Approximately 450 miles northwest of Anchorage, you’ll find the Anvik
River Lodge, the only lodge on the entire 120+ mile Anvik River. Owner Clifford
Hickson and his family are now celebrating the 25th season of the most
remote fishing lodge in Alaska – and likely in the world.
But Cliff’s sense of adventure expands beyond owning a lodge in the Alaskan wilderness!
There’s nothing like a hovercraft to expand an already adventurous life.
Cliff Hickson gives you a fine example with the story of his recent 750 mile 3-day trip on
the Yukon River from Nenana, Alaska to his lodge – his first experience flying a
hovercraft.
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Left to right: Cliff Hickson,
daughter Alyson, wife Cheryl and son Blair.
Cliff’s hovercraft adventure, in his own words … |
“Several
years ago, while talking to a close friend that operates a surplus military
hovercraft in Bethel, Alaska to deliver freight and mail on the Kuskokwim
Delta, I became intrigued with the potential applications for our remote
operation in Western Alaska.
My wife and
I visited a hovercraft shop in Washington and, after spending weeks studying
and watching about every video on YouTube associated with flying and operating
the hovercraft I decided to get one. I looked at all the typical sites that
list them for sale, and ended up finding a used Neoteric Hovercraft in Alaska
that we decided to purchase.
After a
month in transit it arrived in Anchorage, where I flew to get it and begin a
750 mile trip down the Yukon River to our Anvik River Lodge. I had never
actually been on a hovercraft or ever thought about flying one. But due to the
time of season and scheduling it became apparent that it would be necessary to
bring it down myself.
Knowing the
reputation of the Neoteric Hovercraft I felt confident that it could be an
extraordinary and safe adventure. After
all, it only had 18 hours of use!”
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Cliff’s Neoteric Hovercraft is a pre-owned model
built from a Neoteric Hovercraft kit.
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“After
determining the distance between villages and calculating fuel consumption, I
made a plan and determined my weight and balance. It was fairly simple: I would
carry 52 gallons of fuel (353 lbs.) as backup in the event I couldn't fuel up at villages where I planned to stop, myself (220 lbs.), tools and personal
equipment, 2 gallons of drinking water and a bucket of fried chicken. Total
weight = approximately 707 lbs. Incidentally, the entire trip took about 160-170 gallons of fuel.
With the
help of a friend, I then drove to the town of Nenana (approx. 233 miles north of Anchorage) located on the Nenana
River and went to the boat ramp. I still had not yet flown a hovercraft, so I
loaded about a third of my gear and fuel and took it for a spin - literally.
After about
10 minutes practicing getting over the hump and maneuvering, I loaded another
third of my gear and gave it a go. It was a bit more cumbersome, but doable. I
took it once more around the patch and returned to the ramp and loaded the rest
of my gear.”
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Practice makes perfect: Cliff makes trial runs
before he begins his 750 mile trip.
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“I thanked
my buddy for the ride and embarked on my Yukon River trip about 9:00 a.m. on September 2, 2020 and the day was
bright and clear. It took me a while to get over that hump, and luckily I found
a flat gravel bar to give me some lift. Once I was up I stayed on it until it
was time to refill the 12-gallon fuel tank. I had to run about 6500 rpm as my
typical cruise speed, possibly due to the replaced tachometer maybe not
calibrated for the engine. That jury is still out.”
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Cliff launches his hovercraft on the Yukon River and
the adventure begins.
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“My first
fuel stop was the village of Tanana on the Yukon River. It was late afternoon
and I had earlier arranged for fuel in all the villages where I stopped. When I
arrived I learned the store owner and his wife also had a hovercraft, so I
found camaraderie there along with fuel and conversation on hovercraft
operation. That night was a hard freeze and he graciously allowed me to stay in
a vacant cabin located by the river.”
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| Two hovercraft on shore at the village of Tanana. |
“The next
morning, I fueled up and departed early, around 9:00, due to the cold temps
and moisture. Once it started to warm there were numerous fog banks, and
because I had a GPS with good detail I pushed on. I went through one particular
bank that reduced my visibility significantly, so I was barely hovering and
following close to the bank when I came upon a stump. Unable to steer around it
I found myself perched up on it and at a very muddy location.”
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In the dense fog, Cliff’s hovercraft gets stuck on a tree stump.
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“That was
when I figured out the great design and importance of the Neoteric Hovercraft’s
quick and easy skirt removal and repair. Of course, I had to empty the
hovercraft and move it back to a flat spot to gain mobility again. I learned a
good lesson there.
As I
continued further down the river towards my next fuel stop, I passed through
incredibly beautiful wildlife refuges where moose and wolves could be seen
along the river. The wildlife
and view were exquisite. During the trip, sunset was 11:30 p.m. and sunrise
4:30 a.m. and it was never totally dark, so there was plenty of time to enjoy
the view. I consider myself very fortunate to be one the few people who are
lucky enough to experience such wonders.
I finally made it to the Yukon River Lodge where I was able to
get more fuel, and visit with the owner who was very helpful. And I met several
other villagers who were also headed downriver for a memorial service.
This day was
fairly rainy and cold and for parts of the trip I had to deal with wind and 1 ft. waves. I pressed on until just before dark, when I found a gravel
bar with a huge pile of accumulated driftwood and I built a pretty sizable fire
that I kept going all night. It allowed me to stay warm and dry at least on
half my body most of the time.”
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| Cliff spends the night on a sandbar in the
wilderness along the Yukon River. |
“The next
day I continued to the village of Nulato where I met an old friend who agreed to
get me fuel from the local station. The villages along the river are very
careful to allow anyone to enter because of the current Covid-19 pandemic. But
I got fuel, and he also gave me some hot coffee, some Pilot Crackers and fish
strips - a staple in the villages, and a finer meal can’t be found!”
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| Cliff’s hovercraft serves as a snack bar for his
Pilot Crackers and fish strips! |
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The riverfront at the village of Nulato, where Cliff
was warmly welcomed.
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“I then
continued on for the last leg of the trip to the Village of Anvik. My son
Blair and friend / head guide Nick had been asked to bring fuel to the mouth of
the river and meet me for the last 75 miles up the Anvik River to our lodge. We
met just upriver of the village of Grayling and they had brought more food and
fuel. We decided in the interest of weight that they would carry my personal
gear and excess fuel.
Now the real
adventure begins. Late in the day when we were all heading to the mouth of the
Anvik River, an unfortunate situation happened. I was taking the shallow most
direct route and they were not able to follow me. I was dipping behind islands
and across mud flats, and just at sunset ran out of fuel on the opposite side
of the Yukon.
I called on my sat phone and gave my predicament, but while
waiting for the guys to show up, fell asleep while drifting in the middle of
the river. I thought for sure I would hear the engine of the boat, but when I
finally awoke it was almost midnight, and I had drifted about 18 miles past
Anvik I called again and decided that it
was best to just wait until the next day. By the way, it was freezing again and
I was very cold.
The next
morning, September 5, 2020, the guys showed up and we made the last 75 mile run to the lodge, arriving around 1:00 p.m.. I was happy to get home for a nap!”
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| Cliff was welcomed home by everyone at Anvik River
Lodge – including the wildlife! |
“I’m interested
in the possibility of a larger hovercraft as I’m exploring the potential of a
new experience for our guests. I’m experienced in building airplanes and boats,
so I can apply these skills to repairing this hovercraft. The last aircraft
that I rebuilt made the cover of “Vintage Aircraft Magazine” (June 2002). I
would probably be interested in a kit that I could build myself.
I did get
our new skirt and installed it, then my wife and I took about a 80 mile trip up
the Anvik River and it was great. This was the day before we got sick. At the
end of hunting season the last hunters we had exposed us to the Covid virus and
the entire lodge got it. We are all healed now, but there was a period of
recovery for a couple of weeks. It’s an ugly virus, and we are glad to put it
behind us.”
Adventure
is nothing new to Cliff. He’s owned avocado farms in Florida, and owns homes in
the Florida Keys and Bahamas, which he’s in the process of repairing after they
were damaged in Hurricane Dorian.
He’s an
aircraft pilot, a ship captain and owns a 65 ft. trawler. He was an Olympic
swimmer and a surfer. He taught himself carpentry and at age 21 he moved to
Alaska to experience a frontiersman’s life. There, he built school houses from
kits that were transported by ship along the coast. On one of his trips, in the
cold Bering Sea, a storm caused 30 ft. waves and his boat sank. The captain
drowned, but Cliff and four others managed to get to shore. The incident caused
lifelong damage to his feet.
But
regardless of his venturesome background, Cliff says his hovercraft trip “was one of the most enjoyable things I’ve
ever done – enjoyable beyond words!”
And his wife Cheryl adds, "Not only was this the first time he'd ever been on a hovercraft, he'll be 66 years old this month and he had open heart surgery in late January of 2019. So, holy cow, nothing will slow him down!"
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The Anvik River Lodge: Home sweet home for Cliff and
his Neoteric Hovercraft.
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We at Neoteric congratulate Cliff for his daring undertaking, and we
thank him for sending us the details of his adventure. Reading the story of his
highly unusual hovercraft delivery was enjoyable and helps us to imagine the
experience. We’re quite pleased that you happened upon a Neoteric Hovercraft
and were successful in flying it 750 miles home to your lodge!
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Clifford Hickson visited Neoteric Hovercraft on Nov. 6, 2020 and met with the company President Chris Fitzgerald. |
Dreaming of an
adventure of your own?
Launch your dream
with a Test Flight or Flight Training on a Neoteric hovercraft!
And check out Anvik River Lodge
