We awoke while still dark outside and drove to the dinky airport. On the positive, the flight wasn't delayed. On the negative, our plane was even smaller and more fragile looking than the plane we took from Juneau to Gustavus. And it was a Cessna. I swear any time you hear about a plane crashing in the mountains in some remote area of the world, a Cessna is involved. I did not want to ride in a Cessna.
Luckily, the Cessna flying coffin was not the actual plane we were scheduled to fly, we flew in one even smaller than that -- like toy plane size. Somehow, we made it back to Juneau.
Now this is where it gets all Alaskan on us: there were only a couple flights that left in any given day in and out of Juneau. Despite being the capital, the airport was rather rinky dink. The options at that point were to somehow get on another plane (very unlikely since not many planes scheduled in our direction) or -- get this -- fly in the necessary part from Anchorage, then fix the plane, then reboard the plane, then all go back to Anchorage. It was absolutely bewildering to me that in a snowy cold climate like Alaska, where I'm sure they used de-icers 90% of the time -- why there were no de-icer parts at the Juneau airport. Also, Alaska Airlines pretty much has the monopoly on all flights anywhere within Alaska, so it's not like they had to deal with planes they were unfamiliar with.
So much for getting up early.
I recalled a poem that I saw printed and pasted on the wall of the Gustavus "airport." It was entitled, "Weather Permitting." I googled the poem - it pretty much sums it up:
If you're headed out close or you're headed out far,
And you're going by plane you can add (and it's fitting)
I'll be there good buddies... weather permitting.
It could really careless what you're planning on doing,
An operation, oration, a wedding or wooing,
When you go to the airport you may need your knitting,
For you'll only be flying with... weather permitting.
I have fretted and stewed I have stamped on the floor,
I have shouted and screamed and started to roar,
But there's no use in fuming or fussing or snitting,
You'll always face this... it's weather permitting.
So don't get disheartened in the far golden North,
If you suffer delay as you sally forth.
Just learn to relax without fretting or quitting,
You can depend on one thing...it's just weather permitting.
When the rich folks all come with their clothing so fine,
With their high fashion wardrobes and special french wine.
They'll stop for a while then continue their flitting,
Go on with their jet setting...weather permitting.
And whether you're working or playing around,
Flying through mountains or over the sound,
In what kind of season your travels are are hitting,
I will guarantee this...weather permitting.
And it gets in you're blood then whenever you go,
So I said to my sweetie, how I love you so,
She said I adore you, come close where I'm sitting,
And I'll do what you want me to...weather permitting.
And when the grim reaper comes I can see it all clear,
I'm alone in my shroud happy heaven is near,
I'm coming Saint Peter! This old world I'm quitting,
I'll be along soon...Weather Permitting.
~Anonymous
After five hours or so of "weather permitting" we were thrown a bone: a flight had just arrived from who knows where and we were switch places with the current passengers, steal their plane to head back to Anchorage, and leave those poor souls stranded in the Juneau airport with no snacks in the snack machine to wait for the de-icer to arrive. I really didn't understand the logic, I mean, they could have had at least one flight arrive on time that day, but whatever.
At least the days were still long in Alaska, so even though we arrived in Anchorage hours after we had planned, we still had about five hours of daylight to take a road trip to/around the Kenai Peninsula. Incidentally, we planned a "weather permitting" day like this into our itinerary, so we really didn't have a hard-set schedule that day.
We rented a car from the airport, loaded our stuff, and began our road trip to destination unknown. It was cold, rainy, and cloudy, but at least we weren't sitting in an airport.
Back on the Sterling Highway, we decided to give up on camping and gun it to Kenai.
We arrived in Kenai wary and hungry. We were both feeling too lazy to set up camp or cook anything, so instead we splurged on Taco Bell and a room with cable tv. That night, we lived as kings.