Journey Of A Lifetime (long)

[Stitch462]

Originally Posted by Vlad

A radio comes alive a bushy Cessna in opposite direction. Hi guys how it looks up there? Bad we couldn't make it through the pass they said. What are you up to? I am an experimental trying to make it to Galbraith Lake. Don't even try I doubt you can even make the shelf... unless you go IFR... Hmmm the shelf? what shelf?




Then it clicked. Chandalar Shelf Airport 5CD.

I've been there! Stopped for a potty break while driving even farther north while on a caribou hunt September 1995ish. Man that is one isolated place.

[Maverick 4003]

Thanks for the photo of Kotzebue, my cousin Rod is the H.S. principal there. Believe he flies commercially to Kavalina to get out further down to Anchorage when on break. Said kids can't go out for recess in Spring, as the Polar bears come out. I'll copy photo + send to him, appreciated.

[Lars]

Hey, I recognize the Diomedes! I haven't visited them- have only seen them through binoculars, but I've spent some time a couple of times on a teeny speck of land to their southeast, called Fairway Rock.

Enjoying the life vicarious, thanks more than you know for this thread!

[smokyray]

Originally Posted by Vlad

Unusual end of Day 7

Vlad, looks like an Epic!
Lots of AK memories for me as well...
Thanks for sharing!
V/R
Smokey

PS: Many moons ago I gave a deserving crew chief an F-16D (2 seat) incentive ride while deployed to Eielson AFB in Fairbanks. I told him "this is your ride, what would you like to do?" His answer: See Alaska! All of it! (as much as 11,500 pounds of gas will allow). OK then, we will try...
It was Epic...

[Steve Melton]

OK, you get a 6 pack from me for having to sleep in your plane to get the pictures. Dude!

[Vlad]

Originally Posted by Lars

Hey, I recognize the Diomedes! I haven't visited them- have only seen them through binoculars, but I've spent some time a couple of times on a teeny speck of land to their southeast, called Fairway Rock.

Enjoying the life vicarious, thanks more than you know for this thread!

That's one impressive rock Lars. It's pretty steep how did you climb it?

Originally Posted by smokyray

Vlad, looks like an Epic!
Lots of AK memories for me as well...
Thanks for sharing!
V/R
Smokey

PS: Many moons ago I gave a deserving crew chief an F-16D (2 seat) incentive ride while deployed to Eielson AFB in Fairbanks. I told him "this is your ride, what would you like to do?" His answer: See Alaska! All of it! (as much as 11,500 pounds of gas will allow). OK then, we will try...
It was Epic...

Glad to bring Eielson memories Ray. On that amount of gas I could turn around equator.

Originally Posted by Steve Melton

OK, you get a 6 pack from me for having to sleep in your plane to get the pictures. Dude!

We are even Steve. I owed you some for the bearings.

[Vlad]

Unalakleet morning started early. I desperately needed a telephone. First person showed up at a Bering outfit around 7:30 but they are opening at 8. It appeared to be a long day. I bought couple gallons of gas to top off the gent at the counter was trying to give me more change then I paid. They don't have a knack for math in Unalakleet he was glad to get his seventy bucks back. A call to Flight Service yielded what I expected. VFR not recommended icing starts at 10,000 feet all the way down to my next planned destination Cold Bay PACD. Another lesson learned when FSS tells you something you don't want to hear you better listen. Otherwise you will end up like myself 200 NM off course and nearly 300 NM short of your destination.





Here I am sucking oxygen and trying to catch an iPhone Shuttle on 123.45 to use their radar. No joy.








I knew the symptoms of frozen elevators so once in a while I shake the ice off and don't trust the airspeed indicator.





After 4.5 hours of dodging clouds and running low on O2 I ended up in Illiamna Lake PAIL.






The place is so busy and commercially oriented I couldn't find any spot to make a call. Verizon had no service there. If you are a recreational flyer and didn't prearrange your visit don't go there unless you are critical on fuel. I was.





There is no public restroom either you have to find a corner on a relatively exposed field. I learned that a pass toward Anchorage near Summit Lake was closed. I still had a bit of oxygen left so I hopped Chigmit Mountain Range then skimmed the tops over Cook Inlet toward Palmer. The Anchorage Class Charlie is a busy airspace I am wondering why it's not a Class B?





Civilized and peaceful Palmer was my reward for the day. I met an RV4 driver who flies Denali tours and is based at Talkeetna. I talked to somebody else then to two other guys... Finally a kind soul (it was the airport superintendent) gave me a short ride to a hotel.





There was that pretty Russian girl at the restaurant called Marina. We spoke some Russian automatically switching to English on topics we couldn't explain in mother tongue. Like what is an experimental aircraft...




I ate something and I drank a bit. After that I went to my room, dropped dead and slept for 10 hours.

[bk1bennett]

Vlad,

You are like one of the great explorers! Incredible!

[petehowell]

Vlad - a great tale! Thank You for sharing it!

[Grumpy-Hodge]

Vlad,
Amazing...
I am humbled before you sir.