A bye gone era

35 Whelen

35 Whelen

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Dec 22, 2011
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Wonder how many on here can remember back when the two biggest names in the taxadermy world was Klineberger(Seattle) n Jonas Bros of Denver???
Bert Klineberger had the no 1 B&C moose listed for a while, Jack Jonas used to hunt with us for years, here is an old picture of he and I vintage early 80s, in front of my
Super Cub, ladened with 2x4s, destined to build a new tent
Platform somewhere?
IMAGE00061.jpg
 
You couldn't have gotten too much more lumber on there, E. That is a pretty awesome picture. How much extra runway did you need to take off? Did the lumber play havoc with the aerodynamics?

Don't recall the names (Klineberger or Jonas Brothers) because I wasn't really worried about saving hides in earlier years.
 
I've always been amazed by Cubs. Incredible what a good pilot can do with one.



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Lol,
Well there is actually 8 on both sides of the fuselage of 2x6's, and 8 on both jury struts 2x4s.For total of 32 pieces. The 2x6 you didn't feel much, the 2x4s however
Would torque those small tubes a lot if it got gusty, had to wait for calm air.
Flew them off our 650' strip behind Valhalla Lodge......
Jack was quite a character.......

Dr Mike, google "Jonas Bros Taxadermy" some interesting history there!
 
I think everyone should take a trip in one, but not off an improved runway.
Before you get in ask the pilot if he's been on the beach lately.
Did he find any dead walrus?
If he did, don't get in. Just sayin.:)


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Our pilot picked one up last year that was so rotten he had trouble getting close enough with an axe to take the head off. Stuffed it in the belly pod. No garbage bags. Worst stink ever.


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Earle, one of the things that surprises our friends from the south is how many downed aircraft they sometimes see from the air.

Salmonchaser, beaches are interesting, but have you ever tried digging out of deep snow. Everything, beach/wheels--dead walrus or three quarters buried logs, lake/floats--dead moose or water soaked submerged log, ice and snow/skiies---deep snow, hidden debris, slopes. We sometimes feel that the good lord is telling us,--if I had wanted you to fly, I would have given you wings
 
Amen to that. We have at least one of our groups in the air almost every day in the summer. Bad weather is the only thing to cancel a fly out.
Knock on wood, we've had a couple " we ain't landing there again" a number of forced marches to an alternate pickup location, once had to have the neighbors Otter come get us.
Weather forecasting is so much better now, things go pretty much to schedule.

Two years ago was a low water year. Went to one of our favorite spots. No one had been in there yet. Looked a little shallow, it was. 200 yards from shore the plane got stuck. that was a tough wade.
Problem was both my guests weighed 300 pounds. When it was time to leave had to go one at a time.



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Cheyenne,
Well flying is a dangerous business, that can bite you
Badly if you don't approach it with a very serious attitude,
My father flew in world War II, so we had airplanes since I
Can remember......... They used to just toss us kids into the baggage in a J3 cub when I was so small I could stand up
In it ( no seat belts involved) sorta like one of those Mercats!
I can tell you this much about our flying, neither he ,nor I have Ever harmed a passenger............ And between us we have,Almost a hundred years of flying experience. How's that?
When a Lodge owner was trying to hire me one time in Alaska, he asked a former boss of mine about me, this is what he said " Oh Earle, well he does his own thing, you can't rush him or he will balk on Yar, but he won't wreak your airplane, and he always shows up with your clients.
Lol. ( The guy hired me)
 
We would have hired you also. Priorities in order. We have had two pilots. First one retired, second bought the business. Both are superb "sticks". Both know that the job is much more then simply getting the plane up and down.


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Thanks Cole! Our family has been at this a long time my son makes 4 generations of us guiding. Here is my grandfather in the early days late teens early 1920's with
Some "sports" this is how it all started!IMG_7709.jpg
 
I've fallen outa the sky in a cub and that wasn't my favorite day. But both pilot and I walked away....a good landing....
It's great to see and hear old stories and photos of alaskas guiding history, so many residents are trying to crack down on the guide industry that in certain circles it's a dirty job. Makes me sad to see a industry with such rich history getting that reputation.

My favorite cub photos are the ones with the snowmachines tied to the landing gear!!
 
Lol, well everything is so different now in both flying and guiding I am sure glad I was involved when I was, however I was too young for the "Polar Bear" stuff out of Teller and Kotz....... Sure got to listen to it all from Ron Hayes, Bill Sims, Don Johnson, Ray Loeshee, Bob Curtis, Stu Ramstead, etc............back in the good olde days.IMAGE00129.jpg
 
Sat with butch king riding backseat quite a bit and listened to some of the polar bear action as well. Luckily I've got one little Eskimo boy who would like him a white bear someday...
 
We had Butch's dad Gary out with us one time, and his "step mom" Valerie, besides being one of the most attractive lady's on the planet at that time, she was quite a hunter.
She shot a whopper Caribou with us with her little 6 mm, with one well placed shot, I think it scored 444 B&C back when the worlds record was like 458 or something like that.
She is from Mexico and one lovely lady!
 
Earl thanks for sharing some real history with us. You have lived and done what most of us have only dreamed of doing. Your stories are great and you should write a book of your adventures to share with everyone.
 
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