After a big breakfast and a packing of food to take up on the mountain, we awaited our group’s turn to board the helicopter for the ride up … There is a scene in Jeremiah Johnson in which he watches a Hawk “going for the Muscle Shelf.” He muses that it would take a week’s ride, and “he’s there already.” That is what these flights felt like … being taken to mountain heights that would otherwise be unscalable.
The picture above is the view from our lodge deck. We hiked beyond those spires on our third day. A woman who was paired with our group, and had been to our lodge in the past, told us that she had never been in this area of the mountains. I got the impression that there are 20 or so hiking options that are chosen by that day’s weather, wind, temperature, and air quality.
Let’s talk about getting in the helicopter … I took this pic as Mrs Bear and a couple guides were being picked up. As the copter approaches, we get on one-knee, covering your eyes and face from the rotor wash. The force of the wind is FEROCIOUS, and you remove your hat or lose it. Once the copter lands, the wash lessens a little, you stay stooped over and enter. Our copter could carry up to ten guests, the pilot, and a guide. And our pilot was wonderful, often landing within feet of our group on the ground.
The pictures above were taken as we flew to our hiking destinations. You can see the copter’s shadow in the pic directly above … So now we have arrived at the Muscle Shelf … My next entry will review the hiking.
The Adventures of Barry Brink 
What beautiful images.