I left April 27th Alaska bound, it took the usual 3 days of flying to go from Vancouver, WA. to Ultima Thule Lodge in the Wrangells.  I flew inland making stops for fuel at Abottsford B.C., Williams Lake, Smithers, Dease Lake, White Horse, and into Gulkana, Ak. for last stop.  I  headed for UTL for my first days in Alaska, I can never get enough of this beautiful place.  Spring was just getting under way and by the end of my stay (May 18th) the transformation was apparent.  I then headed for the work portion of my visit, I had a booth at the Alaskan Airmens Show and for two days I talked airplanes with a lot great people. 

After the Airmen's show I needed to do some laundry, buy my bear tag and a few other odds and ends before heading back out to Ultima Thule Lodge.  Paul and Donna Claus were hosting the first of it's kind, a Bush Flying Geo Cache.  Paul invited a handful of friends for this first time event, in the end 7 pilots with airplanes competed in this challenging 2 day event.  The rules made it very interesting, it was not set up based just on the best pilot and airplane, actually the person who could possibly win might just be a  great mountaineer or climber (or well rounded outdoor person).  There was a lot of strategy and with that came a different game plan by each team.  I will go into more detail in another blog on the point system, how the game was played, who won and what they received.

The next weekend was the Valdez STOL competition and it was my 4th year of being there and second time competing.  I had my new airplane Got Rocks (Experimental Supercub),  I did not win in my class for combined score of shortest take off and shortest land, I did however win for shortest take off of the competition in any class with a 53 ft take off.

 I had been planning a bear hunt with a close friend the week following and Sunday we got underway for a great time bumming around Alaska..... more to come.