Alaska Day 19, Tutka Bay Lodge to Winterlake Lodge

                                Polar Plunge

Day 19: Tutka Bay Lodge to Winterlake Lodge

Weather Report: Another great day, in the low 70s at Winterlake Lodge

Quote of the Day:  It’s a great day for flying

It’s a Covid world: THB and DB are one of two couples at Winterlake Lodge. There are families of 4 and 5, they get their own tables, so the two couples are sharing a table. They had Covid and have been vaccinated. Nobody here is wearing masks.

Department of Technology: THB is posting from the Winterlake Lodge dining room, just downstairs from the office where the wifi signal is the strongest (there is no wifi in the cabins). Moving pretty quickly until something strange happens: THB has a reoccurrence of the pic loading illness: they are back to loading in reverse order. Hmmmmm….turn your screens upside down and see if that works. GOOD LUCK!

Department of Geology: Small earthquake at 9:45 this morning at Tutka Bay…nobody jumps up and down and runs around like chickens on the loose except for the chickens that are always on the loose. Ed. note: That’s because it was the dryer on spin cycle, not an earthquake.

 Department of Oh What the Hell: And, DB and THB sign up for another heli-activity, this time a float down the river. Our last day for activities...this one has not been pre-paid.

Another great breakfast, this time THB and DB sub pancakes for eggs. Goes great with the yogurt and fruit (bananas cooked in for DB). Hang out until 10:30 when it is time for our flight from lodge to lodge, this time in another 4 seater that seems expansive. This time DB rejects the co-pilot seat and sits in the last row with THB.

It's movie magic: how did THB take this pic if he is in the 2nd row?

THB and DB relax in the later afternoon, catching up on our reading. Dinner with the young and pregnant.

 

rib-eye on mushroom polenta

Halibut with great cracker

Mini-tacos lamb on beet tortillas 

Pics from around the lodge:

Iditarod: our cabin

The main lodge

Another way to avoid the mosquitoes: kayaking in singles in the afternoon. No bugs out on the water! And, THB has worked up a sweat and takes the polar plunge…YEEE HAH! Ed. note: Yeah, THB, u da man…except the lake is about 65 degrees and instead of frozen it is refreshing. Way to go, big guy.

The dowel on the right is a bear lock, good enough to fool THB

The lodge is on the Iditarod course and has retired dogs on site and mushing dogs up on a nearby glacier. Some guy spends the “night” up there the day before guests select visiting the dogs. In our case, THB and DB will cast our fate and take a helicopter ride up to trek on the glacier. That’s one way to escape the mosquitoes.

This property has a huge main lodge area and 5 small cabins, all with water, electricity and a gas stove. And a mosquito net covering the bed.  During the short walk from the lodge to our cabin, it is clear that mosquitos are present.

Lunch at 1pm and we share a table with a young couple from New Orleans (originally from Texas and probably moving back in a few years when her job assignment in NoLa ends). We find out at dinner that she is 4 months pregnant (DB had already guessed).

 

More pics from the Lodge:

The pilot announces it is a great day for flying. THB agrees heartily until with about 5 minutes to landing when the plane has one quick jolt (is the dryer switching cycles) and in no time were landing on the lake.

This may be the glacier we trek on tomorrow:

This is not a river full of ice,  it is full of white sand

Volcano

Another volcano

The plane has come from Anchorage with supplies

Helicopter lands on the deck at Tutka Bay

Ground crew