A Love for Old Rigs in Alaska

My earliest memory of driving something began with my Dad. Peering over the edge of a gravel pit in the passenger side of a dump truck. Trying not to move in fear of tipping the scales too far. I learned to steer a plane when I was in grade school with him, occasionally letting me go on ride-alongs any chance there was an extra seat on one of his flights. He was a bush pilot here in Southeast Alaska when I was growing up, which sparked my love for exploration and the region.

My 50cc dirt bike riding trick of belly-to-seat was fine tuned by 10. And, by the time I was 15 he taught me how to spin donuts in the snow. He'd tell tales of spinning the tractor-trailer rigs on the North Slope in 50 below weather. When I turned 21 he was the only person in the State of Alaska to be licensed to give Commercial Drivers Licenses' outside of the DMV. He actually made me do the full test, but looked the other way when I stalled out on the only stick shift bus in Juneau causing a decent amount of traffic confusion.

When I was a tour guide/bus driver I'd often tell people I learned to fly a plane and drive a boat long before I ever got my driver's license in hopes it would calm their nerves seeing me at the helm haha. Needless to say, I take after him and love to drive anything and everything.

When Sydney's boyfriend showed up with this 1980 Dodge W100, we instantly started dreaming. The truck lived most of its life in Corner Bay, a small bay inside the Tennakee Inlet, driving the old logging roads and rusting slowly away in all its Forest Service Green glory. This truck perfectly sums up old school rigs in Alaska. Rusted to the core, mostly safe, old, a bright and odd color, and still runs!! We combined local Dames Rocket wildflowers with coordinated outfits and color palettes to create a fun shoot with this ol' gal.

Cheers to the oldies, and all the goodies!

OUTFIT CHANGE!

If you know me personally, I know you know, that anytime you see me driving in something other than my car, you're always invited to hop in for a quick spin ;) 

 

Best,

Cordova

 

*You can see more of Sydney Akagi's work and book her for a session at Sydney Akagi Photography who is based in Juneau, Alaska.

 

 

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