Does anybody have an easy route thru the mountains from PDX to head north up the Alaskan Hwy from Dawson Creek? I'm flying a PA22-20. Thanks Tom

Only done it a couple of times. Do not remember problems with going through the mtns. Mostly follow the highway/s.

Always did ADDCUS from Bellingham to Abbotsford.

Abbotsford-Chilliwack-Hope- (turn north) pass Boston Bar to Lilooet-100Mile House- one way landing in towards town, key to gas was across the street, (was flying an old Piper J5 with only 1 wing tank) -Williams Lake-Quesnell-Prince George-Chetwynd- (can get caught in storms coaming in from the north here. Cannot see them coaming while deep in the canyon approaching Chetwynd.)-Dawson Creek.

Then just on up the highway to Fort St. John, and Fort Nelson. Wx depending there are two options from Ft Nelson toward Watson Lake. The highway, as I remember, is higher and often weathered in. The other takes good chart reading and timing, believe it went via or by Liard River to Toad River. I hear there are VORs up there now. As I recall there is NO VFR on top in Canada, and often the VFR "under" pilots get further along than the IFR folks do because of more stringent regs. for IFR up there, so we were told by the Canadian version of FSS at Fort Nelson. Be prepared to spend 3-4 days Wxrd in along the way. One last reccomendation, if you stay at a motel/hotel, do not use the cheapest ones ,with the large truck parking lots, as they tend to let them run ALL night long. Also if on the ground in Whitehorse, do not let a local catch you on the phone telling folks you are in B.C. or northern Canada, they are/were quite touchy about the fact that THEY live in the NORTHWEST TERRITORY.

Nufffornow

Several options there for you...

Weatherwise from PDX up you're more likely to have consistent VFR going up the Okanagan rather than thru Abbotsford and up the Fraser River canyon. And more places to land if something breaks.

ADCUS doesn't work anymore for Canadian customs, and you have to call Canpass at least two hours in advance to file your customs info. Ask me about not doing that two years ago, and sweating bullets in Kelowna with Canadian Customs, and me wondering what kind of food they served in their local jail when they threatened to impound me and my airplane for being in their country illegally.

If you have the fuel range, the Trench route is the only way to go. Straight shot, no big rock to go over all the way from Prince George or Mackenzie to Watson Lake, and good radio reception with Williams Lake or Whitehorse FSS on the remotes most of the trip. Most of my trips north, and I think I'm at 14 or 15, have been up the Trench.

Small tanks and you're stuck with the highway itself or up the Cassiar and through Deese Lake. Weather seems to always be a bit better up the highway (at least in my experience). I go up to Prince George and top off, wander up Hwy 97 to McLeod Lake (just south of Mackenzie) and cross thru the Rockies there, and on up to Fort St John and then follow Alcan to Fort Nelson.

Fort Nelson to Watson Lake is a pain in the ass trip, and I don't think I've ever been able to follow the highway for that portion because of shit weather. Head north and follow the river, and you'll find lower terrain and the river drainage to follow. Maybe they get nice weather there, but in all my trips up it always stormed.

Once you get to Watson Lake it's IFR along the Alcan, and count how many $$$ per mile the gas, booze and motel rooms are costing!!!! Worth every penny in my book. No matter how you go it's a big, fun trip.

Gump

Did the trip last July in my C170. Cleared Customs at Abbottford, on to Hope and camped the first nite at Ft Mckenzie. The Trench was calling me, but the 10kt head wind when I woke up sent me to Ft St John and the Hiway. Next nite at Watson Lake and the 3rd at Mc Carthy AK after clearing customs at Northway. Spent two weeks wandering around Alaska and had 1 day of rain while snuggled at at Aces Motel at Merrell Field. Most fantastic trip I've taken in 50 years of flyin. Next time I go I'm gonna hop on across to Russia and look around.

Larry

A small correction for Wannabe, Whitehorse is in the Yukon the last time I visited, not the NWT.

I use either Kelowna or Kamloops for Customs with no preference. Another option for fuel in the Cariboo is 108 Mile House. This is a more convential runway than 100 Mile House but there is no stores nearby. A new airport manager has just taken over and plans on having a courtesy car there as well as rental cars. He is also a mechanic and is very good and fair. If you need to do any shopping, the 100 Mile airport is right next to Hwy 97 and the center of town. Ford

The shortest and easiest route from Portland is Bellingham-Abbotsford for customs-north along the coast to Knight Inlet and via the Klinakini River to Anahim Lake (pronounced like Anaheim, CA)-Smithers-via the Cassiar to Dease Lake-then direct Teslin-and the AK Hwy to Whitehorse.

All those places have fuel, and you can stop along the way before Knight Inlet to get more fuel on the leg to Anahim Lake. This route has more fuel options and is shorter than taking the Trench.

Desert185 wrote:The shortest and easiest route from Portland is Bellingham-Abbotsford for customs-north along the coast to Knight Inlet and via the Klinakini River to Anahim Lake (pronounced like Anaheim, CA)-Smithers-via the Cassiar to Dease Lake-then direct Teslin-and the AK Hwy to Whitehorse.

25 years ago this month we bought the old Manitou Creek cannery site on Kimsquit Bay, across from the mouth of the Dean River, on the Dean Channel in northwest BC. No roads in, and nearest town is Bella Coola 75 water miles away, or Anahim Lake up at the headwaters of the Dean River. Lots and lots of floats and boats bringing our supplies in over the years, or if on wheels, using the Dean River airstrip, and boating the mile across the bay. Some of the best, most breathtaking flying in the world is in that country.

If the weather's nice, the run from Abbotsford/Knight Inlet/Lonesome Lake/Antnarko River to Bella Coola is a blast, and conversely, heading to Alaska from Anahim Lake and then up the Cassiar is more of the same. The big "if" for that route is weather. Sun out and shining, and you'll have a great trip. If it's shitty, you're gonna earn your flight pay that day. But, if you have lots of time to sit things out and wander when it's nice, you'll have the trip of a lifetime...

Gump

I have flown this route up the Knight many times as well on straight floats; another variation is up Butte inlet and over to Anaheim Lake. You need 7,000 ft or so on the coast side, as the plateau is 4500 or so. I just flew the whole route back from Anchorage to Seattle on floats last August and the weather was great most of the way back. The route from Dease Lake to Whitehorse and on to Northway is most impressive!

This is great infro., thank you all, this gives me lots of stuff to plot and plan. Last years trip was from BGR to ANC, best trip of my life. I've never flown the north west and appreciate the help.