Alaska #4: Bettles

Me at the lodge

This whole trip to Alaska grew out of my desire to "get" two of the four National Parks that I had not yet visited. Kobuk Valley and Gates of the Arctic National Parks are both challenging because they have no roads in them OR into them.

So, I started Googling tours and trips to the Parks and most trips are true adventure trips -- hiking or rafting for many days into or through the Parks. Now, I am adventurous -- but not that adventurous. Plus, I had already done a six-day rafting trip this year -- one where I wasn't subjected to cold and mosquitoes, which would both be inevitable in Alaska.

It's in (you guessed it) Bettles, Alaska

But, one option kept coming up. The Bettles Lodge offers a "Park Collector" Tour in which you fly-in to the Lodge and then spend a day flying on a small plane to both National Parks.

Now, while this sounded appealing, I was concerned about two things:

1) That the time in each park would almost be a "cheat" because we would barely have any time and ...

2) That weather would cancel a chance to go to both Parks (you may recall that I have flown over Gates of the Arctic multiple times and that I had an aborted tour in 2015).

These trips are quite pricey and I didn't want to blow this one.

Map: Google Maps

So, after several conversations with the Lodge, I concocted a customized plan where I would spend four nights:

• Day 1: Fly in
• Day 2: Spend the day enjoying all the other activities the Bettles Lodge touts -- hiking, rafting, jet-boating, gold-panning -- I will talk about that later
• Day 3: Fly to Kobuk Valley on a Cessna 180 (with an opportunity to go up to Noatak National Preserve to see Caribou, weather permitting)
• Day 4: Fly to Gates of the Arctic on a De Havilland Beaver Floatplane 
• Day 5: Return to Fairbanks in the morning and drive to Denali.

Yes, I got my Parks. But, nothing went quite as planned.

Scott and me: left, Kobuk Valley; right, Gates of the Arctic

First of all, right before we left, I got an email that said that we would depart Bettles on day 5 in the AFTERNOON, not the MORNING as previously indicated. Yikes, that meant that we would get to Denali pretty late in the day -- and we had a very early bus tour scheduled the next morning.

Then, Scott decided he wanted to go fishing. I called and was told there really wasn't any fishing nearby (despite the website and our confirmation email saying there was), but there was an outfitter I could call to set something up. Turns out the outfitter didn't provide guides; it was an air service that flies you out to a remote fishing site and picks you up. Not really a good plan for ONE person who just wants an afternoon of fishing. So, that was out.

Still, we had the plan to spend two days flying to the Parks. It was all good.

Map: Google Maps

Even though the weather was getting dicey and the forecast was bad, we made it to Bettles aboard the included Wright Air flight.

Weight is critical, so luggage is limited. Since we were staying four days and needed to have cold weather gear and lots of cameras, this was a challenge. 

We decided to just bite the bullet and pay to take what we needed. It cost $90. Interestingly, the overage fee is only charged upon departure from Fairbanks. Pretty much anything goes coming back (more on that later, too). 

The flight to Bettles was rainy, but the clouds were high enough for a good - but misty -- view. 

Ponds, marsh and muskeg

You can see a video of the flight by clicking here.

The reality and the RADAR

The landscape between Fairbanks and Bettles is slightly hilly and very marshy with lots of meandering rivers. When rivers meander in Alaska, they REALLY wind around. That's because the rivers in this area travel great distances with very little elevation drop. So, every little rise or dip creates a loop. And, as silt builds up, the rivers change course, so you can also see the paths that the rivers have abandoned.

Rivers from the air (through the windshield)

On the route, we passed over the Yukon. We could see the Dalton Highway bridge -- where I have been before -- over the river. For some reason, I found that very cool. You can also see the Trans-Alaska Pipeline that I discussed in my Fairbanks post.

Dalton Highway and Trans-Alaska Pipeline crossing the Yukon River

I also was fascinated by the confluence of a small clear river with the big, muddy Yukon. As you can see, both rivers are very windy. It looks like abstract art.

Tributary joins the Yukon

I rode in the co-pilot's seat, so I had a good view.

On the way to Bettles

The best part was watching the runway come into view.

Coming into Bettles

I photographed and videoed the flight -- shooting through a rainy window is tricky. But you do what you gotta do.

When we landed, I was surprised to see that the "remote" Bettles Lodge actually sits right on the runway. Somehow, I had it in my head that it was going to be a lovely, forested area. But, not so much. And, I should have known better because we had actually landed in Bettles once before -- on our way back to Fairbanks from that failed attempt to visit Gates of the Arctic in 2015.

The funny thing is that they drove a van out to the plane to pick us up. That seemed silly; I could see the freakin' Lodge. 

Off the plane!

Our room in the Lodge was a deluxe jacuzzi room. I think I got that room because it was what was available, but, as much as I love having a bathtub, I think having one right out in the room is weird. There was a shower down the hall, which was a good alternative. The room was fine -- not particularly fancy, but fine. 

Our room

We were in a separate building from the main Lodge and the day we arrived there were only two other guests. 

Photo; Bettles Lodge

The next day 20 people came in from Japan specifically to see the Aurora Borealis. That wasn't happening -- it was overcast and/or rainy the whole time we were there. 

They were staying only two nights, so it's hard to feel too bad. 

Aurora is tricky. 

If you fly that far, give it more time. 

I think Aurora -- in the winter -- is really the Bettles Lodge's bread and butter. They have an Aurora-viewing hut a couple of miles away on the float plane lake. On a clear night, that could be spectacular because I imagine you get a good reflection on the lake. But, as I said, we had no clear skies. 

Bettles sled dog

In the winter, they also offer mushing. 

The dogs were quartered between our building and the Lodge -- living as all sled dogs do: chained to plywood doghouses where they spend most of their time on TOP of rather than in the doghouse.

The whole time I was there, I never saw anyone walk or exercise the dogs. 

We had to walk by them on the way to our building and they seemed to want attention.

They seemed very small and scrawny, but I learned later at Denali that racing dogs tend to be small, while working dogs are bigger. At Denali, however, volunteers walk the dogs every day.

The main lodge is pretty much what you would expect for a historic lodge. The lodge idea was started by Noel Wien, Alaska's most famous bush pilot, as a base for Wien Airlines' arctic flights. Bettles Lodge was the first of several Wien Lodges around the state and is on the National Historic Register. 

It sits next to the original Wien building that served as both the airlines headquarters and a lodge of sorts before the big Lodge was built.   

Original Wien building

Our visit to the Bettles lodge included all meals -- because there would be no place to eat or buy your own food. They serve a very limited menu -- you sometimes get a choice between a few items. Once again, the food was fine. Not spectacular, but fairly good. The beer bread was, however, delicious. There is also a bar. 

Lodge

Lots of people -- pilots, hunters and fishermen/women heading out to the bush -- stop and eat at the Lodge along with Lodge guests. 

Plus, those with delayed flights seem to spend a lot of time at the bar.

When I arrived, I spoke immediately with the owner, Dan, about my concerns about the weather.

I asked if we could shift the schedule to fly the next day. That way, we could hedge our bets against bad weather. They informed us that the other two guests -- Al and Grace -- had a "Park Collector" flight the next day to both Parks and we could join. While that was not my plan -- and we would have to give Al and Grace priority on seat selection -- it seemed like we should take it in case the weather prevented flying later. The plan was that we would do the two Parks the next day and then decide where else we wanted to go the day after.

Floatplane lake

Seeing the area, I wasn't sure what we would do with our down time.

The first afternoon in Bettles traditionally starts with a tour of the "town" and the nearby Native Village (which is, oddly, named Evansville).

Al, Grace and I met Dan for the tour (Scott opted to take a nap). Dan showed us the Lodge and the Wien building and then told us that a big fuel transport plane was coming in (Bettles also supplies fuel to planes stopping at the airport) and he would have to take a little break and continue the tour later. We waited for over an hour. He came back a few times, but there was always another reason to run off. Finally, we piled into the van to see the town and the native village.

View across the runway

Bettles is located 35 miles north of the Arctic Circle on the banks of the Koyukuk River, in the foothills of the Brooks Range - the northernmost mountain range in North America. It is known as the "jumping off" point of adventure into the Brooks Mountain Range, Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve, Noatak National Preserve and Kobuk Valley National Park. The only way to reach the Lodge is to by air, except in February and March when there is a 35-mile-long ice road from the Dalton Highway, which runs from Fairbanks to Prudhoe Bay.

Map: Google Maps

Bettles is named after Gordon C. Bettles, who founded the town in 1898 during the last great gold rush in Alaska. Gordon, who was a journalist, established a trading post at the junction of the John River and the Koyukuk River where large steam-powered paddle boats brought miners and supplies into the region up from Fairbanks via the Yukon. Supplies and miners were transferred to horse-drawn barges for the last 100 miles to the gold fields on the middle fork of the Koyukuk. When aircraft replaced the riverboat as the main mode of transportation, the community migrated to the airstrip built up-river, six miles from the original location. Hence, the existing town is actually "New Bettles." 

The town has a fire department (Dan is fire chief), a Post Office, a clinic, a community center, a National Park Visitors Center and an abandoned school. The population used to be large enough to support a school and community activities, but cutbacks in National Park staff and military activities have shrunk the town.

Bettles from the air

The Koyukuk River was the traditional dividing line between the Inupiaq Eskimos and the Athabaskan Indians. Evansville is unique for being both an Indian and Eskimo Village. The Native Community continues to live the subsistence life style of their ancestors, gathering local berries and harvesting fish from the Koyukuk in the summer months. During the fall, locals from both Bettles and Evansville gather their yearly meat supply by hunting Moose and Caribou. Skins from these animals are used to make clothing and native arts. During the winter, residents trap small, fur-bearing animals and either sell "raw" fur or make hats, gloves and other clothing.

Not glamorous

It all sounds rather picturesque. But, it isn't. 

Like many towns in the bush, it looks somewhat like a giant junkyard. The biggest theme of Dan's tour was expense. He shared the price of everything that town residents bought or had delivered.

Bettles is remote and everything must be either flown in or trucked across the arduous Ice Route during the two months it is open. And, all discarded items must them be disposed of the same way. 

So, instead, junk sits in piles all over the town -- cars, washing machines, cable reels, airplane parts, construction materials, ATVs, snow machines.

Plus, since Bettles has been declining in population, lots of formerly useful facilities (including the school) are just overgrown with weeds. It was an interesting look into bush life, but certainly busts the myth of the pristine cabin in the woods.

Abandoned Bettles School

I thought the advertised visit of the Native community might be somewhat like tours we have taken before in other areas -- maybe a chance to meet local people, learn directly about native life from Natives and maybe see some local art. Nope. We just drove through the equally ramshackle settlement (the dividng line between Bettles and Evansville is invisible).

On the tour, and Dan pointed out the homes of locals in both Bettles and Evansville and talked about the roles of the owners in the community. One operates the grader to keep the runway smooth, one is postmistress, Dan's wife is mayor, etc. One thing that stood out was that many residents are elderly women who still have extremely active roles in community -- often involving physical labor or heavy equipment. 

Map: Alaska Climate Research Center

We met the local weather observer (he reports weather to pilots but doesn't really forecast). We then heard that another local resident (who lived pretty far from town and -- I got the impression -- was a recluse) had shot a Black Bear that was "menacing" his dogs. His rationale for the shooting, which has to be reported to authorities, seemed a bit thin and I also got the sense the townspeople weren't buying it. After all, if you live in the bush, objecting to a bear on your property seems a bit odd. When we first arrived, the locals assumed the bear had run off and died because it was allegedly shot at close range in the chest. 

Bears killed in defense of life or property belong to the state of Alaska. If you kill a bear when not legally hunting, you must remove the hide from the carcass with claws attached and salvage the skull and then deliver them to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game and you must then complete a "Defense of Life or Property Report." 

As I said, I didn't get the sense that the townsfolk were believing that the shooting was actually "defense of life or property."

They were searching for, but had not yet found, the body. By the next day, because no scavenger birds were seen circling, there was an assumption that there was an injured (and angry) bear in the area. Later, it was seen running with just a slight limp by the runway. Perhaps the "direct shot" wasn't that accurate.

Part of the tour included driving down a two-and-a-half-mile-long gravel road to the Aurora viewing shed. The lake is really pretty and, while we were there, it had a gorgeous reflection of clouds -- one of the few times we saw some sun.

Floatplane lake

Dan said that we could hike to and/or from the lake and that they could either drop us off or pick us up. The walk itself was flat and didn't seem that interesting. They said they frequently see moose there and that, even though they don't often see bears, they recommend taking bear spray. Hmmmmm ... moose, and injured bear in the area .... not sure I really wanted to hike because I would have to hike it alone. I did want to try to see some birds, but, in the end I opted not to do it.

As far as birds go, I saw hardly any. Some Canada Geese on the runway in the morning and a lone Red-necked Grebe way out in the middle of the floatplane lake. 

Left, Red-necked Grebe; right, floatplane lake

Another stop on the tour was a gravel bar on the Koyukuk River, a rather swift wide-ish river. Dan said that they could set it up for us to float down to Old Bettles, the mining ghost town just a little way down the river, on a raft and then they would pick us up. 

Koyukuk River bank

Once again, it just didn't seem that appealing. First, the river looked swift and I wasn't sure it would be wise to go by ourselves without a clear idea of how far we needed to go, where the put-out was or how difficult the river was to negotiate. It just seemed a bit dangerous. Plus, the weather was threatening and I didn't want to get caught in a deluge on an unfamiliar river.

Koyukuk River

So, the tour was mildly interesting, but not quite as exciting as I had hoped it would be. And, as I said, the recurring theme was that it is extremely, very, mightily, horribly expensive to live there and to operate a business there. I don't know if Dan just wanted us to understand why the Lodge is so expensive or if he is experiencing business issues.

National Park Visitor Center

While at Bettles, we visited the National Park Visitor Center just across the "street" from the building where we were staying. It's small, but very nice and has a lovely film about the Parks. Plus, it has National Park Passport stamps that I was able to use the next day when I got back from our flight.

Everything you need to know

While we were at the Lodge, there was a lot of airport activity, primarily hunters, fishermen/women and rafters/backcountry hikers coming and going. 

And, then there were several arrivals by the fuel plane, which absolutely delighted Dan. 

Several times he invited us out to see the WWII-era behemoth that was still flying. 

There was also a "Rescue and Recovery" helicopter that came in several times to fuel. Apparently, it had been busy all summer dealing with small plane crashes. 

We overheard a lot of discussion about a Cessna 180 that took a "hard landing" on the Great Kobuk Sand Dunes and then washed out on a sandbar. 

Although I was never able to confirm it, this just MIGHT have been the plane I was supposed to fly to Kobuk Valley on my original itinerary. Whether it was or wasn't, it appeared the only plane available to us was the floatplane we flew on with Al and Grace.

Anyway, the following day, we were able to do our Park Collector flight to Kobuk Valley and Gates of the Arctic National Parks. I am going to cover those Parks in my next two posts, but I will finish up my discussion of the Bettles Lodge in this post. Chronology is overrated, don't you think?

I won't share too much about those trips, which were on a floatplane built in the early 60s.

Photo: Scott Stevens

I just need to mention two things about that plane:

Before we left, the pilot and another employee spent a lot of time examining one of the floats and doing something (re-inflating? patching?) before take off.

We noticed both before take-off and at both of our landing sites that the plane was leaking rather prodigious amounts of oil.

The whole time we were in Bettles, Dan seemed to be overwhelmed with duties. He mentioned several times that he was understaffed and, although he frequently suggested activities, such as gold panning, rafting or going down to the float plane lake, he was then never around and there didn't seem to be any way to make any of those things happen. It was always, "when I get back" or "later." Consequently, when we weren't flying, there really wasn't anything to do.

Visitor Center

The day AFTER our Parks Collector flight, we were supposed to fly again. 

The weather was dicey, but some planes were coming and going. We couldn't get a handle on where we might go or when. We asked several times because we wanted to be ready as soon as it was time to take-off. 

For that reason, we didn't stray far, instead just killing time around the Lodge. We also went to the NPS Visitor Center to watch the video

Mid-morning, we found out that our pilot was waiting for a mechanic to look at his plane. I guess the oil leak was bothering him, too. There was never a mention of another plane, even though our original itinerary listed two different planes. Cessna 180, anyone?

At noon, the mechanic was still working on another plane. The day was fading and we were spending good money doing nothing.

I was also concerned about that extra time we were scheduled to spend on our last day there -- leaving in the late afternoon rather than the morning as originally scheduled. I had the desk (actually the bartender) call Wright Air to see if we could get out in the morning or a day earlier (cell phones don't work at Bettles and the WiFi is not very good). Nope. No room.

So, Scott and I made a quick decision: I had gotten my Parks, just not as in-depth as I wanted to; the available plane hadn't even been looked at by 2:00 p.m. and the skies kept getting worse. 

We needed to cut our losses and get out of there.

So, we checked back with Wright Air and discovered there were probably seats on that 3:00 p.m. flight (in one hour). So, we scrambled to get our belongings together (leaving/losing two hats in the process). We checked out and, to their credit, the Bettles Lodge did not charge us any penalties or cancellation fees for the next two days.

Scott at the Lodge (wearing the hat he lost)

When Wright Air came in, we asked if there were seats for us to return to Fairbanks and, hallelujah, there were! Halfway back, the pilot asked for our names! We had paid (in our Bettles reservation) for roundtrip, but it struck me as funny that we could probably have jumped on without a ticket! Maybe. Maybe not.

I want so badly to love the Bettles Lodge. They are offering a great way to get to those difficult National Parks. Dan and members of his staff are very nice. Our pilot, Mark, was knowledgeable, nice and he didn't kill us. But, everything just seemed too overwhelmed to offer the level of experience the price would warrant. Maybe it's a bit better organized during the winter Aurora season.

As it is, I have mixed feelings.

But, I got my Parks and that's what really mattered. Read about them next.

Left, Kobuk Valley; right: Gates of the Arctic

Trip date: August 17-September 4, 2018