It's finally our turn to make the trip to Alaska! This has been a dream of mine since I was a kid, and we're all really excited!



Oil has been changed, new tires and spark plugs installed, Brenekke slugs and mosquito head nets have been procured...

We're planning on leaving Oregon on Thursday, June 26th. Eapis has already been filed, which makes it real.

We have a bit over three weeks for the trip, so we're hoping to have some time to spend in British Columbia and Yukon on the way up and down. We're planning to camp as much as possible.

We're purposely keeping our plans loose, given that we're likely to learn about places as we go, weather will obviously be a huge factor, etc. I prefer to follow the good weather, rather than fight the bad.

Follow us via our Delorme InReach here: http://share.delorme.com/oregon180

I've already received some great local info from many here on BCP, but if you have any ideas or info about stuff along or near our route, we'd love to hear about it! Despite months of Googling and other research, we still have pretty sparse info on the off-the-beaten path places in Canada. That just adds to the adventure, I figure.

Our plan is just to land and check places out. We're also really looking forward to meeting up with BCP folks in Canada and Alaska!

We'll be in our yellow and white 1959 Cessna 180B.



Our basic, planned stops along our route up are:

Penticton (Canadian Customs and a night in a Yurt on the beach of Skaha Lake)
Barkerville (Camping near the airstrip and checking out the cool old Gold Rush town http://www.barkerville.ca)
Hudson's Hope or Ft. St. John (Sparse info on Hudson's Hope, but will land and hope to camp. else Ft. St. John.)
Muncho Lake (Hoping to Camp here. Strip is owned by a lodge, so we'll see if they'll let us.)
Watson Lake
Whitehorse
Northway (US Customs)

Our basic, planned route once in Alaska:

Tok
Talkeetna (Spending several days here, touring Denali, etc.)
Chitina, McCarthy, Kennecott
Wrangell St. Elias (Hoping to spend several days flying into and staying at public-use cabins (Peevine, Jake's Bar, May Creek), hiking, etc.)
http://www.nps.gov/wrst/planyourvisit/backcountry-cabins.htm
Kenai Peninsula (Would love to do some canoeing here)
Homer

On the way back, we're planning to visit Dawson City if time allows. The rest of the route will be close to the same as on the way up, hopefully staying at different places that we learned about along the way.

I'll try to post updates to this thread along the way as time and cell coverage allows.

Yee-haw! Can't wait!

You're going to have a Blast!
One thing you will learn from this trip is, it is one long way from here to Alaska… and even farther back
From experience, don't get in a hurry ….. and take something containing Deet
Looking forward to your trip reports.

Looking forward to you TR!! Fly past the Gaede Strip on your way down the Kenai, Dr Gaede's story makes for some cool AK history ( http://www.prescriptionforadventure.com ... v7wurBWC0w)

Excellent Oregon 180! Wish I was able to meet up with you all!

Good for you! You and your family will remember this adventure for the rest of your lives. This is what its all about.

One suggestion or thought, since wx will play a big part of how your trip goes, maybe get to Alaska as soon as you can if the wx is good and then do all the fun adventure stuff on the way back down. Just a thought.

I have made the trip many times over the years, don't push wx, watch the wind in the passes, could get bumpy and uncomfortable for the little ones, you don't want them to only remember the bumps.

Have fun, looking forward to reading the trip report.

G44

Sounds like a great trip O 180! Keep us posted, and maybe I'll fly up and meet you in Fort St John. Would be great to meet you. If weather pushes you to the east side of the Rockies, your more rhen welcome to visit my strip and spend the night.

David

When you leave McCarthy, follow the Copper to the coast and take a left. Gas in Cordova and Yakutat. E. to Cape Spencer then another left to PAGS where I live. Then direct Ketchikan for gas, then left at Prince Rupert BC to pick up the road again.

After seeing this route, you'll set the autopilot and take a nap for the rest if it and be happy you're not looking at miles and miles of black spruce and muskeg and beetle kill timber in Canada.

Sounds like a fantastic family adventure! Have fun; we can't wait to see the pictures when you get back!

If you fly the trench, be sure to stop at Scoop Lake; it is a great overnight stop.

Thanks, guys! Good points and info.

G44, your point about kids and turbulence brought to mind one time that we were heading back from Oshkosh and traversed a very bumpy Wyoming, which we all know can be a real barf-bagger. We stopped for the night in Preston, ID, home of Napoleon Dynamite. They were having their Rodeo that weekend, and among other things, there was one of those carnival rides that looks like a park bench that goes up and then drops down real fast. My daughter, who was 6 at the time exclaimed: "Look, a Wyoming simulator!"

Good point also about taking advantage of good weather windows.

A1Skinner, let's stay in touch. Would be fun to meet up!

Thanks again, and keep the tips coming!

Sounds epic

I second Scoop. If you fly the trench it is a must...

If you think you may choose the Trench, plan on deciding at Mackenzie... From there you can still take the AlCan, or the Cassair if the Wx doesn't play right for the Trench. Stop in with Vickie at Trench Aviation Fuel. She will offer you ice cream and offer your wife a Baileys .
Best of all she will have up to the minute intel on what's really going on in the trench... Her advice will trump flight services, and not heeding it will have you buying fuel from her again when you return to try again another day

Three weeks is pretty tough to hit Talkeetna, McCarthy, and possibly the coast... but doable IF the WX plays well... Do you fish? The Klutina is a short walk from the Copper Center strip, and if you go down to the bridge you can follow the trail all the way down to the mouth of the Klutina at the Copper. Reds are in now and still will be then... Then you can fly up the Klutina to the lake. Just short of the lake is a strip with good camping and excellent dolly varden and grayling.

Heading down to MacCarthy from there you will pass the drainage the Hanagita runs in. Make a note of it... If you decide the coast Wx allows and you want to fly to Cordova, you can fly up that drainage (west) and at the saddle are two lakes. Upper and lower Tebay. there is a good strip there on the west end, that isn't used much. Its a strategic place to camp if you tent camp, because a guy can fall off either direction depending on what the Wx is doing and not be stuck. Trout fishing there is on the 'fish per cast' level Dropping off towards the coast follows the Little Bremmner to Cordova. If the Wx is on your side for this I would highly recommend it, because it won't be on every trip north... Plus the concept of flying past glaciers and then coming out at a lush green slough is just boggling... From there you can hope over to Hinchinbroock and Hawkins if Island hopping is your thing...If you do this you can fly up the coast to Valdez or south to Kayak Island... can't really go wrong either way If you went NW to Valdez, you can catch the drainage right out of town to the Valdez Glacier, following this up and over will drop you right back in to Klutina lake again. This loop sounds small, but is really pretty long if you plan on spending time along the way...

Tips? man there is sooo much to enjoy in AK that I'd recommend making as many mental notes as possible, and then being as flexible as possible to move where the Wx will best llow you to enjoy yourself...

Have fun, We should be passing each other on the way somewhere

Take care, Rob

Barkerville is definitely a very cool spot. Consider camping at Quesnel airport and the 1/2 hr trip to Barkerville for the day. Quesnel has a most excellent campground. Lots of people do it this way because they can leave their camp at Quesnel and go to Barkerville packed light.
Another place that has a nice camp spot by the river is Toad River just out of Fort Nelson along the Alaska Hwy.
There are three basic routes from Quesnel to Watson Lake. Alcan, Trench and Cassiar hwy. Try and go up one and down the other. Weather permitting the flight from Smithers to Dease lake on to Watson lake is some of the most spectacular scenery I have seen, especially around the cinder cones
We really enjoyed the camp grounds at Watson Lake and Whitehorse. If you are stopping in Whitehorse let JM know, he is a great guy and part of the BCP and if he is in town he will probably stop by. With the 180 he will probably not arrest you for flying TOO SLOW like he did to the other guys. He also has huge knowledge of the Yukon for great camping area's etc.
About 160 miles out of Watson Lake is Virginia Falls, part of the Nahani National park(headless valley fame). I do not believe there is a landing strip there but some friends flew over and said it was spectacular.
KenW

Oregon180, let's chat on the phone before you depart and I can give what few nuggets of newbie knowledge that I have.

A couple logistics thoughts;

Don't forget the time zones between Whitehorse and Northway when you file your flightplan / eapis.

On the way back, if you plan on filing eapis and flightplan while lunching at Fast Eddies (Tok) it seems to me that the FSS # was hit or miss on what you can do and when you can do it. Being fluent at filing on the fly will alleviate the stress of having an eapis ready to roll and not a flight plan.

Be generous with your filed flight times. Whitehorse to Northway is a long enough leg to see something you want to circle over. Trying to make up for lost time spent circling a bear that's stocking a sheep, or even an unforecast headwind, is pretty tough. Conversely, pulling the throttle back a tad for being a bit early is easy and just gives you that much more time over some spectacular scenery...


I noticed you left out a few of the cabins in the Copper river basin... probably from good research... ie; Chelle Lake is pretty good Lake trout fishing, but the strip kinda sucks if you're not on big wheels... If you can't land down by the cabin (usually very short on useable real estate +/- 200') I'd pass...

Fun Stuff!

Places we didn't like:
Smithers, they charge you a $1.25 to sneeze on the airport , they are just crazy with fee's there. Probably cost you $75 to land and take a pee in the terminal. Go to Burns Lake it is a great place.
Fort Ware, the locals made it real clear this place is not for white guys.
KenW

Hey when you get to Homer swing by the office and say howdy, Tango Fox and I can give you some great flight seeing ideas for the Homer area, Katmai and Lake Clark NPs. Thursday night is Pilot's night at Beluga Lake Lodge. No camping on the airport in Homer but we can scrounge you up a place to stay.

You are about to find out how huge this state is! Have fun and fly safe.

I'm based in Fort St John, Have flown to Alaska many times from here in 180 or the Cub I park the cub on a Grass strip just outside of Ft St John
( 56 14 49 N 120 58 08 W It is the west strip as there is another to the east) Hudson Hope stripe is paved and a ways out of town. I will be around if you want to come this way. Finlay River Outfitters is on Wilistion Lake going up the trench, Vicky knows Jordy who runs the Lodge( long gravel grass strip) I know of several other strips heading up the Highway or in the Mountains. It is a very nice trip coming up from Penticton
I travel down to Idaho usually middle of July for 180/185 flying usually fly that corridor do customs at Port Hill. Dieter and Karen [email protected] cell 250 261 1883

You guys are awesome. What at treasure trove this site is! Thanks for all the great tips!

We're not going to go the trench route this time. While we could swing it range-wise, I prefer having more fuel and landing options, at least for my first trip up there, so we're pretty much sticking to the Alcan highway route. If weather is better on the Smithers/Cassiar route though, we might do that instead. Cool idea to do one up, and the other down. So many options!

Good info on Quesnel. Sounds like they have some nice camping there at the airport. Access to showers would be nice too. Sounds like there's some nice camping near the Barkerville airstrip as well. We'll definitely check out Quesnel on our way to Barkerville and possibly camp there instead.

I know it'll be hard to do everything on the list, but we'll make adjustments as we go. We only have a few reservations and almost no specific dates to hit, so we'll be able to take things as they come and not risk falling prey to get-there-itis. It'll be a fun adventure for sure!

Headoutdaplane: I'd love to meet you guys in Homer if we make it there. Would love to see your awesome deHavilland in person!

Z: I'll give you a call while trying not to get an imaginary visual of your newbie nuggets..

There have been a number of good threads about satellite phones. Highly recommended to rent an Iridium for the trip if you don't already have one.
You mentioned staying in Ft St John. Carry on a little further to Prophet River if you're looking to camp under the wing. (No services). And if you find yourself heading north of the Alaska Range, drop me a PM.
Have a great trip and family adventure.
-DP

I'd take Dieter up. Hes got fuel and it would be great camping at his grass strip. My wife and I would make a point of coming over there and hanging out for the night. It'd be great! Plus I really want to see the paint on Dieter's 180 in person!

The Wrangells:
Excellent place to spend a few days. McCarthy airport is easy and you can camp under you wing. A quick walk to town where you can catch a shuttle van up to Kennecott. The town (might not even qualify as a town) of McCarthy is cool and you can get some food and limited supplies. As far as the public cabins are concerned, probably the best one for you is May Creek. The runway is in good condition and your (looks like 8.50s?) tires will be adequate.

Peavine is absolutely amazing but the runway is not really gravel (more like rock) and you will risk throwing something about the size of an apple or an orange into your horizontal that will require repair (personal experience here - but it is worth the risk for me and I'm on 29" bush wheels. I would put Jakes bar and Glacier Creek into a similar category of strip. BUT, if you want to take the chance and land Peavine, you will be rewarded with amazing vistas. East end of the Peavine strip is better than the west end.

Gulkana is a good fuel stop, but I tell you that the winds can get gusty. If you are getting any gusty crosswind crap, there is a gravel (but undulated) strip that parallels the paved15-33 and lives off of the south side of the taxiway that extends from the main ramp to the midpoint of the asphalt rwy.

As far as Tebay lakes is concerned, that place is beautiful, but the strip carved into the tundra has been worn down over the years since Paul Claus first laid tracks there. The tires have created deep ruts that favor larger tires for prop clearance issues when your tires are down in the wells. Not that your prop wouldn't clear, but the margins are reduced. Attempting to clear the strip is difficult due to medium sized tussock obstacles that may snag a smaller tire or two.

On the other side of the Wrangells is Chisana with a grass strip and a small public cabin, but this does not have a "remote" feel and there are neighbors near the cabin (like directly behind it). Plus, it ranks up there as having the most bugs per cubic meter of air in Alaska.

Kenai Peninsula:
Consider a flight to Seldovia just across the bay from Homer. A quick walk to town. Absolutely cute and beautiful. Go kayaking there too. You could stay for a couple of days and have a very nice time. There are a few easy hikes in the area. Across the inlet from Homer/Kenai (West side of Cook Inlet) are some good 1.5 hour flights where there are good bear viewing opportunities. There are also a few good nice beaches to land on over there. I would be happy to tell you where to find them.

Other tidbits:
Since the weather may be just bad where you are trying to go, consider doing something like my annual Yakutat trip (it has become a joke now because the weather is always bad that we have gone everywhere but Yakutat).

North of Tok is Chicken. Strange little place, but memorable. Camp under the wing.

Bettles. Camp under the wing. Dine at the Bettles Lodge. Enjoy the arctic climate.

Manley Hot Springs. Not sure if Gladys is still alive, but she is a hoot and will allow you a trip to the hot springs on her property.

McKinley Park. Very few transient tie downs but I've camped under the wing (very noisy when the trains roll through in the middle of the night). But its cool to be right at the park entrance where you can catch a bus into the park or set off on hikes.

Fairbanks. Nice campground for planes. (noisy at night when jets takeoff/land). Showers as of last year weren't repaired yet on the camp, but there were showers down at the pilots lounge near the tower.

Have an awesome time. Heck, we may run into you out there on the trail somewhere. Fly safely.