So, I've been working on a plane purchase for a few years now. More details on the plane itself to follow after the owner has a check and I have the keys.

But for now, I've started initial route planning and wanted to get some opinions.

My staging point is Fairbanks.

From there I'm planning to Tok for a quick refuel, Beaver Creek for customs, and Whitehorse to stay the night. Day two has Watson Lake, Fort Nelson, Fort St. John, and Grande Prairie. Day three is Prince George, Kamloops, and then Eckhart Int'l for customs, stopping in Priest Lake for a few days to regroup. Day four is Kalispell to Black Hills. Day five is Wahoo to Chillicothe, and we'll end up in Northern Alabama at the end of day six. This is clearly weather dependent.

Most of the itinerary is flexible. This is one of those once in a lifetime trips. My Dad is my copilot.

I appreciate any suggestions too the route and I'm planning on documenting the trip for a write up when we get done.

What are ya flying? And unless you have a burning desire to see Beaver Creek maybe do customs at Whitehorse.

Gump

Let me know when you're in Grande Prairie. Very close to my place. Depending when you come you have a place to stay here, and my strip may be open as well.
When you coming?

David

Cam,

I have a copy of the Alaska Airmen's guide to the ALCAN. I'm willing to send it to you for the trip, but I'll need it back prior to August. That is, if my route doesn't take me due East to Greenland, Iceland, and Europe. I also have all the charts through Canada, though they are well out of date. You can have them if you'd like. They went together well on the wall of my office while preparing for my summer 2013 trip up.

Going North through Canada, I planned from Regina to Edmonton and following the highway North to Grand Prairie, Dawson Creek, and etc. There were thunderstorms and ceilings associated with a front moving Eastward through Edmonton. We adjusted and stopped in Lloydminster, Slave Lake, and stayed the night in Dawson Creek. That was the only weather related detour in Canada.

In the early legs, I adjusted the route from Florida based on my Dad's ability to continue and fuel prices.

The best part of our trip was my uncle's willingness to say hello to EVERY person we came across. He asked every question and it really lent perspective to the things we were seeing from the air. Have a good camera and use it often.

I never finished my description of the trip. The days were too long to document as I went. Plan time to complete a thorough trip report with photos and video when you get done with the trip. Not for us either, for you. I've got a couple pages of notes that I could finish my report, but it just seems too late now.

Lastly, I look forward to meeting up with you again. I'll go up with you to get some good aerial shots on your way out of town.

Brett

GumpAir wrote:... unless you have a burning desire to see Beaver Creek maybe do customs at Whitehorse.

+1

Oh, and if you don't already have one get yourself a CanPass. It's easy to do. When we landed in Whitehorse I just gave customs my CanPass number (over the phone if I recall correctly, if not then over the radio) and they said "Welcome to Canada". Fueled up and was gone.

I just did a similar trip in September, although I started in Anchorage and ended in Georgia.

Tok to Whitehorse for customs worked well for me since I had the range to do it. No need to stop in Beaver Creek unless you have to pour fuel in your tank.

In Whitehorse most people recommended the old hotel across the street from the airport. You can walk over.. but.. I've stayed there twice and it has gone way downhill. On this last trip I spent the first night there and then got weathered in for a day. Moved over to the new place right next door to it (Skyy Hotel I think it was). It was $30 more expensive per night but 100% better. In the old hotel I couldn't get a reliable internet signal and, since I use Forefllight for flight planning and checking weather, that was pretty important to me. The old place is also getting really run down and I think it must have new owners. For me, $30 in the big scheme of the trip wasn't a deal breaker. The new hotel was worth it. It is worth walking into the bar of the old hotel to see that steppe bison skull on the wall though.

Also spent one night in Ft. Nelson and, at the recommendation of the airport staff, stayed at the only new hotel there too. Again, worth it for me. I'm sure there were cheaper places but a clean, comfortable room sure was nice after a long day. (saw three black bears hanging out by the airport fence there too)

Next night was in Grand Prairie where we found that the booming oil patch in Alberta has hotels at a premium and a bit difficult to find. Take A1Skinner up on his offer and get some friendly help here.

We then went on to Red Deer, which I like... friendly people and lots of old airplanes sitting around. That was the only place that charged me a tie down fee.. it wasn't much, around $7 a night I think and they sent the bill to my home a month later... but I still like the place.

From there I went non-stop to Great Falls, MT for customs. I bypassed Cut Bank as I was pretty heavy and it was getting warm... the density altitude was way up there and I figured my climb rate taking off would be about a hundred feet a minute. The weather turned to crap when we got to Great Falls and I got stuck there a few days. Rented a car and made the best of it, driving down to Helena and Bozeman for a day (I really liked Bozeman!) I've never been to Cut Bank but looking at a map I got the feeling that Great Falls was a better place to be stuck for a few days.

After that I pretty much made a straight line for Georgia and didn't spend much time loitering... I stopped at Miles City (KMLS) and Rapid City (KRAP) for fuel and then went on to Columbus, NE (KOLU) for the night. Next day stopped at Marshall, MO (KMHL) for fuel and found that they have a really nice grass runway, on to Jackson, TN (KMKN) for the night. Jackson TN had no hotels close to the airport and the cab ride made it not a good stop. Next day one leg to my hangar at Thomaston, GA (KOPN).......

One little oddity... I got two bills from Transport Canada for their services. Took me a while to figure out why I got two instead of one but it seems that they bill transient pilots on a quarterly basis. Only their quarter isn't a calendar quarter..... their "third quarter" was June, July, and August. I started my trip on Aug. 31st so got billed for that quarter and then got an additional bill for flying in Canada in the "fourth quarter" for the remainder of my trip since it was in September. No big deal as it was less than $30 each but it did seem odd that I had to pay for flying in two quarters when I was only passing through for a few days. My trip just happened to span the end of August / beginning of September time frame.

I hope to reverse the course this spring and have the airplane back in AK for the summer.....

Did the exact same trip in 2012 going the other direction in my super cub. With weather it took us 11 days with only 4 of them flying... Give yourself plenty of time and take tons f pictures!

You didn't mention the time of the year that you're planning this trip for. That can make a big difference in planning. Summer time facilitates the possibility of camping, or at least affords a more comfortable camping experience. There are places, like Watson Lake, where camping at the airport may be a better deal than going into town, IF the weather's good.

Sounds like a really fun trip.

Like Gump, I'd pass on Beaver Creek and do customs in Whitehorse.

Cutbank works fine for US Customs.....but it's always windy. Several customs possibilities along the border. Unless you really want to go to Great Falls, I'd clear somewhere on the border. Fuel is available at Cut Bank, Havre, Malta, and many other Highline airports, heading east. So, once you clear Customs, I'd draw a straight line to destination, and head that way. The weather is going to pretty much dictate specific stops and progress, and there are a lot of options for that part of the trip. I'd just go with the flow from there on. But, again, good camping gear will afford a lot of options.....if it's not -10 F...

Should be a great trip!
MTV

Great advice everyone!

Gump and Barnstormer, the plane (a Pacer) has some pretty good legs so I'll plan on bypassing Beaver Creek and heading straight to Whitehorse for customs. And I'll look into the can-pass thing. Sounds like it'd be worthwhile to get one.

David, I'd love to meet up! If weather cooperates we should be through your area around the second week in July.

Brett, Amy said she's going to buy me a GoPro for the trip, and I've been meaning to upgrade her camera so I'll have to do that and borrow it, haha. Looking forward to linking up again, and some aerial photos would be great! I shot you a PM about your book and charts, thanks!

kg, great write-up, thanks! I'll certainly use the hotel advice.

I need to start looking into the eAPIS procedures as well. I've got a friend in Fairbanks that routinely flies to Whitehorse for business so I'll get him to look over my shoulder when I actually file.

I haven't done this often and maybe someone will correct me.... but I don't think a CanPass account will do you much good unless you make multiple trips. I didn't have one. I just used the little office at 40-mile Air in Tok, filed my flight plan, filed my eApis report, and called CanPass and told them my ETA for Whitehorse. They gave me a number. Arriving in Whitehorse ground control will direct you to a painted box to park in for customs. They tell you to get out of your plane and walk along the painted line to the customs shack where you will find a phone to call customs. They ask for your number and tell you to have a nice day.

Keith

here is the canada border link for canpass

http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/prog/canpass ... r-eng.html

hope this helps


Ian

Ya might see if you can hook up with our Mountie friend coming thru Whitehorse!
J-M is always good for a ride or can tell you the best place to stay and the cheapest gas!!
Are you going to stop in ID. on your way by?
Good luck and have fun, great trip!!
GT

GT, we'll be spending a few days in Cusick recovering from the first half of the trip. Will you be at home or up North at work this summer? If you're near anywhere I'm going to be, I'd love to meet up again!

Also, I'd love to link up with J-M!

CamTom12 wrote:
David, I'd love to meet up! If weather cooperates we should be through your area around the second week in July.

That will be a great time to be through. The runway will be operational for sure all summer, and I have a tank of E0 premium fuel here if you are so inclined. Also have a basement for guests. Hopefully it works out, as it'd be great to be able to put more faces to names on here.
My offer is open to any of you guys flying close that are looking for a more backcountry stop rather then stopping in Grande Prairie.

David

Hi folks,

I've been one of those "lurkers" for a while now. Great site. Lots of interesting discussion.

Thought I would finally post and offer those traveling though the Fort Nelson, B.C. area an alternative landing/camping site. We own Gordon's Field, a private strip 7 miles SW of the Ft Nelson airport. It is listed in the Canadian flight supplement. Well maintained during the summer, limited maintenance during the winter.

We welcome campers, lots of room to pitch a tent, an old camper available if the weather is wet. No fuel for sale unfortunately, have to do that at Ft Nelson. Running everything form Cubs and Scouts, to a Glasair III (when its dry) out of here. So, should be lots of room for most of what folks are flying around here. Usually have a set of wheels around for a ride to town.

Been around here for 40+ years, so can likely offer some insight to the local area strips and such. Feel welcome to drop in if your headed through this way.

On the CANPASS issue, yes they are nice, but unless you're planning on making multiple trips in the same year i would not bother IMHO. I have made the trip many times and have NEVER had an issue with Canadian customs. On the one occasion when an officer actually showed up, they asked to see my drivers license and said "welcome to Canada" . I have truly spent more time trying to locate a bathroom than i have with Canadian customs, usually its just a phone call when i land.

Some good advice so far, Main thing is be flexible, take your time and enjoy the trip. Some day i hope to do the trip when i'm not under a time crunch

Lots of things you could do ahead are not really helpful or necessary. I don't get the US customs sticker and I don't do CANPASS. Hasn't been a problem.

Glad to hear about the availability of the field near Ft Nelson. Hopefully will have a chance to go there one day.

I would use extreme caution at the Skyye hotel. A couple of years ago during the Atlin Flyin on of our guys stayed there and it was nice with a good restaurant. This year on our trip north we could not get a room at the Westmark convention centre so we booked at the Skyye , it was the same price. Clearly not the same owners and the worst hotel on our trip. The restaurant was closed , the infloor heating was broken and locked at 85*f, the sink leaked and made all the spare toilet paper wet, it was just a gong show. I asked to have a different room and I was told all the other rooms were full. I guess the two other cars in the parking lot took up all the rooms. If you are camping both Whitehorse and Watson Lake have nice camping area's with gazebo's.
KenW