MOUNTAIN LIFE - Coast Mountains | Winter Spring 2020

30 TheSeagull Featherfliesnorthforthesummer Winter was over and our plan was loose, and while the weather forecast wasn’t ideal it didn’t look unmanageable…We could hear the North calling. Alaska can be unpredictable, so we packed accordingly: skis, surfboards, disassembled mountain bikes, fishing rods and camera gear all went into the back of the Seagull Feather, Rory Bushfield’s Cessna 180. We were ready for anything and had no schedule beyond knowing which airports had gas. Flying low and dodging storm cells in the Seagull Feather, I became enamoured with the beauty of the “inside passage” up the BC coast. Hopping from island to island, we crossed stretches of water slightly larger than we were comfortable with, while low clouds prevented us from flying at the ideal altitude. It was great for shooting photos and scoping potential surf beaches, and Bushy found some openings over the biggest waterways, allowing us to climb up to a safe crossing height. But we had the wetsuits right behind the seats, just in case. Like many, I gravitate towards pristine nature. Alaska is land of unadulterated beauty and grandeur, so this trip has been a dream for Bushy and I since we started flying together. I was nervous and honoured to be in the co-pilot seat as we navigated into a world of unknowns. The clouds kept us pretty low all the way to Alaska but with a few pit stops for fuel, some solid navigating and a bit of good fortune, we eventually touched down in the land of the midnight sun and kicked off three weeks of Alaskan living: no schedule, no deadlines, pure exploration. Bushy and I had few contacts up north, so this trip also served as an opportunity to meet new people and connect with those who live and breathe the Alaskan spirit of adventure. It didn’t take us long once the wheels were on the ground. We had reached out to a few “internet friends” prior to our voyage, but meeting these Alaskan locals for the first time felt like reconnecting with old friends. These guys get after life and that frontier spirit is steeped in everything they do—Alaska is definitely untamed. Early summer north of the 55 th parallel provided us with more than enough daylight to surf past midnight, camp on beaches, rip around iceberg lagoons and fly over the wildest landscapes I could ever imagine. Alaska exceeded all expectations, and after three weeks and thousands of kilometres, we fired up the Seagull Feather and set off back for BC. I’m pretty sure we found the Holy Grail on this trip, now it’s just a matter of trying to put all the pieces together our next mission, and find it again. EPIC TRIP Sky Wagons & Midnight Sun