Da U.P.?

alaskaflyer

alaskaflyer

Final Approach
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Alaskaflyer
Moving to da U.P.?

...to quote Gary F.

After seven years in Alaska I have the next two days to decide if I want to make the Keewenaw Peninsula our next home. Well, for seven months each year anyhow, with the five months surrounding summer on Isle Royale.

Dats KCMX for you pilot people. Start at 6Y9 then look 40nm north.

What say you?
 
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Good move or bad?? Depends on what you really like about Alaska. Da UP doesn't have the variety of big game hunting that Alaska has. There are plenty of good fishing opportunities, but not Alaska good. You won't have months of utter darkness in the UP, and you do still get pretty long days up there in the summer. I'm not sure what the summer bug population is in your part of Alaska, but it's hard to imagine it being worse than the UP. The cost of living in the UP will be a lot cheaper than Alaska. You'll have to pay the state income tax in Michigan, instead of the state paying you in Alaska.

I love the UP. It's a beautiful place. Many people would never last in that part of the UP. After 7 years in Alaska you'll obviously have no trouble with it. You might get more meaningful feedback from this peanut gallery if you throw out some things you really like and dislike about Alaska, ideas you have about what Michigan will be like, and reasons you're contemplating the move and let us comment of those.
 
Good move, really good move. When I get the time I can list the reasons. Feel free to PM me for more info or I will answer any questions here.
 
pilot117 said:
Good move or bad?? Depends on what you really like about Alaska. Da UP doesn't have the variety of big game hunting that Alaska has. There are plenty of good fishing opportunities, but not Alaska good. You won't have months of utter darkness in the UP, and you do still get pretty long days up there in the summer. I'm not sure what the summer bug population is in your part of Alaska, but it's hard to imagine it being worse than the UP. The cost of living in the UP will be a lot cheaper than Alaska. You'll have to pay the state income tax in Michigan, instead of the state paying you in Alaska.

I love the UP. It's a beautiful place. Many people would never last in that part of the UP. After 7 years in Alaska you'll obviously have no trouble with it. You might get more meaningful feedback from this peanut gallery if you throw out some things you really like and dislike about Alaska, ideas you have about what Michigan will be like, and reasons you're contemplating the move and let us comment of those.
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Sorry, it's a job-related move. Not everyone knows what I do for a living with the National Park Service on here :redface: It's a lateral move in terms of responsibilities and pay, though with a more important sounding title. Actually because of the difference in locality pay it's a small pay cut, plus the income tax.

No longer hunt anyhow, but fishing is always important. And I live in the interior, so yeah I'm used to mosquitos and white socks.

I guess I'm looking for pireps on the airport there, and the Houghton/Hancock/Calumet area. Or just general affirmation ;) Thinking of selling my 170 up here if we were to move and contemplate another plane once we're settled in. Maybe a partnership.
 
Isn't that colder than where you are ? yeah I know it was 52 below yesterday..
 
Tom-D said:
Isn't that colder than where you are ? yeah I know it was 52 below yesterday..
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Not up here by me, Tom. Almost anywhere down there would have warmer winters. Though we are experiencing a heat wave at the moment, 18F above. Sunrise at 10:25 a.m.
 
alaskaflyer said:
No longer hunt anyhow, but fishing is always important. And I live in the interior, so yeah I'm used to mosquitos and white socks.

I guess I'm looking for pireps on the airport there, and the Houghton/Hancock/Calumet area. Or just general affirmation ;) Thinking of selling my 170 up here if we were to move and contemplate another plane once we're settled in. Maybe a partnership.
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Fishing is very good in the UP. Lake trout in Lake Superior. Salmon fishing is popular. Inland lakes have a lot of walleye, pike, and bass as well I believe. I don't fish but one of my partners is a fishing fanatic.

I am fairly familiar with the Houghton/Hancock area. My son attends Michigan Tech. If you have any specific questions feel free to ask.
 
alaskaflyer said:
Not up here by me, Tom. Almost anywhere down there would have warmer winters. Though we are experiencing a heat wave at the moment, 18F above. Sunrise at 10:25 a.m.
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Yeah, I know, you guys must warm up to snow.

Roger is up there, mosey over and say hi.. He may be setting by your a/c talking on his cell reporting in.
 
Wow, that area averages 220" of snow a year. That's amazing.
 
timwinters said:
Wow, that area averages 220" of snow a year. That's amazing.
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You need a good snowblower. Ariens is popular with Yoopers. It is even better if you have a kid big enough to work it for you.
 
I once landed at K.I. Sawyer AFB in Marquette MI. it was late July, and they still had huge mounds of snow between the runways .. and the trees are smaller than any in alaska.
 
Gary F said:
You need a good snowblower. Ariens is popular with Yoopers. It is even better if you have a kid big enough to work it for you.
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Oxy moron.
 
Tom-D said:
I once landed at K.I. Sawyer AFB in Marquette MI. it was late July, and they still had huge mounds of snow between the runways .. and the trees are smaller than any in alaska.
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The snow is usually gone by mid June.
 
Twas da night before Christmas in dis Yooper house,
and nuttin' was stirrin', not even our mouse.
The rest of da family was all fast asleep
wit' visions of pasties delivered by jeep.
Da swampers was hung by da chiminey wit care
in hopes dat Saint Nicolas soon would be dere.
And in da far corner it was lovely to see
the Bosch cans and cabbage dat hung from da tree.
Ma home from the mine and me out on parole,
she was snuggled in bed; I was perched on da bowl.
Then alluva sudden da house starts to shudder,
some nut's on da roof and he broke da rain gutter.
He jumps down the chimney and swears cause it's tight
As I hide behind beer cases, way outta sight.
He lands in da fireplace scorching his hair
on a busted up orange crate still burning in nere.
He climbs outta da fireplace and I take a long look,
he's just like they show him in my coloring book.
With vodka-glazed eyes and a stomach like a bubble,
a five-day-old beard and dere's soot on his stubble.
His teeth when he smiles look like Grampa's weed-saw,
and he wore tennis shoes big as grizzly bear's paw.
This old Yooper elf gives me nothing to fear
as he heads for da kitchen for cookies and beer.
He kills off a six pack then belches and smirks,
and reaches into the playdoh sack, ready to work.
Now under da tree he's starting to set
the most beautiful presents us Yoopers can get.
Dere's a new pastymatic and snowblower for mother,
a steel chainsaw and some swampers for brother.
Some mud flaps, CB, and new-used weedwacker,
a helmet and nightshirt dat say "Green Bay Packers".
He close up da sack and he jumps in da coals
and hollering "OUCH!", up the chiminey he rose.
He grunted and groaned as he tossed out his bag
and cracked such a beer fart (ugh) I'm starting to gag.
I must watch him leave so I rushes outside,
I looks up at da roof while in bushes I hide.
And what does I see when I looks through da twigs?
A rusted old car body, pulled by eight pigs!
Santy jumped in and he gave 'em all hell,
"Let's go all yous pigs, don't just sit there and smell!
On Mushy and Mushy and Lempy and Joe
and all a you's others what names I don't know.
Fly over Negaunee and turn to da right,
we make Houghton-Hancock before I get tight."
Then I hear him exclaim with a cynical sneer
"Pull in at dat Bosch sign, I run outta beer!!"
 
Gary F said:
Fishing is very good in the UP. Lake trout in Lake Superior. Salmon fishing is popular. Inland lakes have a lot of walleye, pike, and bass as well I believe. I don't fish but one of my partners is a fishing fanatic.

I am fairly familiar with the Houghton/Hancock area. My son attends Michigan Tech. If you have any specific questions feel free to ask.
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Thanks. I'll think of some more questions. Looks like county t-hangars are $145/mo with electric available but no heat.
 
alaskaflyer said:
Thanks. I'll think of some more questions. Looks like county t-hangars are $145/mo with electric available but no heat.
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I fly in there a lot. Nice airport. I wish we had a crosswind runway at Sawyer.
 
Re: Moving to da U.P.?

alaskaflyer said:
...to quote Gary F.

After seven years in Alaska I have the next two days to decide if I want to make the Keewenaw Peninsula our next home. Well, for seven months each year anyhow, with the five months surrounding summer on Isle Royale.

Dats KCMX for you pilot people. Start at 6Y9 then look 40nm north.

What say you?
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Contact Ian Williams at the Channel Islands NP - he has been stationed at Isle Royale. .

Dave
 
Richard the new job would include more than moving you would have to change your Screen name to UPFLYER
 
God's area code is 906. That area has some beautiful country. Not quite the AWE-some sites that Alaska has, but still really good. Michigan Tech in Houghton has an Ice Festival every winter that has some top notch ice sculptures that the students create. The day time high when I last went to it was -20F.
 
One Short said:
God's area code is 906. That area has some beautiful country. Not quite the AWE-some sites that Alaska has, but still really good. Michigan Tech in Houghton has an Ice Festival every winter that has some top notch ice sculptures that the students create. The day time high when I last went to it was -20F.
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Nice. We enjoy the world ice carving championship in Fairbanks. I think it was -31 last winter when we went :yikes: The Fairbanks kids were still playing in the ice park, some of them in jeans and hoodies :no:
 
So I don't want to turn this thread into a "what plane" discussion completely :rolleyes: but I was thinking that despite what I told Henning about my first experience with a Lake, how that absolutely would need to be my next plane if I were to be in the western UP ;)

Or a Comanche :dunno::lol:

I'm pretty set on passing on my 170 to some lucky Alaskan buyer and starting fresh.
 
The UP is far preferable to Alaska in my opinion. We have a lot of unspoiled natural beauty but you can get to civilization much more easily.

I talked to my partner who likes to fish. He reminded me that we have great trout fishing including brown, rainbow/steelhead, and brook trout.
 
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Well, I can attest to the fact that it's absolutely beautiful over labor day weekend!

And, since this is the holiday season, in the U.P. there are wise men from the east bearing gifts also. Except these wise men bring beer!
:)
 
It's da yoop!

I can only hope that after significant retraining and indoctrination I can aspire to the title of Honorary Yooper.

Even though I will likely import beer from the northwest :nono:
 
Hey, hey!

Hope to see you next year at the fly-in. By then you should have carved out a runway on the island, eh? ;)
 
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Ok, my first tangible questions: What are the ins and outs of tax issues for: 1. Bringing in a recently purchased car from another state vs. buying one there; and 2. Buying a plane vs. bringing one from other states. What is the tax and registration sitrep for terrestrial and flying vehicles?
 
The Secratary of State page is quite unhelpful (no surprise)

http://mi.gov/sos/0,4670,7-127-50050---,00.html

Aviation page

http://www.michigan.gov/aero/0,4533,7-145-6774---,00.html

It looks like you can avoid the tax on an aircraft if you have owned it more than 90 days (or paid sales tax in another state).

http://www.michigan.gov/aero/0,4533,7-145-6774_6882-17259--,00.html
The aircraft was purchased outside of Michigan and is used solely for personal, nonbusiness purposes and one of the following applies:

  1. The aircraft was purchased by a person who was not a resident of this state at the time of purchase and was brought into this state more than 90 days after the date of purchase.
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You will have to get the state registration sticker. They will send you a Michigan aiprort guide. And they allege to send the state Aeronautical chart as well, but I've never recieved one.
 
Capt. Geoffrey Thorpe said:
Aviation page

http://www.michigan.gov/aero/0,4533,7-145-6774---,00.html

It looks like you can avoid the tax on an aircraft if you have owned it more than 90 days (or paid sales tax in another state).
http://www.michigan.gov/aero/0,4533,7-145-6774_6882-17259--,00.html
You will have to get the state registration sticker. They will send you a Michigan aiprort guide. And they allege to send the state Aeronautical chart as well, but I've never recieved one.
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The use or sales tax is 6% - ouch.
 
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