Exploring Alaska: To Bettles n Back

This time I'm going to try something a little different. I will show you the destination first and then some of the pictures I took on the way there and back.

Part of the excitement of going to Bettles is that it is just north of the . The lodge welcomes everyone and their friendliness proves it. We went on the spur of the moment and only wanted to drop in for dinner. That evening we could have whatever we wanted, as long as it was spaghetti (that's what all who dined there that night were served). Call ahead  800-770-5111, or use Frequency 130.1 -  as only so many dishes are prepared according to reservations.

Bettles offers over night lodging accomodations. http://www.bettleslodge.com

A population of 63 and a wee past the Arctic Circle.

Hello?

The Fairchild drew some attention, as you can see from the gentlemen in the photo below.

Maybe it was the unique sound, or her looks.

Flight-Seeing, Hiking and Rafting are a few of the options to enjoy here.

Touch 'n go in Minto

We took a little flight over the Minto Flats to Minto, Alaska last month (August 26th). David practiced some maneuvers. One of those maneuvers was a touch and go, where the aircraft doesn't actually land and taxi, but rather, touches the runway and takes off immediately. It's common for a pilot to spend some quality time (without any crew) and get some wind beneath his wings. I was invited and of course, the camera came on board.

The Trans-Alaska Pipeline, taken 20 minutes into the flight.

Fall comes early to this part of Alaska. From here, it looks like the tundra has been stroked by a watercolor brush.

This line of clouds helps to give the horizon definition. Beyond the ridge is the Tanana River.

Just one more prop shot for my pilot friends.

I feel truly blessed to see Alaska from a bird's eye view.

I was taken in by the glow.

Water settles in area where there is permafrost.

Good camera, good eye. Sure. God had his hand in this. The ever changing Tanana River.

The Village of Minto.

Minto is home to about 250 residents. It's tucked along the banks of the Tanana River about one hour's flight to the northwest of Fairbanks. Minto is primarily an Athabaskan community with a history in fur, flour, tea and gold trades.

This picture was taken just above Minto's tiny runway.

The Tanana River.

For Stephanie

This picture was taken by our very good friend, Jim Griset, when he visited us. Jim talked me into walking around to the front of the camera. He's an excellent photographer, so I let him give it a shot.

Here are a few sunsets from around the Fairbanks area.

Over the Tanana River.

Minto Flats

View from our picture window.

Exploring Alaska: The Alaska Range.2

The slight yellowish blur is from the wooden pop on the airplane. The colors aren't very saturated, looking from this angle, but things improved later on.

The sky cleared a little. It looks like there is snow on the peak.

There are times when I don't mind if the struts from the wings obstruct the view. Sometimes they help to frame up the photo nicely and add interest. A light amount of sunshine brought out the natural red colors.

This peak reminds me of the glow from a burning coal briquet. This is one of my favorite photos from the flight.

It looks like someone was watching. Maybe it's my imagination, but there appears to be the bust of a saint in the lower left hand corner.

This was a quick look back before we headed back home.

An example of the ever changing light over the tundra. Our flight lasted about an hour and a half. This picture was taken around 8:30 in the evening, August 4th 2011.

Exploring Alaska: The Alaska Range

This is my third flight in the Alaska Interior, but my first with David in his airplane. We started out in Fairbanks and headed to the Southeast toward the Alaska Range.

The Tanana River meanders through the Flats. It is glacier fed, and is heavy with silt. The river has a tendency to shift from one season to the next.

This fire started the weekend of July 23-24th. A damper has been put on it since, with our rainy August days.

One of many Black Spruce, Birch and Aspen covered hills.

There are hundreds of swampy ponds like this one where moose can be found.

At this point we are continuing to the south east of Fairbanks toward the Alaska Range.

More of the Tanana Flats with the Alaska Range in the background. I will show some close-ups in my next post.

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Visitors are Welcome: Jim Griset

Jim came all the way to Fairbanks July 26th. Jim is a friend of ours from Prescott Arizona. He received his private pilot's license through David. He also lives in Southern California part-time. A visit here isn't complete, until we drive out the Steese Highway to show the famous pipeline.

Wait... in a few minutes these guys will know enough to build one of their own.

One of the highlights of Jim's trip was to make it to the North Pole. That is North Pole, AK a 45 minute trip slightly to the south of Fairbanks. Jim still believes.

Jim was lucky enough to be here the day the Fairchild came to Fairbanks. However, he was not lucky enough to go on a flight. It rained Moose & Dall Sheep 30 minutes after this photo was taken.

Our blue tail drager.1937 Fairchild.

The fabric cover gives this graceful bird the ribbed look.

An ominous summer's stormy sky hovered over Fairbanks as David taxied  in. She was flown all the way from Ohio, a harrowing and exhausting trip. The white buildings in the background are the UAF campus.

To My Readers and to Fairbanks

Fourteen months have whizzed by since we started this blog! The decision to move to Fairbanks had been a tough one. David and I flew to Fairbanks in May of last year so that David could go to his job interview with Warbelow's Air Ventures. I tagged along just in case Fairbanks would become home for  awhile. David of course, took the job with the airline based in Fairbanks and the rest would become blogger history. This will be my 98th post!

It was more than a year ago when we spent nearly every waking hour painting and repairing everything on our Prescott home that we could, decided what to take, and packed boxes until the last moment. As it was, time ran out and our son, Sebastian had to tape, label and ship (the least expensive way to move to the 49th state) our packages. We had 2 weeks to finish everything. Our daughter Stephanie graduated High School, David's parents were in town and I had my final 2 weeks at 2 jobs to complete.

Exhausted, we hugged our kids, squeezed ourselves into our tightly packed 2 seat Hot Wheels car and ventured North... far, far North. As I closed the car door, I remembered how gritty, grey, and bleak Fairbanks looked that third week of May. I thought: What are we getting into? 

We arrived June 11th last year and Fairbanks proved herself. Suddenly flowers appeared as if they sprang up overnight. The long summer days brought warmth and sunshine. Then the long days were suddenly whisked away by winter's cold and dark decent. The short winter days provided incredible, fascinating sunsets and nearly all white landscapes with trees that turned white from frost.

I'm dedicating this post to Fairbanks and all the friends and family who are enjoying this blog immensely. Feel free to check out the archives on this post in case you've missed something, and of course tell your friends and family that we are here. Also, bookmark us, if you will.

I'm often asked how I handle the extra light in the evening hours. The best answer I can come up with is that I take advantage of it. This photo was taken long after the sun set in most places. Sure, I lose track of time. Some of us struggle when it's still light at 12:30 in the months of May and June. If I lose sleep one night, I'll only do better the next. This photo was taken June 20, one of the longest days of the year.

I'm often asked what there is to do in Fairbanks. There is  plenty here. Some of the best discoveries are the simplest. There is something around the corner in your hometown too. This small part of the forest is a 30 minute brisk walk from our home.

Always take a camera.

One and a half miles of trails meander through The Alaska Bird Observatory, which is part of the 75 acre Wedgewood Wildlife Sanctuary.

There are more than 110 bird species here. This is where I saw Alaska's State Bird: the Mosquito. Bring plenty of bug dope (insect repellant). The more Deet, the better.

An abundance of Birch and Aspen grow here and in the Fairbanks area.

Ferns and wild flowers cover the forest floor.

Wander Lake was once a gravel pit. It was renovated by excavating shallows, transplanting fish and aquatic plants, removing weeds and creating a habitat for wildlife.