9/10/09 charter plane - Fairbanks to Chisana
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Hamilton & his delicious squirrels
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Terry, outfitter, Amber, guide, and Bennett
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View by shooting range
Bennett & Penny Wise - Day 1 hunt
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Bennett & Sid taking a break on their horses
Home Sweet Home! The moose hunter is home!! We were welcomed home by the Pizza Hut sign that says, Bennett Page got a 21 point moose!
Whew! What a long night and day for us with little sleep. We left the hotel yesterday at 4:30 p.m. to go to the Fairbanks airport and we did not get home until tonight around 8:30 p.m. We covered 3,512 miles in a day. We are so thankful to make it home safely and so far no problems!
Yesterday before we left Fairbanks, we ate lunch at an Italian restaurant which was good. Sid went back to the hotel and the boys and I took the rental car and went to a few stores. Sid bought some Salmon to try. We also brought home about 25 pounds of meat from Bennett’s moose. We were able to keep it frozen at the hotel and wrap in a sleeping bag.
In the morning, Bennett has to go to driver’s ed class so he doesn’t miss anymore days of class and than he has a Dr. appt in St. Louis.
His regular scheduled appt was last Tuesday and since we were gone, his Dr. wanted him to go asap to get his monthly chemo by iv, plus the breathing treatment and the infusion of immune globulin. It’s already time again for a spinal tap which is every 3 months so we have to go back Tuesday for that since his Dr. is in that day. We should check his counts tomorrow in St. Louis. We pray they are good!
Bennett is feeling terrific and looks great, it’s unbelievable! We are so thankful and hope it continues!! God is Great!
We made it to Fairbanks, Alaska! We had a busy morning getting everything packed and everything ironed out. we only could have so much weight in our luggage on the charter plane so we mailed all of our hunting gear. We had to get those boxes ready this morning and tapped back up ready to mail home. It will take 3 to 4 weeks for us to receive it. We all packed insulated coveralls which took alot of room but we didn’t need which was a good thing that it wasn’t that cold.
We got the pictures of the moose hunt that Amber took which was close to 300 pictures and than between our whole family we had about 300 more pictures. We tried to capture every moment but it was still hard.
Bennett is feeling good. It’s so good to see him and talk with him and Sid about the hunt. I really missed them, it was getting pretty tough not knowing every detail of the hunt and how they were doing. Bennett had a really great time. He said it was about like he thought it was going to be. He said a few times he was nervous about his horse but wasn’t afraid going up and down the huge steep mountains. Almost every night they were traveling back to their camp in the dark which would be pretty scary not to see in front, back or beside you.
On their way back from the hunt and they were miles away from the lodge. Bennett would stop and wait for Sid and Amber to get 100 yards away from them and than he would have his horse run to catch up. He thought that was a lot of fun.
We said goodbye to everyone at Pioneer Outfitters which was hard. We really enjoyed their hospitality. Their life style really puts things in prospective and they only rely on and need the things that keep you alive. You come to realize pretty quick that were spoiled and have a lot of things you don’t really need.
The boys were starved so we ate and soon as we got to the hotel. The boys were glad to have hamburgers, chicken strips and fries which they haven’t had in a couple weeks. It took me a little bit to recover from the charter plane ride. I failed to take anti-nausea medicine, it’s pretty bumpy for about 300 miles from Chisana.
We rented a car and drove to downtown Fairbanks tonight. We didn’t see a whole lot there to do. We found an awesome restuarant in Fox, Alaska about 30 minutes away called The Turtle Club that had good prime rib and Alaska King crab legs. Bennett though had some more chicken strips. We saw more beautiful parts of Alaska with mountains that were covered in trees. There wasn’t hardly any evergreens, they were mostly Elder’s with yellow leaves.
We hope to sight see tomorrow and than will be flying home tomorrow evening and return to St Louis Wednesday late afternoon. It will good to be home and also overwhelming catching up with everything.
We appreciate everyone’s prayers, comments and support. We are nearing the end of an experience we will remember forever. Thank you for following yet another exciting adventure in Bennett’s journey. May God continue to keep him safe and healthy.
The boys are back! Bennett and Sid are at base camp!!!! Bennett really looks good, he looks like he has grown a foot, LOL He is feeling good too other than he has a cough. Sid thought it was getting better. It’s not a constant cough so hopefully it won’t stick around long.
The made it back around 5:00, they looked pretty worn out. They both were really excited and began to tell of the story of the moose hunt. Bennett said he shot it three times but they only found one bullet hole, they thought he might of shot it in the same spot both times. The last time he thought he shot him in the butt.
He actually got the moose on Thursday and it was really late when they got back to their camp. They gut it and cut it up right where he got it. The moose will weigh around 1,500 so it’s not something you can just pick up. They cut the horns off of it and Bennett had them strapped to his back, it made for some really cool pictures too. The moose had 21 points.
When the boys feel up to it, I’ll get the hunt story in more detail and explain. They spent today hunting on the way to the base camp but didn’t see anything. They both were so glad to be able to take a shower and come into a warm cabin.
We should be leaving here tomorrow around noon taking a 2 1/2 hour charter flight into Fairbanks. We will stay the night in Fairbanks and fly out Tuesday night. It will take us 18 hours to get into St Louis Wednesday late afternoon.
We are so thankful everything has gone so well. We appreciate the hospitality that Pioneer Outfitters has shown us and the awesome hunt that Amber guided! And Hunt Of A Lifetime for making this possible! We pray for safety as we have a lot of miles to cover in the next couple days.
The Alaska Hunting Trip
3:10 p.m. Bennett got a moose!! We are so thankful and grateful, his hunting dream and our prayers have been answered! I don’t have very many details yet. He got it some time yesterday. The rack is 50 inches long. We haven’t been able to talk or see him yet so I can’t even tell you how excited he is. Terry went ahead and went last night to see them and he said Bennett was happy and smiling and had blood on him from his kill.
Late yesterday afternoon, after I posted, The other set of hunters which is Mike from Southern Outdoor Experience came back with his trophy’s. He got a dull sheep and a grizzly bear. The grizzly bear was beautiful, it had blonde fur on it’s back and black paws. Hamilton thought it was pretty cool, touching it’s head and big claws. Anyway they thought they heard on the radio something about tying a knot to the moose so they figured Bennett must of got one. Terry wanted to go see what was going on first so he left in a hurry on his plane to their camp and YES! Bennett did get his moose.
We are not sure when they are returning to base camp because Bennett really wants to get a wolf too. They have seen three while they have been out there. You do not need a hunting tag to shoot a wolf. One person can shoot five wolves. The taxidermist that is doing the mounting for the moose indicated that Bennett could have one small animal too so he really does want to kill/take another animal home. Terry has indicated that the wolves are the hardest thing to hunt/kill. They are really fast and can cover a lot of ground in a short period of time.
I tried to post early today a couple different times but we were without power. The huge generator rain out of fuel. It took awhile for the internet connection to go through. It’s amazing we can have connection so far out here. We are 100 miles from the nearest small town called Tok.
Hamilton and I hung around the lodge last night till 8:30 waiting for Terry to get back from their camp. We all walked down to the air strip to meet him to see if Bennett really did get it. It was dark before we made it back to our cabin. We are starting to get braver walking at night without a flash light and not getting scared in the cabin in the middle of the night. It’s funny how over time you start getting comfortable with your surroundings and adapt.
9:00 p.m. Nothing really new around here. We heard one of the guides went out to the hunter’s cabin to help bring in the moose but he won’t be in until late tonight. We are not sure but assuming the hunter’s will be coming back to base camp sometime tomorrow. We talked about moving our charter flight time on Monday from noon until later but not sure yet. Hamilton and I really miss Sid and Bennett. It’s been 8 days since we have talk/saw them. It has gone by fast really but we are ready to reunite. And hear all about the moose hunt.
It rained this morning and was really fogging. Later in the afternoon it turned out sunny. We really have had great weather here at base camp. Hamilton was bored today, he didn’t even want to take a walk. There is creeks but we only have saw one fish.
We are so happy for Bennett!! What a neat, cool, amazing, and awesome experience. He has experienced some rough times in his life. And it is a true blessing for him to have a couple weeks to think nothing but moose hunting and not worry about Dr.’s, blood counts, and his disease.
Thank you God for touching Bennett with a special wish! We continue to pray that his health is good and he stays in remission forever!
The Alaska Hunting Trip
Today was beautiful, the sun came out and it warmed up to at least 55 degrees. It is really chilly once the sun goes down. It usually gets down to 15 to 20 degrees. Last night Hamilton and I froze in our cabin. The fire went out and it wasn’t worth getting up to make another one especially since the night before we burned up and I opened the door several times through out the night. It seems we are having trouble keeping the temp regulated.
Hamilton and I did more chores today. We have figured out what needs to be done and just do it, it keeps us busy and active. We went for a couple different walks today. We probably walked 3 or 4 miles. There is a hill behind the lodge that has an excellent view of the area and mountains. The weeds and bushes have turned red, yellow and brown. There are just a few other trees that have lost their leaves but there is mostly evergreens.
Our last few dinner meals have been really good. We are usually pretty hungry by meal time as we usually just have a bologna or ham sandwich for lunch. We have had meatloaf and macaroni, cheese, and hamburger that last couple nights using moose burger.
Terry has offered to take me and Hamilton to the hunter’s camp tonight. So far Ham is saying he doesn’t want to go and will stay here with Nancy, Terry, Bella, and Zach. Hamilton really doesn’t like the smaller planes and Terry’s is a one seater. He said he would have to make two trips to takes us both. I’m ready to see my other two boys, I’ll spend the night with them in their cabin and I’m not sure when I will return. Wouldn’t it be awesome if he got his moose when I’m there! That has been my secret prayer. I’ll update again when I return to base camp.
May God and his glory bless this moose hunt with a big trophy bull! We ask God to give Amber the wisdom to find the moose and Bennett the patience to accurately make the kill. We pray for everyone’s safety and health. May Bennett be blessed with a Once In A Lifetime Hunt!
The Alaska Hunting Trip
We have been at Pioneer Outfitters one week today. The hunters have about four more days to hunt including today. We hope they get their kill soon so they might have a day to rest before we have to fly out of here. We pray the weather is good on the day we fly out because the charter planes will not fly with too much rain, fog or snow. We do get to stay a day in Fairbanks before we have to catch three different flights to get back to St. Louis. We hope to sight see in Fairbanks if everyone feels up to it.
Terry went to their camp this morning and they haven’t seen anything yet. Terry fly’s to the different hunting camps each day to check on them all. I hope Bennett isn’t getting disappointed or impatient. Amber his guide already warned him not to get upset or worry because they will get his moose.
Hamilton and I have had a catch up day. We are getting stuff done around our cabin and the lodge. We took another long walk to Terry’s air strip and walked down the runway and to the next creek. We saw a different view of the mountains. Hamilton worked on more homework too and now is determined to get all of his math done. We figured it up, he had about 250 math problems. I copied all of Ham’s assignments from his books for each subject because we are limited on the weight we can have as a carry on and especially on the charter plane, we are only allowed so much weight for luggage. And books are very heavy.
The guides Dan and Jessie came back last night. They have been gone a month because Dan had a staph infection in his leg. I’m glad for Nancy because she sure could use some help around here. There is so much to do and takes a longer time to accomplish things.
We have had a few insects flying around during the day; mostly around the shooting range. We haven’t seen any of the huge Alaska mosquitoes! It must be because it is below freezing at night. We’re thankful because I was worried about us getting ton of bites.
Hamilton has been using a rock on his sling shot to hit a squirrel that is up in a tree by our cabin. The squirrel climbs up the very top of this tall pencil evergreen tree. The squirrel starts making this chatting talk back at Ham, it’s quite entertaining. Ham would love to use his 22 at him but Terry doesn’t want Ham killing the squirrels next to the cabins. We have been hunting down the trails but haven’t had any luck seeing any.
Thank you for your comments on this site. Hamilton wants to read them each day. It’s good to hear from everyone back home. We continue to pray for the hunter’s safety, their luck in killing a moose, and that Bennett stays healthy. Thank you for praying along with us.
Alaska Hunting Trip
So far no moose yet. Terry went and saw the hunting crew this morning. He thought there was a bull by the creek where they were going hunting by today. Bennett has a grizzly bear tag which means he can get a grizzly bear, moose, or dull sheep; that way he has a choice in case he doesn’t come across a moose. The moose was his first choice in Alaska with Hunt Of A LifeTime.
Terry took Bennett a new gun for him to use. It’s a 325 and Bennett had a 300. He was worried since we had so much trouble sighting his gun in with the scope that he wanted to make sure Bennett had an accurate shot. Terry sighted his gun yesterday for Bennett and it only took 11 rounds. When we did Bennett’s it took 60, Kinda crazy. He thought the manufacture put a cheap scope on Bennett’s gun. Bennett was worn out mentally and physically after trying to sight his gun in for so long.
Terry indicated that Bennett was doing good. He said he seemed not to be too tired and no sniffles. He said he even smiled when he wanted to. They lost their horses this morning and it took awhile to get them rounded up. That’s what John the wrangler does that goes along.
Bennett is riding a different horse now. He started out on Penny Wise and she was acting up so Amber rode her for awhile and she laid down and rolled unto Amber. They switched Bennett’s horse to one of the pack horses, called Cookie. She is black and white. Zak, Amber’s 10 year old son came back today with Terry so he has been hanging out with Hamilton. Terry’s grandson Hunter went home today. Sid told Zak to tell me that Bennett has a full grown beard already, LOL
Hamilton got a little nervous this morning. He stepped out of the cabin in the middle of the night and there was black animal out there. He looked a couple times and realized it was “moose” the dog. He had followed us to the cabin last night and we thought he would of went home. Instead she stayed right outside of our cabin keeping watch. Hamilton brought him in when it got daylight and laid down with him. He asked Terry if moose can stay in our cabin tonight and he said yes. Yeah! It will be more of a relaxing sleep knowing we have a guard dog. I moved Hamilton’s 22 rifle from the front door to beside our bed which helped me to at least close one eye the last few nights. There is trees all around us so the cabins are in the middle of the woods. Moose got into a fight with a bear about a month ago, he had several wounds on his body, when Terry was telling us about this today it just brings it to even more reality that they are right here.
Hamilton and I went on a walk on the horse trail back to the creek. We really like it there, it is so peaceful and beautiful. The water is running in the creek and there is all of this beautiful land that is different colors and high mountains which some are brown and some are white covered with snow. We have a place that we take pictures, And we call it our school picture because the background is so cool.
We hope to hear from the hunter’s soon. Everyday we Thank God for this special gift/blessings that he has given our family a chance to experience. May God continue to keep his loving arms safely around us!
The Alaska Hunting Trip
It’s Mail day! The mail only comes twice a week on Tuesday and Thursday. Hamilton and I went with Nancy and Amber’s 2 year old daughter, Bella and Terry’s grandson Hunter to meet the mail plane. It lands on a air strip that is a mile long that is owned by the Wrangell Park. We rode in the back of wagon pulled by a three wheeler for about 2 miles. It was neat but seemed to be alot of trouble to get the mail compared to us. The three wheeler is the only mobile transportation they have and they don’t use it unless they have to because of using up fuel. The cabins, horse coral/barn are several feet away from the lodge so we get our exercise walking back and forth.
We are starting to feel more comfortable here in a strange place and someone’s else’s home. Bella has really taken to Ham and I. At first they didn’t know about us helping around with chores. We are supposed to be guests and not do these things. Well, normally they have hunters here that are just here to hunt. Ham and I like to help where we can by carrying in fire wood, splitting fire wood, washing dishes, filling up water jugs, cooking, sweeping floors and helping with the kids.
It has been getting colder at night. It has been in the 15 or 20′s every morning and freezing. Last night our fire went out in our cabin and it was pretty chilly. The night before I couldnt sleep so I was up keeping the fire stoked and had a fire all night/morning.
Hamilton has worked on more homework today. I don’t want him to spend his entire time on it here but we are trying to do a little so he doesn’t have so much to do when we get home. Actually if we waited until we got home there would be no way to get it all done. Two and half weeks of school work is alot. Ham has been a trooper though about it.
So far we haven’t heard from the hunters. This is a little different than when we deer hunt. I am usually right there with them or we use walkie talkie’s to talk to each other during deer hunting. I do hope and pray that Bennett is feeling good and he isn’t pushing himself too much. I know he won’t give up and he will keep on riding/hunting until he gets his moose. So far the weather has been good here, no rain or snow. But where the hunters are, the elevation is different and they may have both.
Thank you for checking in and your prayers/blessings on the big game hunters is appreciated.
The Alaska Hunting Trip
It’s been one whole day since the hunter’s have been gone and off hunting for moose. They will ride horseback 6 to 8 hours daily. The moose lay down a lot and hide in the tall weeds. The antlers are sometimes all that you can see and sometimes not. Usually in the later afternoon and evening they start getting up to eat. Also, it’s the start of rutting season so they are more active now. The guide has a satellite radio called Spot that is used to notify family with a prerecorded email message that they are okay. They sent me this message at 11:00 p.m. last night so they made it safely. They will spend the night in this small cabin and they will go back out maybe the same way or a different way and than return to that cabin. Ham and I might not see them until they return with the moose. We have plans to fly out next Monday.
Hamilton and I had a tiring day. We did a few chores around the lodge carrying fire wood and doing dishes. We walked and walked and walked a couple miles looking for critters. We walked a couple different paths in the middle of the woods and down the creeks. The dog “moose” followed and kept us company. The outfitter grandson is visiting here so he hung out with us too.
Hamilton worked on some homework today. He has a lot to catch up, it’s hard for him to concentrate on it though. We both took a hot shower tonight which I am glad Ham finally did. He was starting to stink up our cabin. LOL
The outfitter owns 65 acres of wilderness with no neighbors. No one is allowed hunting except for his guides that live here during hunting season. The guides will take hunter’s from all over the states to go out and get their trophy. Right now there is 4 guides which is 4 separate hunts. Some hunting seasons they could have up to 8 hunts at one time. I believe the first hunting season started in August and will go through October. The guides will go home and than Terry, the outfitter, the guide Amber and her 2 kids and Nancy the helper will live here during the winter. It will get to around 75 below zero and several feet of snow. It will be so cold that you can throw up a glass of water and it will freeze before it hits the ground. Needless to say during this time, it is survival mode. The weird thing is this summer, it was over 100 degrees.
Ham and I went to the lodge to eat dinner. We had shepherd’s pie made with moose hamburger. Hamilton loved it. The moose hamburger is very lean but does smell a little different. Last night we had an everything soup which was several left overs put in a pot and simmered. It was pretty good too.
We haven’t heard from the hunter’s. Terry flew to each of his guides camps today and he said that it was warm and not much going on yet.
Thank you for checking in on us as we are living in the middle of no where in Chisana Alaska, It’s Fun! No traffic, cell phones, TV’s, or the public. Just enjoying the beauty and good company. May God look over Bennett as he hunts for his moose.