Made it to False Pass

Yesterday, the flight from Anchorage to Sand Point, then on to Cold Bay was uneventful. Once we got to Cold Bay we were put in "hurry up and wait mode". We waited in the terminal for about 3 hours before we finally got the go ahead for the flight to False Pass. We tried to fly here yesterday and got all the way to the strait but had to turn around to due poor visibility as the fog was down to the deck.  Listening to the AWOS on the way, I heard it report the visibility in False Pass at 6 miles, then within the 15 minute flight the visibility steadily dropped to 5 miles, 3.5 miles, 1.5 miles than finally, 0.5 miles.  Inevitably, I hear the pilot say, "ya, we're heading back".  10 minutes later we were on the ground in Cold Bay, again.

Then this morning I get the call, "we're gona try for False Pass here soon".  About half hour later, we get all loaded and ascend out of Cold Bay.  I should have taken a photo cause there's no way to express the slight fear I had when all I could see was white.  The fog was thick but I was assured it was "nice" in False Pass.  I like flying in small planes, but I cant help but feel a little nervous when I can't see more than 5 ft ahead of me.  At least I know the route we're taking has no sudden mountains to slam into.  Once we got to the Pass it cleared up, but we weren't out of the woods just yet.  The wind was most certainly picking up.  The pilot says, "make sure your seat-belt is tight, we're gona make...an interesting approach".  "interesting".  indeed.  The plane makes a few sudden 10 ft drops because of the drafts coming over the mountains.  My stomach ends up in my throat 3 times.  At least we can see the village and the runway.  My knuckles turn white as I grab the "oh shit" handle on the right.  I quickly wonder if I will accidentally pull it off the retainer bolts.  The approach was interesting all right.  We head perpendicular to the runway and I wonder when the pilot will start making the turn straighten out.  Just as the thoughts turn to "oh shit"  he makes one last quick adjustment as we're about 10ft off the ground and "swoosh"!  we turn and land all at once.  That certainly got my heart rate up.

I'm now settled in False Pass for the next 4 weeks.  There's hardly any snow on the ground and the weather is fair for the moment.  I'm very pleased to have internet and satellite TV in the house I'm staying in.  Looking forward to taking the Rhino for a cruise later with camera in hand.

Here's the link for the FAA weather cams for False Pass, Alaska.
http://avcams.faa.gov/viewsite.php?bookmark=70QBZOAR

Back in Akutan

well after a 2 year hiatus from travelling and living full time in Adak, I'm back on the road, err...air...and water.  I just arrived in Akutan last night and am scheduled to be here for 4 weeks, but schedules change so who really knows.  Getting to Akutan is always a challenge, getting out is ever more so.  Last time I was here I came by seaplane, a Grumman Goose.  Now its by hovercraft.  And the rumor is, by next month it will be by helicopter.  But this was my first experience on a hovercraft and I gotta say, it was quite impressive!  I didn't get a chance to take photos yesterday but was able to get a few shots today after I took my colleague to the ramp for his departure.

The Sunax parked on the ramp

Akutan's Trident Seafood processing plant in the background, well, behind all the containers

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Sun Pillar

Gyrfalcons (Nesting Pair) series

Gyrfalcon

Horseshoe Cove 7/5/13

Adak in August

An edited version of this photo won a photo contest for a web site at www.survival-pax.com . they are using it as their banner photo now.

Adak Sunrise over Kuluk Bay

Springtime Adak Sealions at the outfall in Kuluk Bay

Dangerous Waters

Stay tuned for a tv show on HDNET called Dangerous Waters which will feature several of my panoramic photos of False Pass, Alaska on episode 7. 

Info from their web site states- "Dangerous Waters is a new reality television show coming in March 2012.  Follow five Dangerous Waters crewmembers as they embark upon an epic adventure riding their SeaDoo personal watercraft from Seattle up through Alaska and across the Bering Strait to Russia".

Winter Solstice Sunset in Nelson Lagoon, Alaska last night

More from Nelson Lagoon



Twin Sisters

Sunset and Crescent Moon Rise

Hole in the log

Driftwood

Amazing sunset in Nelson Lagoon



One of the nicest sunsets I've seen in a while! Photo taken last night 9/18.
Bering Sea 3 shot panoramic

From Whittier to Nelson Lagoon

A new feature from Blogspot, click a photo and view the rest of the photos in the post as a slideshow!

A creek in Whittier with spawning salmon.

The green was amazing, I don't even think I was able to capture what it really looked like.

A spawning "humpy" pink salmon.

Portage Glacier

Nelson Lagoon Panorama

Bering Sea beach from Nelson Lagoon, AK

My impromptu walking partner.  He followed me on my walk and seemed to love my company as much as I enjoyed his.  I don't know his name but I called him Sunny cause he showed up on the the first sunny day we've had in a week.

What can I say.

Bering Sea panorama

Sea Lions in the Northern Pacific Ocean near Adak Island.

Adak Fishing Boats After Dark

F/V - EARLY DAWN

F/V - LARISSA M

USCGC Munro in Adak today

USCGC Munro (WHEC-724) is a High Endurance Cutter

The Rhino and Solstice

It's pretty rainy here.  Thankfully I have a golf cart on steroids at my disposal.  This Yamaha Rhino has been my safari vehicle here in False Pass the past several weeks.  On a side-note; This buggy is tough, it survived 100mph+ winds a few months back.  After being tossed about 100ft away from where it was parked the only real damage was to that broken-in door, causing all the glass to break and..  Anyway, so just now I was thinking, I should go for a ride.  Then I remembered I forgot to get gas earlier; Its kinda gettin low now...  See, you can only get gas here at 1:00pm at the Peter Pan dock, and it closes after the last person leaves.  Hm, just like the bar in Adak...  Anyway, this morning I met the guy that runs the fuel and ops at Peter Pan..He seemed like a nice guy.  He even told me I can go get gas earlier than 1:00... I was thinking, Like right now, cool?..."You can go at 12:59", he replied.. So needless to say, my short term memory hasn't been the best lately cause I forgot to get gas.  Now I have to think about how much gas do I really have, and i wonder how far can I go?  I guess I have some time to think about it.  it's still early at 7:30pm.  Which translates to about 5 more hours of daylight.  At least it's not windy! Happy Summer Solstice!!

Blue Lupine and websites that I have bookmarked.

If you find you have some downtime, go check out some websites that I have bookmarked, [in the box to the lower right of this page].  Especially check out the photo of  the 2 sea otters and other cool pics and info on a blog maintained by my friend Isaac in Adak at his his blog @ AdakBirding.com and then visit Alaska FAA web cams.  Click on that link, then scroll down to False Pass and you can see links to 2 web cams located about a 200ft away from the airport here.  Oh, and enjoy the the vertical panoramic blue lupine pic below.

Lupinus nootkatensis

False Pass- Panoramas

A Cherokeee 180 landing at False Pass Airport, Its a succession of the same airplane in 4 photos

(unknown name) mountain across Isanotski Strait from False Pass Village 

False Pass Harbor in Isanostki Strait, facing North, North East

Another view of the (unknown name) mountain with crab pots in foreground waiting to get wet this coming fall and winter.



I posted this photo a few weeks back. It's the view of False Pass Village taken from the Tustamena Ferry.  The old Peter Pan dock is toward the left of the photo.