Trip to Iliamna, AK

So today was the first puddle jumper trip for me. Had to perform an inspection at a lodge in Ilimna. The fun is just getting there.

Started out in Anchorage this morning about 9am. Flew to Lake Clark Air's Hub Terminal in Port Alsworth. Here we switched planes and continued on to Iliamna Airport. Once in Iliamna Got a ride out to the Lodge to do the inspection. Then back to do it all over again.

Second Leg

Overall

Flying in the Valley

On way to Port Alsworth

Plane from Anchorage

So Port Alsworth is a gravel field.

On way to Port Alsworth coming home

On way to Port Alsworth coming home

Plane that is going to take back to Anchorage

Great swing set

Sun got in way

Lake Clark Air Hub

Prop does strange things

Mountains

Plane to and from Iliamna

Mountains

Air force Base

Quick hike at Arctic Valley

A day at Whittier

 This was a day that we went to Whittier to check out the tunnel to get there. It was raining really hard that day and some of the pictures did not come out.

 

Entrance to tunnel.

In Tunnel heading out.

Cruise ship waiting at dock.

Iceberg on way back from tunnel.

Byron Glacier

Update

Well sorry this has not been updated as much as I was hoping. I found it very hard to get pictures and updates done from my mini iPad and it was next to impossible with the phone. So just a quick update. We finally have everything we own in our new house in Alaska. We just had our household goods delivered yesterday and I finally had a chance to get a real computer up and running again. I will get the pictures transferred and posted here soon. Stick around I have pictures from the rest of the drive up, a day in Whittier and I will be going to Fairbanks soon. Thanks

Day two of drive

So started out in Santa Rosa, CA, decided to take one of the good short cuts. Drove about 60 or so miles of twisty windy mountain roads to get to the 5. Finally got there and filled up truck, 61 gallons. California sucks for gas prices. Then back on road with Roz driving. I was having fun taking pictures of Shasta when a vibration started. Call the crew chief we got a vibration. Started at about 70, but slowly had to go slower and slower. Found a rest area to stop and check the tire, all looked ok (not great but plan was to get them all changed after we got there) except right front. It had a large bluge in the tread. So started looking for tire places close, Les Schwab has always been good to me in the past. Gave them a call and no answer. Website says that they are open sundays, guess we are just going for a drive. As soon as we started down the road you could feel the bump each time it went around. Got there and found them closed but had a emergancy number. Well lets check out the other two places in town. First one did not exist, second one was closed just like every other place in town. Called the emergancy number and then back to Les Schwab to wait. Four new tires and another big bill and we are back on the road again. Made it to Springfield, OR today.

Truck getting new tires.

The start of the day. 80 miles of two lane roads.

More pictures to come.

On the road....

House packed and shipped.

Car cleaned and shipped.

Truck and trailer, fixed, packed and shipped. Oh no wait we are driving the truck.

Left the house in San Diego this morning, only forgot a couple things in the closet (a couple of coat's). Managed to avoid LA traffic and put little more then 600 miles behind us. First stop is a friends in Santa Rosa, CA. Dropping Izabel off to stay with her while we finish the drive. Then going to fly Izabel up after we get in the house. 

So far every thing is going good, could be getting better milage but with everything we have doing ok. Trailer still pulls great and truck is doing great. Traffic sucks and people still don't know how to drive. Almost pinned a guy between the trailer and a concrete wall because he didn't know how to merge. 

Tomorrow we are going to see how far up the coast we can get, might just be another 600 or 700 miles.

Which way do we go, just drive north. 

Trailer Maintenance

The Well had some unexpected maintenance on the trailer. Need to fire the guy in charge of PMS. He ha blown off everything since the last time it was used. Some times it sucks being so anal. Checked lights, they all work except one marker light. Greased the wheel bearings (miss the greaseless ones on the other trailer). Made sure all wheels rotate smoothly. Checked brakes and found only the rear wheels worked. Decided to put the battery on the charger to make sure it was good and still only rears work. Hooked it up to truck to make sure it was not just how the runaway brakes worked. Nope still don't work, crawled under and found that a wire was loose. Fixed it and got one side working. Then found the same wire on other side was also loose. Figure that something got both sides. So now all four brakes work. Pumped up tires to max and realized that they were old and not good. Played the computer says we have but we already sold with Pep Boys to get four new tires. In the middle of this I took all four tires off and got ready to get new ones installed. 

Then called and made sure they had them and sure enough that was when was told that yes they had them but that they were sold. So we will see if they came in as promised today. 

Oh yea almost forgot that had to replace the roof vent. Sun had destroyed the old one on the point it was not there.

So have to do something with the trailer more then every couple years. 

Well Pep Boys called and tires did not make truck yesterday, so they claim they will be here tomorrow, hope so running out of days.