Carlisle spent the past weekend "remote" about 70 air miles from McGrath in the interior. She has actively looked for land since becoming an Alaskan resident, but has been undecided as to where in this large state she would like to be. The state of Alaska still offers its residents a chance to stake remote parcels of land through a lottery. When an area opened up near the Big River and the Revelation Mts., Carlisle put her name into the lottery and to her surprise, was chosen. Arrangements were made to fly commercially from Anchorage to McGrath and then by private charter (bush plane) into the area open to staking. It's a complex task and must be done correctly or the stake will not be honored by the State. Bucky and I were amazed at Carlisle's attention to detail and knowledge about what had to be accomplished during the 4 days taken from her job to stake a possible 20 acres of land sight unseen. Just choosing what and what not to take when weight on small airplanes is critical can be a challenge, particularly with the climate in Alaska. We were impressed with her GPS mapping, math skills and how to make name plates from beer cans. She seems to have become self sufficient.
The 15+ acres that Lisle chose to stake is mostly tundra with close access to the mountains. She chose it for its proximity to the mountains, fresh water source and tundra landing strip. The State will grant permits to harvest timber from surrounding property not within the staking boundaries which will eventually provide logs for a cabin and firewood. She described the tundra surface as "loaded with blueberries", blue irises and the spotted lady slippers, as well as the black fungus about which she is asking on her job with soil conservation and invasive species. 
As she described it, the Revelation Mts. kept revealing themselves bit by bit during her stay as the cloud cover lifted, giving their name new significance. Her mind pictured carving turns on their snowy faces during some upcoming winter. Bucky and I aren't sure what to think about it all, only how nice it is to be young, strong and have the chance to drive a stake in the ground and call it yours. Lisle said that she never thought of herself being possessive or needing possessions but when she heard the sound of an approaching airplane she started running to get her stakes into the ground for fear of losing her turf. Being able to be pilot in command on the flight home was an added bonus and added another hour to her flight log book.
Now, paperwork must be filed with the State and if the protocol for staking has been followed correctly, the land will be surveyed and appraised. If Carlisle chooses to go ahead with ownership, she will begin making payments to the State. No permanent structure can be placed on the property until three years of payments have been made to the State.