An unusual find was made recently, by Yukon pilot Ron Connelly. While on a flight into the Ross River area, Ron spotted the deflated weather balloon on the ground and a Klondike Helicopters 'copter flew into the area and brought the balloon out.

Markings on the polyethylene balloon revealed that it had originated in Finland and had been on its trip through upper space for some 21 days.

A local flier who has considerable knowledge of these weather balloons believes that this one must have caught the westerly air stream, crossed over Russia, across the Pacific and then into the Yukon.

These balloons, when fully inflated, are vast in size and fly at extremely high altitudes.