terry, justin, and myself took a nine day excursion to alaska. more specifically, we went to stay with terry's cousin in iliamnia which is a remote area about 100 miles west of anchorage.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

the first weekend we arrived in anchorage and it was very stormy. craig and brian showed us around that first night.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

terry's cousin and his wife, tim and nancy la porte, own and operate iliamnia air taxi. this was how we got out to iliamnia.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

they operate two pilatus's for the daily scheduled flights to and from anchorage each day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

loading the pilatus before we head to iliamnia. iliamnia is incredibly remote and everything must be flown in as there are no roads in or out.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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terry sat in the cockpit with tim on the flight out to iliamnia.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

unloading the pilatus at the airport in iliamnia. the pilatus is a 9 passenger plane with a cruising altitude of 20,000 feet.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

the air taxi operates several smaller planes for flights around the area. all of the eskimo villages are only accessable by flying so their business is supports the transportation needs of the area.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

the air taxi hanger at the airport.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

they also operate float planes which take people to remote lodges or hunters out to hunting areas.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

this is the view of iliamnia from the la portes deck. illiamnia consists of a health clinic, a few houses, and a few fishing lodges. the water is actually iliamnia lake which is one of the biggest lakes in the states. there is only one store in iliamnia and it is expensive.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

tim and nancy. we stayed at there house the whole week they used to run a lodge out of their house so they had a very nice setup. if you do not know someone in iliamnia, the only other option is to stay at a fishing lodge which will cost between 4,000 and 6,000 a week which includes food and flight. so being out in iliamnia was quite a privilege.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

they cooked us dinner every night which was very nice because otherwise we would've starved without any stores and restaurants. but as you can see, we were very spoiled.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

when i say everything must be flown into iliamnia, i mean everything. the bigger items such as cars and appliances are flown in on what is known as a hurk (sp). and yes, it is very expensive.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

interesting airplane at the iliamnia airport.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

iliamnia's one state trooper going out for a patrol.