Blue Ice Aviation - Blog

 

Most of these pictures were taken yesterday and they show the last of three re-rations supplied to this hiking team.  They are walking 180 miles through the Talkeetna mountains on this month long expedition (click the NOLS tab on the left side to see other similar NOLS stories).  My father-in-law Mike Meekin started hauling ice cream into the third and final re-ration of every course, years ago, and the tradition has stuck.  I have seen students cry at the sight of ice cream delivered to the tundra. Typically there is lots of screaming and laughing and thanking, before they set to the task of fairly divvying up the goods.  It's one of the best parts of my job because the students are so excited for something so ordinary in our day to day life.  These guys and gals have about a week more of hiking before they walk back into civilization with scores of miles and stories behind them.

This is NOLS AK-23 camped out at 7000' on a glacier in the Chugach. This course is intended for students 23 years of age and older. It is different from other NOLS courses because we haul the team both in, and out of the field with the Super Cubs. This allows these teams to maximize their time in the mountains, because AK-23 courses are 2 weeks shorter than a standard hike in hike out course.

We spent the majority of the day down here at 3000' in the rain. These guys were in the heat of the sun at 7000' enjoying a beautiful day. It's always surprising when a course leader calls in from a satellite phone and declares the weather as beautiful and sunny, while we are experiencing marginal weather down below. It's a fantastic feeling to pick your way up through the clouds to find a bright sun covered glacier with blue sky and heat when behind you is a gloomy rainy valley. Of course ... the opposite is usually true when they are in the clouds and we are in the clear, but mountain weather never ceases to amaze me.

OK, so here is another hearty group of NOLS students making their way through the Talkeetna Mts. The rain and fog has been on and off for the last several weeks, but I'm afraid it has favored the "on" side recently. Fortunately this group was up to the challenge, because I found them energetic and displaying huge smiles on their faces.

I spent approximately 40 minutes on the ground with them as they sorted through the groceries I had carried in. Even as we stood there the rain fall increased and the wind velocity strengthened, but nobody seemed to notice. They were just happy to have their fresh food and fuel. I think they were mostly excited about the extra ration of cheese, but I noticed the beef jerky was a big hit as well. We will see this team one more time before they complete the course in approximately 2 weeks after covering more than 150 miles on foot. (For more photos of NOLS courses click the "NOLS" tag on the left side of this page)

This is a NOLS course with students 16-21 years old, and three well-qualified instructors. They are currently walking through the Talkeetna Mountains ... which is no small feat for anybody who knows Alaska. I have twice flown in fresh groceries consisting of powdered potatoes, pasta, hash-browns, grits, cheese, peanut butter and pilot bread. I also back-haul their trash, and mail, and anything else not needed in an attempt to lighten their load. Usually the envelopes holding these letters are taped together with ace bandages and the paper used to write on is torn from the back of a well used book.

I will see them once more before they complete the nearly month long adventure. They will cover approximately 160 miles and the only physical human contact they have is with me. The weather has been challenging lately as we have recieved LOTS of rain and low lying fog. Fortunately this course appears to be up for the challenge, because they were all smiles when I last saw them and they appeared to be working well together as a team ... which is the key ingredient.

The snow has been a little deeper this year than past years so I know they have endured some wet feet and their fair share of post-holing. The World Cup and the NBA playoffs are a huge curiosity to them right now, and I always disappoint them with my lack of sports knowledge. NOLS is an excellent operation and we always enjoy working with them.

This is one of several teams of mountaineers currently climbing in the Chugach Mountains near by.  Most of these teams will be totally isolated in the extreme wilderness for 4 weeks.  The only contact with civilization during this time is when I bring them groceries in my 1962 Super Cub.  These climbers are with an organization called NOLS (National Outdoor Leadership School).  NOLS does an excellent job of training young people to be leaders while experiencing the rewards of the wilderness.  These month long trips test the endurance of all those who participate and they are some of our favorite clients.     I have done hundreds of flights for NOLS and I am always impressed by the goals they accomplish.  

This is one of the NOLS courses currently camped out on the ice field 20 miles from our house. I took this at 9 pm on my way home the other night. You can see how the warm temperatures have begun to melt the snow. It has been so warm that it has not been freezing at night even though it's nearly 10,000 feet! This weather cannot last forever but I guess we can enjoy it for the moment.