August 2025

This edition of the news marks the end of the third season at Tikchik Narrows Lodge, and what a season it was. The biggest news was the fire that came close to destroying the main lodge building. That fire, likely started by a fish smoker operated outside the lodge during a 30 mph wind storm, burned the crew dining room, a heavily packed storage room, and a bedroom.  It would have taken the whole building if not for the heroic effort of crew members who climbed a ladder and directed a water hose through a broken second story window into intense flames. This photo shows the  outside damage which was controlled by numerous fire extinguishers that were quickly gathered from various lodge buildings. The ladder and window are also visible.

This video also tells part of the story.

Crew members believe the fire was minutes from spreading out of control when the hose, which was connected to a large pump in the lake, did its job. Fishing rods, firearms and lodge sale items such as shirts and jackets were among the main items destroyed in the storage area. Repair and rebuilding has already started and no delay in opening next year is expected.

The fire put a bit of a damper on a tremendous season of fishing. The lodge was sold out for the season, and fishing was exceptional. Here are two fish shots from late in the season that are a small sampling of the giant fish photos that are produced almost daily by guests and guides.

Lodge entertainment had a new twist when a guest announced he was an Elvis impersonator. With apologies to the King, here was part of his performance with Andy.

And this late season sunset is also worth sharing.

Here is a group shot of customers and crew that is an annual custom at the lodge.

One final lodge note.  After a trip to the lodge the grandkids were talking about the skill of the lodge pilots.  Jack is seriously into airplanes, and he was asked who he rated the best pilot at the lodge. After some time to ponder he named his Dad the best pilot. It was pointed out that Andy is the youngest and least experienced pilot there, but Jack stuck with his rating. Then someone said “How about Bubba, he is the oldest pilot there, to which Ada responded,  “Just cause he is old doesn't mean he is a good pilot.”  Her first grade reasoning is solid.

ALO Update

Colin McDonald has been an Angstman family friend for his whole life and is world famous for his Facebook page known as the Iditarod Outsider.  It is rare that ALO gets a shout out on social media but Colin got a settlement in a case recently and posted this for his followers.

The case featured a driver who gave the police a name that could never be confirmed and ALO had to track her down through a deep dive into social media. Her insurance company also couldn’t find her but eventually paid up after months of wrangling.

This article about another  pending  ALO case goes into great detail about the events giving rise to this major lawsuit. Its long but intriguing and well worth the read. That promises to be a doozy of a case.

Mandatory Moose and Other Characters

This month’s Mandatory Moose showed up next door to Casey McDonald who is contract helper for ALO in Anchorage. 

This trail cam shot shows an eagle that landed in the water near the Angstman cabin to pull out a fish.

Attorney Josh Fannon works with ALO on many cases and sent this video of the wild swans he feeds in front of his house. Someone compared him to a real life Disney princess.

Here is another moose in a shocking video.

The American Circus Continues

There has been previous mention here of the White House spiritual advisor.  Here she is in action

Here is Trump at his best.

And here is Trump a few years ago.

The Charlie Kirk story has dominated the news since his death.   Many of his quotes have surfaced.  This one is striking.

It is hard to imagine that a podcaster who has never held public office or served the nation in any capacity is entitled to have flags flown at half- mast in his honor. Since when does America honor racism and sexism? 

This is an interesting clip from a while back.

One thing is sure,  prescription drugs will be cheaper.   

For those not strong on math, that means the drug companies will be paying the customer to take the drugs.

Finally, news censorship is a big topic recently, with the billionaires in charge of most media having their say in what gets published. This segment is a prime example of why censorship is a problem in America. There are many who still claim Jan.6th was no big deal but most agree it was one of the darkest events in recent history.

The idea that all of the participants in that riot have been pardoned by Trump is astounding. Some of them are now on the government payroll.