By an amazing stroke of luck, trapper Bradley Scotton was flying overhead in his two-seater
ski plane and landed on the ice to come to his aid.
The ways through this part of the province in winter are by dogsled, snowmobile, snowshoe,
ski plane, or helicopter.
Dulce and Michael named it "Kahiltna Gold." Kahiltna is an Athabascan word meaning "from the source." The syrup is free of pesticides, herbicides and other pollutants because the harvest area is only accessible by float or
ski plane.
He dug his own runway and then used his digital camera and satellite phone to send photos to persuade rescue pilots that it was safe to land a
ski plane on the ice.
Their winter season begins in February, when the lake is frozen solid enough for
ski planes to land and there's still some daylight.
And every man, machine and piece of equipment needed to construct IceCube is delivered to the South Pole by Air Force LC-I30 "Ski Herks." Almost daily during the austral summer season of October through February, these ski planes glide to a stop on the South Pole's snow-packed runway.
Air Force LC-130s used to assist Navy ski planes, but the 109th took over the mission in 1998.
No other country in the world makes as much use of helicopters and
ski planes as New Zealand.
Ice is not yet thick enough for ski planes to land, and rivers still flowing make overland travel unsafe for dog teams or snowmobiles.
The two-day event brings dozens of ski planes full of spectators to the 1,500-foot airstrip on the lake by EagleSong.
Apart from the races, EagleSong is a flurry of recreational .and commercial dog teams, cross-country skiers, snowmobiles and ski planes. In the Alaskan tradition, hot coffee is always ready; a large bonfire burns bright and warm to welcome winter travelers.
Ski planes or helicopters that land on glaciers can be chartered from Pemberton, on Hwy 99, 158 kilometres north of Vancouver.