A Flight from the Soggy Interior to the Dry North!

Today I flew to the Hodzana River, North of the Yukon River and found the river to be at the lowest water level I have seen in years! Many long gravel bars have been revealed by the lower water levels.
I landed on one particular scenic bar on the lower Hodzana. The following pictures show that bar and along the way, North of Fairbanks, the very high water levels in the rivers South of the Yukon, particularly the Beaver Creak Drainage.


This chapter of my flight blog is dedicated to my grandson, Calder Murray, aged 3 1/2 who wants to become my co-pilot

These first photos show the gravel bar and environs, including wild flowers,

the beauty of the stream and its side channels.

 This photo shows my touch down track on the gravel bar as I landed.

The next series of photos shows the swollen rivers that feed into the Yukon from the South.

The central Interior of Alaska has experienced very heavy rainfall this summer and the 

rivers flowing out of the White Mountains reflect this.

 The next two show the confluence of the lower mouth of the Beaver Creek where it flows into the 

Yukon River - clear water mixing with silt.

 Here are a few of the many long bars that have opened up on the Hodzana.

This is one of the reasons we love our Alaskan Bush Wheels - big rocks! Bigger tires!

Here is Victoria Mountain, like an old friend, showing the way! 

When Victoria is at 9:00 off the left wing, it's 45 minutes to home.

In the canyons of the clouds!

Out to Wien Lake on Wheels!

No comments needed here - just pure freedom and joy! Landing on the icy slush of a frozen lake on wheels!

Flying up to the Whites

On this trip, just before breakup, I flew to the edge of the Yukon Flats, following Beaver Creek and over the White Mountains, admiring some very special landmarks along the way: Gollogly's Point, where the Beaver Creek turns from West to North, Mount Adams (the native name - also known on maps as Mt. Schwatka) and checking from afar the Golden Eagles that nest in the rocks nearby.
This was a perfect day.

Back to the Yukon! Back to the stillness and peace!

There’s a land where the mountains are nameless, 

   And the rivers all run God knows where; 

There are lives that are erring and aimless, 

   And deaths that just hang by a hair; 

There are hardships that nobody reckons; 

   There are valleys unpeopled and still; 

There’s a land—oh, it beckons and beckons, 

   And I want to go back—and I will. 

Robert Service

…………………………………………………………………….

"It’s the beauty that thrills me with wonder, 

   It’s the stillness that fills me with peace."

Here is the Yukon River just after breakup.

Those who have flown to the Upper Yukon/Yukon Flats area will recognize several important landmarks visible on this beautiful and perfect flying day:

Victoria Mountain and Victoria Creek, and Lone Mountain - both key to navigation both on the service and in the air.