There are areas we fly over that are gorgeous but have no access. I have been wanting to land here for years, and I have circled dozens of potential landing sites but nothing has been worth the risk. Today I was flying home from a job and I saw this area that I just had to try. The winds were really strong up high, but as I dropped into the valley I could tell that they were dissipating. It was near the end of a box canyon so I drug it several times going down slope, and down wind, before finally setting my tires to the ground and standing on the binders. The ground was much smoother than it initially appeared which is why we had flown over it so many times in the past. I got out and grabbed my gun, and then went for a little walk in my newly discovered little valley.

My favorite thing about this valley is that it is totally untouched. There is absolutely no indication of anyone ever having been here. Normally if an area has been used in the past there are small remnants left behind (i.e. a piece of surveyors tape, a broken tent pole, or wrecked airplane parts). In this particular spot there was not a single stone that has been overturned and this pleased me greatly.

Matthew Keller is the owner and operator of Blue Ice Aviation. He was born and raised in Alaska and his office is the cockpit of his Super Cub. His goal is to transport everyone into Alaska's vast wilderness. See more of his videos and writing at Blue Ice Aviation.