Lars took me up in his Cessna 172 last week.
When he’s not flying, Lars works as a gourmet chef in town. Business isn’t steady so he cuts and splits firewood on the side. Last winter, because I hadn’t gotten my full supply of wood in, I ran out in the weeks before spring thaw. Really embarrassing. I bought a cord from Lars which made him very happy. (I haven’t told him yet that my new Blaze King wood stove is so efficient I’ll need a whole lot less wood now.)
So maybe this was his way of saying thanks.
Pilots are always looking for excuses to go flying, and it’s nothing to spend a $100 in gas just to go somewhere we really don’t need to be. Like some distant greasy spoon for lunch. That’s where the $100 burger comes into play.
Since I’m too broke these days to rent a plane, I happily agreed to tag along with Lars. At least I’d be up in the air again.
“I was thinking Braeburn,” he told me when I arrived at his place. He’s got a dirt strip behind his cabin just long enough for his 172 to take off.
“Braeburn,” I said.
“Yep. I’m thinking I need a cinnamon bun.”
Braeburn Lodge is known for their cinnamon buns. They’re as big as dinner plates. It’s not just that they’re huge—they’re also delicious in that dream-of-them-for-days-afterward kind of delicious. Their burgers are just as big, but it’s the cinnamon buns that bring in the customers. It doesn’t hurt that they have a short, unpaved runway right beside the Alaska Highway. Except for the gopher holes and the nearby mountain, it’s not a bad strip. I landed there a few times when I was learning how to fly.
My flight with Lars was very relaxing. The cooler temperatures softened the bumps so we didn’t have any turbulence. Gave us a chance to really enjoy the view. I handled the radio so Lars could focus on his landing. He wanted to see how short he could make it. We’d just touched down and he was doing pretty good when one of the wheels hit a mound of snow-covered dirt. Back in the air we went. Not sure if the dirt was from gopher activity or not, but Lars would have shot any right there if he’d been able. I was glad he didn’t have access to his kitchen knives either.
We ordered the cinnamon buns to go and enjoyed them later at Lars’ cabin in front of the wood stove. Next time we’re getting burgers too. I figure a Braeburn burger and cinnamon bun should last me about a week.
