Last addition: 26Oct08 0010 ADT
.........Flying Map................
9Sep08 Tempe, AZ
Ken: Awakened to continuing wind and some clouds. Tempted to go back to sleep, but we pretended to be responsible adults and got going. Quick breakfast, loaded the van and headed to the airport to load the plane (and leave the van for a year), then see about the weather -- which was steadily improving as we worked. Plane is crammed to the gills with all the stuff that we're taking home with us. Fortunately it's not all heavy, and we can still fly. Weather briefing looked good, so off we went on the first leg of our new mode -- traveling together. The corridor from Carrizozo south wasn't bad until we got past Alamagordo. Then it narrowed to not much wider than the divided highway we followed. Up and down a bit to avoid clouds that seemed to like our altitude. El Paso approach verified that we were headed for Deming, and turned us across the MOA/Restricted area to go direct. That cut quite a few miles off the planned path. The "direct to" button on the Garmin 496 gets good use now and then. Carrizozo had no fuel, so we had to make a fuel stop at Deming. New briefing, filed and off again. More clouds to work around and under. As heavy as we are (full fuel now), and with the density altitudes we're in, climbing above 8,500' just wasn't worth the time. So we accepted the wanderings to clear clouds. Other than the bumps from the forming clouds, it was a good flight. Center handed me to Phoenix approach about 30 miles out. They promptly switched me to another frequency. About 15 miles out, this one abruptly said "Radar services terminated. Squawk VFR. Remain outside the termina control area." Expecting to be handed off to Chandler tower, I was momentarily at a loss, and, thinking I was being told to not proceed any further, asked "How, then, do I get to Chandler". Response reminded me of the 3D nature of the control area, and that I can fly beneath it. So down we stepped as we headed to Chandler. Tower directed me to enter a left downwind for runway 22R and I swiveled from GPS to ground as I tried to find the airport. About 4 miles out, I still wasn't seeing it. Shortly, Nikki said she could see where the planes were tied down. I glanced at her and she was looking straight down. A quick wing dip showed that I was about to overfly the airport, so a sharp 110 degree turn to the right put me on the downwind, but quite high. No other traffic in the pattern, so an extended downwind took care of the excess altitude, and we were shortly tied down on the ramp. Bev (remember her, bride's mother, Ken's ex?) came to pick us up for a couple of days stay with them (Bev & Dave). The gals will paint, Ken intends to sleep a bit, and there may be computer projects for Ken & Dave.
Nikki: There are benefits to being the 'passenger.' I have lots of time to read while Ken is 'flight planning,' checking weather and filing flight plans. He gives me the task of reading his "Walk around" and pre-flight list. I think it's in the spirit of giving the ADHD person something to do so they don't get in the way.
10Sep08 Tempe
Ken: Ah, a good night's sleep with no obligations this morning. Gals painted, Dave and I traded flying and computer stories. Three of us went to the opening of the Obama campaign office in Phoenix. Other than that, a day of doing little.
11Sep08 Tempe
Ken: More of the same, though I did spend much of the morning trying to find us accommodations near Bryce Canyon, where we'll go after the Kinne family reunion on Lake Powell this weekend.
12Sep08 Page, AZ and Lake Powell
Ken: Said goodbye to Bev at the house, and Dave drove us to the airport. Loaded, walked around, planned, filed, and were off. I expected to fly due north from Chandler, as our track from there was 353deg. However, tower gave us an early handoff to Phoenix departure, and they had us fly west as we climbed to the altitude limit of 4,000' (keeping us under the 5,000' floor of the control area). After some time, they turned us north, and stepped us up to 4,500', heading us directly over Phoenix Sky Harbor. I realized that was the least potential for getting into the big jet ascent/descent paths. As we flew north, we were stepped up to conform to the floor of the control area, eventually releasing us to our requested altitude of 8,500'. We stayed there until passing Flagstaff, then up to 10,500' to give more breathing space with the rising terrain. Sedona from the air is just awesome!! We skirted the eastern border of the Grand Canyon special flight area, but still got a good view of the upper reaches of the canyon. Descending into Page, we took special note of the three smoke stacks rising 775' above the terrain!! Plane tied down, bags in hand, we caught the shuttle to the Lake Powell Resort Lodge, then had to grab another shuttle down to the houseboat landing. Eventually, Nikki's sister Dawna arrived (with husband, Joe, and son, Dalton), paperwork was done, and we could load the boat. The boat is 59' long, two decks, sleeps 12, has dual 150HP outboards, generator, full
kitchen, two heads, and a slide off the upper deck for the swimmers (shown here in the marina). By the time the twelve folks scheduled for the houseboat had arrived, we'd stocked up on food, arranged for an eight passenger runabout boat, and were ready to depart, we were running out of time (before scheduled group dinner at lodge). So a few of us took off in the runabout to scout the shore for a good parking spot -- which we found. Then back to dinner (wonderful buffet, and we took all the leftovers back to the boat). After dinner, we headed out with the houseboat and the runabout. Normally, they do not allow folks to operate the big boats after dark. However, Miles, one of Nikki's cousins, is a licensed captain for boats up to 150 tons, and had worked at the Lake Powell Marinas driving these kinds of rigs. He was able to convince them we could do so safely. So we moved the boat across the main lake and up one of the side canyons to park it for the two nights. Full moon gave considerable light to help. Bonfire on the shore, lots of getting acquainted, some swimming, etc. filled the rest of the evening.
Nikki: My siblings - all from the same father and mother, in birth order starting on the right. Steve Kinne is the oldest, then Ralph Kinne, Denice Moody, myself, Jay Kinne and then Dawna Kinne-Magliaccano.13Sep08 Lake Powell, UT
Ken: In the morning, Miles ran the little boat in to pick up some of the clan who had chosen to stay in the lodge or local motels. More talking, swimming, fishing, eating, card playing, etc. etc. etc. Rock formations around the lake are simply awesome! It's difficult to 
convey the scale of the geology here. In the evening we used the little boat to shuttle folks in for a dinner cruise on a larger, 2 deck boat. Water is high enough for one of the smaller passages to be used, so we spent two hours or so making a big loop around the lower reaches of Lake Powell, and eating some very fine food. Most agreed it was a highlight of the trip. Our shuttle boat moved all of us back to the houseboat for another fire on the beach, chatter, card playing, etc. Folks from lodge/motels were shuttled back to shore well after dark.
Nikki: Dinner cruise - swimming, sitting around the campfire sharing stories, hiking to rock formations, hearing the mom coyote and her pups in the early morning, group conversations and one-on-one sharing. It was amazing. I do hate being a statistic, but the studies show that as people age they start spending more time with their extended family.14Sep08 Lake Powell and Page, AZ
Ken: Most of them were up really early today. Boat shuttled the shore dwellers back to the houseboat for breakfast, more chatter,
swimming, etc. A few of us hiked about a mile to a formation they call "The Hole in the Wall." A few others shuttled down the shore to hunt for dinosaur tracks in the rocks. Then began the shuttle run for one group catching a plane, cleaning up the boat, packing our bags, etc. We brought the houseboat back to the Marina, filled the gas tanks, cleared all the paperwork, and left it parked a little before the 3pm deadline. We hitched a ride to the motel with Dawna and Joe and checked in for our last night in the area. Hitched up with cousins Miles (plus wife, Barb, & daughter, Breann) and Mark, and sister Denise (with husband Jim) for dinner. After dinner, Denise and Jim showed us how geocaching works, as we used their GPS to locate a cache right in Page. Back to the hotel to log on to the geocaching site and log their find.
Nikki: Dalton King (left), my sister Dawna's boy, and Bree Kinne (right), my cousin Miles' daughter, were the only next generation that came. We made tentative plans to repeat the Lake Powell house boat family gathering, and a commitment to try and get more of the next 
generation there. Joe Magliaccano, Dawna's husband dove off the house boat, rescuing the escaped speed boat. The boat's escape was the only casualty of the trip. Well, body parts of 50+ year old hitting the water from a suspended slide or a rock overhang might be counted too.15Sep08 Bryce Canyon, UT
Ken: I took Miles & family up for half an hour of site seeing around this end of Lake Powell, then we all had breakfast together. Miles hauled us back to the airport. We have a MonaVie conference in Salt Lake City Thursday - Saturday, and we were looking for the best way to spend the three days prior. Looking at the map, I saw that Bryce Canyon had a nice airstrip, so we called to make motel reservations. Wow!! This is one of their busiest times and the best we could do was a room for Monday and a room for Wednesday. We figured we could always grab a tent site and throw out the survival gear for Tuesday. So Nikki and I headed to Bryce Canyon. Flying at 8,500' didn't give us much terrain clearance as we approached Bryce, but there was a good path between hills that was acceptable. Landed, tied down, shuttle called and we were off to the Bryce View Lodge. We lunched, then rented a car, and spent the rest of the afternoon driving into the park and enjoying each of the viewpoints along the road on the way back. Awesome geology!
The USFS was in the midst of a prescribed burn and the last five miles of the road were closed. Tried for dinner at the Bryce Lodge, but they couldn't work us in, so we're back at the Lodge again. The Bryce Canyon area is packed with tourists, and the native English speakers are in the minority. It seems the value of the dollar against the Euro, or the Yen, is quite favorable to a trip to the US.Nikki: I would like to do a show titled "Bryce In the Abstract" The sights
are so 
different from landscapes elsewhere. If I just painted landscapes that looked like what we saw in Bryce Canyon only those who 
have been there would know I was following 3D reality. Moving through the area, whether on foot, car or air I kept thinking of how Bryce Canyon kind of reminded me of the Grand Canyon, Garden of the Gods, and Lake Powell. It mirrored feelings of how it is meeting first cousins for the first time in my life, and seeing how my siblings lives have taken shape. We all are related, yet each very different.16Sep08 Bryce Canyon
Ken: The maps showed a variety of hiking trails into the canyon, and we picked a moderate one for the morning. Bought Nikki a new pair of hiking boots at the Lodge store, had a good breakfast, and headed for the trail head. The Navajo trail, to a connector trail, to the Queen's Garden Trail took us more than three hours to do the almost three miles. Map said we had a 550' drop from the rim into the Canyon (and back up, of course). The start of the trail went
directly down into the heart of the structures, via many, many switchbacks (four shown here). For those of us with any degree of 
fear of heights, this was a challenge. But what a wonderful experience. We both shot gobs of photos. Being down at the bottom of 
these features, looking up, was an awe inspiring experience. And it was rewarding to see that even at about 8,000', we both did this without serious strain. Back to check on a room for the night, which we were able to obtain by accepting a smoking room. (We'll see if that has serious effect.) Back into the park to drive to the end of the road, which had been opened today. I took a bunch of photos of the burn areas, as there were still lots of smokes and some active flames 
in view. The photo on the left is facing east, the one on the right facing west, both from the same point on a ridge. The rangers said that the weather had been perfect and the burn went exactly as planned. Having made reservations last night, we had a very nice dinner in the Park Lodge, then home to get on the computer while Nikki watches a movie.17Sep08 Bryce Canyon
Ken: While I slept, Nikki went out to do laundry. By the time she returned I was showered and ready to go. We loaded the car, checked out of our room (and into the new room for tonight) and headed out to explore outside the Bryce Canyon area. We chose to head east on Scenic Byway 12. This drive takes us out of the Bryce Canyon and along the northern border of the Escalante-Grand Staircase National Monument, one of the few managed by BLM. We ended up in the Escalante Petrified Forest State Park. This is a very pleasant little area with 32 camp sites, a small lake to paddle on, and a loop trail to view pieces of petrified forest. The trail is demanding in taking us up several hundred feet to the top of the mesa and looping around. The petrified wood pieces are not large -- no full trunks except one beside the toilets in the camp. But what is there has a lovely variety of colors. Hiking along, we came across a large black tailed jack rabbit, sitting under some scrub and grooming. He let me get within about five feet before casually hopping around behind the scrub. Heading back to Bryce, the geology changes from the Escalante features (mostly browns and grays, cliffs and mesas) to the Bryce features (lots of reds and white with the browns and grays, hoodoos more than mesas) over only a couple of miles. Really fascinating landscape, and it raises lots of geological questions. We hauled our stuff from the car to our new room, then turned the car back in. Back to the usual lodge restaurant for lupper, checked out their pool/spa facilities, then walked back to the room to kick back doing blog updates, e-mail, flight planning, weather checking, etc.
18Sep08 Salt Lake City, UT
Ken: Walking across the street for breakfast at 0630, it was downright cold! Back to call shuttle and pack. Shuttle took us to the airport and we loaded up. I was still waffling as to whether to go into the non-towered Salt Lake City 2, on the SW side of town, or head on up to Salt Lake City International. When I got the FSS briefing, I was assured that SLC Int'l has all kinds of traffic, including students, so I filed to there. Density altitude was only about 8,000' on take off, and we climbed straight ahead for some ways to get to 10,500', then turn west and cross a ridge. Followed I-15 most of the way in. I talked to LA Center (frequency posted by the phone at Bryce) who told me to call SLC Center, which I did. He suggested waiting until we were close to Delta, then calling on another frequency. Which I did. Code assigned and radar identified, then radar contact lost for a while. Handed to another Center sector, then soon to SLC Approach. I'd studied the SLC VFR chart, and had programmed the Garmin 496 to walk us up the I-15 corridor. Approach's first assignment was to recommend 8,500' (keeping us above an active restricted area) and VFR direct to "Point of the Mountain", which was the waypoint I was already navigating to. Hand off to another approach frequency, who began stepping us down and advising us of traffic in opposite direction 500' below. Next hand off was to SLC tower, who assigned runway and interstate to follow. I begged unfamiliar, and was vectored. Final hand off was to yet another SLC tower frequency, and then we were on downwind to 16. Ground directed us to Million Air where we got the million dollar treatment. I went in to check on tie downs fees (none, if we fuel) and ask about the shuttle from Red Lion. They waved their hand and said they would be glad to shuttle us, so we returned to the plane to offload. Before we were done, their shuttle pulled up next to the plane. You'd think we'd flown in on the Piaggio Avanti parked there. The Red Lion refused to let us register before the 3pm check in time, so we stashed bags and got the light rail to a downtown mall. Finally got back to hotel, checked in, got some rest, shower, and dressed for the invitational reception by our MonaVie upline. We were surprised to find that most of the REALLY successful ones were in their mid-late 30's, or early 40's. These are the folks making 6-7 figure incomes from marketing MonaVie! Again, one of the first questions/comments from folks finding out we are from Alaska was about Palin. I'm starting to get more direct in my comments, and at least one of the folks muttered something about liking Palin, then promptly changed the subject. Jesse & Mae, our Fairbanks sponsors, got their intro to the light rail on our way back to the hotel.
19Sep08
Ken: First day of conference. Nikki stayed to paint, etc. Jesse, Mae and I walked to the Salt Palace, got registered, connected with another couple and found seats. What a media production this conference has been. Only lights for the 7,500 people gathering were like disco lights. Flashing lights of different colors, some spotlights playing over the audience, colorful light patterns running up and down some panels on the wall, and about six HUGE flat screen displays hanging from the ceiling with different content on some of them. Fairly loud "thump-thump" music going, and lots of voices blending into the cacaphony. Those of you who know me well will understand why I was very uncomfortable -- totally out of my element in this visually and aurally stimulating (even assaulting) environment. The morning session was about half "motivational," with those loud voiced, excited, on edge kinds of guys cheerleading, etc. Everyone had wireless mikes of the over-the-ear boom mike style, and most had them pushed away from their face so it wouldn't overmodulate as they yelled their presentations. There were some pyrotechniques opening the show. Some famous (?) football player rode above the audience in a little gondola that took him to the stage, constantly throwing stuff to the audience. But there were lots of interesting and useful information during the later parts of the morning, including announcement of a new product (MonaVie Pulse) aimed at preventing heart disease. And the afternoon speaker was a PhD research scientist who really delivered useful and solid information. The three of us gave out about 4pm and headed back to the hotel. Nikki and I chatted for a while, then headed out to get dinner and shop at the convention store (hopefully missing the long lines from earlier in the day). We did pick up a few sets of material to share with folks as we travel, as well as our first case of the new product. After trying three other places, we ended up in an Italian place that turned out to be really wonderful. Then back to the hotel to finish the day.
20Sep08 SLC
Ken: Another day at the conference. More "motivational" speakers, presentation of the high rollers, etc. Great talk by the blind guy that has climbed the highest peak in each of the nine continents. He's most known for his climb of Everest. Nikki went hiking in a canyon with her friend, Olie, who lived/taught in Fairbanks for a while. In the evening, Nikki and I went to Olie and John's home for dinner and good conversation. Nice to reconnect now and then. The last time we saw them was in Phase 2 when we camped north of SLC and they came over for a while.
Nikki: The parts of the MonaVie convention I experienced changed my view of our amazing fruit juice. It works so well on Ken's & my health that I just didn't see it as something for the young, nor as a business opportunity for those seeking employment. Around the MonaVie stuff, I worked on the blog entries, got together with my friend Olivia Moreton for a hike up one of her favorite canyons, and then a lovely dinner with her, John and Ken. The time flew by.
21Sep08 Los Angeles, CA
Ken: Out of the hotel, out to the airport, get plane pulled to ramp and fueled. When I asked about buying VFR Terminal Charts for Las Vegas and Los Angeles, someone laughed and said I forgot that I was in Utah on a Sunday. One of the line young women offered to run down to her flight school and get the Las Vegas chart. Man, this FBO doles out wonderful treatment. Filed, loaded up, and headed out. Friendly, patient departure controllers very much appreciated. We had at least 25 knot direct headwinds, and were lucky to be breaking 100 knots ground speed. We tried 6,500', with at most 5 knot improvement, so went back up to 8,500'. So our three hour flight extended to 3.5 hours. I thought Boulder City would have active FBOs where we could get the LA chart. It took some looking around, then help from one FBO line crew to find it. "Lunch" was pre-packaged sandwiches from the gift shop of one of the Grand Canyon tour operators. Back in the air, departure control got us a code and we had flight following for the duration into Riverside. Again, headwinds gave us 100 knots most of the way, for 1.7 hours enroute. SOCAL Approach held my hand to find Riverside in the haze. My brother, Dean, was waiting for us as we tied down and unloaded. He loaned us their car to drive into LA to Quin and Mandy's home. They took us to a really upscale seafood restaurant, The Water Grill. Amazing!! Lovely evening of connection with Nikki's eldest child.
Nikki: The night spent with Quin & Mandy in their new place was a fun celebration. To honor Quin's 28th birthday, we asked that he pick a nice resturant. The Water Grill was an adventure for all of us. The general attire was tux & gown, only to find the crowd was from the Emmies. Our typical African, summer casual didn't keep us out. They figured our dollars spent just as well as the tuxedo patrons. Ordering different things and passing our plates, so we could all taste each dish was done in good fun, if not 'best form.'
22Sep08 Riverside, CA
Ken: Fun morning of introducing Quin/Mandy to MonaVie, looking at some of their video productions, making copies of their video "Angie's and Roger's Wedding," social and political conversations, etc. Headed back to Riverside, to Dean's church. He took us to an artist in his congregation for Nikki and her to get acquainted. Then home for a good evening of chit-chat with Dean and Sandie -- something that happens far too infrequently.
Nikki: Seeing some of the projects Mandy and Quin are working on and how they are doing their jobs was really cool. Dreaming and life planning were also shared, and we were still solving the worlds problems as we were folding into Dean's (Ken's brother) car, for the hair-raising Interstate drive back to Dean & Sandie's home in Riverside. Dean gave a directions to his church, which was easier to find than their home. When we arrived he suggested we meet one of his church members who is an artist. Meeting Anita Silvestri was a special bonus. Her art gave me inspiration and excitement regarding the depth of conversation available within a single piece. (atsart.com) She wanted information on marketing. I don't think I gave her many ideas in the short time we had for sharing. Sandie & Dean's lovely home was only shadowed by Sandie's brilliant hostess skills. We sat by their pool, in the shade of the Jasmine bush, telling stories, catching up on kids, and discussing retirement issues. As night flooded the area, small patio lights cast new dimensions to the perfect evening of weather, meal and visiting. Breakfast and more visiting, pushed into too short of time, and then it was off to the next stop toward home.
23Sep08 Chico, CA
Ken: Breakfast with Dean and Sandie, then off to the airport to head for Chico. We've been breaking up our long legs, and stopped in Fresno for fuel, etc. Into Chico's Ranchaero, where Ken's sister Nancy picked us up. Unloaded at her house, then off to bring Ken's folks, Jordan and LaVonne, back to the house for dinner and early evening chats. Jordan's energy is declining, but he's still getting around and as alert mentally as ever. Not bad for 93!
Nikki: Flying in the plane for long legs of travel means I have to limit my water if I wish to walk with any dignity into the terminal. So, landing at Ranchaero with the heat I wasn't a happy camper. Quart of water later, and being picked up by Nancy Thompson, Ken's sister, in her air conditioned car, made things seem a little more balanced. We stopped at her place to tend to pot roast. She and Ken then left to get the folks. When parents get up in the 90s, the odds of visits being "last ones" are stacked. This can be a blessing, if experienced as "One more story" "One more gem of 'Life's Lessons'" or "One more time to laugh and enjoy revisiting history already written." Jordan & LaVonne are special people whom I love dearly. I can't help but compare Ken's family and childhood with mine. I love all of his family and just wish we could spend more time with them.
24Sep08 Chico
Ken: Slept in, quiet morning, some computer work, etc. Nancy took LaVonne to a new doctor, then shopping. They picked us up, and we all went to J&L's home for a while. Picked up Chinese take out on the way back to Nancy's, where Cecil (Nancy's husband) awaited us, having returned from his annual hunting trip with some of his family. More chatter, then ran Dad & LaVonne home, and said our good-byes. At his age, we never know which parting will be the last, and we are so far away that we can't get here nearly as often as we'd like.
Nikki: Today, Nancy had a PEO meeting. Cecil, her husband, is coming home from the cabin and a week of hunting with the guys - his family tradition. Nancy has taken LaVonne to a doctor's appointment. I've done laundry, worked on blog entries, and read. This afternoon we will all gather. I'm hoping Ken will get a chance at a rematch of pool with his 93 year old dad. He almost beat him a few years ago. Really, if I had to bet, my dollars would still be placed on Jordan.
25Sep08 Ellensburg, WA
Ken: Away from Chico at a good time. I arbitrarily picked a small airport about half way to our next major stop. Sunriver, OR turned out to be a real find. It's a resort community, and geared to itinerants. Miles of bike paths, bikes all over that you just hop on and go. So we took time for biking to lunch at a nice little spot on the river. We've noted it for future trips down this way. On to Ellensburg, the home of my nephew, Ben, and his family. They have a new baby none of us had seen yet, and Nikki got a good "grandma" fix. Not enough daylight to head on, so we stayed the night.
26Sep08 Watson Lake, YT
Ken: We are really on the way home now! From Ellensburg, we flew to Kelowna, BC to clear customs and gas up. On to Prince George, BC for gas and lunch. Then the infamous "trench" to Watson Lake. No hotel shuttles, but the CARS guy just going off duty was kind enough to give us a ride in to a hotel. Dumped our gear, went next door for dinner, then back for a good night's sleep.
27Sep08 Whitehorse, YT
Ken: Couldn't get a taxi to the airport, so the hotel clerk just going off duty offered to drive us out. Thanks for small town hospitality! This is such familiar territory, and it feels like Alaska. We are having "get-home-itis" and must watch our decisions. Getting into Whitehorse turned out to be really hairy, as there was a low layer of clouds just south of the airport, we went under and it looked clear to the airport. However, we had several straggling clouds hanging down that made visibility drop suddenly then back up as quickly. Made it in OK (obviously), but added some more cautions to my life's learning catalog. There was time to head on, but a cold front was dropping snow showers from Northway to Burwash, so we got an interesting room for the night. I'd refueled in Whitehorse many times, and noted some rooms in the building. I always thought they were for crews. Today I asked and they rent to anyone. So we had a room overlooking our plane, next to the ramp, and the price was about half what we'd expect to pay in a good hotel a ways away.
28Sep08 Whitehorse
Ken: Still here, still snow showers from the border to Burwash. OK flying either side, but not enough tolerance for me to want to go have a look along this quite mountainous route. So we rented a car, and went to a cafe in Whitehorse, to get caught up on the blog a bit. Their connection was intermittent, so I didn't get as far as I wanted. Dinner in a Vietnamese restaurant was great. Back to read ourselves to sleep.
29Sep08 Fairbanks, AK!!
Ken: Finally, the weather looks flyable. But overnight we had rain showers, followed by snow showers and freezing weather. The plane had a good layer of rough ice and snow, and I wasn't sure how to get it off. The temperature was -2C, and it would be a few hours before it had warmed enough above freezing to do much good. I borrowed a broom and swept off what I could. While working on that, a guy drove up in a line tug with a bucket of glycol and a mop to loan me. It took about an hour of swabbing and rubbing before I had all the ice off the flying surfaces. Returned rental car, final check of weather, notify US Customs, and finally airborne about 1130AM. The solid overcast was well above the 6,500' we flew, but there were enough wispy cloud fragments dangling from it that we were up and down a few hundred feet all the time. Coming into Kluane Lake, we had to drop down to about 3,000' flying along the shore line. Just northwest of Burwash Landing it became so hazy that we were close to turning around and landing at Burwash, when the haze cleared and we had visibility to continue. Shortly after, we were back up to 6,500'. Before hitting the US border, we lost the overcast layer and it was totally clear above. However, shortly after entering US airspace, the scattered layer below us became broken, then closed entirely. Before turning back, we looked around for signs of clear areas, and found one about 10 miles to the north. We let down below the overcast layer and had clear sailing into Northway. Cleared Customs, ate lunch, checked weather, filed, and loaded up to go. The oil level was down a bit, so I added our last quart, closed up the hatch, piled in and we rolled. Just as we were lifting off we got some muck on the windshield. I thought we'd rolled through some muddy water on the temporary gravel strip. However, as I climbed out the muck grew and looked like frothy oil. Now that got my attention, and we did an immediate left 270/right 90 and put back down on the strip. I taxied off the runway to the first clear area, shut down and climbed out to inspect. Of course, I found one of those really dumb things we do when in a hurry -- left the cap off the oil filler tube!! We took off the upper cowling and spent some time with paper towels and wet wipes. We couldn't have lost more than a quart, if that much. And a lot of it went on the top of the cowling and windshield. Quick check with a mechanic (thanks Mark at Chena Marina) to be sure we didn't have to worry about oil into the mags, or some such concern, a bit more cleaning, and we closed it up. Added two more quarts for good measure, made SURE the cap was on, loaded and launched again. 4,500' was a good level all the way back, and we had strong tail winds over half the way. We were surprised to hear our friend Mark working approach, and Nikki made the call from Quartz Lake to check in with him. He even volunteered to call Brad, the fellow staying in our house, to come get us. Wonderful welcome home, and end to this adventure.
