Imagine...

What it must feel like to these guys to have flown all the way from New York to end up landing on Twin Lakes in remote Alaska, then unload all their gear only to have the float planes leave you in the middle of nowhere! No help, no stores if you forgot something, no medical help or town within hundreds of miles if you get hurt. That's Alaska-you gotta love it!
It takes several hours to blow up the rafts and load your gear before you head down the Chilikadrotna River which flows out of Twin Lakes just a few yards from where native New Yorker, Bruice Sermonis is standing in this photo.
It's white water but relatively tame-one I thought would suit these guys who were new to the Alaskan Bush. Rafts are by far one of the best ways to see wild Alaska and the Chilikadrotna on listed as one of Alaska's Wild and Scenic rivers. LOTS of good fishing too! 

They Followed My Advice and Took the Plunge to ALASKA!

Three fellows who read my blogspot decided to take the plunge! All tolled they spent about $3000.00 each to make the trip to Alaska but they went first class most of the way. They rented two rafts-the first time they had ever used rafts I might add. MORE about that later!

All great trips to the Alaskan bush require using float planes or small planes on wheels. As you can see from the photo it took three aircraft to get all their gear flown in. There is just no other way to get to the pristine Alaskan wilderness you all dream of.
Usually I have other plans during the fall hunting season but one of the men from New York was an old friend of mine so I decided it best to tag along and keep these guys out of trouble. For the most part, it helped!
I'll be adding more to this story soon but remember these guys started at home in NY, read all they could from my blog and other places and took the plunge to Alaska. I am sure they will see the blog and add their own comments about the trip but they made it very clear that it was indeed a trip of a lifetime...stay tuned.  Scotty  

It's Only 210 miles to camp! As the Raven Flies

210 miles to most folks don't sound like much. Let me tell you how "close" that really isn't in Alaska. I left my home on Bald Mountain and headed for Moose/Brown Bear camp on the Bering River that lies east of Copper River Delta country. In Alaska, that also means you are close to Yukon Territory and in the middle of nowhere!

The first leg of the trip is the easiest; you drive to Whittier, Alaska. It is a beautiful drive along the Turnagain Arm with 10-12,000 ft mountains out the driver's side window and the ocean out the passenger's side. then arrive at the Anton Anderson tunnel in Portage. Once there, we wait for clearance to drive through the tunnel. It's the longest highway tunnel in North America (13,300' or 2.5 miles). Which a train also uses, you definitely want to WAIT! Visit the tunnel site for more details and take a virtual drive at http://www.dot.state.ak.us/creg/whittiertunnel/index.shtml

Coming out the other side you find yourself in Resurrection Bay and Whittier Alaska. A fishing community and also where the road ends. Now we must wait for the Alaska ferry to arrive. It is scheduled to leave Whittier tomorrow morning at 5am and arrive in Cordova. Our progress and the time it takes begin to leave our control at this point, that's Alaska!

While we wait for the ferry, Ill explain why we need one to start with. Normally I load up everything in the back of a plane and fly wherever. When you can use the ferry system on any part of an adventure you use it. It's much cheaper and always a scenic ride. The ferry ride from Whittier to Cordova takes 6 hours and covers about 100 miles by water. No only that you take your vehicle along too! They are parked in the bottom of the boat. Great way to go. Check them out at www.dot.state.ak.us/amhs/index.shtml

Photos above show the clustered, twisted mess the vehicles parked in the bottom of the boat were. It was amazing that not even a bumper was touched-during loading or offloading. This time of year all the tourists have left so it was mostly seasoned locals that are used to doing this.

We arrived in Cordova, day two and only 150 miles into the trip. Now we load up the airplane and continue on with the last leg of the trip to camp. When we load the plane that includes an Achilles 13' inflatable along with 20hp motor and all our camp gear and food. But wait, the weather is not good at Kushtaka Lake; our landing site yet another delay... this could take a while. It's all par for the course when it comes to getting around Alaska.

By noon things are looking better and we are off airborne at last! The only thing that will stop us now, is a sudden one!

We fly over some of the most beautiful, vast and human less country in the world. It's real beauty lies in human less! Nature owns this land and you are always at peril-damn I like that!!!

On our approach to Kushtaka Lake we notice there is no wind at all. Some might say good. Not true. In a DeHavilland Beaver floatplane you sit about 6-7 feet above the floats. When there is no wind or breeze the water is like glass and you cannot tell how close the floats are to the water as you touch down. YOU MUST KNOW THAT!!!! Just getting to camp in Alaska is risky, damn risky. Lower 48 take note' this ain't no pony ride!

Fortunately, Kushtaka Lake is large and we were able to feather the Beaver in ever so gently. We taxied up to the bank and began unloading our gear. Better have those waders already on cause you can't get as close to the shore as you would like with a heavy load. There were Brown Bear tracks everywhere! Looks like a good spot. However, we are still not all the way to camp.

We blow up our raft, load all our gear and motor over to the mouth of Stillwater River which spills out of Kushtaka Lake. About 5 miles down the Stillwater you hit the Bering River. We had to use our oars to navigate the swift Stillwater River; it was flooding and anything but "Still". It's also shallow with large boulders everywhere, which meant no motor! Two hours later and right at sunset we finally arrived at our camp. It was a LONG 210 mile journey, but quite typical in terms of traveling about the A

First Go at Rafting in Alaska

Some folks from New York State followed my blog and advice! This is Bruice Sermonis from Campbell, New York giving it his all as he begins his first rafting trip down the Chilikadrotna River in Alaska. His traveling buddies, Pat and Tom are at his left and behind him. All three are attempting, for the first time, to use this type of raft. Pat and Tom seem to go about the river much like a pin ball does but they all three soon got the hang of it.

Kudos for all three! Nothing ventured, nothing gained!

The Moose Are Loose!

This time of year always brings lots of Moose to my homestead on Bald Mountain. Antlers have been dropped  and deep snow on the mountains forces most of them to lower elevations. Hungry wolves play a part in that lower migration as well.

They must feel safer here. They should as long as they leave my Lab alone, we'll get along fine. Living next to these wild creatures sure has been a pleasure over the years. 

Spring is finally on the way as well as new antler growth.

Chignik Alaska Wolves Kill Teacher

Its odd that just days ago I posted something about wolves. I now follow that post with this gruesome message about a young teacher visiting Alaska for the first time and being killed by wolves. Although it is an exception to the general rule, it is NOT uncharacteristic of Wolves to go out of their way to find food when times are tough. Late winter is tough for everyone and everything in Alaska.

In the Hand of the Hunter

Over the years, I have seen a lot of Alaskan hunters realize their lifelong dream of taking a magnificent trophy from Alaska. It was always the guide's job to make sure the clients trophy was well cared for and properly prepared for the taxidermist. If you are planning to hunt Alaska on your own, YOU will need to know how to properly skin and cape your trophy for the taxidermist. If you do not already know how you best spend some time learning before your Alaskan hunt begins.