a ten year's best

View of the valley while entering the Knik Glacier

Dehaviland Beaver, Canadian made circa 55

For our tenth year wedding anniversary gift, Ken decided to put me on a float plane.  Taking off from Lake Hood, (one of the largest float plane centers in the country), this Dehaviland Beaver was made in Canada and is one of a kind.

  Ken completes four surveys a year in this plane, spending close to seven days cramped up, wearing uncomfortable head phones with sometimes warm and stuffy air (although I was told you can open a window at one point while flying.)  This is the highlight of his work as he camps out in remote areas in Alaska and knows the state intimately through these journeys.

It was an hour and a half tourist ride for me and two Australians couples who accompanied me.  I grabbed for the co pilot's seat and they didn't seem to mind, since they wanted to sit together.  Without  the head phones on, the sound is deafening; you could ask questions to the pilot while he also gave out some information on the settings.  We flew four thousand feet up; amazed at the valley and the Knik Glacier presented a tremendous view.

  

Me in the co pilot seat

 While flying, I snapped several pictures.  One person commented on the photography and I remarked that you cannot take a bad picture.  Pictured below are two of my favorite shots of the Knik Glacier.  They are like abstract paintings but somewhat better I have to admit!

like a painting - glacier view from above 

another glacier study from above