awesome shots Tadpole...wish I could join all of you guys in JC next week but just too far for the timing... about we do it in the Yukon or northern B.C. next year...halfway meet for AK pilots and south of 48th! (I have contacts for cheap parking!!) BCT

Two and a half hours to from house to Puyallup, flying. Getting an upgrade installed.

Four hours back to house relying on public transportation (shudder) and walking.

This was the first night stop on my way to Missouri Breaks at Winifred - more video to follow:

mountainmatt wrote:Nate and I went out to the hangar yesterday for dinner and a little flying. It rained most of the evening, but we found a nice window to go have some fun.

Wow, Matt. This picture is awesome with the sweeping clouds and the landscape. You should have this one printed large or sell this as a print! Great picture!

Looking at your pics makes me miss warmer weather. It's been a lot of low clouds and rain here lately, with flying gotten in anyway.

Knik Glacier


The Picnic Table strip (someone ran a picnic table up to the terminal moraine, so that's what it gets called.)

I have no idea how to put that strip into shortfield.com, given it's absolutely unofficial, even if heavily used. More poking at the website needed, I guess. Have fun down there in the warmth!

Hi Dot, where is this strip located?
Thanks Ken

wicked shot of the Knick! great flight from the looks of it, my kinda flight! keep it up, BCT

Ken,

Given google maps, the GPS coordinates are 61.403858,-148.603177 It's at the base of the terminal moraine for the Knik Glacier, on the South side, right by the river channel.

If you're in the area, you might also check out Inner Lake George, which is on the dry lakebed left by part of Lake George draining out post-64 quake. It's above the Knik Glacier, below the terminal moraine for another glacier - I forget the name - and long enough, flat enough, and forgiving enough that I've seen seven airplanes there at once, including a Glastar. 61.316036,-148.512411

I've gone in close to picnic strip several times now, but I have never landed there. If you follow the river up on the right side all the way in, its at a bend to the right right before the glacier. It looks easy enough to get into, but I personally am a little worried about getting out. It has a dog leg in it and a slight hill to it. It looks a little unforgiving to be frank. I've landed on the gravel around the area and feel safer there than the strip.

I am sure its fine, but I tend to be overly cautious myself.

Thanks for the info Dot. I will down load it in to the GPS and check it out this summer.. Thanks again.
Ken

907 Pilot, is that your 170?
Nice looking plane.

Ken

This last saturday I got to fly to work up in Boulder to tow gliders in the PA-28-260. It was also airport day so I put Roxy on the display line while I was working hard. Fun day and even got to play in the pa-18-180. 3 planes one day-not bad! here is a pic one of my fellow glider ride pilots took of me departing for the day....

Got in a short solstice flight, but broken to overcast here around the ridge tops, so didn't wander too far. Hoping all you other northerners had a good longest day.

-DP

Ya that's my 170! I try and fly as much as I possibly can but with my job that's not as much as I would like.

Got in a quick flight to go get cinnamon rolls down from Quartz Creek with my co-pilot:



She enjoyed the trip and I needed the time in the air

Took a nice midnight flight up to the arctic circle. Low clouds but very nice flight. Went over to Circle and landed in Central then back to Fairbanks. The air was great and the sights fantastic. A little rain but great flying.

akflyer2001 wrote:Took a nice midnight flight up to the arctic circle. Low clouds but very nice flight. Went over to Circle and landed in Central then back to Fairbanks. The air was great and the sights fantastic. A little rain but great flying.

out of fairbanks huh? if you know Steve Mcleish in the tower at Fairbanks tell him Nate says hi from CO

Did you go up there with John Payne? I think he went yesterday too.

Before today's crane work, I jumped in the plane and zipped down the ridge line about 25 miles to Downey, where the old time (classic, they have misc. stuff that has gone out of production years ago, but no, no good fuel jugs) hardware/lumber store where the owner's son ran some 8" ring shank spikes (I'm building a cross buck fence, 400' worth) out to the airstrip a 1/2 mile away. Try that with Home Depot or Lowes! No charge either.

On the way back I decided I had time to hit a few of my local hill landing sites, even with that I still saved time over driving, and was in a great mood for the rest of the day! I have never seen Idaho so green.....

Love to see those Alaskan photos..

Here's a couple I took this morning heading towards Mt Forakor? & McKinley...FL300
Photos are not that great but the sun was just over the horizon.
Not a great day to be up on the ridge with that snow blowing...

Hey Flying Kiwi- That was me down on the ground waving- you saw me, right?

In case you're curious, the mountaineering season is winding down- here are the year's stats:

Denali (aka McKinley)
Registered climbers: 1,185
Climbers actually on the mountain when you went over: 282
Completed climbs: 760
Number of summits: 440
Summit percentage: 58%

Foraker (aka Sultana)
Registered climbers: 15
Climbers actually on the mountain when you went over: 3
Completed climbs: 13
Number of summits: 0
Summit percentage: 0%