Incoming

It's not exactly a noise, it's a vibration, a change in the way things feel because it is so quiet here. The DeHaviland Beaver on floats is about 5 minutes out with guests on board who have never been to Iniakuk Lodge. It's show time and we're ready; the lodge is spotless, food is prepared. As I run down the beach, the plane circles and lands into the wind, turns and taxies toward shore. This is so great! In these last moments, I imagine how our new guests must be feeling. They've come a long way, paid lots of money and now must be wondering what they got themselves into. It's our job to dispel those fears, make them feel at home and happy they chose Iniakuk Lake Wilderness Lodge.

Our guests are absolutely struck with the beauty of the southern Brooks Range and Iniakuk Lake. They invariably come from big cities, big jobs, incessant noise, hectic schedules and little time. Here, the schedule is built around our guests. Morning coffee is left quietly inside their cabin without disturbing. Breakfast is whenever they canoe over to the main lodge. An individually packed lunch consisting of freshly baked bread, a variety of sandwich fillings, and home baked cookies sees them through until dinnertime. Their naturalist-guide is available 24/7. This is a place where we eat and talk together, where we listen, where there is no noise, no set schedule and everything is customized to fit the needs and personality of our guests.

During meals they find out all the bread, cookies, desserts, dinner rolls and pastries are homemade daily. After awhile they stop asking me if I've made something because they know the answer and then it gets into a bit of teasing about whether or not I fired the plates and cups and have beehives out back producing honey.

It doesn't take long before we see a change take place. Our guests go from talking loudly to not talking much at all, from wanting to know what to do to being happy listening to the silence or just taking in the fresh air and water.