Coastal Pictures Of Alaska

Our Cessna 206 arrives at the city airport...yes, it's a gravel strip by the side of a road.

12 miles outside of Cordova is the larger "Mudhole" Smith airport, where the jets from Anchorage can land. We pass by there - on our way to the Tsiu river. See the Childs glacier in the background.

The Bering glacier terminates in Vitus Lake, about 6 miles from the Gulf of Alaska. The "mouth" is about 36 miles wide, and filled with ice bergs of many sizes.

We land at the Driftwood Lodge, the base camp for our coastal pictures expedition. (Full disclosure: I'm the executive chef of this lodge, and the pictures for this page were taken during the 2008 silver salmon season.)

You can see the Bering glacier from the lodge - about 10 miles away. (The white strip coming out of the mountains, way back on the horizon.)

Hello-oh! Nobody here...except for some hungry brown bears!

On second thought - not everyone acts civilized around here...!

Our friend Tony had to swim in the ocean (for 5 seconds - burr!) and sunbathe on a driftwood log (ahem!)...

Chefs Keem and Karen thank you for your visit. Now let's hop on the plane, back to Cordova!

Karen asks: "Can I take this on the plane with me?" (In case you're wondering - it's kelp.) Ready, Karen?

As we're flying over coastal marshland and hills...

...we're approaching the point where Vitus Bering landed when he discovered Alaska - Cape Suckling!

We're crossing the Copper River Delta...

...pass by the Childs glacier and through the mountains - into Cordava, City Airport.

Good-bye - Driftwood Lodge and Mount Steller...

...and good-bye, Tony. Don't freeze your hiney off!