Welcome To King Cove (Part I)

We've arrived in King Cove, 625 miles SW of Anchorage, on the pacific side of the Alaska Peninsula (not an island, but still only accessible by air and sea). The airport lies in a valley between two volcanic peaks, with a gravel runway. Because of its location, gale force crosswinds are common upon entrance from Cold Bay. Our flight and landing was magnificently dangerous (though with our favorite and most experienced pilot, Eric, we always felt safe)--we're inclined to compare it to flying in a fighter jet (but we've never done that). He "hugged the mountain" the whole way, and once for nearly a minute we were almost upside down (it's painful to mention but we accidentally deleted the incredible footage--we'll catch it next time). The town of King Cove is situated on a sand spit fronting Deer Passage and Deer Island. With a population of about 800, we're here a week now, and coming back in June for a couple more.