The Alaska Thread (Pic Heavy)

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alaskanpiper

Enabler in Chief
May 23, 2019
9,348
42,247
Alaska
Due to multiple requests for more pictures and details on cabins, hunting, etc. I have decided to go ahead and post a thread with some pictures and details about our life in Alaska. I am getting tired of posting and PMing pics over and over, so this way I will have a thread I can just post a link to when people ask. So here goes:

I'll start with our family moose hunting camp. Accessible only by airplane, my family has used this camp for decades (since well before I was born) and it is a huge part of our life and culture. In one picture you will see my dad pictured in 1969. Every september we spend much of the month here hunting and harvesting our meat for the winter. We have had great success here and it is all on public land, so our camp is a removable 12 x 12 wall tent that we put up and take down each season. The lake we land on is full of grayling for some fly fishing on down time, and our camp site features incredible views of Denali and the surrounding range. It is the greatest place in the world.

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Next we have a couple of cabins, one belonging to my wife and I, and one belonging to her parents. These are predominantly recreational cabins that we access with snow machines in the winter, but we do also moose hunt here sometimes, accessing these cabins with Argo ATVs. They also feature some nice views of Denali, but the moose hunting is not quite as good, they are mostly winter recreation cabins in the Kahiltna Flats.

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In addition to this, my family has a cabin on Shell Lake that we use for summer recreation my parents built in 1974. Accessible only by plane, the lake is filled with Lake Trout, Burbot, Rainbow Trout, Northern Pike, and gets a nice run of Red Salmon. We also use it as a home base for King Salmon fishing at the nearby Deshka River, a short 10 minute plane ride away. It also has great black bear and duck hunting.

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Finally, there is our home on the Knik River about 20 miles east of Palmer. Most people in the lower 48 would call this a cabin, but to us it is a house. It does have neat little trapper cabin on the property that was built in 1960 though, a cool piece of history that needs some fixing up (my future smoking den). We live in this area because it provides great access to hiking, fishing, and all the fun things to do outside in Alaska, and also has great views of the mountain range across the river. I will continue with pics in a second post, as this one has too many already. See below.
 
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alaskanpiper

Enabler in Chief
May 23, 2019
9,348
42,247
Alaska
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Lastly, much of our lifestyle would not be possible without our little family airplane, a 1976 Cessna A185F on floats in the summer and skis in the winter. My dad bought it in 1984, and has since mostly retired from flying, so these days I am the Pilot in command. "Triple 4 8 Romeo" is a beloved family member that has provided some of our greatest memories.

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Well, thats about it for now. Seeya folks!

Frank
 

Idahojoe

Starting to Get Obsessed
Sep 30, 2019
168
232
62
Wilder, Idaho
Simply awesome my friend! My hat's off to you, you are a very lucky man.
I think I'll go have a smoke and toast you with glass of single malt. ?puffy
 

alaskanpiper

Enabler in Chief
May 23, 2019
9,348
42,247
Alaska
Come on, man. If you’re going to photoshop impossibly large fish, at least make it believable.

Haha, trust me, when pulling those halibut up from 400 feet of water I truly wish they were smaller. Like lifting weights over and over forever. And the smaller halibut actually taste better. It sure is fun once they are actually in the boat though. Rest the arms and light up a pipe.
 

Mr.Mike

Part of the Furniture Now
Nov 11, 2019
844
2,049
Pennsylvania
I do alot of winter backpacking and such and would want to say I would love to live this way. The reality is I probably would crumble under the amount of work and skills involved to live like this. You are a very talented guy!
 

alaskanpiper

Enabler in Chief
May 23, 2019
9,348
42,247
Alaska
I do alot of winter backpacking and such and would want to say I would love to live this way. The reality is I probably would crumble under the amount of work and skills involved to live like this. You are a very talented guy!

You can make it whatever you want it to be. From regular low maintenance city life in Anchorage (A city of 300,000 people still only 20 minutes from wilderness if you like) to remote homesteads where you will never see another person and work an 80 hour week just to stay alive, and everything in between. You can find whatever balance you are looking for. Either way, winter backpacking would be right outside your door no matter where/how you live here.
 

AlabamaDan

Can't Leave
Dec 24, 2019
309
487
Alabama
THANK YOU FOR POSTING THIS! The places you live everyday are truly amazing. You live how most of us day dream for a vacation and it appears your family has done so for generations. I'm not sure a deep South guy like me could stand the winters, but it is a Outdoorsman's Paradise.
 
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alaskanpiper

Enabler in Chief
May 23, 2019
9,348
42,247
Alaska
Oh heck yes this is an awesome thread. Thanks for sharing!

Thought you'd get a kick out of this- from some plane spotters group I think.

https://flic.kr/p/8BiXEU
Yep, that’s my old man behind the stick in that one. Still current at 77. There’s a bunch of planespotter pics when you google tail numbers. They are on the shoreline all day every day, haha. That pic is probably from at least 8 years ago, it still has the old prop on it, we put a new one on about then.
 
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alaskanpiper

Enabler in Chief
May 23, 2019
9,348
42,247
Alaska
THANK YOU FOR POSTING THIS! The places you live everyday are truly amazing. You live how most of us day dream for a vacation and it appears your family has done so for generations. I'm not sure a deep South guy like me could stand the winters, but it is a Outdoorsman's Paradise.
Ah, the winters are my favorite! A nice full pipe and dram of whiskey with a good book next to a roaring woodstove at the cabin when its -20 outside....hard to beat.

Full disclosure, fall is actually my favorite. Moose season, leaves changing, and the best trout fishing of the year.
 
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