Leaving was hard. Returning was hard. It can be just hard, and sometimes it's just easier not to leave.
All day Thursday we were ready to go waiting for a phone call. Bags were packed the night before except for Bruce as he had installed the sign that day. He was ready to go by noon. They were lined up in the living room, all seven of them. Three bags were tools and equipment, one bag for each person, and then all the carry-ons.
We could hear the wind while still in bed. Looking out the window, snow was blowing horizontal. When I called ERA that morning to check on our charter they said they had grounded all their 207's, as there was less than a mile visibility. The agent said there was a possibility of a Caravan coming in from Hooper Bay on the coast, but no guarantees that it would land. He needed to contact the pilot to see if any passengers had been picked up to determine if there was even room for four passengers. I explained that we needed some lead time as there were numerous steps to take in order to get out to Atmau's airstrip. We were told he'd call us as soon as he knew anything. Past experience said to keep calling the airlines.
So, as is the code out here, be prepared, hurry up and wait.
Besides being ready to go with each individuals' pile laid out; hat, gloves, snow pants, face mask, scarf, boots, and coat, we needed to get the bags out to the school snowmobile and sled. There was a large black pull sled that Bruce got from the school, and we piled some of the luggage for the first haul. It was a bit of a challenge getting it up and over the drifts to the hitched sled. He pulled and tugged moving the sled out to the front of the building.
The call came from the agent that the Caravan would do a flyover in about 25 minutes, and to get out to the airstrip. Calls were made for the ride out as we all quickly bundled up. We went back out to the front of the school struggling in the drifts from near our house. Tim was there and worked at getting the snowmobile started. It didn't go at first. We had loaded all the bags into the sled hitched up to this machine, and it wasn't starting. I didn't know how we were going to make it and the panic started to set in. Wind was howling and it was cold.
The machine started revving and blowing grey smoke, not a good sign. We had the girls standing with their backs to the wind trying to stay warm. As the snowmobile sounded better, we got behind the sled to start pushing to get the whole thing moving. Girls jumped in first, Bruce got on the snowmobile behind Tim, and I jumped in last. It was like slow motion as we needed to get out there fast. My phone rang and I had to take my gloves off to answer it. I had to yell into the receiver that I couldn't hear, but if it was about the plane we were on our way out to the airstrip. My fingers were burning at this point as it was so cold. I could barely hear the agent yell back "ten minutes". That's when we got stuck in the snowdrift.
We all jumped out. Bruce and Tim took on the snowmobile and the girls and I pushed the sled out. As the machine took off again, Gwen and I waved them on, but had Lily jump in for the ride. It took us another ten minutes to walk as the drifts were hard to see. We fell a few times and hung onto each other for support. I was getting tired and my hands and feet were cold. Same for Gwen.
At the airstrip I had the girls hunker down behind the sled to get out of the wind. The adults tried to keep watch with backs turned away from the airstrip. Because of the blowing snow we couldn't even see the other side of the airstrip, a mean cross wind. Soon, though, we saw the Caravan dropping out of the low gray clouds moving very slow, but wings tipping from side to side. It landed quickly and brought itself around. I really felt like we were in Antarctica having a plane flown in for a rescue.
We all grabbed bags before the props stopped, and when the steps were dropped down, I hurried the girls on board. Pilots got bags in the cargo area quickly, made sure we all got in, and hopped in themselves. The plane was facing the wind, and when engines were revved, it turned and faced down the runway. It took nothing for the lift off and we were on our way.
Bethel landing was easy, very little blowing snow and good visibility. We had gotten the only flight that day for the tundra villages. We were very fortunate.
We caught the jet to Anchorage that evening and had four very fun days in town. Hopefully Gwen will send her photos. On Monday I put the family on their flight south. Then, I went to catch mine to head west. That had its own difficulties.
Not quite the drama of getting out, but we did get put on weather hold and were able to disembark until called. Bethel had freezing rain and the runway was icing up. Eventually, we were called back and we took off for the hour flight.
We landed easily. After collecting my pack I "redressed" getting out the arctic gear that I didn't need in Anchorage. I walked on down to ERA as I had a flight out that afternoon back to Atmau. When I walked in, there were several itinerant specialists that I work with that had been on weather hold since seven in the morning. Not a good sign. Once again, 207's were downed, but possibly a Caravan heading out to the coast could drop us off on the way. Four hours later (about 7 pm) I got the announcement out of the blue, Atmau and Nunap meet your pilot at the door. Dressing quickly we had to scramble as there was a window in which the weather broke.
Buckling up in the 207 the pilot warned me that he may not land in Atmau as there were drifts across the runway, and that our plower hadn't done a good job. So, off we went, fifteen minutes later flying over Atmau and continuing on to Nunap. He circled Nunap twice then landed. He turned and said no to Atmau and that he was planning to head back to Bethel. In one very quick phone call to my administrator, I found someone to come get me in Nunap by snowmobile. I had to scramble off the plane to catch a sled ride in to town to some teachers' houses that I really didn't know very well.
I was dropped off near some buildings, but still didn't really know where I was going. I had to kick at a porch door to try to get someone and fortunately the principal was walking by. He let me in the porch area so I could get to the apartment doors. Two young men let me stay and visit while I waited for someone to come by snowmobile from Atmau which took about a half hour. It was a beautiful ride back with the moon out and clear. When we finally pulled in, I negotiated cookies or gas in payment for the ride (brownies was decided on). I walked in to a very quiet house.
