the same way we were.
Out of Talkeetna, heading north:
Highway and railroad:
Through the gap towards Denali. Ominously the airport code is “PAIN”.
Some mountain obscuration may be present.
The strip at Denali:
Cooking dinner at Denali:
The campsite was about a 15 minute walk from the aircraft. Not horrible, but not ideal! The weather was miserable so we bought our tickets for activities the next day and settled down for the night.
Jay’s Beaver:
Here we go!
It’s Bear time!
Yes, please keep walking that way…
The bears gather here as the salmon slow down to take the fish ladder up the falls. Two interns live here full time and count the salmon, one by one, as they go past. This determines whether the fishery is opened.
From Kodiak we flew north, past Anchorage, destination Denali Park.
Retracing our steps north of Kodiak:
We landed at Talkeetna for fuel, marked online and in flight guides as 24 hour self serve (this has since been changed after I moaned on AirNav). It turns out, it was not self serve, and they were only open 9 – 5. The “after hours” number on the door produced no answer. Don’t bother landing there after hours if you need fuel. Luckily we had plenty to get where we were going, so we pressed on. Another airplane landed looking for fuel as we were leaving, having been misled the same way we were.
Out of Talkeetna, heading north:
Highway and railroad:
Through the gap towards Denali. Ominously the airport code is “PAIN”.
Some mountain obscuration may be present.
The strip at Denali:
Cooking dinner at Denali:
The campsite was about a 15 minute walk from the aircraft. Not horrible, but not ideal! The weather was miserable so we bought our tickets for activities the next day and settled down for the night.
Cessnas have feelings too!