July 31, 2024 - Alaska Flight
Day 3B - Rocky Mountain House to Dawson Creek, BC
Rocky Mountain House sits at the confluence of the Clearwater and North Saskatchewan Rivers; when I left I followed the North Saskatchewan north.
   
Some sort of resort on the North Saskatchewan River.
   
To the west, nothing but trees, and then the mountains.
   
To the east, nothing but trees.  Somewhere out there is Edmonton.
   
P14
   
A big highway heads north through Alberta.
   
So far today I had enjoyed good weather.  But I could see clouds and rain ahead.
   
Approaching a rain front.  I was able to skirt through a gap.  There was nice weather on the other side.
   
Back into the clear weather; albeit with an overcast.
   
And there is my next destination, the famous Dawson Creek and airport.  I am now in British Columbia.
   
Turning final for Dawson Creek.  This was my first Canadian airport with the mandatory frequency.  There's no tower,  but you are supposed to call when you are 15 miles out, and the person gives you weather and traffic advisories.  Then you just self-annouce your moves as you come in.
   

Parked in front of the self-service fuel pump.  The terminal building at right has a pilot lounge on the right corner of the building.

Dawson Creek is where the Alaska-Canadian, or ALCAN Highway begins.  The Northern Alberta Railway built its western terminus 2 miles from Dawson Creek.  The golden spike was driven on December 29, 1930, and the first passenger train arrived on January 15, 1931.  The community exceeded 500 people in 1941.  Upon entering the war, the United States decided to build a transportation corridor to connect the US mainland to Alaska.  Because of the railroad terminus, Dawson Creek was the ideal spot to begin.  In 1942, thousands of US Army personnel, engineers, and contractors poured into the city – the terminal of rail transport – to construct the Alaska Highway. Amazingly, the highway was completed in less than a year.
   
The small but cozy pilot lounge with couches and a shower.  It had Wifi and good cellphone coverage.  I believe there is a restaurant in the terminal.  Town is about 2.5 miles away.
   
The mile zero marker for the Alcan Highway in downtown Dawson Creek.  Picture from Wikipedia
   
Day 3 track from Rocky Mountain House to Dawson Creek.
   
 
   
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