Marks Account of the Alaska Trip

by Mark Exeter

May 29
Mad dash to load the van, packed to the max in 90*heat and not even an argument with Maryanne, then a round of grad parties and on to Allentown ABE to pick up Glenda at 9:30 pm.

Met Glenda after dropping the van at Mt Pocono exit for I 80. Drove back the 35 miles to I80 where Maryanne started her trek westward, she is to meet up with Erik Gray , a great guy who foolishly volunteered to be the co pilot thru Canada. We timed his arrival which is 1100 miles and she had 20 hours to get it done.

Without sleep she made it as he stepped from Minneapolis MN baggage as she rolled in.
5:30 CST and sped north toward the border.

Glenda and I made for home in Moosic , PA.  For an early 5/29 pre flight and test run of C 7101S , the 1968 Cessna 150 aircraft that will take us the 4000 plus miles to our gold camp in Eureka Alaska.

Arrived at 9n3 Seamans Airfield at 7:20 after a Waffle House breakfast, went over charts and weather did a preflight inspection and took off for a run around the pattern .
Old 7101S did well , we landed fueled and packed the 24 lbs of gear to keep under gross weight of 524 lbs

We hoped to stop at LHV Lock Haven , home of Piper and Lycoming, decided to fly over and continue on to Titisville to meet up with Leroy , a neighbor in Alaska. Fog kept us further south and we made KDUJ Dubois PA, 150 nm is 1:59 she gulp 12.8 gal and a qt of oil.

Off we headed west toward Akron Ohio, KAKR , sneaking under class c Cleveland , 121 nm in 1:30 ...hate headwinds. Akron Fulton sold us 11.4 gal of 100ll . We have high hopes of moving another leg but conditions got a little windy and we dabbed it over to a hotel ate a good meal and bedded down early .

May 30

Arrived at AKR around 7:00 preflight and off at 7:30 toward Indiana , 167 nm later we touched down at KGWB Dekalb/Auburn ,16 gal and a qt along with a cold drink and snack and back into the hot 90* sky. Old 7101S crawled into the sky but finally got above the turbulence at 4200asl.  The flight from ark to gab 2:36

Kankaknee IL our next stop, 129 nm in 1:59 , 90$ got us 13.6 gal and a qt of Aeroshell
Along with a courtesy car for a subway sandwich and some time in the air condition , temps in the mid 90's thanks KVAA for the loaner . Would encourage this stop very friendly . Again old 7101S crawled into the sky but got there to 3500asl and onto IOWA.

So far I had been handling the tack offs and landings along with the accents and de jets but with winds @ 24 gusting to 36 20* off Glenda did her thing and laid down a nice landing in tough conditions  . Now for who's the fool .... We preflighted laid in a course and set up for takeoff , down the runway as I rotated heard the noise , did not secure my lap belt , it dangled out the door banging and bashing in the slipstream , turned the controls over to Glenda , she pro formed and abbreviated pattern run and put her down, I buckled up under the that watch only a CFI can give and off we go AGAIN!!! .

KIKK to KDVN Davenport Iowa 138 nm and 1:40 later we headed into another rough air patch , again Glenda slid her in under tough Conditions but not after an incident with the carb heat ..........  Leave that alone for now but will file it away and whip it out when I get that next CFI look.

5/31.

Got shuttled to the Clarion , highly encourage any pilots to use this hotel , nice pool , pleasant staff , good breakfast but lousy weather. Waiting out some storms and winds hope to get off around noon heading NW toward South Dakota.....

June 1

Got out of SUX around 8:15 again a nice hotel with shuttle, Holiday Inn provided a complimentary taxi at 7:20 am when the shuttle driver failed to appear . An hour and 45 later we slid into KICR Winner Regional.  . Nice field they provided a courtesy car and a trip to Shirleys, we had Elvis everywhere , not a bad place but watch outfit the skinny ham sandwich!
Had an incident as my door popped on takeoff, plenty of runway to stop close the door and back taxi to an uneventful takeoff.

Off by noon, headed to the best identifier KRAP Rapid City SD. The minimums called for a 5600 ft cruise , heat and density altitude had us topped off at 6200 , the O 200 had enough , we did the 190 nm in 2:09 with a pass by Mount Rushmore that needs 7100 msl we got within a mile and got some nice pictures then hit the class D at KRAP for fuel and a sectional I misplaced along the way.. Fuel and outta there

1:50 got us the 205 nm to KMLS, Wiley a field perched on a bluff overlooking the town of Miles City and the YEllowstone River. FBO closed at 5 we arrived at 5:05... A pilot told us of a hidden key to allow access into the restrooms , called a taxi hit the hotel and restaurant
560nm today thanks to a 15/20 kt tailwind.

June 2
Weather is an issue winds and storms to the west, we deviated our leg a little east and took off for KMLS  Malta, MT 150 nm in 1:45 Watch as you enter from the south the is an abandoned runway about a mile from the actual field.
I flustered and hurried my approach but got her down with help from Glenda just at touchdown.

The FBO computer gave us a slim hope of getting to Harve KHRV , 90 nm west. With the help of the Garmin 696 XM weather we set off... 55 nm in after trying to outrun a nasty looking cell which kept forcing us over the Canadian border 12 miles away. We turned back to Malta. We traveled 107 nm , as we landed just in front of the cell we got a radio call from the FBO operator who told us to put her in an empty T hangar. What a blessing as within minutes if crashed down hail to 1/2 inch big winds and heavy rain lightning and thunder.  An hour later sun shining winds dead calm with Glenda watching the FBO weather and me cleaning 7101S and watching the Garmin WX we figured there was a sliver we could slice and get to Harve.. Fueled her up and westward again.

25 miles into it rain and ominous clouds turned us back. Parked  7101S in the T hangar and headed into Malta for a room and a dinner.

Interesting a Supercub came in to hangar from the storm with the same numbers a my C 150. 7101 K. May be looking to sell come winter exchanged info who knows ???  Needs fuselage recovered as it old cotton I will call in the fall for sure. 

June 3 Friday
Weather has us grounded, Malta got awful small we had a decent hotel built in 1903 great restaurant and coffee shop. Flight planning and getting our story straight kept us busy . Glenda being the 1966 jitterbug champ of Volusia County had the live band jumping it the hic cup country bar. Can not thank Dixon Hitch enough for the courtesy Suburban and education of crop dusting definitely a must stop .

June 4 Saturday
Malta M75 to Harve City Montana , 53 minutes flying time covered the 75 miles m
Flat ground and a bit of tailwind pushed us. While in Harve we contemplated a direct to Lethridge and customs clearing but weather north stopped that plan. We decided Cut Bank  KTCB would get us an hour closer to the border crossing. From Malta we skirted the border East to West about 12 miles on the good side of course. We lunched at Shirleys a baby Elvis museum even a lifesize statue of the King , Glenda took exception to the 2 measly pieces of ham on her sandwich so the catch word of the day was "PILE IT ON "
FBO provided a courtesy car .

Harve to Cut Bank took 1:13 to fly the 105 nm, not bad for old 7101S and a 10 kt tailwind. A hour wait as Glenda got us thru the EAPIS border crossing system , a filed flight plan and off to Lethridge.

Cut Bank MT. To Lethridge , Alberta , we crossed the border in 24 miles and finished the 72 nm in 44 minutes defended into CYQL and rolled on up to the Customs Holding Box. We were met by 2 very professional officials who questioned us , a few minutes and we were cleared into Canada, heh.
FBO was nice coffee along with fuel and another quart and we were on our way , they gave us a Canadian AFD as we ditched ours to save weight.

CYQL toCEG4. Drumheller
1 hour and 12 minutes to fly the 118 nm , found CEG4 deserted thanks for the 24 hr self serve,  a fill up and a half of quart and off we headed north skirting the outer ring of EDMONTON  class c space then ducked under the 4600 ft ceiling heading to Cooking Lake .

CEG4 to CEZ3 Cooking Lake about 10 miles East of Edmonton Intl. Great approach over the lake after 1:13 covering 118nm. We were met by Glenda's friend Louise , she drove us to her home in Sherwood Park after a stop at Little Ceasars and a grocery store for breakfast provisions. A fantastic house and yard with even better hospitality , I hit the rollaway well before her and Glenda drained the box o wine .

June 5 Sunday

Woke to the smell of cooking omelets Glenda not only can pilot she ain't a bad cook , even with a hangover. Some last minute flight planning and a wait for our clothes to dry made Louise late for work but she hung with us and whisked us back to the airfield around 10:45 . Good people have good friends and Louise is proof of that, I will be sure to send her sons some gold in appreciation. Met a pilot who lives at Cooking Lake a few yards off the apron, nice guy who spent some time showing us his routes taken to Alaska and even donated a sectional of Prince George I misplaced along the way I will be sure to mail back his sect,tonal along with a vail of gold to Mr Brown also.
CEZ3 toWhitecourt CYZU

A shot north to skirt Edmonton airspace to Josephburg airfield then a turn west toward Whitecourt took 1:31 for the 117 nm , what no tailwind,  landed fueled and beat it on to the next stop Dawson Creek , Maryanne s favorite spot as she was stranded there for a few days with her brother when they drove the bread truck up from Washington 2 years ago. Had to replace the steering box.

CYZU to Dawson Creek BC, CYDQ

On approach to Dawson we we dodging rain and slowly made our way in waiting for some clearing , the Warner turned as we went by Grande Prarre
Then closed in behind us , Glenda wavered around the showers and we turned final in light rain, we were late calling Peace River Radio got it in at the 6 mile out mark and got spanked over the radio by control , tough getting used to talking to control on them magenta fields .

WAited an hour for a taxi Then headed to the Lodge , checked in and hit their restaurant For a Good meal , then walked about 3/4 mile downtown to see the Alaska Highway marker MILE "0". Some pictures and over to the Alaska Hotel one of the oldest building in Dawson. Naturally Glenda had to get her belly full at the bar ,  interesting as there is money stuck on the ceilings and walls an old prospector tradition leaving some money at the bar so when he returns broke and beaten from the goldfields he has at least a dollar to by a drink. Had all I could do to stop Glenda "Nightengale" from reviving a drunk who passed out in the alley behind the bar.

June 6 D Day Monday. CYDQ TO CYXJ Fort St John

A quick 38 nm trip to FT St John a splash of gas to top her off we naIled the com this time and had a nice approach straight in on 29 after 27 minutes in the air.

CYXJ to CYYE Fort Nelson

The weather briefer suggested we follow the highway instead of the direct route as thunder storms were building , Glenda skirted around the big rain showers and cut hunks off the winding road , as per The Milepost it is 236,
We got in at 190 nm in 2:04 , minutes after landing a T storm rolled thru with gusting winds and rain. Since 1 pm we have sat here at the FBO waiting it out the sky's have cleared somewhat but the briefer informed Glenda still building to the west and prudent to wait a few hours . We already gobbled up last night left overs we drug along upon landing , just ordered some delivery pizza  wait that out eat quick and hope to be in the air by 6:30 pm getting us along to Watson Lake around 9 pm.