We will helicopter in!
It was a 6 hour drive to Dreger's cabin, snuggled between the pines and designed to capture view of the panoramic mountains rising from the shores of of Horn Lake. The drive was uneventful except for a forest fire we passed so close to be fogged in by smoke and feel the prickly heat. The action included a helicopter droning to the fire directly above us, delivering a huge water bag bomb. Gerry sped on as I documented the event by rapid clicking pictures like a drive by shootist.
Glenn and Di were used to outdoor drama. Glenn was seasoned to the outdoors, hunting and fishing for sport and a living when he was not teaching the sciences to reluctant and recalcitrant students in the juvenile correctional system. Glenn's life had been full of outdoor adventure, having close encounters with moose, bear and mountain lion which bordered on life threatening. His experience did not have the film crew back up of now popular, in the wild, reality TV shows.
Di also taught the sciences. Her genteel boarding school English background expressed itself in the beautiful botany of her gardens, her talent with water color art. Her love of the outdoors, and her ability to pitch in when a moose needs butchering makes Glen and Di a perfect fit.
Glenn had sketched a plan for our visit to include a resplendent hike in the adjacent Niuts in the Chocoltin area of British Columbia. We knew whatever Glenn planned would be special, but when he wrote, "we will helicopter in and hike out," time was needed to digest the implications. The indigestible part seemed to center around we will helicopter in. This idea stuck in Gerry's flat lander caw.
We slept well at the Dreger cabin that night, supported by the gentle sound of soft pine needles outside our window.
The next morning we arrived at the helicopter service, no security checks there. Mike, our pilot and owner, had a burly , competent look about him. In conversation we found out Mike had been the precision water bomber who flew over us the day before. WE small talked with Mike and his wife, Deborah, before take off. Deborah picked up something in Gerry's body language, which prompted her to ask, "Are you nervous?" Gerry's weak yes was two octaves higher than normal. Deborah assured Gerry that Mike was a top notch pilot. The preflight instructions were as follows. Upon leaving the aircraft, drop to one knee and stay low. The prop can drop to 5 feet. Hang on to all loose objects to keep them from being sucked into the fuselage. He added" That would be bad."
The flight was exhilarating. We rose above the tree line and were dropped in an area with breath-taking barren beauty. The plants have a bonsai quality, trained by mother nature to keep a low profile.
With experience and a GPS, Glenn picked the easiest route back. The seven hour hike was tiring, but worth the effort in views and experience. The only casualties were Glenn's great toenails that objected to the banging received during the steep part of the decent.
Safely back at the Dreger hideaway, the difficulty and strain of the day became pleasant exhaustion, washed away by a quick rinse in Lake Horn, cold Canadian beer and good company.
Bottom 2 photos were taken by Glenn.
