Mt. Denison - Bush Flight

Day 1: Bush Flight. After reaching Kodiak Island, our next step was to compile gear and make the final arrangements for our flight to Katmai National Park. Because we choose an inland lake to land (i.e. not the ocean), our schedule was not dictated by the tides. However, weather continued to be a huge factor. Upon leaving Kodiak, it was no warmer than 50 degrees and raining.

(photo left to right: Taylor Nissi '08, Richard Soaper '78, Dr. Emmett Buell Faculty)

A shot from the cramped conditions inside the belly of the plane. Emmett Buell, long-time Denison Political Science Professor, joined us for the ride. He would remain on Kodiak Island as a bastion of support, to relay weather reports, organize a swift rescue and write daily email updates to placate our friends and family.

Chris Dickey: Co-pilot. Leaving Kodiak Island on a very rainy, cold day.

Our pilot: Roland. Notice the GPS device in the corner... not exactly inspiring confidence.

Airborne whale-watching.

Flying into Hallo Bay. The 1977 & '78 teams approached through this terrible mess of ponds, swamp, debris and broken glacier. To avoid this, we took chances with a new approach to the south of the Bay.

Roland was kind enough to fly us over the Hallo Glacier so we could get an aerial perspective of our route.

Mt. Denison is the pointed peak to the far left. In this case, obscured by the closer peak, Mt. Stellar.

The heavily crevassed Hallo Glacier. Our team would enter the upper reaches of the glacier from the middle-left aspect of the photo (just below the last visible peak).

Mt. Denison looms in the background. We would traverse the south side of the minor peaks in the lower aspect of the photo to gain the Hallo Glacier.

As far as Roland takes us. We land on the lake below and launch into the bush just to the right of the river.