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Departing Kako<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>North of Kako<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>Western coast<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>Unalakleet in the distance<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>Landing at Unalakleet<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div> <\/div> <\/div>\n\n\n\nUnalakleet is the home of the famous Flying Wild Alaska shows, although the airline has now merged with another. We didn\u2019t see anybody we recognized. After fueling up we went to explore the town and grab a bite to eat. We ended up in a pizza restaurant that was very forgettable, with astonishingly slow service, but at least they were friendly, and even had wifi on offer! The restaurant had a variety of memorabilia of the Iditarod Air Force, the volunteer bush pilots that support the Iditarod Sled Race which passes through the town.<\/p>\n\n\n
Queuing for fuel<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>Unalakleet beach<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>Unalakleet<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>Local radio<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>Abandoned equipment<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>Pizza restaurant<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>Unalakleet<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>Looking east<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>New friend at Unalakleet<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div> <\/div> <\/div>\n\n\n\nOn our return we met a Swiss lady waiting with a very large pile of luggage for her airplane to return and ferry her out to join friends fishing for a couple of weeks in the wilderness. It sounded very adventurous! We flew north to find a camping spot for the night, and settled upon Salmon Lake, in the hills north of Nome. <\/p>\n\n\n
Leaving Unalakleet<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>Leaving Unalakleet<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>Alaskan coast<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>Coast guard station<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>Hills near Nome<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div> <\/div> <\/div>\n\n\n\nWe set up camp at Salmon Lake and walked down to check out the lake itself. To our surprise it was packed full of salmon, spawning and dying just feet from shore! I suppose the name should have clued us in. Eagle-eyed James spotted a mother bear and 2 cubs through the binoculars, which caused quite some consternation. It turned out on further review that they had rather long skinny legs for bears, and we relaxed a bit as the moose wandered off. <\/p>\n\n\n
Salmon Lake<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>Salmon Lake<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>Salmon Lake<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div> <\/div> <\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
The next morning we took off downhill, rolling down the smooth 2,000ft gravel strip and turning out right over the lake to head south for Nome. On the way in, we spotted what were presumably some relics of the cold war, to catch those pesky Soviets before they could get too close. Nome is well known for gold dredges, and we flew over a couple of giant abandoned old behemoths as we approached the airport.<\/p>\n\n\n
Departing Salmon Lake<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>Early warning<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>Nome dredge<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div> <\/div> <\/div>\n\n\n\nWe walked from the airport to have a look around town, and a bite to eat. Dredging equipment of all shapes and sizes was scattered around town. Nome is the end point of the annual Iditarod dog sled race. Much of the race course is supplied and monitored by ski planes, operating as the \u201cIditarod Air Force\u201d. <\/p>\n\n\n
Welcome to Nome<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>Nome harbour<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>Nome harbour<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>Dry dock?<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>Little dredge<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>Big dredge<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div> <\/div> <\/div>\n\n\n\nBreakfast completed, we stopped into a store for a few supplies. I bought a flare gun, both for emergency signalling and emergency bear discouragement. Shopping completed, we headed back to the airport to continue our trip along the coast. <\/p>\n\n\n
Race HQ<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>Where to go next?<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>Race's end<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>Nome streets<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>Classic Jeep<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>Local tow-truck<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div> <\/div> <\/div>\n\n\n\nToday\u2019s flight would take us as far West as possible, hopefully to within sight of Russia, before heading north to find a camp site for the night near Barrow. The first leg was to Point Wales, just a few miles from the Diomede Islands. <\/p>\n\n\n
Our first leg took us past the coast guard station at Port Clarence, and the Tin City Long Range Radar Station, before setting down at Point Wales in a howling gale. We didn’t spend long on the ground; it was remote, bleak, and cold, and we had a long way to go.<\/p>\n\n\n
Coast guard station<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>Tanks on the beach<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>Tin City strip<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>Tin City<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>Approaching Wales<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>Point Wales<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div> <\/div> <\/div>\n\n\n\nThere was cloud and mist off-shore as we’d arrived, and the visibility out to sea hadn’t been great. As we took off, however, conditions were clearing up and we climbed higher to improve our view. Before long at all, the Diomede islands were in view, and not long after that we could see the coast of mainland Russia. These soon fell out of view behind us, as we continued northeast along the coast towards the town of Kotzebue.<\/p>\n\n\n
Departing Wales<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>The Diomedes and Russia<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>Passing Shishmaref<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>North of Shishmaref<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>Landing at Kotzebue<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div> <\/div> <\/div>\n\n\n\nWe taxied to Bering Air, and filled up with AVGAS. As with most places around Northern Alaska, cost was running around $8\/gallon; still cheaper than Europe! Bering kindly allowed us to leave the aircraft parked next to their facility while we went to explore. As with many of the airports in Alaska, all of Kotzebue was an easy walk from the airport. First stop was the national park visitor center, offering information on the history of the local area and how the natives have historically lived. We stopped at the local restaurant for dinner, much better than the food in Unalakleet! After that, however, our day was not done; we returned to the airport and struck out north again. <\/p>\n\n\n
Visitor center<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>Bison, with airplane<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>Kotzebue<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div>