I found out about the event last year, after my brother, Josiah Ness, was asked to be a model for the fashion show portion. I offered to take pictures, and put our Canon 7D to good use. The pictures can be viewed here.  The event lasts two days in January each year and hosts companies from around Idaho to display their services that aid in the accomplishment of a successful wedding day. It is a difficult process to get a spot in the show, due to the voting process that takes place to grant access to the vendors. This makes it difficult for businesses to get in to display, but ensures that those that are represented will be tried and true.

This year, Josiah was asked to model again, but was able to get my sister Naomi and I signed up to walk the runway as well. The owner of TMTV talent, Tina, got a hold of us, and arranged the details for the event. We got fitted for our outfits from various local Tuxedo shops and Wedding Gown stores, and when the weekend arrived I was nervous. But everything came together well and we all had a great time, getting to display some fancy threads. Since I was not behind the camera this year, we had a friend of ours take photos of the event.

[Show as slideshow]

Although this was definitely out of my comfort zone, especially for an Alaskan Guide, but it was still fun to do an event such as this with family and friends, and try something new.

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No matter how carefully you plan your goals, they will never be more than pipe dreams unless you pursue them with gusto.”

—W. Clement Stone

I have learned several times before that in all areas of life, especially business, that you have to have a Purpose, Vision, Philosophy, Mission, and an Action Plan. However, (5 steps of alignment) I did not apply it to my personal plan for my life. Although it seemed like an obvious connection, I just did not solidify it for myself. Until the end of this last year, when I heard about Creating Your Life Plan, by Michael Hyatt (Click here to download) from a close friend and mentor. I began to read through it, and immediately realized that it was something I needed to do. As I began to get the information translated from this outline into an actual plan to follow, I really got motivated. There is something empowering about getting to look ahead, and set goals for where you want to be down the road, and have an action plan to follow to help you get there. So maybe you already use an action/life plan to stay on track for the year, but if you don’t, I would encourage you to give it a shot. Take some time, evaluate where you are, and where you would like to be, and see the change that takes place. I am not guaranteeing results, but how you start something, is how you will finish it. Happy New Year everyone!

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Dealing with unique water Problems from Ness LLC on Vimeo.

Doug Ness Owner and Founder of Ness LLC, talks about water problems in Northeast Boise.

“When resolving a water seepage issue, one must look at the history of the property and the visible historic evidence left by past water issues. Many times, what might seem to be an obvious source is typically only one part of a number of active sources of the water. Also, there are sources that change depending on the season. All of these variables must be taken into consideration in order to have an accurate assessment to design a solution”.

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The benefits of Idaho outweighed the losses however. I got to spend a lot more time with my family. Did things with friends, and was involved at church. I got to do various summer outdoor adventures that I had not been involved in for so many years. Over all, it was almost like it was before Alaska. But not. You can never get Alaska out of your blood once you have been here, and I was no exception. I missed it a lot, and yearned to be back in the wilderness, away from all the busyness of city life and work. I actually wanted the simple life at times, even though in Alaska that involved a lot more work for water, electricity, food, transportation etc. But after spending so many years with that ingrained in my blood, it was hard to be away from it.  So needless to say, when I was on my way back to Alaska, I was really excited. It took me a while though to get my mind off of Idaho, and switched to Alaska mode, but once we arrived in Anchorage with its crisp clean air, and long shopping lists, I was back in gear.

My stay in Anchorage was prolonged a bit longer due to the increasing amount of needed items, but it made for more time to get acquainted with some old and new friends, and also get some last city life things out of the way before heading to the bush. The real thrill officially arrived when I boarded that plane, and we took off heading for the mountains. It was a gorgeous day, not all that typical for Alaska, so I was extremely thankful for the blessing of good weather. The views were once again breathtaking. It felt like the first time, and like coming home, all mixed up into one great experience. We flew over the mountains filled with pure white snow, and enormous glaciers, that fed the numerous rivers and waterfalls so far below. The sun was nearly blinding us, but we did not care, it was the perfect day for entering the beauty of Lake Clark. After a quick stop in the village of Nondalton, we landed at Port Alsworth, and I stepped off the plane and soaked up the beauty and freshness all around and the familiar faces that I had missed so much.

I am now writing inside of our cabin, across the lake from Port Alsworth, in the fading light of long summer days, and realizing the correlation of my renewed experience in Alaska, and what should be taking place every day in my own life. Just as my vigor and amazement of my home in Alaska had almost faded into familiarity, I can see how I have allowed my love for God, and the amazing life he has blessed me with, begin to become commonplace, and no longer full of wonder and thankfulness. I have been given so much, and He has placed upon my shoulders such a big calling that I can never just take it for granted and go on living like its no big deal. Being saved from death, given eternal life with him, and a message that brings love and hope to broken hearts is such a privilege that I should never forget nor get used to. I need to go through every day, with a renewed passion and desire to serve God, love People, and be a light. Just as I am going to change my perspective on the natural things I have, I am going to start to see every new day as a fresh one, appreciating the small things, and love God as though it is the first time, and as though I am home, all mixed up into one. (Written this summer while in Alaska).

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So think awesome shoes, now think awesomer bikes, and you get Lean in and Ride. It’s a photo contest that is going on now, and you have a chance to be a part of it. Not only do you get a chance to vote for your favorite photo entry, but you also get a chance at winning Puma/Ducati gear just for voting. You can check out the awesome gear at the Puma Website. So here’s the scoop, go to the site, enter your email address, and then it will ask for some basic info about your self, so they know you are a real person, and then it will pull up a map of the US, that has the number of entry’s from each state. Now I am not trying to be biased, OK maybe I am, but still you should really check out the entry from Idaho. It was sent in by a friend of mine, and my Brother Josiah Ness did the photography work for it. The entry is titled, “Puma running taught me to lean, now I need a ride”. Her name is Ashley Puga, who made it to the top 25. Her Bio speaks for itself.

“Puma.  It’s been a big part of my life, especially when it comes to running.  My journey with Puma began in high school. At some point in my early high school years as running began to take off, my friend told my I ran like a Puma and pointed at his Puma shoes. Everyone thought it was a great nickname because by switching one letter of my last name, it became Puma. I won a state title in cross country once and nine titles in track. Not only was I fast, I became Puma fast racing all the way through to the final lean over the line.    My college career ended with two NCAA National Division II titles in the 800m.  It was a great way to end my running career but even better my fastest time occurred at a race called Mt. Sac Relays.  As someone nicknamed Puma, it could not get any better than to race on a fast track hosted by none other than Puma.   During college, I was introduced to motorcycles.  They are fun, fast, and economical, and I instantly knew someday I would get one.  After graduating, I took a class and got my motorcycle license along with my own helmet.  As running has now ended, and I have begun pursuing this new phase of my life, I would now love for Puma and its affiliates (Ducati) to continue to be part of my life.  I know how to lean, now need a ride.”

So you can read the bio, see the picture, and look at some of the other entries, but I hope you will decide to vote for Ashley “Puma” Puga. You can vote every day until the 18th of July, at which time they will pick a winner of a Ducati motorcycle.

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But then you go even further, across the lake 4 miles to a small bay, with the population ranging from 0-25 seasonally. This is where our lodge is situated, and it’s also in a part of Alaska called “The Bush”. Now this term and scenario is not uncommon, and in fact a large portion of Alaska has no road access at all. Although it is common place in Alaska to be “off the grid”, some people do not understand what that means. So in this post I am seeking to make that clear.

When it comes to travel, many people in the US have it easy. If you desire to go somewhere, you can hop in your car and go. If you need something from the store, you can walk, drive, or bike down and purchase the item that you need. Along with the incredible number of cafe’s, diners and fast food restaurants, food and almost anything can be obtained fairly quickly. It is easy to take for granted all of the things we have and how easy it is to obtain such comforts and delicacies. Now, lets take a look at what it’s like when all of those things are removed. It’s called living in the bush of Alaska, or any extremely remote location that is cut off from roads and or not easily accessible. Now not everyone that lives in the bush of Alaska lives this way. There are many remote villages that do not have any road access, and yet have grocery stores, full size schools and clinics. They may have it easier than, say, a cabin out in the mountains with nothing but a dirt runway nearby. So there are many different scenarios that people may find themselves in, when considered out in the Bush. No matter which way you look at it, all of the scenarios pose some level of difficulty, and they all have their own ways of making do with the situation.

Man and Boy Fishing in Port Alsworth, Author Unknown

Our lodge is located in The Lake Clark National Park and Preserve, with the only mode of transportation in or out by plane or boat. Although, this location that I have made my home is neither one of the previously mentioned village or cabin scenarios, it is a happy medium between the two. The nearest town to our lodge is Port Alsworth. Founded by Babe Alsworth, a missionary bush-pilot, and his family, Port Alsworth has a population of about 170, which varies based on the season. It is the home base for several businesses, including rural flight services, Lake Clark Air, and Lake and Pen Air, along with several different hunting and fishing lodges. The community is very tight knit, where everyone knows everyone, and has a special atmosphere about it that is hard to match. All that being said, there are many large city amenities missing in the community. Such as, a cafe, grocery store or clinic/hospital. Although it does have a strong church, and plenty of people to lend a helping hand when needed, many of the typical town fancies are non-existent.

So, you may ask, how does everyone survive in such a place with difficult access, and no local store? Well the answer is simple, planes. Planes are the mainstay of Alaska, and allow for transportation that would otherwise be impossible. Although the water system does allow for limited barge and boat access, it is a long process that adds much difficulty, unless extremely heavy machinery requires it. The planes that access the area come in all shapes and sizes. From a two-seater Supercub, to a four engine  DC-6 cargo and fuel plane. At one time they were even able to land a C-130 Hercules on the one mile long gravel runway, but certain restrictions made it impossible to continue. Standing on the end of that runway and watching that huge plane take off and land, truly makes your heart skip a few beats. The planes that fly into Port Alsworth typically originate from Anchorage, or Kenai, where they load up on passengers and freight, not necessarily in that order, and haul their loads back and forth, many times a day. The trips average about an hour, depending on the route and plane, and offers breathtaking views on good weather days, which in Alaska, tend to come and go quickly. The planes offer connectivity to the outside world, and also allow everything from building supplies, tools and boats, to bags of groceries, mail, and dog food, to be transported to the remote residents. It is the air taxi or moving van, to carry what you need, but it all comes at a hefty price tag.

In order to build a cabin or lodge out in Lake Clark, such as what we began to do back in 2007, takes a lot of planning, and a lot of transportation. The typical process looks something like this.

Items are purchased in Anchorage, ordered from Seattle, or just rounded up and packaged for shipping

Then these items are loaded into one of the many cargo planes, big or small.

Next the plane transports the cargo to the destination, either over the mountains or through the pass, depending on the weather.

Once the plane arrives in Port Alsworth, it is unloaded either by hand or heavy machinery, and stacked for sorting and temporary storage.

It is at this stage that every item must be transported across the lake, either on the ice in the winter time, or by barge or boat in the summer time.

Once the equipment or supplies has reached the other side of the lake, weather permitting, then it is unloaded by hand into a 4 wheeler for distribution. No heavy machinery exists on that side of the lake to haul big pieces of lumber or metal, only manual labor.

It is by this process that we built our lodge, from the ground up. Cleared the ground, poured the footings, and built the house, and every piece, small or big had to follow that entire process to arrive on the site. So when you find out you forgot an important piece of equipment or part, it can take days, or even weeks, to get the item you were needing. You get really good at making do with what you have. Thankfully we have the strong community all around us, on both sides of the lake, that help us out whenever we need it.

Not only can you not go down to the store and buy what you want, you also have to produce your own electricity. Although Port Alsworth has a community electric coop, it is still all run on generators. That is what we have at our lodge, a generator system, along with a battery bank system for non generator power. Many other alternative resources have also been considered as a replacements, including solar power, Wind, and hydro power.

These extra processes required to maintain a fairly modern wilderness experience are costly, but they add enjoyment for those that seek a less extreme take on living in the remote areas. However, nothing is easy when it comes to living in the Bush, but seeing the rewards of being off the grid are huge. Self dependence is not for everyone, but I am privileged to be a part of it.

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Image from The Idaho Reporter

This last month I had the honor of representing the Home school alumni of Idaho, at the annual Pie Day (Legislative Day). I was manning the booth labeled, “Where are they now” which highlighted some of the graduates over the years and what they have accomplished since then. It brought back memories for me, since it had been many years since I was last a part of the event. All seven of us kids were Home Schooled, and Pie Day was always a big event for us while we were growing up. The event is put on by the Idaho Coalition of Home Educators and many of the individuals that work or spend time at the capital, look forward it to every year. Although I could say many words about Pie Day, I will let the ICHE do the talking.

(content from The ICHE website)

Legislative Day is an annual formal business reception hosted by ICHE to give our lawmakers the opportunity to see the quality of home education in Idaho by presenting displays with academic, social, organizational, and testing information. Home educators from around the state are encouraged to participate.

PURPOSE: Legislative Day is a formal pie reception at the Capitol hosted annually by ICHE. The purpose of this event is to give our legislators the opportunity to see the quality achieved by home education in Idaho without government funding or regulation. This is accomplished by presenting academic, social, organizational, and testing displays. Most legislators attend specifically to meet their own constituents and to connect with those in their district who home educate.

PARTICIPATION: Those who privately home educate from around the state are encouraged to apply. Composite test scores of Idaho’s privately home educated students are compared with private, parochial, and public school scores. For this reason, participation does not include private, parochial, or public schooled students, including those enrolled in virtual charter schools. Participants must be current ICHE members who will be representing only private home education to our legislators. Applications for participation are available on the website and must be postmarked by the deadlines specified below. Further questions may be emailed to the chairmen.

CONTENT: In past years, displays have included history, art, science projects, unit studies, 4-H, Chess Club, sports, and family projects. Teen Ambassadors tour legislators around the displays while students play classical background music. The hundreds of home baked pies provided by home educators and the opportunity to interact with these unique families make this event the highlight of the legislative session.

Thank you for the great work you do for Idaho Coalition of Home Educators. It¹s so important! I always look forward to the pie, and all the wonderful kids on the fourth floor who make home education sparkle like the crown jewel that it is.

~Representative Lenore Hardy Barrett, District 35

Many people from across the valley make a point to attend the event, and several news stories and articles have been written. Some of these are listed below. The first one is from NPR, during this years Pie Day, and I had the pleasure of speaking to the reporter. However, I found that one cannot state their name slow enough, especially when Micah Ness, becomes Mike Iness. But, you live and learn.

Boise State Public Radio, Pie Day, by Samantha Wright (2011-02-03)

Lewiston Tribune Blog about Pie Day

Capitol pie day sponsored by home schooling groups.

It’s Pie Day in the Capitol

So if you missed out this year, keep your eye out on the ICHE website for the dates of next years Pie Day.

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It was Tuesday evening and we were just sitting down to an amazing dinner prepared by Tabitha, when Joe Billings, one of the guides that works for Preston Cavner, came into the entry way, with a serious look on his face, and he told me to come now. I did not know what to think, but as soon as I got out the door, he told me it was a plane crash, and that it was Preston’s Plane. I could not believe it, and took off on a run toward the lodge next door. So many thoughts raced through my mind, all of the what ifs, but I had to put those to the back of my mind. I got over there, and immediately I knew it could not be good, everyone was on the verge of tears, but they did not know much, only that Preston’s plane had crashed in Anchorage, and then Joe told me the thing I was dreading. He said one of the Boys were dead. My heart sank so low I could not speak. Preston had flown into Anchorage the day before, to restock supplies, and decided to take the family along for a day in the big city, which consisted of himself, his wife Stacie, and his two boys, Hudson and Myles. They were also picking up a young girl from Texas that was going to be a nanny for the family out here in Lake Clark. They were over due, since they were supposed to have already left Anchorage. But then a police officer had called, and was looking for family information, but Joe could not give him much so he came and got me.

I had to grab a-hold of myself, knowing that I had to do what I could, so I got on Stacie’s Computer, and started looking up family contacts. I had a couple of the family names and numbers written down, when the police officer called back. He began to ask several questions, about the family, asked for the contact info for the family members. He said the family was in critical condition, and at the hospital, but then he told me the news that I had been dreading. Myles was dead. As soon as those words left his mouth I could not hold it back any longer, and the tears began to flow. He was only 4 years old, in the prime of childhood. It has been several days now, and still it is hard for me to recount the tragic moment. He would not tell us much other information, except that the rest of the family was in critical condition and mostly had injuries from burns. I had to hang up, and could hardly speak. I was just barely able to get out the information to the crew at the lodge, but everyone over at my house still did not know. A few people called in, and I hardly remember who they were, but I did what I could to relay the information, through waves of tears and sadness. The tears were not only for Myles, but also for the whole family who were unconscious, and mostly unaware of their loss, but were in such bad shape.

I decided I needed to tell everyone at our house, so I walked over, trying to see through the tears. As soon as I came to the door they knew something was wrong. It was so hard to say the words, that Myles was gone, and all of us felt the pain and wept. I praise God that I have not been in this type of situation many times, but since that is the case, I did not really know what to do or say at a time like that, so we just held each other. We then returned to the lodge, and prayed together. The phone began to ring constantly, with people wanting to know what had happened, and also reporters looking for a story. It all just blurred together in sadness and confusion. But there was something that stood out from all the mess, was when I had to call the family to inform them of the tragedy that had occurred. That was truly the hardest thing I have ever had to do, to tell someone, one of their grand child had passed away. So much liquid was shed from everyone’s eyes that evening, it was hard to talk at all. We were finally able to find out some information between news reports, and friends who had made it to the airport in Anchorage.

So this is most of what we know that happened. Preston was flying his Cessna 206, with his wife Stacie, his two sons, Hudson and Myles, and a young lady from Texas, and had taken off from Merrill Field in Anchorage Alaska, shortly after 5pm. The reports say that he only got about 14 ft. into the air, and started coming down towards busy downtown. The plane was nose up, and coming down quickly. It clipped the top of an apartment building, and then crashed into a vacant building next to a used car lot. The plane was almost immediately on fire, and almost as quickly people came racing over to help with the rescue of the passengers inside. Many people came and lifted the wing of the plane to allow others to help those inside. They were able to get 4 of the passengers to safety, but Myles, the oldest son, was not able to be rescued in time. However the fatality would have been much worse if it wasn’t for the good Samaritans that came to the rescue. A huge thank you is in order for those people who risked their lives to save those in danger. Visit the Anchorage Daily News for the full story with pictures from the accident and the rescue.

All of the information from the crash continued to pour in on the news stations, websites, and people calling in. It was so overwhelming and it was almost a relief to go to sleep that night, but it would be a lie to say that it was a comfortable nights rest. All of us were so physically and mentally exhausted, from worry and tears. Over the night the family was flown to Legacy Emanuel Medical Center in Portland, and Rachel, the young girl, was flown to Seattle. The extent of their injuries required specific treatment from burn patient specialists, with burns deeper than 3rd degree. It took a few days to get a full prognosis of their injuries, and you can see the current status of the family on the website from the hospital, which requires a registration, but it will then send email updates whenever they are available. Also some close friends of the family started a Facebook Page for the family, called “Praying for the Cavner Family”, and there is also a facebook page for Rachel. It is so awesome to see all of the people from all over the country coming together with prayer and support. It is so encouraging. Many people in Portland have offered help to the family, who are staying in Portland. If anyone is interested in helping financially they donate at the Preston and Stacie Fund. And if you would like to donate to Rachel’s expenses, here is a message with information, “Any individuals/families who so desire to assist with helping off-set the extraordinary expenses related to Rachel’s plane accident can make their checks payable to “Grace Church of Kingwood” and in the Memo Section write “Rachel Zientek Family Care . Any and/all (100%)of such designated funds will be used for the sole benefit of helping pay direct “Out-of-Pocket” expenses for Rachel. These donations are unfortunately not tax deductible.” If you wish to make a donation, you can mail it directly to: Dave Kinison 3326 Three Pines Kingwood, TX 77339.

Right now time and healing will tell how this will end, but it will be a long process, and there will be many months required for a full recovery, but I believe in a big God, and I know He can bring healing. We are praying for complete healing for the Cavner Family, and for Rachel. The extended family also needs support during this hard time, so please pray when ever you think about it. We are all helping and hoping that they will pull out of this, but especially with a death involved, there is not just physical, but also spiritual and emotional healing required to recover from an event such as this. I did not write this to ask for sympathy in this time of crisis, but rather to offer hope, and to inform those that would like to know. There are a lot things coming up now that can further complicate the situation, but we are still depending on God for strength through it all. His will be done.

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The company is family owned and operated, located in Southwest Alaska, in the Lake Clark National Park and Preserve. It is near to where I began my apprenticeship in Alaska, and where my love for Alaska was born. That was back in 2003 and much has happened since then. I worked as a Commercial Fisherman, an Assistant and Registered hunting Guide, Project manager for construction, and Videographer. But all of those jobs were preparing for the adventure called Wilderness Pro. We began building the Lodge in 2007, using only manual labor and many a blood, sweat and tear to get the trees felled, the foundation dug, and the building erected. All in all the building project has been spanned over 3 years, just making sure every precaution was taken to make the dream a reality. We have been blessed by having many different people help us along the way, and we would not be able to be where we are without their addition to the team. We are now in the finishing stages of the building, and have officially launched out into the deep, and will be open for business starting this summer.

Since our location is centrally located on Lake Clark, we are within short boat or plane distance from world class fishing for 6 species of fish, and within a short plane ride from many more. Although the fishing is a common activity that people come to Alaska to experience, there are many other exciting aspects of Alaska that can be overlooked, such as kayaking next to pristine waterfalls, or hiking to the tops of the mountainous peaks, or just relaxing and taking it all in. We here at Wilderness Pro seek to offer a well rounded adventure, that includes Alaska from many different angles. But this is where the Adventure With A Purpose comes in. We want to not only offer a true wilderness experience, but we want to add value and lasting impact. So we are going to be facilitating a specific purpose to be accomplished at the Wilderness Pro Lodge. Whether that be a Conference for leaders, a corporate retreat, or a new development that requires a dynamic setting to add some power and clarity, we make that happen. Our purpose it to facilitate dynamic adventures with a purpose.

We are very excited for the new opportunities that await, and brand new places to be explored, and so glad that we can make this journey as a family and have the ability to bring people along the way. We have and will continue to work hard to provide the best service and experience possible for you to have an Adventure with a Purpose, that lasts far beyond the trip. Visit us here at Mywildernesspro.com, and come see how you can experience Alaska with wilderness Pro.

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The cabin was shaping up quite well, as I departed in the Cessna 180, and waved good-bye to Dice bay for a little over a month. My Dad and Jon were the remainder of our crew that had been working there for the previous two weeks. The rest of the crew consisted of My Dad’s brother, Curt, and also Warren from Idaho. Now it was on to new adventures and destinations.

My home for the past month was Valhalla Lodge, an Orvis endorsed fishing lodge located just southwest from Lake Clark, on the shores of six mile lake. The Lodge was started in the 80′s by Kirk Gay, along side the original fishing and hunting camp of his father, Alaska Pioneer, Pilot and Guide, Ward Gay. At the time of my arrival it was only Kirks son, Chris, Niki, the house-keeper, and Peter, the Chef. We kept busy with maintenance and prep work for the upcoming season. We put boats into the water, went through boat motors, and getting everything ship shape. Kirks daughter Brenda, and her Husband Brad, arrived with their two kids that next week. Brad and I then commenced the job of loading up all the boat motors into the Dehaviland Beaver, three at a time, and flying them out to the various rivers that the overturned boats were stored for the winter. We first flew to the Kvichak River, then to the Copper River, and finally to the Nushagak River, which is where the largest run of King Salmon in Alaska takes Place. It was a great time, getting to see some old and new country. A couple days later, Kirk and his wife Liza came out in the Helio, which is a mid-size plane.Among the many things keeping us busy was hauling fuel and food, which had to be brought in by plane, like everything else out in the bush.

Our first clients showed up on the 22nd and began fishing the next day. The Kings were not running at first, but by the middle of the week they began there push up the river and made for some excellent days out on the Nushagak River. My first day out guiding was on the 25th, when the weather kept them from flying out, so we went out on the Tazimina River, nicknamed the “TAZ”. The day was spent throwing flies and leeches around. Grayling are not quite as picky as trout on this river, but they will not bite on anything. By the end of the day we had probably caught 50 grayling between the two clients. We also caught a few small rainbows, as well as Lake Trout and Northern Pike out on the lake.

I continued to take people up the Taz every other day, and began to really get to know the river, working different holes on different days, and figuring out the patterns that were more successful. The river can be tricky, when the water is rising and falling with the melting snow and rains, so one has to always be on their toes. We had a few more clients come in on the tail end of the week, and all of which had great success out Trout fishing, Pike Fishing, and King Fishing. Our next group came in on Sunday, a father and daughter and a Husband and wife. Although they were not very seasoned with a fly rod, all of them picked it up quickly, and before long were casting quite well and reeling in the big ones, including a 40 plus inch King, and a 44 inch Pike. I was once again up the Tazimina with all of them at least once. We also had one guy from Texas that had been fly fishing for many years, and had never had this good of fishing ever before. We ended the week with the celebration of independence day, with wake boarding, and even had some fire works go off in the town nearby, although the 21 hour day light did not provide much of a show, it was fun nonetheless.

After the fourth a new group of seven come in, from Colorado, Alabama, and California. They were a great group of guys, and we had a great week of fishing. The Sockeye run was in full swing, and every one of them got at least one, and some of them two trips to fill the freezer. A few Kings were still working their way up the Nushagak River, and the Rainbows were hitting strong on dry flies and smolt. They also caught plenty of grayling on the “Taz”, Arctic Char, Lake Trout, and Pike. Another great week, with fun times and lots of fish stories around the dinner table, which was expertly prepared by Peter, the chef. One of the guides managed to cut his hand open on the propeller of the boat motor while pike fishing though. One of the clients was a doctor, so he got him all bandaged up, flew back to the lodge, and went in to the local clinic. Aside from minor injuries, we continued our fishing ventures, and had great success, even a nice 20 inch Rainbow, which brought some great smiles. The week ended well, and the clients left with boxes full of fish, and stories that didn’t need stretching.

The following week we had a Husband, Wife and Son arrive from Chicago, and just as we got rolling through the days, a change of plans came about, and I was able to head out early from my job at the lodge, and by noon monday I was back in the Cessna, with the joystick pointed towards the little community of Dice Bay once again. I decided not to tell my family, which had just arrived in Lake Clark the day before, so a suprise was in order, and they certainly were. So then began the process of moving back into my little tent, and getting back into the swing of working again. Swinging hammers, and hauling materials, alot of work ahead.

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