Minnesota to Alaska, June-July 2008

[jrenwick]

Hi all,

On Sunday, June 29, my friend Elaine and I will be setting out on a 170 vacation trip to Alaska. At the same time, my brother Bill will be heading from Oxford, OH to Fairbanks by motorcycle. I hope to meet up with him somewhere, but it's anybody's guess where or when that might be. We could even make bets about who will cross the border first!

Our itinerary is vague, because weather is such a factor on this trip. We want to visit friends in Juneau and Homer, and Richard Pulley at Hilltop. Dave Laseter has suggested an interesting circuit around the Kenai peninsula, and I'd like to do that. This will be my second Alaska Highway trip -- the first was to Anchorage from Minneapolis by J3 Cub in 2003. This time we'll be a little more comfortable!

For anyone who wants to follow our progress, I've made a Google group: http://groups.google.com/group/170s-to-Alaska. You can go there and request to join, and I'll let you in. Then you'll get emails from my SPOT satellite tracker each time we arrive somewhere, and from me, if and when I can find a wi-fi network and send an update.

Many thanks to Dave, Richard, and others who have given me great advice for this trip. I can't wait to get started!

[hilltop170]

Hey John-
I just applied to the group so I can keep up with your progress.
Richard

[jrenwick]

Hey John-
I just applied to the group so I can keep up with your progress.
Richard

Thanks! I approved it.

John

[Kyle Wolfe]

John, if Becky and I can't go with you, Elaine, Dennis and Nan we'll at least have fun following your progress.

Clear skies, cold beverages and safe passage.

[trial lawyer]

John, what a wonderful trip for you and Elaine. Have a plaeasant and safe journey. No moose stalls! I'll follow your updates on your google group.

Joel

[mit]

Say hi when you get here

[Kyle Wolfe]

John, the tracking device seems to be working well and it looks like a lot of people are tracking your journey. How enjoyable! Kudos to you for setting that up.

Wish we were there enjoying it with you. Instead I'm still waiting on 2 cylinders. Will be cutting it close next week to try and get to Branson. Becky's in Cleveland for work till Tuesday night. Hopefully we'll have cylinders on that same day and up early on Wednesday and off to Branson.

Ever notice how much you miss something when it's gone? I appreciate the issues with high gas prices, but I just can't picture us not being able to go out on our own schedule and fly! Anyway, sounds like fun. And thanks for the posting. But you better post some pictures pretty soon or we're gonna think you're in a car! (I know you're not cause I saw that turn you made BACK to the south when you shoulda been goin' North!) Enjoy.

[jrenwick]

Well, we arrived back at Lake Elmo around 6:00 PM on Friday, as some of you know who have been receiving the SPOT Tracker messages. 20 days, and a fabulous trip! N4401B ran without a hiccup the whole way -- 61 hours flying, two oil changes, 32 takeoffs and an equal number of landings. I love the O-300!

We flew across the Canadian prairies, up the Alaska Highway as far as Whitehorse, south to Juneau, north again to Tok and then down to Anchorage with a stop at Richard Pulley and Ina Vlesshouwer's Hilltop strip for some fresh-caught King and Red salmon (thank you, Richard and Ina!), rented a car and drove around the Kenai peninsula (lots of postcard quality scenery), took a boat cruise from Seward to look at whales and other wildlife, hiked up to the Exit Glacier, took a ride in a friend's 206 from Homer across the Cook Inlet to the foot of Mount Iliamna to land on the beach and look at brown bears, drove back to Anchorage to retrieve the 170 and fly up to Talkeetna, saw Denali close up from a Navajo above the cloud deck, flew back up the Glenn Highway and down the Alaska Highway then south to Cut Bank, Montana, rented a car and drove over the mountains to Kalispell, drove through Glacier park on the return trip, and finally flew home across northern Montana, southern North Dakota, and central Minnesota.

Near the end we learned from Tim Berg (mit on these forums) that we had not actually reached Alaska but my brother Bill (http://www.users.muohio.edu/renwicwh/) had, riding a Honda Shadow 750 from near Cincinnati. He'd made it to Fairbanks and Barrow. (The weather toward Fairbanks was crummy the day we left Talkeetna, so we went the other way.) Tim was most helpful to Bill, letting him store his helmet and other gear at Tim's place while flew commercial to Barrow for some geography research. I guess I'll have to enjoy Alaska vicariously when he returns and can download his photos! I'm greatful to all the 170 Association members who helped us and entertained us in one way or another. I wish I could have met them all!

Here are some photos:


Beautiful weather between Fort Nelson and Watson Lake


CAVU over Skagway!


Elaine and me, at the Mendenhall Glacier


At Eureka Lodge -- one of my favorite Alaska places


At Richard and Ina's Hilltop place


Thar she blows!


Cooper Landing, on the Kenai Peninsula. I wish a photograph could really capture the beauty!


My bear photo!


Denali (not my photo, but this is the way we saw it)


Headed home, past the Matanuska Glacier, in challenging weather


The Liard River between Watson Lake and Fort Nelson, BC. Yes, that's an airstrip!


Spectacular Glacier National Park


Home at last! Lake Elmo Airport (21D), Minnesota

[mit]

Good Job! Wish we could have meet up! Oh well, I don't think Bill saved any moose sticks for you Glad you had a good trip and enjoyed your visit! You couldn't pry me out of Alaska with a crow-bar. Maybe we should have another convention in Fairbanks?

[GAHorn]

Good Job! Wish we could have meet up! Oh well, I don't think Bill saved any moose sticks for you Glad you had a good trip and enjoyed your visit! You couldn't pry me out of Alaska with a crow-bar. Maybe we should have another convention in Fairbanks?

I move that we ACCEPT your offer, mit! I wanna come up there!

[mit]

ah oh I can't organize a cub scout meeting

[hilltop170]

John and Elaine-
Glad you guys made it home ok and had a good trip. We enjoyed watching your progress.

Ina and I sure enjoyed your visit here.

[170C]

Really nice photos John. Sounds like a fun trip. Your airport looks to be quite a nice one too. Thanks for sharing this with the rest of us.

Now, let's see what year is it that we are going to Fairbanks