Post 6-24 2014. Wednesday. ---K2 Air Services, Ruth Glacier and the Dog Sled Ride.

Post # . Wednesday , June 25, 2014

WOW!. Today started with a wow because the first thing on our agenda was a fight (flightseeing) to see Mt McKinley and to land on  Ruth Glacier. The weather was accommodating as we got airborne and our flight lasted two hours.

                                  

  Our plane was a DeHaviland Beaver operated by K2 Aviation.  It is a single engine airplane with skis’ attached that can carry seven passengers plus the pilot.  We got airborne at 0900 and slowly started climbing to 12,000 ft as we flew toward the mountains at an airspeed of around 80 knots (ground speed 92). The flight took us to the McKinley and surrounding mountains, but we were unable to fly around it as planned due to the haze from the clouds that moved in. The air temperature was around +28 degrees F at 12,000 ft so it was pleasant when we landed on the glacier. The landing was good but a little rough because of the constant use of the area by other planes, especially in the afternoons when the snow softens and ridges form and refreeze. Morning flights must land and taxi in those ridges. The subsequent take off was interesting. Not only was it a little rough, but it was downhill in order to pick up airspeed quickly

Glacier--cracks can be 100-200 ft deep

A glacier

                                                   Captain Greg and Jesse

Another plane on the ice-it landed after we did.

                              

                                                             Mt McKinley 

The black between the whites is the dirt, debris, rocks pushed up by the two glaciers when they meet.

                                              

The Amphitheater--glacier landing area on Ruth Glacier--look at the frozen ruts in the snow

The little specks in the center of the photos is the basecamp of the mountain climbers. The spects are people.The cracks to the left and in pictures above it are crevasses in the snow/glacier, you can imagine how large they are.  The blue in the crevasses is the ice of the glacier.  The cracks can be upwards to 200 ft.

We only stayed on the glacier  about 20 minutes or so. Everyone (there was a family of five from Hawaii--grand mother & three boys/one girl with us) were able to take photos and walk around a bit to see what it is like. There were three other planes on the glacier when we arrived and another landed while we were there so we had company. They to were just milling about.

Our pilot, Captain Greg, was a well seasoned pilot with 38 years of flying. He once had a company in California before coming to Alaska. He said he owned his own plane and he took it to many places that most people wouldn’t go. He also had a plane with floats for landing on the water and frequently did. He was dual engine qualified but preferred his single engine Cessna.  He visits his son who is mining  in the mountains. I watched him somewhat intensely from my seat  behind him and I was reminded of my flying days  with my VP-10 crew. He reminded me of my Flight Engineer, Don Shaw, and the deft and professional way he approached flying his machine. I’ll fly with you anytime Captain.

After the flight, we went back to the Roadhouse and enjoyed breakfast. It was the greatest. There was a "standard" which consisted of eggs, potatoes-fried with peppers/onions, caribou sausage (uumm, delicious) very thick slice of toasted bread and all the coffee you can drink. You only dared to order the "half" size. I could hardly eat all of it.  Anita had a sourdough pancake that was larger than the plate it was served on.  The "sourdough" is famous in Alaska because the prospectors and miners always carried a small pouch of sourdough. The real highlight of our meal, family style, was the fellow diners at our table. The first group was made up of local workers, waiters and bartenders. 

However, the next group were mountain climbers.  Yes, real climbers. We passed two of them as they were walking from their plane back to K2 office as we were walking to our plane.  The most talkative one told us that he's too old to climb to the top, so he only went to 16,000.  Said that was enough to keep him in shape.  It was so interesting to hear them talk of their adventure.

The Dog Sled Ride

We also took a trip to a sled dog kennel for a presentation (show and tell) about the dogs. The kennel is owned by Jerry Sousa and Kathleen Holden. Our presenter and musher was Seth Barnes.. Seth came to Alaska  from Stockton, AL by way of Orange Beach, AL and college several years ago.  He gave us a detailed description of the Iditarod Race using a map painted on the floor of the Iditarod Room.  He also briefed us on what were to expect and the rules of treating the dogs and the sled pull. Afterwards he guided the dogs on the pull (run) of about a mile.

                                 

Kathleen Holden--Owner
 Because it is summer and the dogs don’t pull sleds over dirt and rocks, we used an ATV vehicle. And, because of  our weight (combined of five people)  he used the  ATV to accommodate our total weight which was around 1500-2000 lbs. The dogs are limited to 300 lbs in normal use. As we started walking to the ATV, the dogs started barking  and jumping around, AS IF TO SAY"HEY, TAKE ME-LET ME GO-I WANT TO GO." The dog team consisted of fourteen dogs, harnessed and attached to a single tow line, in pairs, one either side, so they would compete with each other and pull together. You could see that they were eager to start pulling as they strained in their harness to move as soon as they were connected to the tow line .
At the musher’s command, they started out all at once, each pulling his (her) part of the load. After about a mile he gave the command to stop and take a rest and to pee as they rested. All did. They minded him like we would want our children to mind. (never happen). When we reached the half way point we changed teams. Half way was  a small creek . They jumped in the stream without hesitation and gulped water very quickly. Then they were ready to go again. I didn't take my camera along since it was advisable that I didn't because of the rough ride. The ride was good and it would not have been a problem. Shame on me.

                             
                                            Dog's homes

No heat, no running water--no fun but they live outside like other animals

I can't go.

I can't either so I'll just watch

Race is over

The vehicle that was pulled 

Kathleen controlling the team after the run

Afterwards, we were presented with how they take care of them and how they breed, raise and train them. It was pointed out that they were born with the trait to pull and run, yet they had to be conditioned for it constantly. Their diet is very rich in protein and fat because of the need to replace what they lose quickly. It keeps the  body tuned for running the Iditarod. In extreme cold they are given lard to help beef up the fat requirement to keep warm.

Seth gave us a wonderful presentation of how an Iditarod is conducted. It starts in Wasilla and ends in Nome. Ceremoniously, it starts in Anchorage. (damn politics and media)  The history of the race is traced back to when Nome had a Diphtheria breakout in the 1920's and the only way to get the vaccine delivered was by dog sled driven by the USPS. Musher/deliverers  would take it from village to village until it got there. It later became a race where the winner gets $50,000 and the 32nd person gets $1000. (A plane ticket from Nome to Anchorage cost about that,(LOL) and they wanted to make sure they didn’t get stuck in Nome with all the reveling , feeling embarrassed and or the media and politics.

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Seth with his attitude adjuster

Iditarod Sled --Basic--50 lb,  full load--300 lb

Seth told us why the race (supposedly) starts in Anchorage . The frenzied media coverage is stifling and it is symbolic and political in order to get charity funds and advertising, etc. The race doesn’t even go through Anchorage after it starts.

Seth explained all the strict rules pertaining to the dogs that were verified at the beginning, during and at the end of the race, I.e. medical tests for anything that would give them an advantage, drugs, pills, etc. The musher isn't tested, just the dogs.  Boy, what an eye opener. I would never have thought of half of those things.  Thank you Seth for such a professional and straight forward presentation.

While I’m sure I left out things, I gave you what I could retain from all that was presented. The kennel was neat and orderly and the dogs were--well, dogs. After the race we were allowed to pet the dogs since they were going to be tethered up again. They didn't want us to do it ahead of the race in order to keep them impartial and not want to go to the person petting them while pulling the sled.

As we were getting ready to leave, Seth asked where we were from and guess what?  He's from Stockton, Alabama, about 15 miles from Bay Minette, our home.  He graduated from BCHS (Baldwin County High School) but hasn't been home in about 12 years.  He went to Alaska and happened to see the sled dogs, decided that was what he wanted to do and three months later he was back, got a job with dogs, and the rest is history.

After our visit with the dogs, we went back to town and enjoyed a platter of Pacific Cod and chips and a King Salmon dip, delicious!