September is a great time to enjoy Alaska. For years the Angstman family has celebrated Labor Day with a trip to the mountains, and this year the trip involved another stay at the cabin. The slide show captures some of those moments.
Once again the highlight of the trip was an adventure up the Allen River to a seldom visited waterfall. The boat trip includes a short section through a canyon that is thrilling. Berry picking, moose hunting and fishing were the main pastimes.
ALO paralegal Amy Ponsness went on a short visit to the cabin in early September, which was her first visit to the mountains east of Bethel. Apparently she liked the experience, because she booked a weekend at another location nearby, on Heart Lake, for a couple days of solitary camping. Her camp was the only one for miles in any direction, about 75 miles from Bethel. It is hard for an urban American to appreciate just how alone a person can feel when dropped off in the wilderness with nothing but a tent and a sleeping bag, but Amy survived her trip and was smiling broadly when picked up. Her husband Greg had another kind of wilderness experience. He helped a friend pack out a bull moose with an antler spread of 76 inches. The pack was more than a mile uphill. That was so much fun, Greg harvested another bull, with a 64 inch antler spread. Here's the proof.
September weather was difficult this year. A period of rainy weather persisted for many weeks, making flying difficult. Sue and Dolly were at the cabin for a few days longer than planned because no planes could get top them. Later in September the rain was replaced by gorgeous fall weather that gradually evolved into high winds which also hampered flying. Right at the end of the month the wind let up enough to get into the cabin to close it for winter and to fly the airplane to Anchorage for annual maintenance.
Bill Eggiman is a regular visitor at the cabin with his Husky float plane. He snapped these photos which show how a tough day on the water
leaves a couple of fishing buddies tired at day's end.
Law news is light this month, but it is clear that most readers of this page check in for updates on stuff other than law. Along those lines, a great Bethel story needs to be told. Recently a rumor surfaced in Bethel that Tom Cruise had arrived by private jet to go fishing nearby. This news was accepted by most as true, because there was a private jet parked at the airport, and from time to time celebrities come through Bethel on such outings. This rumor had legs, and people started reporting sightings around town. At some point, Will Smith was added to the rumor, and a reliable report said that they were both supposed to board their jet at midnight to depart Bethel. About 30 cars lined up on the road nearest the jet to catch a glimpse of the stars, only to be disappointed. The next day, the local radio station sent a reporter to the Alaska Commercial store where another reliable report suggested the two were shopping. No interview was obtained and eventually is was determined that the rumor was false. But heck, Bethel folks have limited things to do and a good rumor can spice up several days of rural life.