Tuesday, May 31, 2005
Salute A Good Man and a "Hockey Warrior"......
I remember this man from my youth, he was a great asset, a great "warrior", and a tremendous mentor, and a "pillar" of the NHL...........
John D'Amico
John D'Amico
Arrived Safe At "Sabourin Lake Lodge"!!
5:30 AM. Light winds, about 10*C, and no weather to speak of. Perfect for flying external loads!
A "reflective shot" of Walter Turbine Otter C-GBTU, early AM, before heading for Sabourin Lake.
A beautiful morning to fly "externals".........
Polack Otter C-GHYB, right before departure to Sabourin Lake..............
I cranked off for Sabourin Lake, and HYB performed like a champ. The tank never moved, and I could make 110 mph easily. The air was as smooth as glass, although there was an inversion, and at 2000' it was 23*C. Nonetheless, my cylinder head temp. was under 200*C, and oil temp. ran about 72*C, well within normal range. After about 40 min., I landed at Sabourin Lake!
Sabourin Lake Lodge, Ontario!
The camp workers help me untie my external load. Some Native guides came by and asked what the tanks were for, and I jokingly told them they were "hot tubs for the Guide cabins"...... They all had a good laugh.
Tank off, and boats being readied for fishing..........
I decided to take a little stroll around the camp!
The front of the lodge over-looking the lake. What beautiful construction, all "local logs"...........
An interior shot.........
Look at the ceiling! Pride, talent, and "sweat equity" went into this building............
Even the light fixtures are "hand-made" from local wood...........
A shot of the beautiful "dining room"...............Look how the logs are notched ..........
The local store..............
Beautiful "rustic" cabin. Again, when local materials are used, the cabins have such warmth and character...............
Then I heard a turbine overhead. Dave Martin, Blue Water Aviation Chief Pilot, had also arrived. I headed for the docks.
Dave unties his external load.
The boys manhandle the tank.............
Then, Paul Kroeker from Selkirk Air shows up in Polack Otter C-GCDX! This place is busy!!!
3 Otters on the dock!!!
I tell you folks, Sabourin Lake Lodge is a fabulous spot. Ron Williams has owned the lodge since 1968, and is considered one of the "Premiere" lodge operators in the area. A great place to fish!
Sabourin Lake Lodge Information!!!!!
Then, we loaded people and headed for Selkirk, dropped them off, and returned to Silver Falls.
A view of the "Winnipeg River", before it dumps into Lake Winnipeg..........
Then I loaded to take supplies to a camp at Palsen Lake, north of Pauingassi. I took our dockhand with me, "Spanky", a budding Commercial Pilot who we will check-out on our Cessna 185.
HYB against the rock at Palsen Lake.........
"Spanky" in front of the cabin at Palsen Lake..........
An interior view of a "basic" fishing cabin........
We unloaded, and then headed south. You know folks, Manitoba and Ontario are blessed with natural resources, the "Tourism Fishing Industry" being one of them. Some of these cabins and lodges have been around for numerous years, and if the cabins could talk, they would have stories to tell. Well, I found a story in the cabin at Palsen Lake. A group of fishermen experienced it all. Good weather, bad weather, good fishing, contaminated fuel for the outboards, and a visit by Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources. Well, I will sign off for today, and you have just experienced another day in my life, and here is the story written by a fisherman whose name I blocked out, so nobody gets upset. Make sure you click the picture, and read it full screen. Life is an adventure, and the man who wrote this little trip diary has a memory to last him a lifetime. Cheers, till next time..........
A memory to tell the "Grandkids"! "I remember back in......................."
A "reflective shot" of Walter Turbine Otter C-GBTU, early AM, before heading for Sabourin Lake.
A beautiful morning to fly "externals".........
Polack Otter C-GHYB, right before departure to Sabourin Lake..............
I cranked off for Sabourin Lake, and HYB performed like a champ. The tank never moved, and I could make 110 mph easily. The air was as smooth as glass, although there was an inversion, and at 2000' it was 23*C. Nonetheless, my cylinder head temp. was under 200*C, and oil temp. ran about 72*C, well within normal range. After about 40 min., I landed at Sabourin Lake!
Sabourin Lake Lodge, Ontario!
The camp workers help me untie my external load. Some Native guides came by and asked what the tanks were for, and I jokingly told them they were "hot tubs for the Guide cabins"...... They all had a good laugh.
Tank off, and boats being readied for fishing..........
I decided to take a little stroll around the camp!
The front of the lodge over-looking the lake. What beautiful construction, all "local logs"...........
An interior shot.........
Look at the ceiling! Pride, talent, and "sweat equity" went into this building............
Even the light fixtures are "hand-made" from local wood...........
A shot of the beautiful "dining room"...............Look how the logs are notched ..........
The local store..............
Beautiful "rustic" cabin. Again, when local materials are used, the cabins have such warmth and character...............
Then I heard a turbine overhead. Dave Martin, Blue Water Aviation Chief Pilot, had also arrived. I headed for the docks.
Dave unties his external load.
The boys manhandle the tank.............
Then, Paul Kroeker from Selkirk Air shows up in Polack Otter C-GCDX! This place is busy!!!
3 Otters on the dock!!!
I tell you folks, Sabourin Lake Lodge is a fabulous spot. Ron Williams has owned the lodge since 1968, and is considered one of the "Premiere" lodge operators in the area. A great place to fish!
Sabourin Lake Lodge Information!!!!!
Then, we loaded people and headed for Selkirk, dropped them off, and returned to Silver Falls.
A view of the "Winnipeg River", before it dumps into Lake Winnipeg..........
Then I loaded to take supplies to a camp at Palsen Lake, north of Pauingassi. I took our dockhand with me, "Spanky", a budding Commercial Pilot who we will check-out on our Cessna 185.
HYB against the rock at Palsen Lake.........
"Spanky" in front of the cabin at Palsen Lake..........
An interior view of a "basic" fishing cabin........
We unloaded, and then headed south. You know folks, Manitoba and Ontario are blessed with natural resources, the "Tourism Fishing Industry" being one of them. Some of these cabins and lodges have been around for numerous years, and if the cabins could talk, they would have stories to tell. Well, I found a story in the cabin at Palsen Lake. A group of fishermen experienced it all. Good weather, bad weather, good fishing, contaminated fuel for the outboards, and a visit by Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources. Well, I will sign off for today, and you have just experienced another day in my life, and here is the story written by a fisherman whose name I blocked out, so nobody gets upset. Make sure you click the picture, and read it full screen. Life is an adventure, and the man who wrote this little trip diary has a memory to last him a lifetime. Cheers, till next time..........
A memory to tell the "Grandkids"! "I remember back in......................."
Monday, May 30, 2005
Beautiful Day At "Gammon River East".......
Finally, decent weather is upon us. It is about time. This morning I hauled a crew and building supplies into Pauingassi, and then it was back to Silver Falls to take fishermen into an outcamp on the Gammon River. The Gammon River flows from Ontario westward into Manitoba, and eventually joins the Bloodvein River, both rivers being major assets to Atikaki Provincial Park.
Anyhow, I got the 6 fishermen to camp, and loaded up 4 to bring south. The 4 I brought out had a great time, except for the weather. They brought back about 6 15-packs of beer, because they said it was too cold to drink beer! Rookies!! I used to have a rule that any beer returned from the camps became the property of the pilot, but I have become more lenient recently. Must be "old age"! Actually, just kidding, I am still as agile as a "cat". You have to be to fly an Otter in the bush.
The camp I flew into on the Gammon is owned by my friend Bob Crockett. We think he might be a distant relative to Davie, but you can't give him a Bowie Knife, because he probably would cut himself. All kidding aside folks, Bob is a good guy, and has had camps for years, and they are well-equipped and outfitted, and he has a genuine love of the bush.
Bob Crockett's camp on the Gammon River. The chair on top of the tree-post is "Bob's Perch", as this is where Bob is deposited during the night by the other guests when Bob is at camp, due to his "90 decibel" snoring. If you look closely you can see a seat belt, and don't worry, if it is storming, they usually put a rain hat on him..................
All kidding aside, it is a beautiful spot, a beautiful camp, and well-run, Bob keeps it in top-shape, and the fishing and moose hunting are outstanding. My kind of place!
Info on Bob Crockett's camp on the Gammon River.
Gammon River East Outcamp!
Now, the other day I made a post titled "Buzzard's" Otter Check-Out on May 24. Lo and behold, the other day I taxied into the dock, and what did I see? A 4-piece water tank to haul to a lodge in Ontario! Deja-vu!! Steve Gaffray, one of the owners of Blue Water Aviation Services Ltd. met me as I got out of my airplane, and laughed, and said, "Somebody must have been reading your blog"! Anyways, this tank was 4-piece, and designed differently, and would have to be flown on 2 airplanes, which worked perfectly, because both airplanes would bring customers south once we flew the tank pieces into the lodge. The lodge we will be going to is called Sabourin Lake Lodge, and has been owned by a fellow by the name of Ron Williams for many years.
A beautiful shot of the Winnipeg River and Otter C-GHYB. But hey, what is going on? What are those "dumb shits" at Blue Water up to now? I better get a closer look.............
What is this, a fly-in plumbing service????
If you need it moved, we can do it...........
Tied on tonight, and I will leave early AM, when it is cool, and the winds are light.........
Till tomorrow, folks, I'll see if I can get some pics of Sabourin Lake Lodge............
Anyhow, I got the 6 fishermen to camp, and loaded up 4 to bring south. The 4 I brought out had a great time, except for the weather. They brought back about 6 15-packs of beer, because they said it was too cold to drink beer! Rookies!! I used to have a rule that any beer returned from the camps became the property of the pilot, but I have become more lenient recently. Must be "old age"! Actually, just kidding, I am still as agile as a "cat". You have to be to fly an Otter in the bush.
The camp I flew into on the Gammon is owned by my friend Bob Crockett. We think he might be a distant relative to Davie, but you can't give him a Bowie Knife, because he probably would cut himself. All kidding aside folks, Bob is a good guy, and has had camps for years, and they are well-equipped and outfitted, and he has a genuine love of the bush.
Bob Crockett's camp on the Gammon River. The chair on top of the tree-post is "Bob's Perch", as this is where Bob is deposited during the night by the other guests when Bob is at camp, due to his "90 decibel" snoring. If you look closely you can see a seat belt, and don't worry, if it is storming, they usually put a rain hat on him..................
All kidding aside, it is a beautiful spot, a beautiful camp, and well-run, Bob keeps it in top-shape, and the fishing and moose hunting are outstanding. My kind of place!
Info on Bob Crockett's camp on the Gammon River.
Gammon River East Outcamp!
Now, the other day I made a post titled "Buzzard's" Otter Check-Out on May 24. Lo and behold, the other day I taxied into the dock, and what did I see? A 4-piece water tank to haul to a lodge in Ontario! Deja-vu!! Steve Gaffray, one of the owners of Blue Water Aviation Services Ltd. met me as I got out of my airplane, and laughed, and said, "Somebody must have been reading your blog"! Anyways, this tank was 4-piece, and designed differently, and would have to be flown on 2 airplanes, which worked perfectly, because both airplanes would bring customers south once we flew the tank pieces into the lodge. The lodge we will be going to is called Sabourin Lake Lodge, and has been owned by a fellow by the name of Ron Williams for many years.
A beautiful shot of the Winnipeg River and Otter C-GHYB. But hey, what is going on? What are those "dumb shits" at Blue Water up to now? I better get a closer look.............
What is this, a fly-in plumbing service????
If you need it moved, we can do it...........
Tied on tonight, and I will leave early AM, when it is cool, and the winds are light.........
Till tomorrow, folks, I'll see if I can get some pics of Sabourin Lake Lodge............
