The late Father James Kelly died flying the mountain pass between Dillingham and Togiak on March 23, 2002. That is the first thing I thought about when I flew that exact same mountain pass in late January this year. I have avoided learning the complex route through the mountains from Dillingham to Togiak for that very reason. I will admit, I am a little afraid and a bit hesitant when I think about that perilous route.

I have flown to Togiak several times, but I always either flew over the top of the mountains or around them. After giving Robert, a Alaska Native pilot from PenAir in Dillingham, my Garmin GPS 550 to mark all of the waypoints along the twisty pass, I decided it was time to fly it myself.

I took off on a perfect day. The sun was not yet on the horizon at 9:30 a.m. The sky was as clear as a bell. The white snowy mountains stood out majestically against the lightening sky. I flew toward the first waypoint Robert had plotted on my GPS, and leveled out at 1000 feet.

I chose a nice day to fly the pass because my mission was to test the waypoints Robert entered into my Garmin so that I can rely on them 100 percent. If I ever get stuck in bad weather flying through those mountains, I want to know where these waypoints take me. As Doubting Thomas would say, "I need to see and touch the nail holes."

To read the rest of Father Scott's post on the flight, and to see the waypoints, click here.

Father Scott Garrett is the Pastor of the Holy Rosary Mission in Dillingham. His unique mode of transportation is a 160 Cherokee Warrior which he uses to fly to the many remote areas within his parish. With the unpredictable weather of southwest Alaska, Father Scott's schedule is always written lightly in pencil.