July 2013
Over 275 exhibitors come to Alaska, the “flyingest” state in the union.
It was cold when we arrived in Anchorage for the Great Alaska Aviation Gathering—unseasonably so, we were told. As we drove past Lake Hood Seaplane Base on our way to set up our show booth we noted the lake was still frozen over and all the planes were pulled up on the shore.
Lake Hood Seaplane Base (ICAO: PALH; FAA LID: LHD) is a state-owned seaplane base. The Lake Hood Strip (Z41) is a gravel runway located adjacent to the seaplane base. Open to the public, Lake Hood is the world’s busiest seaplane base, handling an average of 190 flights per day.
The folks at FedEx are nice enough to allow the Alaska Airmen’s Association to use their maintenance hangar at Ted Stevens International Airport (PANC) for the event, and we had no trouble finding the building and getting our booth set up.
After tackling that, we had a little time to drive around Anchorage and stopped for lunch at the Glacier Brew House for a really excellent meal. The overcast lifted just enough to give us a tantalizing glimpse of the surrounding mountains.
Saturday we woke to light snow and wondered what effect that would have on attendance at the show. If it had any dampening effect, you couldn’t prove it by me. The hangar was packed and we had a great time talking with all the Piper flyers. These pilots really use their planes and it was fun to hear about the kind of flying they do and the modifications they’ve made to their Pipers.
We took some time to visit with our fellow vendors, many of whom have become good friends over the years. We also found some cool new products that we hope to bring to your attention in the near future. (Inflatable snowshoes, anyone?)
It was an enjoyable day topped off by dinner at The Flying Machine restaurant located in the Millennium Alaskan Hotel right on Lake Hood. As we dined on shrimp and steak, we watched through the window as a bald eagle circled and landed on the frozen surface of the lake.
Sunday morning we had breakfast at the hotel, headed out the door for the second day of the show… and were stopped in our tracks by the magnificence of the view. The surrounding mountains that had been obscured for the last two days were now visible under bright blue skies. It was simply breathtaking and I swear we heard cherubs singing.
Sunday’s show was almost as busy as Saturday’s and the time passed quickly.
We had plans for dinner with our friend Grant Farrell from AvMap. Grant has visited Alaska a number of times in the past and recommended a place he knew, an hour-long drive out of Anchorage. We were up for the adventure, so off we went.
We set out down the Seward Highway out of Anchorage, rounded a corner and—wow! To our right Turnaround Bay was sparkling and ringed with snow-covered mountains. The cliffs to our left were sprouting waterfalls. It was majestic. I’d been in Alaska only a few days and was already running out of superlatives.
Grant told us to be on the lookout for cars pulled over to the side of the road as that often meant that sheep were visible on the sides of the hills. Sure enough we saw a bunch of cars ahead, but it wasn’t sheep they were looking at—it was a big black bear calmly digging through a pile of trash. By the time we got the camera out, he had ambled away through the trees.
We continued our drive through increasingly spectacular scenery then made a left off the highway toward Girdwood. We pulled up at an unprepossessing building that houses the Double Musky Inn.
Inside this plain building is a world-class New Orleans style restaurant, named one of the top 10 restaurants in America by Food Network’s Jill Cordes. Originally an après ski bar, the Double Musky was purchased by Bob and Deanna Persons in May of 1979 and they began the work of turning it into what it is today.
We had a marvelous dinner, then started back to Anchorage. It was weird to have bright sun at 9 p.m., but it helped us to spot one of those elusive sheep by the side of the road. So far we had seen a bear and a sheep, but were lamenting the fact that we’d seen no moose when around the next corner we came across a herd of moose grazing in a wetland just outside of the city. A totally satisfying day!
With the Alaska show over we had some time to ourselves, but first we had to see a man about a Cub—a really tricked-out Super Cub. We met Cary Foster on Monday morning at his hangar on Lake Hood and spent some time interviewing him about the really unique and useful mods he’s installed on his PA-18. Watch for an upcoming article.
There were many, many sights we wanted to see, but our time was limited so we opted to drive to the Portage Glacier. Our route took us south on the Seward Highway again, but it was anything but boring the second time around.
We continued south past the turnoff to Girdwood, making many stops for picture taking. There was so much to look at that we agreed we would say “Camera!” when one of us wanted to pull over for a shot. (This agreement was not in reaction to the time I yelled “Stop!” and caused Kent to slam on the brakes thinking we were about to hit something. Really, it wasn’t.)
Our GPS showed that the turn off to the Portage Glacier was just ahead, but we spotted a sign for the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center (AWCC) and made a quick right turn into that driveway first.
We had heard about the center from a store clerk in Alaska. According to its website, the nonprofit AWCC is “dedicated to preserving Alaska’s wildlife through conservation, public education, and quality animal care. AWCC takes in injured and orphaned animals year-round and provides spacious enclosures and quality animal care. Animals that cannot be released into the wild are given a permanent home at the center.”
We parked our car and walked around the center past the moose, the musk oxen, the elk. We visited the poor bald eagle with his one wing and snapped a picture of the black bear snoozing in the sun, but we were most captivated by the lynx.
The center has two lynx, sisters that came there in 2004. They were found in the Alaska Interior by a firefighter after a fire had passed through. The kittens (the two sisters and a brother) were alone and had burns on their paws, legs, faces and ears. The firefighter put them in his backpack and carried them out.
The male kitten unfortunately didn’t make it, but the sisters were flown to Anchorage and transported to AWCC, where they were treated and now have a permanent home. The AWCC was definitely worth the deviation from our planned route.
Back on the road and a quick left on Portage Glacier Road brought us a drive with more astounding views. We stopped often to take pictures and just breathe in the grandeur and absorb the tranquility. We could hear the sound of waterfalls and wind and not much else.
I was reminded of a quote from Thoreau: “Heaven is under our feet as well as over our heads.” We were very far from the hustle and bustle of our everyday life and it felt good to slow down and just enjoy the day.
In due course we made it to Portage Lake and the parking lot of Begich, Boggs Visitor Center. Portage Lake was created by the Portage Glacier as it began receding and has only been visible since about 1914. It runs for three miles up the glacial valley and drops to a depth of 600 feet.
Unfortunately, the visitor’s center was closed when we arrived and the boats to the glacier face weren’t running (something do with the lake being mostly frozen over—go figure!) but the view was still amazing. As we walked along the patches of the shoreline that were free from snow we picked up rocks and wondered about the journey they had shared with the glacier that dropped them off here.
As we made the drive back to the hotel in Anchorage, I wondered how often I would have to see that scenery to become inured to it. Or would I always be as awestruck as I was now?
This year marked the Alaska Aviation Gathering’s 16th year and it has grown into a first-class aviation event. Rex Grey, president of the Alaska Airmen’s Association, estimated that more than 20,000 people stopped by the FedEx hangar at Ted Stevens International Airport for the two-day show in 2013.
The Alaska Airmen’s Association does a great job presenting the show, and we look forward to returning. Next year’s event is scheduled for May 3–4, 2014. You should go for the show—and stay for the sights.
Jennifer Dellenbusch is president of the Piper Flyer Association. Send questions or comments to editor@www.piperflyer.com.
RESOURCES >>>>>
Alaska Airmen’s Association
alaskaairmen.org
Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center
Mile 79 Seward Highway
PO Box 949
Girdwood, AK 99587
Phone (907) 783-2025
Comfort Suites
Anchorage International Airport
2919 W International Airport
Anchorage, AK 99502
Phone (907) 243-8080
comfortsuites.com/hotel-anchorage-alaska-AK026
Our hotel for the stay was the Comfort Suites Anchorage International Airport and I can give it a high recommendation. It was very clean with updated décor.
Great Alaska Aviation Gathering
greatalaskaaviationgathering.org
