Day Seven
Up at dawn again we peer out the window of the Yukon Inn to clear, but hazy skies
We took off from Whitehorse around 9 am. The weather was supposedly good but it was expected to be much
like yesterday as the afternoon progressed
There was so much haze that I'm not even going to show you the pictures
Here we are coming into Northway where we clear customs
It was somewhat strange coming back into your own country and not being allowed to even get out of your aircraft
until an armed Homeland security official collected your papers and gave you the okay to go take a leak
Northway itself ain't exactly the prettiest spot in the state
you know you're in the far north when you have to duck when walking in front of your satellite dish
so as not to interfere with the signal
These things looked like they were pointed below the horizon
Before taking off we noticed another problem with the exhaust stack - a broken support tab
Our first 'bush' repair
After leaving Northway we decided to land at Tok Junction to check the repair and get something to eat
Fast Eddy's is just across the street
Here it is folks - the sixteen hundred dollar burger!
After leaving Tok Junction we started snaking our way through the passes that would lead us to Anchorage
it wasn't long before we started running into some of this stuff
They were scattered and we were able to get around most of them
Like I said yesterday - there's a lot of water up here
The further on we got the better it looked
Hey, there's the Alaska pipeline!
After passing the showers things really began to clear up
revealing a stunning panorama
Big mountains and glaciers
On a scale that is hard to comprehend
I'm speechless here....
We weren't saying much
as we did a 360 here with our jaws hanging open in wonderment
You could fly right up there but it's probably 20 miles
There's another big one just east of Palmer
as we break out on the home streatch - almost there
Anchorage has got to be the busiest airspace on earthwe need to stay to the left of the highway
to get past Elmendorf and squeak into Lake Hood
Lake Hood is our final destination, right next to Anchorage International
we're on base for the gravel strip
Lake Hood has to be seen to appreciate, pictures and words just won't do
there's the gravel strip
It's like.....
I can't find words worthy of describing it - 'pretty incredible' will have to do for now
Floatplanes and taildraggers rule this place
Beavers
all over the place
and weird looking special pickup trucks to launch them
We friggin' made it
Tracy California to Anchorage Alaska
in only seven days!