MT to Anchorage and Canada in between...

[Magnus P.IFR]

Just finished day one of my trip from Ennis, MT to Anchorage in a 1960 Cessna 175A

Port of Entry was Lethbridge, AB (CYQL) $2/liter for fuel. Ouch!

Then on to Edson, AB (CYET) through Calgary airspace with flight following (radar coverage).

574nm, 185 liters (49 gallons of fuel)

BUMPIER THAN HELL-85 degrees and 30kt gusts from the side the whole way up.

One wildfire with 100 mile smoke stream. One thunderstorm dodged.

First day flying 7 hours + and a hotel was the same price as a campground and a taxi...so guess where I write this post.

On to Watson Lake, Yukon Territory tomorrow...will upload more photos when I get to a non tablet.

 

[Challenged]

Can't wait to see them, sounds awesome but exhausting.

 

[GRG55]

Look forward to the posts and pics. Get some rest. You have a long leg planned for tomorrow. Temps up around Dawson Creek, Mile Zero of the Alaska Highway, look much more pleasant.

 

[Magnus P.IFR]

I wish I had more time, the good weather happens to coincide with my wedding week coming up. Gotta knock it out and get the hours towards CPL. It’s all fun though

 

[GRG55]

I wish I had more time, the good weather happens to coincide with my wedding week coming up. Gotta knock it out and get the hours towards CPL. It’s all fun though

Have your fiancee fly up to Alaska. Get married on a glacier.
Send the family and friends pics.
Spend the rest of the summer up north.
Come back south when it starts to get cold.

 

[Magnus P.IFR]

I used to work in Prince William Sound fishing, she visited. It still hasn’t left her mind that we could split time in AK and MT...I hope to get a job up there once I get the cpl later this summer. (We already got hitched, ran to the ski hill and had a judge who skis do the ceremony on the snow) Next week is for the fam, and us, in Panama.

 

[GRG55]

Next week???!!! Holy crap. You should be flying a Mooney to Alaska, not a 172.

 

[Magnus P.IFR]

Hey now, 175! I’ve been averaging 110-120kts when the wind is right. 6cyl.
And 500+nm a day...

 

[GRG55]

Ooops. My bad. Reading comprehension fails me again.
Get some sleep. It's 10:30 pm where you are.

 

[BillTIZ]

I need to do that trip again. Watson Lake to Anchorage in one day, refuel at Whitehorse and Gulkana. Tok for fuel is a closer option. Looking forward to more pictures.

 

[Magnus P.IFR]

Well day 2 and 3 are over. More storms dodged and smoke sucked into the intake...as well as an amazing flight between Edson and Watson lake. Scenery can’t be taken in with photos alone, but I’ll try to share.

Generator fuse blown was a new one on me.
Lost my transponder before I noticed the battery was losing charge. Aside from being a requirement for certain aircraft, spare fuses are a lifesaver! Apparently my last hour of flying wasn’t able to charge the battery enough, after taxiing to tie downs, never got her restarted.

A quick chat with the controllers and it was decided I was leaving her where she was and waiting til morn for the folks at Black Sheep Aviation to show up.

After that I Camped at the south end of rwy 09 and right on the lake shore. There’s a gazebo and fire pits you can tiedown next to, probably want to ask the controller pre tiedown to save some fuel as it’s opposite end from overnight spots by approx 1/4 mile. (I’m glad that’s not where I found the dead battery)

I happen to be traveling with my handy 5ft. Telecaster fishing pole and light tackle, had I known better I would have carried some razor wire, Watson Lake is chock full of northern pike. Nothing a mepps 0 can come close to handling So there’s a northern with a new lip ring out there.

Anyhow, this AM battery charged, engine started and I made it to Whitehorse just in time to be behind schedule for the border to close at Northway, AK. Here I sit in what is the strangest “BnB” (as there were no other hotel rooms available).

Lessons learned:
Spare time and spare fuses are great tools to have.
Calling ahead for a hotel room is a good idea even if you might not need it.
Summer in Whitehorse means 20F degrees At 8500ft.

On to AK tomorrow...

 

[Challenged]

These are awesome shots, love the Yukon Air Service one, seems like it's straight out of 1960 or something.

 

[Katamarino]

You are getting me so excited. I am heading this way in 2 weeks!

 

[Magnus P.IFR]

4 days and I made it. Wish I had more time but take the weather when you can...
Customs in Northway was a breeze. Fuel stop in Tok. Then through Mentasta Pass At 4500’ under ceilings at 5500/6000 ovc/bkn. Definitely the craziest flying I’ve ever done. Had a Husky amphib leading the way. Passing Gulkana through to Tahneta Pass and the skies cleared to bluebird through Palmer into Birchwood.

I may have to move back up here.

And yes that’s a beer on the tail...

 

[GRG55]

Great pictures!
I am bedridden at home recovering from some surgery yesterday, so this is just what I needed. Thank you!
Where to next?

 

[kath]

There's a "pancake breakfast fly-in" tomorrow morning (Saturday June 2nd) at Palmer Airport, starting at 8:00. (I'll be going! Free pancakes! And talks & stuff!)
Then, the following Saturday (June 9th), the Kenai Peninsula fly-in at Soldotna and Kenai airports. (I'll be going to that too!)
http://www.ci.kenai.ak.us/sites/default/files/airport/2018_AirFair_Agenda.pdf

Enjoy AK!!

 

[JOhnH]

You are getting me so excited. I am heading this way in 2 weeks!

Same here. We are leaving from Florida for Anchorage tomorrow AM.

 

[JOhnH]

Just finished day one of my trip from Ennis, MT to Anchorage in a 1960 Cessna 175A

Port of Entry was Lethbridge, AB (CYQL) $2/liter for fuel. Ouch!

Then on to Edson, AB (CYET) through Calgary airspace with flight following (radar coverage).

574nm, 185 liters (49 gallons of fuel)

BUMPIER THAN HELL-85 degrees and 30kt gusts from the side the whole way up.

One wildfire with 100 mile smoke stream. One thunderstorm dodged.

First day flying 7 hours + and a hotel was the same price as a campground and a taxi...so guess where I write this post.

On to Watson Lake, Yukon Territory tomorrow...will upload more photos when I get to a non tablet.

When are you leaving Anchorage? We expect to arrive on Wednesday, June 6, assuming we don't have any blown fuses or that the spares are good.

 

[GRG55]

Same here. We are leaving from Florida for Anchorage tomorrow AM.

Wow! A POA traffic jam in Alaska! LOL

 

[Magnus P.IFR]

@kath @JOhnH I’m in Anchorage proper until Sunday with an old fishing buddy. Headed home Sunday AM. No wheels or wings at the moment. Would like to make it to Palmer but may head to Seward. @GRG55 wedding week, headed to Panama for a couple weeks. Wish I could fly but I’d need my own for that. Look me up in Montana though! Missing the Missoula fly-in but there’s an air show at my local in August KEKS. Hope everyone has a safe trip up and time is on your side!