Hello, Dan Michels here. It's been said that after 36 seasons at Crystal Creek Lodge, I am the only constant. Yet, that being said, it's not about me. It's about our guests, and the staff, of Crystal Creek Lodge. Our guests dedicate their free time to experience what we do and our staff dedicate their careers to serving our guests. This blog series is about snippets of insight as to what we do, and how our guests experience Crystal Creek Lodge. Enjoy.
It’s been one of those drizzly summers. This year, we’ve experienced a handful of “no-fly” weather days, where we won’t fly due to extreme wind, low ceiling, poor visibility or all of the above. This has inspired me to write a little bit about flying, weather, safety, and the unpredictability of our wild Alaskan environment….
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The De Havilland Beaver has a rich history around the world. Of course, now it is a great part of Alaska’s aviation heritage. The Beaver has been a cornerstone of the sport fishing community in Bristol Bay since the first lodges and fishing outfits began in the 1950’s. We at Crystal Creek Lodge own and operate…
Read more »A Crystal Creek Lodge first was landing upon Aniakchak National Monument. Located 120 miles south of King Salmon on the west side of the Alaska Peninsula, Aniakchak is one of the most remote and infrequently visited National Monuments. The main feature of the Monument is a 6-mile wide caldera created 3,500 years ago…
Read more »The Valley of 10,000 Smokes is a prominent feature of Katmai National Park. It is a gigantic ash field about 10 miles long and three miles wide remaining from the eruption of the Katmai Volcano, shown in the background, in June, 1912. The eruption was the most powerful of the 20th Century and was felt…
Read more »Paul and Jeff H., father and son from North Carolina and Pennsylvania respectively, are smacking their lips as they anticipate delivery of fresh Silver Salmon to their plates. Paul and Jeff have fished with us several times, but for the first time they did an overnight at Yantarni. We treated them to a fresh-caught…
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Yesterday we put Beaver N602AK on wheels. Man! I love that plane on wheels! It is an incredible performer. After doing a few touch and goes last night that allowed me and pilot Steve to brush off the dust, we put it on the schedule today to go char fishing at Becharof Lake. The guests…
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