July 11, 2020 Sitka to Anchorage,
It was light when the alarm rang at 4:00 AM, although the sun would not, technically, be up for another 22 minutes. The days are getting shorter. We got dressed loaded the car and headed to the airport in a light coastal rain. The flight was scheduled to take off at 5:40. The new COVID schedule gave them extra time to load up the plane at a social distance. There was a vacant seat between Suzi and me. Because of so few planes out of Sitka now there were a lot of people on board heading for Juneau, when we got there some would head north to Anchorage, where we were going, and some south to Seattle.
We’re headed north for a week of medical appointments, a fact of life when you are in your 70s and live in an isolated community. As we flew out the rain slowed and by the time we got to Juneau, it was a foggy mist. We had a “grab and go” breakfast at the Juneau airport and the loaded onto Alaska Airlines for Anchorage. The plane is only booking isle and window seats, but given that restriction, it was full with a 2/3 load.
Flying out of Juneau we banked at the Mendenhall Glacier and flew out over the ice field that feeds Glacier Bay. I treasure flying the Brady Icefield to see where the icecap gives way to glaciers that flow to tidewater at Glacier and Lituya Bays. I wonder how many more generations will be able to see this.
After crossing Lituya Bay we encountered clouds. The next land I saw is when we broke through the clouds over Potters Marsh outside Anchorage. We flew over Cook Inlet, at low tide, with the quicksand flats uncovered, banked and turned starboard to land toward the east.
We.re further north and further west than in Sitka but in the same time zone. Everyone askes so I’ll tell you the sun comes up here at around 4:45, about 25 minutes later than in Sitka and sets at 11:25 PM around an hour and a half later than in Sitka.
Mendenhall Glacier 
Cook Inlet Cook Inlet Cook Inlet
Thank you for Northern Milk Run, which reminded me of our experiences flying with Alaskan Airlines. I enjoy Postcards from the Transition.
I hope all your medical appointments went well.
“the milk run” quite an understatement for one of the most spectacular short plane trips in the world
Breathtaking. I’m going to show Bruce because he will love to see one of his “favorite” flights out of Sitka ✈⛰