Here Come the Hardmans!

Jen's sister Pattei and some of her family flew in for a visit around the holidays.  The group of four (Pattei, Scott, Price, and Dan) was too big for the float planes that are now available out of Sitka, so they flew down from Juneau.

Bad weather prevented the float plane from coming in as scheduled, so the group got an unplanned night in Juneau.  Fortunately, things cleared up the next day and they were able to fly in.

They had a good flight down in Ward Air's turbo Beaver- a day late and, unfortunately, more than a dollar short!

"Tis the Season!"

Heading to "Town" for a polar bear dip and a soak in the hot springs.

It was a nice calm day for a skiff ride.  You can see the cabins in Baranof  on the right.

Sisters

Price and Dan getting ready for their plunge!

They did it!

This water is "refreshing" in the summer and even colder in the winter!

The guys didn't waste any time heading for the ladder!

While Price and Dan headed to the hotsprings, Pattei, Jen, and Rick walked up to Baranof Lake.

Wow!

I think this is the definition of "mirror calm"!

We hiked up to an overview of the bay.  Admiralty Island, on the far side of Chatham Strait, is in the background.

The view of Baranof Lake from the overview.

Headed back to the lodge.

The weather turned pretty wet for most of the visit.  We played a lot of cards, ate a lot of food, and watched a lot of football!  

The weather socked in again, so we had to wait an extra two days for the float plane's return.

Alaska Seaplanes sent their Cessna Caravan for the trip--it was a tough squeeze getting it in and off the dock!  (It's a lot bigger than the Beavers and Otters that usually come in.)

Plenty of room on that plane!

Off for Juneau!