More Alaska Pics

[NightTrain]

It's been a few years since I posted some of my pics from around the State, so I figured I'd upload a few.

I work for a telecom company and we frequently bounce all over in helicopters building & maintaining cellular networks, microwave networks, satellite shots, repeaters, that sort of thing. It's a fun job just because I'm always going somewhere new - a desk job is my version of hell.

That's not to say that there hasn't been some hellish jobs in shitty areas that really sucked, but on the whole we have fun and enjoy it.

Many of the sites are on mountaintops or remote islands with nothing but raw wilderness all around for many miles. We'll set up a camp and do our thing, sometimes for a few weeks, and when we're done the helicopter will come pick us up and take us back to civilization.

We're always heavily armed, because we like bacon almost as much as bears do. While we're prepared for it, rarely do we see any bears and they usually keep a respectful distance. Shooting .375s and .460s when we set up camp seems to work wonders for alerting the critters in the area that coming into camp would be a bad idea.

When I'm not working, usually we go to the cabin, 20 miles up the Talkeetna River from the town of Talkeetna, which is accessible only by jet boat or snowmachine, depending on the season.


This pic was taken about 10 miles from my house, that's me. The German Shepard on the left is our dog, Frost. The chocolate Lab is Truffles, a friend of mine's dog. They're both wickedly smart and great dogs. There's some good trout and salmon fishing behind me, this is Jim Creek.

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[NightTrain]

This was taken up in Hatcher's Pass, 15 miles away from my house. That's me on the right and my oldest son on the left. We were just screwing around that day and panning for gold in a little creek up here. We found a few flakes, nothing to get excited about but the kids all sure got excited about "getting rich!!!".

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[NightTrain]

This was taken out of the picture window of our cabin in early morning. The kids really love going here.

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[NightTrain]

All of the kids lined up & ready to head up to the cabin.

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[NightTrain]

This is above our cabin at Disappointment Creek, we caught about 100 salmon that day. Me with the rod, and my brother on the right.


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This one was taken on Heney Ridge, it overlooks Cordova. We spent a week up here.... nice views, but we were ready to come down.
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The end of the road - literally! The Copper River washed out the bridge and it was never rebuilt, so now the only way to Cordova is to fly or take the ferry. Cordova is a cool little town, though.
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This was at Shoup Bay, which was my first microwave hop from Valdez going to Cordova. The helicopter pilot, Leah, was having depth perception issues as she was coming in bringing us loads of equipment from Valdez, so she asked us to paint around the area to help her vision. This is Helga, the Camp Wench. Since it was May, she melted soon after this was taken.

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[fj1200]

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Black sand? Volcanic?

[NightTrain]

This was taken on Kodiak, we were doing a job for the State.
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Our cabin from the air after a huge flood. I was glad to see it still standing and was fearing the worst.
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We lost power in my buddy's boat, and ended up against this sweeper. It was hairy at impact, because when we hit the log the stern almost went under water - and that could have been deadly with 8' of water at the stern and the current running at 16 MPH. We got it out after a couple of hours.
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Not a bad day fishing in Talkeetna. Reds & Silvers (Sockeye and Coho)
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Having a beer break on the trail to the cabin.
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[NightTrain]

This was a fun trip off Kodiak. We were parked over a nice halibut hole and the commute to the top of the mountain took about 2 minutes. We spent 10 days here, enjoyed every minute of it.
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My Uncle Mike and I enjoying a great afternoon fishing on the Anchor River out of Homer.
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My sister, me, and Uncle Mike at our favorite camping spot down on the Kenai Peninsula near Clam Gulch.
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Now for some southeast pics...
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[NightTrain]

Wrangell... I'm not sure what the whole story is behind these wrecks. I took all of these in January of this year.

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Misc. scenery out of Wrangell.
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From my hotel room in Wrangell one evening.
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[NightTrain]

I'll add a few pictures from the museum in Wrangell. I have a ton from here, it was fascinating. If there's enough interest I can make a thread devoted to that.

These beads were powerful trading stock when it came to trading with the Indians.
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Anyone that would attempt this is a badass, in my book... and they did it all the time back then.
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Tlingit totems. Pronounced : Clink-it... don't ask me why.
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Ye olde Firewater.
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U.S. Army 12-pound mountain howitzer. These didn't get used against the Indians very much, but there were occasions here & there.
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[NightTrain]

The town of Kake, as seen from the ferry in early morning fog.
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On the way to Valdez at the top of Thompson Pass.
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As we were coming back in to Valdez in the chopper, I saw this fishing boat that just didn't look right. So I asked Leah to get closer.
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Yep, that baby is high-n-dry on a rock! This guy was having a real bad day. You can see their campfire on the beach as they waited for high tide again after abandoning ship - no one knew if the boat would break in half or not, so they got to shore in the skiff.
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[NightTrain]

Another salmon fishing boat making his money.
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The Rodeo in full swing.. these fishing boats are ruthlessly competitive and won't think another thing about running over someone's nets or ramming boats out of their way. They have a very limited time to get their fish during the opener and the more aggressive you are the more money you make.
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Here you can see a skiff running the nets out in a big arc - they've spotted a school of salmon and are racing to encircle them.
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The view from our camp on Heney Ridge, overlooking Cordova. We spent a week here.
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[NightTrain]

Heney Ridge camp, two of my coworkers.
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Overlooking the delta where the Copper River empties into Prince William Sound, shot from Heney Ridge.
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Way down there you can see the airstrip that we were operating from. It was handy to be able to keep an eye on our trucks while we were up there - not that we could have done anything about someone stealing from our rigs.
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And a shot from the airstrip in Cordova. Heney Ridge where our camp was, is directly behind the helicopter.
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[NightTrain]

A little black bear beside the road coming into Valdez.
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The kids and a waterfall we found as we were exploring different 4x4 trails in the Suburban.
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My bedroom on Hinchinbrook Island, out in Prince William Sound. I don't mind the fans from the equipment when sleeping so I figured I'd camp out inside. There are legendary bear maulings that have happened on this island by some very large and aggressive Brown Bears. We kept a sharp eye out while we were camped here for a week but never saw any.
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One of my coworker's hand cannon.
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Setting up camp on Hinchinbrook.
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[NightTrain]

Black sand? Volcanic?


No, this is glacial silt. It's extremely fine (much more fine than sand) and it's what gives glacial-fed rivers the blueish-grey color. The silt dunes here are kind of unusual and I haven't seen any others this big anywhere else. The kids like to play in it because it's very soft... kind of our version of going to the beach.

[NightTrain]

Departing Hinchinbrook Island.
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Cordova small boat harbor, early morning.
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Approaching Cordova on the ferry.
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Ferry scenery, Prince William Sound.
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Above Cordova on Tripod Hill.
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View from inside the Comm building on Tripod Hill.
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This ski lift was how we commuted every day, after the helicopters lifted all our tools & gear to the top. It's the oldest working ski lift in North America, it was disassembled in California somewhere and shipped here to Cordova. Both Elvis and Marilyn Monroe rode on this lift. I kept a close eye on the old cables... I don't really care to ride on ancient equipment like that - and the popping of the cables wasn't very soothing.
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Miller time.
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Cordova scenery.
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Top of the ski lift.
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[NightTrain]

Leah bringing us some equipment and my rack. She's an awesome longline pilot and pulled off many difficult maneuvers with ease, even when it was blustery out. She outflew 4 other male competitor pilots last summer that I personally witnessed so we give her the business whenever we can. She stopped in a couple of times while we were camped out on an island with a couple cases of beer and fresh shrimp - "just because I was in the area"... and being a perky cute blonde didn't hurt, either! :thumb: Her outfit is Vertical Solutions based in Valdez.
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[NightTrain]

Prince William Sound.
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A memorial on the bridges spanning the Copper River that are no longer used due to washout.
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We think this is part of the wreckage of that crane accident from the memorial.. but that's speculation on our part. It's halfway across the river beside the remainder of the bridge.
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[NightTrain]

Scenery between the Copper River and Cordova... bear central!
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More boonies scenery.
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[NightTrain]

This is an Aircell site. It provides internet to commercial airliners for customers that want to surf the net while flying... for a modest fee, of course.
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[NightTrain]

The big spruce down there is about 9' across at the trunk. They really get massive down there.
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Not a very good shot, but this is a seal fishing in the Copper River about 10 miles upstream from the ocean.
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I need to go back here in the Summer, then this will be a cool tunnel with all the foliage.
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Taken almost exactly a year ago in downtown Valdez from my hotel.
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View from the end of the Alaska Pipeline, looking toward Valdez across the water.
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Another shot from my hotel room in Valdez. The amount of snow they get here is stunning.
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All that remained of Helga, 2 days after we made her.
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As it turns out, my maximum capacity for King Crab is still an unknown quantity.
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Juneau storm.
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You know you've got a good flood going on when you're sharing the road with salmon.
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The Cabin. Shed on the left, sauna on the right, and 1100'+ of deck.
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My friend Bill, and my youngest son. Enjoying the cabin.
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Above the canyon in Talkeetna.
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Kodiak harbor.
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[NightTrain]

This is the busiest intersection of Kodiak where the two main roads intersect. A fisherman lost his skiff off a trailer.. the cops were pretty pissed at him.
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[NightTrain]

I'd like to know how many citations he received over this mishap... I'm sure he was impressed when it was all over.
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Also in Kodiak. 580s are tough, this one really got put through the wringer.
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Skagway is by far the coolest little town in Alaska, just because of the massive amount of history involved, IMO. This is where the gold rush prospectors landed from ships in 1898 during the Klondike gold rush. Once here, they had to get themselves and all their gear up Chilkoot Pass, where many died and many hundreds of mules & horses died in the effort.


This is the railroad, White Pass & Yukon Route, that was built after the mad stampede to the gold fields.
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That's one hell of a snow blower.
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Old Number 1.
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Memorial info.
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Navigational aid.
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The Red Onion Saloon & Brothel. This was one of the many brothels in operation during the gold rush. Naturally, I had to get a hoodie for myself and one for my girlfriend. One of our friends refers to our hoodies as the 'Dirty Whore Shirt' but both Sharon and I got a kick out of them.
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One of my coworkers & a good friend of mine, downtown Skagway.
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This is a cool little stream in Ketchikan. If you look closely, you'll see a lot of salmon here spawning, well over a thousand in this picture.
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The other side of the road, same stream in Ketchikan.
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This 2 year old had been hanging around the house all winter... an out of state friend was visiting us, so I gave her this cauliflower heart. He gently took it off her palm like a horse would, and promptly scarfed it down and began drooling everywhere & fogging up the windows. We gave him one more and then cut him off. Yeah, I know it's not good to do that kind of stuff, but how many people do you know that have visited AK and got to do that?
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The little fella from the front door, still eyeballing the Magic Cauliflower Window.
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One more pic... he's still drooling mightily. Sharon was miffed that she had to clean moose drool off the back of the couch, but I think it was worth it. Our friend got a lot of face time with him and she still asks if we've seen him around lately. He's probably moose steaks by now.
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A pic coming in on a helicopter on a job out of Petersburg, AK. It's a town founded by a bunch of Scandinavians in the late 1800s and the amount of blonde & blue eyed locals running around here is amazing.
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Petersburg creek in Petersburg, AK.
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The A-Star coming to pick us up off Gunnik Mountain out of Petersburg.
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The Long Ranger coming in for a landing on the boat in Kodiak.
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Worthington Glacier above Valdez in Thompson Pass.
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Matanuska Glacier.
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Stopping to grab some stashed fuel on Naked Island out in Prince William Sound.
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Doing a recon for bears in the area before dropping us off on the beach.
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On the beach, Naked Island.
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A baby King Crab I found on the beach... yes, he was dead or I wouldn't have been holding it in my bare hands.
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Naked Island beach.
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Prince William Sound.
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Prince William Sound... on the way back to Whittier.
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One of the helo outfits we use out of Girdwood.
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[fj1200]

Navigational aid.
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As in Dawson City, Yukon Territory? The Top of the World Highway is on my list.

[NightTrain]

As in Dawson City, Yukon Territory? The Top of the World Highway is on my list.

I think you'll be going through Dawson Creek, British Columbia that's at Mile 0 on the Alaska Highway... there's a Dawson Creek, BC and a Dawson City, Yukon Territory. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dawson_City

And you'll be going through Whitehorse, BC on your epic bike ride as well, which is at Mile 918 on the AK Highway. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whitehorse,_Yukon

[Abbey Marie]

I think you'll be going through Dawson Creek, British Columbia that's at Mile 0 on the Alaska Highway... there's a Dawson Creek, BC and a Dawson City, Yukon Territory. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dawson_City

And you'll be going through Whitehorse, BC on your epic bike ride as well, which is at Mile 918 on the AK Highway. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whitehorse,_Yukon

Eh, NT, what do you know about Alaska anyway? ;)

Love the pics! I would be feeding that Moose anything it wanted.

Which pic is your particular favorite?

[NightTrain]

Eh, NT, what do you know about Alaska anyway? ;)

Love the pics! I would be feeding that Moose anything it wanted.

Which pic is your particular favorite?

Thanks, Abbey.

Hard to pick one because of the stories associated when I look at them. But probably my favorite is the pic of the boat out of Kodiak with the helicopter on the back deck.

I took that pic from the skiff after a deckhand and I got permission from the Captain to take a crab pot and see if we could nab a few crab for dinner. We went to a likely spot, the deckhand assured me that the rope was long enough to reach to the bottom, tied it off to the buoy and let it go.

The crab pot pulled the buoy underwater - the rope had been too short. So I confessed our sins to the Captain right after I took that picture... and he was gracious about it, even though those crab pots are expensive. I offered to pay for it, which he declined.

We went out the next day during low tide, and found the buoy just barely breaking the top of the water. I started pulling up the pot, and it was heavy! I started mentally drooling, thinking about the awesome dinner we were going to have with bunch of fresh King Crab.

It was a lot of work, but finally got it up to the surface - and there was a huge purple octopus wedged inside that crab pot... the bastard had eaten any crab and all the bait.

But at least we got the Captain's crab pot, buoy and line back to him and I learned a valuable lesson about crab pots, lines, buoys & ocean depth.

[Abbey Marie]

Wow, was the Octopus still alive?

[NightTrain]

Wow, was the Octopus still alive?

Oh yeah, he was perfectly fine and pissed for getting brought up to the surface and unceremoniously tossed overboard again. He seemed really well fed, too. I should have taken a picture of him, but I was pretty busy right about then and had my hands full.

I was just relieved to get the crab gear back!

[fj1200]

I think you'll be going through Dawson Creek, British Columbia that's at Mile 0 on the Alaska Highway... there's a Dawson Creek, BC and a Dawson City, Yukon Territory. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dawson_City

And you'll be going through Whitehorse, BC on your epic bike ride as well, which is at Mile 918 on the AK Highway. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whitehorse,_Yukon

Yeah, Dawson City, YT. And then Top of the World Highway (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Top_of_the_World_Highway) over to Tok?, AK. It's out of the way but it just looks like a cool place to go. There's a Dust to Dawson thing there every year in June but I think June is too early for me to get up there.

[Kat]

Way cool! Love this! I lived in Alaska several years back. Anchor Point (close to Homer) and then Anchorage..nothing like it!

[jimnyc]

Wow, awesome pictures! Took me a good 20 minutes to go through all that, like a cool little story. I so want to go there someday.

I was disappointed to read that the brothel is no longer running. :dunno:

[NightTrain]

Yeah, Dawson City, YT. And then Top of the World Highway (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Top_of_the_World_Highway) over to Tok?, AK. It's out of the way but it just looks like a cool place to go. There's a Dust to Dawson thing there every year in June but I think June is too early for me to get up there.

Oh, now I understand what you're thinking of doing. I think that'd be very cool, that's one the few areas I haven't been to. So 60 miles of the Taylor is paved, and that leaves another 100 miles of gravel. I'd definitely have 2 spare tires if you can manage it... you won't have cell coverage either, as far as I know. Some of the remote gravel Alaskan roads will beat you to death and I have no info for you on that road. You could google a business phone number in Chicken and ask them how it is, they'd give you the straight scoop.

You'll be going through Chicken, AK.... and that's a good story as to how it got it's name. Back in the pioneer days, they had a town meeting to name their town. Everyone liked Ptarmigan (medium sized bird pronounced with a silent P) and they decided to name it as such. The only problem was that no one could agree on how to spell Ptarmigan, and the debate raged with no solution. Finally, out of disgust, they decided to name the town Chicken, because everyone agreed on how to spell that.

Once you hit Tok, you're paved all the way. But if Alaska DOT gets around to putting up a BUMP sign, do not disregard it. I have found myself airborne in my pickup... they're lazy bastards and if a bump gets a sign, then it's potentially lethal.

[NightTrain]

Way cool! Love this! I lived in Alaska several years back. Anchor Point (close to Homer) and then Anchorage..nothing like it!

Cool stuff, I've done a lot of work in that area. In fact, I'm going down there this next week & going to work my way from Seward all the way down to the Homer Spit.

Did you see the pic of my Uncle and I fishing in the Anchor River? 1st page of this thread, post #8 and second picture down.

[NightTrain]

Wow, awesome pictures! Took me a good 20 minutes to go through all that, like a cool little story. I so want to go there someday.

I was disappointed to read that the brothel is no longer running. :dunno:

There were 2 cruise ships docked when we were there, 1 was a Disney ship and the other was Princess.

All of the "working girls" inside the Red Onion serving food & drinks were dressed up in the classic brothel outfits like you see in Westerns, and they have fun with it. It goes without saying that they're not really hookers, but playing the part in an authentic landmark saloon for all the tourists.

I thought it was funny that the Red Onion has signs up all over inside telling people that the waitresses & bartenders are NOT REALLY HOOKERS! - so keep your hands to yourself and propositioning them is not encouraged! I had to wonder about the incidents that made them put those signs up & there's gotta be some hilarious stories about horny tourists trying to score with the waitresses.

[NightTrain]

This happened yesterday. My two brothers and I hooked up the boat and went down to Knik River where there is the only open water in this area. I put the suburban in 4-Low and started into the sand, all was going well until I gave it hell - the rear U-Joint exploded and we were suddenly in soft sand with a 2-wheel-drive beast pulling a boat. It sounded like a .410 going off inside the 'burb.

Yep, stuck. In a big way.

A buddy came down with his two big 4x4s and with both of those in tandem we were able to get back to the parking lot. We never even got the boat wet. Still, it was a nice day to be out!
http://www.debatepolicy.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=6075&stc=1

[fj1200]

Oh, now I understand what you're thinking of doing. I think that'd be very cool, that's one the few areas I haven't been to. So 60 miles of the Taylor is paved, and that leaves another 100 miles of gravel. I'd definitely have 2 spare tires if you can manage it... you won't have cell coverage either, as far as I know. Some of the remote gravel Alaskan roads will beat you to death and I have no info for you on that road. You could google a business phone number in Chicken and ask them how it is, they'd give you the straight scoop.

You'll be going through Chicken, AK.... and that's a good story as to how it got it's name. Back in the pioneer days, they had a town meeting to name their town. Everyone liked Ptarmigan (medium sized bird pronounced with a silent P) and they decided to name it as such. The only problem was that no one could agree on how to spell Ptarmigan, and the debate raged with no solution. Finally, out of disgust, they decided to name the town Chicken, because everyone agreed on how to spell that.

Once you hit Tok, you're paved all the way. But if Alaska DOT gets around to putting up a BUMP sign, do not disregard it. I have found myself airborne in my pickup... they're lazy bastards and if a bump gets a sign, then it's potentially lethal.

Yeah, I definitely have a LOT of planning and learning to do, how to ride on gravel, how to camp, how to fix anything that might break, how to not die... :eek: Not to mention getting a new motorcycle that can handle all the rough roads. My plan is to go with some others although they may balk at my hoped for route and to plan on riding the more remote areas with some who are doing the same thing. My gut is that there are other idiots err, adventurers who are going the same way or up for the challenge.

The Trans-America Trail (http://www.transamtrail.com/) should be some useful training that I can at least do some of before Alaska 2019.

[NightTrain]

Yeah, I definitely have a LOT of planning and learning to do, how to ride on gravel, how to camp, how to fix anything that might break, how to not die... :eek: Not to mention getting a new motorcycle that can handle all the rough roads. My plan is to go with some others although they may balk at my hoped for route and to plan on riding the more remote areas with some who are doing the same thing. My gut is that there are other idiots err, adventurers who are going the same way or up for the challenge.

The Trans-America Trail (http://www.transamtrail.com/) should be some useful training that I can at least do some of before Alaska 2019.


That Trans-Am trail looks like a lot of fun.

Last Summer I saw a group of big cruiser bikes (like Goldwings) from Florida, all of them had trailers they were pulling behind the bike with all their camping gear and supplies. Most of them looked like Husband/Wife doubled up comfortably on those big beasts.

I'm not a motorcycle rider, but that looked comfy and fun. Except when I saw them in a rainstorm, but they had the raingear and large windshields so even that didn't look too terrible. And with a trailer like they all had, there were spare tires on board... along with a tent and camping supplies!

I'm sure pulling a trailer detracts from the overall feeling of freedom of riding a bike (much like pulling a sled with a snowmachine), but there's a lot to be said for being self-sufficient on the road if something were to happen.

Since you'll be in many areas without cell phone coverage, I'd look into getting a Sat-Phone. They're expensive, but if there's an emergency, then that doesn't matter.

The best cell coverage up here right now that would apply to you there at home would be AT&T or Verizon (I'm guessing you have them where you live). By the time you come up I would put money on Verizon, but right now it would be AT&T. In Southeast AK, AT&T is a giant and definitely the best bet.

Another thing that many people don't know is that if you dial 911, your phone will work on ANY compatible network within range. I don't care if it's a cellphone on Billy Bob Telecom in Arkansas, and you're broken down in Alaska - dial 911 and you're talking to dispatch. NOTE : if the system isn't compatible (CDMA phone on a GSM network), it won't work - but not because of company rivalry. Any cellphone that is compatible and not even in service will make that call to 911.

[NightTrain]

Here's a picture that's sure to make the hair stand up on all of our Pilots here at DP.

This is a cell & microwave tower at Ripinski out of Haines, AK, and belongs to AT&T. It's not far from Juneau as the crow flies.

The A-Star helicopter was trying to maneuver a load close to the base of the tower when a gust of wind pushed them too close to the tower. If you look closely, you can see two antennas that were chopped off by the main rotors of the A-Star, and was damn close to hitting some very strong steel which probably would have resulted in a fatal crash.

So after the strike the chopper began vibrating badly, of course, and the pilot reduced power as much as he could and still be airborne and because they were at the top of a mountain he was able to keep enough power applied to slowly descend and they made it to the airport a few miles away at Haines. It was a very expensive repair and I heard the pilot was fired over it, but at least no one was killed.

One of the antennas he hit was owned by a company I was working for, so we sent another one down to replace it - but the cell site was still handling cell traffic, even with that shattered stub of an antenna! (It is the smaller white one to the left of the chopped blue one).

This happened on Feb 28th, a couple of months ago.


http://www.debatepolicy.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=6086&stc=1

[NightTrain]

6164

[NightTrain]

I'm up at the cabin, testing my new phone out and uploaded the above pic from here. Looks like it's very small, is it?

[Kathianne]

I'm up at the cabin, testing my new phone out and uploaded the above pic from here. Looks like it's very small, is it?
Looks good to me. What's that under the tarp, to the left? A boat or the biggest outdoor cooking device I've seen!

[NightTrain]

You mean to the right? The sauna is on the right and that tarp is covering cedar tongue-and-groove for interior walls. My brother's bringing me up new tarps and we're going to do some maintenance here this weekend... new fascia for the top, right under the roof on both buildings.

The pic I uploaded looks tiny on this phone, like a thumbnail size. Weird!

Thanks Kath!

[NightTrain]

Just got the wheeler and trailer hauled up on the boat yesterday.

6169

[NightTrain]

Front row parking!

6170

[Kathianne]

Front row parking!

http://www.debatepolicy.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=6170&stc=1

LOL! I'm channeling my experiences at lake house. You need to get closer to dock, I don't go in water!

[Jeff]

Beautiful Rick !!!

Every picture is post card perfect !!!

[jimnyc]

Can someone please loan or give me $1600 so that I can take NT up on his offer to come stay at his cabin? Preferably the "give" option. :)

[NightTrain]

LOL! I'm channeling my experiences at lake house. You need to get closer to dock, I don't go in water!

You won't even get your feet wet... step off the bow and onto shore!

The only reason I can park here is because the river is high right now. About30 feet down from the boat, the water is about 8" deep so come in 'on step', meaning hydroplaning at a high rate of speed.

When Sharon and I were here 3 weeks ago, we had to park the boat about a quarter mile downstream, which is one of the reasons we got the wheeler and trailer.

[NightTrain]

Our holding tank

6175

[NightTrain]

Our holding tank

6175

We nabbed about 15 total. Rainbows, Dolly Varden and Grayling.

[Trigg]

AMAZING PICTURES soooooo jealous lol

[Jeff]

Oh, now I understand what you're thinking of doing. I think that'd be very cool, that's one the few areas I haven't been to. So 60 miles of the Taylor is paved, and that leaves another 100 miles of gravel. I'd definitely have 2 spare tires if you can manage it... you won't have cell coverage either, as far as I know. Some of the remote gravel Alaskan roads will beat you to death and I have no info for you on that road. You could google a business phone number in Chicken and ask them how it is, they'd give you the straight scoop.

You'll be going through Chicken, AK.... and that's a good story as to how it got it's name. Back in the pioneer days, they had a town meeting to name their town. Everyone liked Ptarmigan (medium sized bird pronounced with a silent P) and they decided to name it as such. The only problem was that no one could agree on how to spell Ptarmigan, and the debate raged with no solution. Finally, out of disgust, they decided to name the town Chicken, because everyone agreed on how to spell that.

Once you hit Tok, you're paved all the way. But if Alaska DOT gets around to putting up a BUMP sign, do not disregard it. I have found myself airborne in my pickup... they're lazy bastards and if a bump gets a sign, then it's potentially lethal.

I watched a show just last night called Building Alaska and one of the guys was building in Chicken and the biggest issue they had where the roads, he needed a load of concrete delivered but they had to fix the road so the truck could get in. Now a bike can places a than a heavy truck can't but from what I seen what they called a road was more of a swamped mud hole :laugh: But it was beautiful, and I am not sure if it was made for TV or real but they said Chicken had a population of 7 and one working toilet ? NT does that sound correct ?

[namvet]

those are just awesome photos NT. be sure and save those to a CD so they don't get lost

[NightTrain]

I watched a show just last night called Building Alaska and one of the guys was building in Chicken and the biggest issue they had where the roads, he needed a load of concrete delivered but they had to fix the road so the truck could get in. Now a bike can places a than a heavy truck can't but from what I seen what they called a road was more of a swamped mud hole :laugh: But it was beautiful, and I am not sure if it was made for TV or real but they said Chicken had a population of 7 and one working toilet ? NT does that sound correct ?

It's possible... I've never been there. I have no doubt that there are some really terrible roads out there, though.

But there's a lot of towns here in AK that only have a few people in it. Hell, Wasilla was just a General Store named Teeland's back in the early 70's when my Dad and I were exploring AK in his bronco... now it's turned into a pretty big city with the outlying areas.

Most of those Alaska shows you see are faked. Like that one down out of Homer with that family "Desperately trying to get meat to survive!!!!!"... I know exactly where that is down East End Road and there's a Russian Orthodox Village at the end of it. Where that family is "struggling" to survive, about 5 miles away is a McDonalds, grocery stores, Subway, etc. They're not out in the boonies, that show is a load of crap and it annoys me that they distort and mislead everyone about AK.

[Jeff]

It's possible... I've never been there. I have no doubt that there are some really terrible roads out there, though.

But there's a lot of towns here in AK that only have a few people in it. Hell, Wasilla was just a General Store named Teeland's back in the early 70's when my Dad and I were exploring AK in his bronco... now it's turned into a pretty big city with the outlying areas.

Most of those Alaska shows you see are faked. Like that one down out of Homer with that family "Desperately trying to get meat to survive!!!!!"... I know exactly where that is down East End Road and there's a Russian Orthodox Village at the end of it. Where that family is "struggling" to survive, about 5 miles away is a McDonalds, grocery stores, Subway, etc. They're not out in the boonies, that show is a load of crap and it annoys me that they distort and mislead everyone about AK.

:laugh::laugh::laugh:

I figured most where BS , honestly I watch them for the scenery. AK is beautiful and I pray that I will make it there at least once before I check out.

[jimnyc]

Since no one bit on my original request...

How about someone pony up the $1600 to get me to Alaska, and we'll videotape my adventures just like a reality show. Think about it, a city slicker from NY showing up in Alaska. Clueless about the wild and needs to survive for a week... We can even setup live cameras so you can all laugh at me!

[NightTrain]

Just got back last night from the cabin, everyone had a great time.

My daughter on the left and my niece on the right, roasting marshmallows.

http://www.debatepolicy.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=6191&stc=1

[NightTrain]

My daughter with a nice Dolly Varden up through the canyon at Disappointment Creek. That's our little holding tank we built to hold the fish until we were done.

http://www.debatepolicy.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=6192&stc=1

[NightTrain]

My brother Jim doing a little logging, bringing up a little firewood for the fire, his daughter and my dog Frost watching the show. Those Big Red 3-wheelers are bulletproof and it's what we grew up using back in the day. They're damned hard to get ahold of now because they're illegal to sell new anymore - too many kids were getting killed on them. But they're the ultimate workhorse out there if you know what you're doing.

http://www.debatepolicy.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=6193&stc=1

[NightTrain]

The kids cooling off after a hot sauna.

http://www.debatepolicy.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=6195&stc=1

[NightTrain]

My brother Jim's daughters riding in the bow on the way up to the canyon to do some fishing.

http://www.debatepolicy.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=6196&stc=1

[NightTrain]

A friend Jed and his daughter putting primer on the new fascia prior to painting to go up on the cabin.

http://www.debatepolicy.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=6197&stc=1

[aboutime]

Since no one bit on my original request...

How about someone pony up the $1600 to get me to Alaska, and we'll videotape my adventures just like a reality show. Think about it, a city slicker from NY showing up in Alaska. Clueless about the wild and needs to survive for a week... We can even setup live cameras so you can all laugh at me!


Jim. Got an idea. :laugh: You should send a request to 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. Washington, D.C. asking for some of those OBAMA BUCKS that family has been using for their VACATIONS.:laugh:

Remember this Obama Promise?


http://youtu.be/n39knT_ZV8Y

[NT'sGirl]

My brother Jim doing a little logging, bringing up a little firewood for the fire, his daughter and my dog Frost watching the show. Those Big Red 3-wheelers are bulletproof and it's what we grew up using back in the day. They're damned hard to get ahold of now because they're illegal to sell new anymore - too many kids were getting killed on them. But they're the ultimate workhorse out there if you know what you're doing.

http://www.debatepolicy.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=6193&stc=1


Bet Frost was thinking I bet I can fetch that! ( or I hope you don't expect me to fetch that depends on her mood)

[Jeff]

NT I had one of those 3 wheelers back in the day and they where a blast, mine was a Kawasaki if I remember correctly , but most had the Big Red ones. Then they came out with the 3 wheeler racing models, now they where a blast ( not to good for working but hey I was from NJ not much hauling firewood there :laugh: )

NT these pictures are fantastic, I actually log on and immediately look to see if there are any new ones, I think if I was 20 years younger ( and healthier ) I would be doing my best to move up there.

Thank you Buddy for posting them, maybe someday I will make it up there even if just for a visit.

[NightTrain]

NT I had one of those 3 wheelers back in the day and they where a blast, mine was a Kawasaki if I remember correctly , but most had the Big Red ones. Then they came out with the 3 wheeler racing models, now they where a blast ( not to good for working but hey I was from NJ not much hauling firewood there :laugh: )

They were awesome! In the boonies they're superior to 4-wheelers and 6-wheelers because you can really maneuver them around trees, brush, terrain and other obstacles. Very lightweight and very powerful with Low Range on the Big Reds.

When we first got our Big Red back when I was a kid, Dad told us that they'd float because of the big tires - but DON'T do it. Naturally, the first opportunity I had when the old man wasn't around was head to a nice pond to see for myself. It was hairy! It was constantly trying to turtle on me and I was almost swimming every 2 seconds... but I made it across. Never did it again deliberately, although I did float a 4-wheeler later and it was hairy, too.


NT these pictures are fantastic, I actually log on and immediately look to see if there are any new ones, I think if I was 20 years younger ( and healthier ) I would be doing my best to move up there.

Thank you Buddy for posting them, maybe someday I will make it up there even if just for a visit.

Glad you enjoyed them!

Just give me a little heads up and I'll give you the tour.

One thing you might consider is riding your Harley up. My Uncle in Wisconsin is going to ride the Alaska Highway in a year or two on his Harley, and so is FJ. A couple years ago I saw a big group of Harleys headed to Fairbanks from Anchorage and they all had Florida plates on them... that's one hell of a trip!

You can bolt a sidecar on your Harley and make Jim ride in it! Make him wear a white 3/4 helmet, big goggles and a scarf.

[Jeff]

They were awesome! In the boonies they're superior to 4-wheelers and 6-wheelers because you can really maneuver them around trees, brush, terrain and other obstacles. Very lightweight and very powerful with Low Range on the Big Reds.

When we first got our Big Red back when I was a kid, Dad told us that they'd float because of the big tires - but DON'T do it. Naturally, the first opportunity I had when the old man wasn't around was head to a nice pond to see for myself. It was hairy! It was constantly trying to turtle on me and I was almost swimming every 2 seconds... but I made it across. Never did it again deliberately, although I did float a 4-wheeler later and it was hairy, too.



Glad you enjoyed them!

Just give me a little heads up and I'll give you the tour.

One thing you might consider is riding your Harley up. My Uncle in Wisconsin is going to ride the Alaska Highway in a year or two on his Harley, and so is FJ. A couple years ago I saw a big group of Harleys headed to Fairbanks from Anchorage and they all had Florida plates on them... that's one hell of a trip!

You can bolt a sidecar on your Harley and make Jim ride in it! Make him wear a white 3/4 helmet, big goggles and a scarf.

That is my dream NT, I can't think of any place that would be as nice to ride in. But I would settle for a cruise, or honestly anyway I could make it.

[NightTrain]

FJ has the right idea to drive up and then take the Ferry all the way back down to Seattle. He'll see parts of AK that most Alaskans haven't even seen going that route.

It'll take longer but it's going to be well worth it.

[NightTrain]

Grizzly in front of the cabin. Small sow, it's been dead since about Sunday... someone shot it and it got away... I can't describe to you what tha smelled like. I have an iron stomach and it made me dry heave a couple of times. 6216

[Jeff]

What a shame this animal died senselessly, I have no problem with hunting at all ( in some cases I am even OK if folks do so out of season and what not as long as they are doing so to feed there families ) and yes sometimes when you shoot ya can't find the animal, but it is still a shame no matter if it was done with good intentions or not.

[Daniyel]

Alaska is incredible I'm dying to make a solo trip in there.

[NightTrain]

What a shame this animal died senselessly, I have no problem with hunting at all ( in some cases I am even OK if folks do so out of season and what not as long as they are doing so to feed there families ) and yes sometimes when you shoot ya can't find the animal, but it is still a shame no matter if it was done with good intentions or not.

You have to understand that there are WAY too many bears around this area... the cabins have been molested and ravaged - the guys that bought the place I grew up in 1 mile upstream had a grizzly get up on the roof and tear it's way into the cabin through the roof just because it felt like it - there was absolutely no food inside. It was just curious and discovered a way to get in and see through brute force and a few thousand dollars in repair bills.

Ours hasn't been raided because I'm uber cautious and all dishwater, coffee and cooking grease gets tossed into the current and swept away from the cabin in the river. The only food on site is canned food and some pasta - and I know I'm rolling the dice with the pasta, but it's in storage bins that help mitigate the food odor.

We have way too many bears, and DMP, I apologize for the comments on my FB page but it's really the way it is, and it seems cold but it's true. There are too many and people are taking care of business... I would rather thin them out than have my cabin wrecked or even worse, a kid mauled or worse.

This bear was shot by someone else and it ended up in front of our cabin - I know who did it but I'll not say. They are trying to thin the population around the area and I'm all for it - you wouldn't understand until you've been charged by a bear in your own yard at the cabin. We also have the same policy.

[NightTrain]

Just got back from the cabin... had a good time. Sharon's daughter Veronica on the right and my old tool partner Virginia on the left. Our goal was to get a bunch of King Salmon, but they weren't in, unfortunately.

http://www.debatepolicy.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=6217&stc=1

[NightTrain]

Virginia with a nice little Rainbow - it's dirty from flopping around in the gravel.

Pic taken today.

http://www.debatepolicy.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=6218&stc=1

[NightTrain]

You can't tell from this pic, but the water is 4' deep or more. Look at the tracks on the bottom of it, those are Grizzly tracks. Any bear that can still walk on the bottom in 4' of water is one hell of a big bear. This is above the first canyon in Talkeetna, halfway between Disappointment Creek and Iron Creek on the Talkeetna River. Pic taken yesterday.

http://www.debatepolicy.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=6219&stc=1

[NightTrain]

About 15 miles above the cabin at the creek in the pic above on the Talkeetna River. Yeah, Veronica is texting someone. Pic taken yesterday.

http://www.debatepolicy.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=6220&stc=1

[NightTrain]

The Grizzly as we floated it past the cabin.

http://www.debatepolicy.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=6221&stc=1

[NightTrain]

A little female Pink Salmon. I was very surprised to see this, because it's way too early for these. Usually they come in with the Silvers at the end of July/First week of August. Pic taken this morning.

http://www.debatepolicy.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=6222&stc=1

[NightTrain]

A few minutes later, Virginia nabbed this male Pink Salmon (Humpy). Yep, Virginia caught all the fish today, even though I was fishing too and I'm good. But I didn't get squat and she got all 3 fish today before we came back to town.

Note the big hump on the back of it, this is what happens when the male Pinks enter fresh water, and why they get their nickname 'Humpy'.

http://www.debatepolicy.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=6223&stc=1

[SassyLady]

Great pics, NT ... makes me feel like I'm there having fun with ya'll. Is that salmon storing up some beer?

:beer:

[Jeff]

NY what can I say picture perfect again, keep them coming buddy I love the pictures, they all look like a post card.

As for the bear, I understand I didn't but after your explanation I would be thinning them as well :thumb:

[NightTrain]

Check out this beauty! I caught this yesterday, it's the biggest Dolly Varden I've ever seen out of the Talkeetna River - and I've been fishing it since '82. It was pretty tasty, I was told by my buddy and his girlfriend.

Yeah, I know I'm scruffy... shaving messes with my scar from the surgery I had a few weeks ago, so I'm not shaving until it's fully healed.

http://www.debatepolicy.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=6288&stc=1

[NightTrain]

Took this last night about midnight, and thought it looked cool. We had the generator running and the floodlights on while charging the cabin DC system.

http://www.debatepolicy.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=6289&stc=1

[NightTrain]

Our dog Frost giving me the impatient look... I wasn't moving fast enough to go fishing yesterday morning, apparently. My buddy's girlfriend behind Frost. That's the river in the background.

http://www.debatepolicy.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=6290&stc=1

[NightTrain]

My buddy Bill and his Monster Catch Of The Day.

It was funny that the baby King Salmon had the audacity to attack the lure.

http://www.debatepolicy.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=6291&stc=1

[NightTrain]

Now that the water is low, we have to park down below the cabin about 100 yards or so. There's no point in risking beating up the boat by sucking gravel through the jet... that gets real expensive, fast.

http://www.debatepolicy.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=6292&stc=1

[NightTrain]

Looking upriver.

http://www.debatepolicy.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=6293&stc=1

[NightTrain]

Bill fighting a 15-pound salmon yesterday.

http://www.debatepolicy.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=6294&stc=1

[NightTrain]

Hauling it up onto the beach. This is a Chum salmon. If you look at the color pattern, it's almost a camouflage on the sides. They're not very acrobatic like a Silver, they're more raw horsepower when you fight them... they're tremendously strong, second only to a King for pulling power. I've snapped 60-test line battling them before.

http://www.debatepolicy.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=6295&stc=1

[NightTrain]

Maggie showing the boys how it's done. That was her first fish that she hooked & landed, ever... so she was very proud of herself.


http://www.debatepolicy.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=6296&stc=1

[NightTrain]

Not a bad day's work. We nabbed Reds, Silvers, Chums & Pinks, along with a few trout. Ended up with about 100# of fillets that will be smoked starting tomorrow.

http://www.debatepolicy.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=6297&stc=1

[darin]

geesh NT. We need to be neighbors. I Really need to find work up that way.

[Jeff]

geesh NT. We need to be neighbors. I Really need to find work up that way.

OK. Y'all got room for one old guy from the south, I want into the neighborhood.


Beautiful pictures Rick and man what a nice bunch of fish.

[NightTrain]

I took Sharon's brother and my youngest son & his friend dip netting for salmon a couple of weeks ago. We ended up with 32 salmon and it was a fun day.

Dip netting is only open in certain areas during specific times. The nets have 15-foot handles on them and the net itself is no bigger than 4 feet across. You just put the net down in the water and let the salmon swim into them, and haul them up into the boat.

It sucks to be trying this from shore, because that mud is over 3 feet deep and it traps your feet like quicksand. Doing this from the boat is much better.

http://www.debatepolicy.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=6299&stc=1

[NightTrain]

It was definitely a busy day. My son Tanner in the middle, talking to his friend Noah... probably trying to decide who's turn it was to use that net.

So about 2 hours after this picture was taken, Tanner was standing on the stern and he started to lose his balance and dropped that bronze-colored net into the water... it was about $200 worth of net that quickly sank out of sight.

So I grabbed my fishing pole and tried to hook it with a big lure. Fishing isn't allowed in a dip netting area, and I knew if there was a cop anywhere around I'd end up talking to him about it - but I had to try and retrieve that damn net.

After my futile 10 minutes of trying to get it back, suddenly Paul said, "The cop wants us to come over there." I said, "What cop?" and looked over and there was an Alaska State Trooper giving me the finger to come hither. Shit! So we pulled up anchor and idled over to shore, and I explained what I was doing with my fishing pole.

He didn't nail me for fishing with a pole, because I really wasn't and had witnesses as to what happened with my son losing the net overboard. So he checked me out and I was confident that I was 100% legal... and it turns out I was 99% legal. Boat registration, flares, life jackets, signalling devices, fishing licenses, dip netting licenses, navigation lights, check check check! I was home free!

But then as the Trooper was getting off my boat, he asked me if I had a Throwable life preserver. Damn! Didn't have one on board, so he helpfully wrote me a $110 ticket for not having one. Any old boat cushion would have saved me, but I was screwed.

http://www.debatepolicy.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=6300&stc=1

[NightTrain]

I'll never forget what happened about 3 hours after this was taken.

The tides in this area are over 30 feet, so when the tide turns there will be a small tidal wave about 2 to 3 feet high that runs about 25 MPH or so. This is called a Boar Tide and it's cool to see.

So up on the bank you can see people sitting there waiting for high tide so they can dip net from shore. About an hour after the tide turned, there was a woman up there and she called down to all of us in boats - "Hey, guys! The Boar Tide's coming!" I knew what that meant, but apparently all of the small boats & canoes around us didn't. A few of them waved at her, acknowledging they heard her. She waited a couple minutes and yelled down the warning again, and still no reaction people in the canoes around me. At this point, I should have gotten my camera ready, and I'm pissed that I didn't.

Suddenly we heard what sounded like a 737 coming toward us, getting steadily louder. It was the Boar Tide. It came rushing around the corner from the ocean and came hauling ass up the creek. Then the canoeists realized what the woman up top had been trying to tell them. She was up top happily snapping pictures. All of them started frantically paddling to turn their canoes into the wave of water rushing at them, only a few succeeded.

There was a red canoe behind my boat that managed to get exactly broadside when it struck, and the canoe dumped them into the water with all their gear. Tackle boxes, beer, cigarettes, nets, life jackets, everything was in the water. They hit the stern of my boat and pulled themselves up in my boat in a panic.

Then the wave hit my boat, and naturally lifted it up and forward. Unfortunately, there were 2 women that had paddled down directly in front of my bow with their canoes tied together. My boat went up and over their canoes, sinking them both to the bottom. I realized what was going on and jumped into the water up to my chest and grabbed my boat & pulled it back off them.

They both came spluttering back up to the surface, and one began yelling at me to "Pull my bow up!!". I told her it was far too late - "Honey, you're already sunk." There were overturned canoes and gear and people splashing around everywhere.

It was magnificent chaos. I was so impressed that I forgot to take pictures... there was a lot to take in.

So we helped people get their canoes righted & everyone got their gear sorted out - the stuff that floated, anyway. There was a LOT of gear sitting on the bottom.

About 30 minutes later, the chick that had been deep sixed under my boat called over and said, "Hey, just want you to know that the bottom of your hull is pristine! The only scratches on it are from my fingernails. I got a real close look at it." It was pretty funny and she had a good sense of humor.

http://www.debatepolicy.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=6301&stc=1

[Said1]

The wussie city girl has to stop visiting this thread. The scenery is beautiful, but also reminds me of why I'm afraid of the apocolypse. I'd be dead in 5 seconds. :laugh2:

[Abbey Marie]

OK. Y'all got room for one old guy from the south, I want into the neighborhood.


Beautiful pictures Rick and man what a nice bunch of fish.

Perfect place to bond...

[NightTrain]

geesh NT. We need to be neighbors. I Really need to find work up that way.


What line of work are you in, Darin?

[NightTrain]

OK. Y'all got room for one old guy from the south, I want into the neighborhood.


Beautiful pictures Rick and man what a nice bunch of fish.

Thanks!

Thinking of going back up tomorrow or Thursday and get another bunch of fish. It's funny because I don't eat salmon but everyone else loves it and Sharon's brother does an awesome job smoking it, so I go out and supply the fish for the whole process.

That reminds me, I need to ship down a bunch to my family in Wisconsin... they're waiting impatiently for it.

[aboutime]

Thanks!

Thinking of going back up tomorrow or Thursday and get another bunch of fish. It's funny because I don't eat salmon but everyone else loves it and Sharon's brother does an awesome job smoking it, so I go out and supply the fish for the whole process.

That reminds me, I need to ship down a bunch to my family in Wisconsin... they're waiting impatiently for it.


NT. Salmon is my favorite. Even more than lobster. Doctors say it's the cleanest, and best for people like me with blood, and heart conditions.

Great photo's. I envy you being there to enjoy Nature with your boys.

Those Tides really scare a lot of people. Something about the Pacific that causes extremely high, and low tides.
When I was still in the navy. We had to stop on the Pacific side of the Panama canal overnight, and we fished for Yellowjack from the pier, and later. After Low tide came in really fast...about ELEVEN FEET down. We shifted to the ship.
Great luck to you enjoying that freedom.

[NightTrain]

NT. Salmon is my favorite. Even more than lobster. Doctors say it's the cleanest, and best for people like me with blood, and heart conditions.

Great photo's. I envy you being there to enjoy Nature with your boys.

Those Tides really scare a lot of people. Something about the Pacific that causes extremely high, and low tides.
When I was still in the navy. We had to stop on the Pacific side of the Panama canal overnight, and we fished for Yellowjack from the pier, and later. After Low tide came in really fast...about ELEVEN FEET down. We shifted to the ship.
Great luck to you enjoying that freedom.

Glad you liked them, AT.

I ate way too much salmon and oatmeal when I was a kid growing up out there, so these days I don't eat either one.

In fact, I get pissed at Sharon when she buys oatmeal to feed to the kids and I'll throw that crap away. It's evil.

I love lobster, crab, scallops and halibut, though. I'm a bottomless pit when it comes to seafood.

[aboutime]

Glad you liked them, AT.

I ate way too much salmon and oatmeal when I was a kid growing up out there, so these days I don't eat either one.

In fact, I get pissed at Sharon when she buys oatmeal to feed to the kids and I'll throw that crap away. It's evil.

I love lobster, crab, scallops and halibut, though. I'm a bottomless pit when it comes to seafood.


I love lobster too! But my doc says it's not good for helping to keep the arteries clear. Trouble is. BUTTER. Just Butter.

Saw something on tv a while ago, somewhere in Maine, or Rhode Island. A Lobster cubes sandwich on an Italian, Long, roll...Drenched in Butter and the optional COLE SLAW added to invite the calorie score to send me back to the ER.:laugh:

[NightTrain]

I took my step sister and her friend fishing last Friday... and damn if the Fishing Newbie didn't shatter the record for biggest Dolly Varden out of the Talkeetna!

This thing was a monster, it was bigger than 3 of the Silver Salmon we had.

http://www.debatepolicy.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=6313&stc=1


And here it is compared to a Silver... the Dolly is on top, Silver on the bottom :
http://www.debatepolicy.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=6314&stc=1

[NightTrain]

Last trip of the year! Started snowing last night, it's 33 degrees right now. The water is extremely low, I was running in 3 inches quite a few spots... never hit bottom, though. We'll be doing good to make it back down to town without hitting. 6444

[NightTrain]

Happy Hour a few weeks ago.

http://www.debatepolicy.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=6471&stc=1

[NightTrain]

Some maintenance on the cabin... adding new fascia and flashing.

http://www.debatepolicy.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=6472&stc=1

[NightTrain]

Sharon and my brother Jim... steaks hot off the grill.

http://www.debatepolicy.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=6473&stc=1

[NightTrain]

View from where I park the boat.

http://www.debatepolicy.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=6474&stc=1

[NightTrain]

My mom & stepdad on the right.

http://www.debatepolicy.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=6475&stc=1

[NightTrain]

My brother Jim unhooking a little Rainbow for his daughter, Madison. She's very concerned for the Rainbow's well-being. My son Tanner on the right, I'm not sure what he was doing there... the little goof!

http://www.debatepolicy.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=6476&stc=1

[NightTrain]

A buddy Chad, with his awesome catch of the day.

http://www.debatepolicy.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=6477&stc=1

[NightTrain]

This is the confluence of the Talkeetna and Sheep rivers. The Talkeetna goes hard left, the sheep on the right. This is about 4 miles down from the cabin.

http://www.debatepolicy.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=6478&stc=1

[NightTrain]

This is about 2 miles below the cabin, and the most difficult part of the run. The river branches off into 3 different channels, leaving not much water to navigate. The correct one is the right channel, and it's pretty skinny water... but if you choose either of the other two, you'll "rock out", meaning you hit bottom and suck a bunch of gravel through the jet unit and severely damage it.

I'll see if I can upload a video to youtube showing the run through the right channel... it's pretty cool and challenging.

http://www.debatepolicy.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=6479&stc=1

[NightTrain]

And this, my friends, is how to properly unload a boat. Wheeler is fully loaded, complete with a girlfriend that never had to get her feet wet.

http://www.debatepolicy.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=6480&stc=1

[NightTrain]

Tried a Panorama shot on my phone... kind of cool. Clearly I was rotating a little too fast and got the boat twice.

http://www.debatepolicy.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=6481&stc=1

[NightTrain]

So my brother bought a bunch of fireworks, and since I had about 10 gallons of diesel I needed to get rid of and and old broken wheelbarrow, why not?

We all started lobbing Roman Candles at the wheelbarrow and I got the lucky shot & ignited it.

http://www.debatepolicy.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=6482&stc=1

[NightTrain]

Exploring a side slough off the river on the 3 wheeler... taken last Saturday.

http://www.debatepolicy.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=6483&stc=1

[NightTrain]

Frost tried to bring her New Favorite Stick inside the cabin... seems it was a little too long. She was perplexed.

The grated door on the right is our Bear Door, we got it from a bank that was being remodeled in Anchorage back in the early '90s - it was their vault door.

http://www.debatepolicy.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=6484&stc=1

[NightTrain]

This is our neighbor a mile upriver that bought the cabin that I grew up in. He stopped in last Saturday in his new boat that he's testing. It's basically an aluminum jetski, has 165 HP and a 10' hull. It really moves.

These are getting very popular because they're incredibly light and powerful, and can go in water impossible to go through with a normal jet boat. The downside it's a cold, cold ride, especially a couple of feet off the glacial water at 50 MPH.

http://www.debatepolicy.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=6485&stc=1

[NightTrain]

...and off they went, at a high rate of speed.

http://www.debatepolicy.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=6486&stc=1

[NightTrain]

Here's a clip running that right channel. Towards the end you can hear me hammer the throttle and we start moving. Sorry for the shaky camera, Sharon was holding it up above the windshield and all the ripples in the water will do that.

I set youtube to help the shaky-camera thing, it's still processing. Probably be modified in a half hour or so.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/Aq6BwTfwQ20" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

[fj1200]

Cool. How long is the ride to get to the cabin from civilization?

[NightTrain]

Cool. How long is the ride to get to the cabin from civilization?

Anywhere from 30 to 45 minutes, depending on how heavily loaded I am and how hard I'm running her. If I run at 3500 RPMs, we're really skipping along and it takes a half hour... but I don't like running her that hard. The 302 Redline is limited at 4000 RPMs and I only do that when I'm getting her on step or if I'm about to run over some shallow water like the last part of the video above - we went over water that was about 4" deep, and the faster you go, the higher the boat rides in the water.

I usually run at 3200 RPMs (then the 4-barrels aren't kicked in and the fuel economy goes way up) and it's a leisurely ride. The current is about 16 to 17 MPH, so you're bucking that on the way up.

[fj1200]

That's not bad. It would take me a lot longer than that to get to any cabin worth having around here.

[NightTrain]

That's not bad. It would take me a lot longer than that to get to any cabin worth having around here.

Well... Talkeetna is about 80 miles North from Wasilla. So it'll take an hour to drive to Talkeetna, a half hour to load, launch and warm up the boat, then another 40 mins or so running the river.

So figure about 2 hours or so to get from my house to the cabin if everything goes smoothly, which it almost always does.

[NightTrain]

Here's a helicopter video I shot back in '09. We were working out of King Salmon and flying to the coast near Kodiak. Most of this scenery is Katmai National Park where the famous pictures of a bunch of Grizzlies standing at the top of the waterfall catching salmon in their mouths are taken.

Usually you aren't allowed to fly low in Katmai, but since we were working for the National Park Service on this particular job, we had permission to do what we wanted.

For some reason the audio cut out, but all you'd hear is helicopter anyway.

This was a brand new Bell 407 helicopter, it was a magnificent machine!

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/XRRg8mFvvgo" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

[NightTrain]

2nd part of that video, the pilot gives us a little thrill ride... nothing like he did the next day, though. Need to find that one.

At 9:25, you can see the shelters we were slinging out to the mountain to replace the old ones. It was a long sling load, as I recall about 80 miles.

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/Bgx3h3OL0pY" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>