Skyhorse Comes to Mud Bay

We met the most amazing couple Saturday night.

We had attended an event at the Chilkat Center. As we came out of the theater, I looked out the center window and saw what looked like an airplane going past. Later, as we drove toward Mud Bay, we overtook a massive vehicle, with a wild wave-themed paint job, and a small airplane fuselage grafted on top. It bristled with gear, including a kayak, and a motorcycle attached to the rear of the vehicle like a davitted dinghy of the stern of a yacht. It pulled off the road and allowed us to pass, then it drove past where we parked on Mud Bay.

We stood on the road with neighbors, watching a bear on the bay before crossing, when the strange vehicle pulled up behind us to ask what we were looking at. A very pleasant young couple climbed out and visited for a bit. We explained that we lived on the other side of the ridge. Soon we went our separate ways.

The next day I got a message on the Website email from a person who had seen one of my brother’s boat designs in Haines, and had traced it to our site. He said he’d like to meet us. As it turns out, he already had—he was the driver of the strange vehicle!

Skyhorse (swiped from their Website).

Skyhorse early on. Now it’s heavily loaded, and a good deal dirtier (swiped from their Website).

We invited them to come visit the homestead, but asked for a tour of their rig in return. The vehicle, called “Skyhorse,” turns out to be an 11-ton, homebuilt RV. And yes, the thing on top is a small plane fuselage!

Aly and I hiked out to meet Sarah and Hani, and their sweet dogs, Olivia, a beagle, and Shea, a poodle. Then we led them over the ridge to the “homestead.” We fed them bumbleweed pesto (see Am I Working Too Hard?– Bumbleweed Pesto) and homemade wine, and learned that they are public defenders in Key West, Florida. They built Skyhorse over 3 years, then quit their jobs and started driving. They’ve been all over the Alaska road system, and will go to Juneau, Sitka, and Ketchikan next, disembark in Prince Rupert, Canada, drive down the west coast of the U.S. and eventually reach Panama. From there, options vary.

Can you say, “Road Trip”?

We talked about homesteading, boat building, vehicle renovation, travel, the quirkiness of hometown life, and many other topics. We were having so much fun that we invited them to stay for dinner, then whipped up some lentil chili (see Quick and Easy Lentil Chili). We were still going strong when Michelle eventually arrived home. When they left, we hiked out with them. Michelle got a tour of Skyhorse, then we hauled a bunch of gear home from the car.

Chances are, you might run across Skyhorse. It’s hard to miss, and going just about everywhere, it seems. If you do see it, I urge you to introduce yourself to Sarah and Hani. They’re well worth knowing!

At some point in the visit, Sarah asked, “Is it all right if we blog about you?” I said, “Sure, we’ll be blogging about you!” You can find stories and photos of their grand tour on their Website, adventuresinskyhorse.com.

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3 Responses to Skyhorse Comes to Mud Bay

  1. Sarah says:

    This couple sounds amazing! Haha. We had the best time with you all and experiencing a day in the life. Promise a blog post is coming soon on our end. Hopefully our paths will cross again in the future.

  2. Linn Hartman says:

    Now they are taking a road trip!-Just got back from 18 days of traveling the mountain western states-Ready for a little break-you can meet neat people where ever you go if you just try a little.

  3. Mark Zeiger says:

    You are amazing! Travel safely!

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