If you don't like to fly, don't even think about taking a trip like this one. All together we took 12 flights, including the bush plane ride from Kotzebue to the Kelly River. By the time we landed on the gravel bar next to the river, we were ready to be out of the air – despite the incredible scenery. It was two hours to Denver, six hours to Anchorage (overnight), more than two hours to Nome, 45 minutes on to Kotzebue and an hour in a 206 to the headwaters of the Kelly. It was a long haul.
We made it. Great flight. We're at the Micro Tel Motel tonight. Pick up out Sat Phone tomorrow and fly out to Nome and then Kotzebue at 11 am.
Last night in a real bed before hitting the river... and a shower
Can't wait.
Bill and I are laying over in Denver right at the moment. Our flight out of Branson was flawless. We have 2 hours to kill before our 5.5 hour flight to Anchorage.
It's hard to believe we'll be on the Kelly River tomorrow. Air flight in this day and age is amazing.
The Healing Water Event kept us hopping. We both were 99% packed since Thursday and it was a good thing. Coordinating guides and meals for the guys has a full time job. But it was all worth it.
I'd been packing, or
Sorry for not writing more about our plans. Try to get current on our trip.
We mailed 5 packages to Kotzebue last week. Mailed 2 big soft duffle bags, one barely made the minimum size (108 inches) and weighed about 65 pounds. The other was smaller and much lighter. Mailed two boxes - the plano and another utility box. Sent them usps priority mail. Cost: about $390.00. Mailed them on 8/12 and they arrived on 8/17 with a weekend in between. Not bad. We have 2 more utility boxes to ta
Words of the Day . . . Well more like words of the week for us.
Our plans are changing each day it seems the last week. Bill has packed 6 containers full of fishing and camping gear. Our plan is to mail up 4 and take the other 2 on the plane with us. We trade emails about ten times a day--I'll share the last one from Bill on shipping vs check-ons:
Here is an even better way to do it. Send up both of the Cabelas bags, the Rubbermaid Packer and the lighest of the Plano totes. Also w
As Phil blogged, we are pretty much on our put together phase of the Alaska Float Fishing Trip. One note of caution here, we are kind of going to be a primer, but before you think of trying something like this reguardless of your physical conditioning, it would be a good idea to have some very exact information, and be aware this is pretty wild country you about to visit.
I guided raft trips for a couple of years in Alaska, and had most of our Alaska River Float Gear, but sold quite a bit of
We were talking . . . we'd like to bring some sockeye home with us but the problem is that sockeye will be spawning and dying when we're there in September, at least at Naknek, so what do we do? I emailed Jim, my friend who owns Naknek River Camp on the Naknek River, where my cabin is, and he said he could call Heidi at Diamond Lodge and buy some from her. She would store it till we get there. 150 pounds would do us - 50 pounds each. So we're set.
BUT - I threw a wrench in the mix. I s
Bill and I are flying out of Branson, mid afternoon on August 29th and flying to Anchorage, AK. We'll arrive there at that evening - there's a 3 hour difference in their time and central time. Bill booked a book at the Microtel Airport Inn for $167. Our flights costs $1591.82 round trip.
We get up the next morning and go shopping. We'll need to buy staple items such as meats for 2-3 dinners as well as other items we don't want to take up on the plane. There will be other items that we'
