Farewell Lake - Part I

Yesterday was supposed to be my “short day” Friday where I got off work at 2:30pm. Instead, by 2:30pm I was preparing to make an emergency landing on Farewell Lake in a Cessna 185.

It was Opening Day for land stakers in our Remote Recreation Cabin Staking program. There was a need for a last minute volunteer to accompany someone in the Remote Rec unit to the Big River South staking area. Guess who volunteered.

Luckily, I happened to have worn my hiking shoes and a fleece jacket to work yesterday. And my backpack, stocked with Dramamine was in the van. So I drugged up and headed for Lake Hood to meet our floatplane and head west over the Alaska Range to Big River South.

Next time you gaze at a mountain range, try seeing it as more than just one neat line of mountains. This is what I see when I look at the Alaska Range. In actuality, it is a large, seemingly endless expanse of spiky peaks and sharp, ravine-like valleys. Our pretty mountain ranges happen to also be full of flowing and retreating glaciers.

We lifted off from Lake Hood at 12:15 and headed across the Cook Inlet towards the Alaska Range. Mount McKinley stood tall to the north, all white against a blue sky. My Dramamine had kicked in and I was feeling fine, enjoying the adventure and awed by the view. We had a long way to go.

To be continued…