August 23, 2024 - Alaska Flight
Return Trip Day 1A: Wolf Lake to Tok, Alaska
It's time to begin the long journey home.  The weather looks fairly decent for today and tomorrow to get out of Alaska and Canada.  It might be a little dicey going by Sheep Mountain this morning due to a low overcast.  I've checked the web cams and it looks like I can make it.  We will see; I can always turn back since its not that far away.
   
Looking south at Palmer Airport and Pioneer Peak.
   
Heading up the Matanuska River.
   
Granite Creek heads north into the mountains.  It would be a fun one to fly someday.
   
The clouds are getting lower.  Not unexpected, thanks to the weather cams.
   
About to pass King Ranch private airport on the left.   Just a bit past the airport in that clear patch on the side of the hill is the Chickaloon weather webcam.
   
Looking south at the low clouds.
   
Continuing on, I see the Matanuska River to the right.
   
The pass dead ahead is Sheep Mountain.  The clouds are low but it looks like I'll be able to scoot through.   Then I'll be home free.
   
A close-up of Matanuska Glacier.
   
Clouds might be a little too low to fly the glacier, though.
   
About to go through Sheep Mountain pass.
   
Looking to the south for one last look at the Glacier.
   
There is Sheep Mountain Airport.  I won't be seeing the colorful mountains to the north though thanks to the low overcast.
   
A good shot of Sheep Mountain Lodge where we stayed overnight just a few days ago.
   
I'm through the pass, I start to enter the big valley, and as if on cue, the overcast breaks up to reveal blue sky.
   
Overhead Gulkana Airport, a public GA airport with asphalt runway and self-service fuel.   I was flying east but at Gulkana, Highway One (Glenn Highway) turns north, then northeast.
   
Following Highway One.
   
Highway One runs parallel to the Copper River so I jump on the river to have some fun.
   
 
   
 
   
Wow.
   
P32
   
Looking over my left shoulder at Chistochina Airport, a public turf runway that runs alongside Highway One.   That's also the town of Chistochina, such as it is.
   
Continuing on:  Highway One on the left, Copper River on the right.
   
I'll be entering the mountains soon.  This is the eastern end of what is known as the Alaskan Range.
   
There are clouds but I don't anticipate a problem.
   
Muskeg country!  Notice how the Highway is at the base of the mountain where the ground is firm.
   
The muskeg is pretty though.
   
 
   
Rounding the bend.
   
Looking down a side valley.
   
The highway continues to huge the base of the mountain.
   
The Mentasa Web Cam is somewhere around here.
   
 
   
And then I am through the Range and a big valley opens up.   The Highway points to Tok like an arrow.
   
And there is Tok!  The airport is at right.
   
You can see how Tok is a highway junction.  An intersection doesn't get any more perpendicular that that.
   
Looking to the west.  The Highway goes to Fairbanks.  Highway Two -- the Alaska Highway -- heads off to the west towards Fairbanks.
   

A good look at the Tok runway and ramp.

I landed at Tok, topped off on fuel, and then hung out in the FBO office for awhile.  I was clearing Canadian customs at Beaver Creek Airport, had to be there at a certain time, so I had a little time to kill.

Of course, I had filed my eAPIS form online yesterday, and then called Canadian customs this morning to let them know what time I was arriving at Beaver Creek.

I also called up Canadian Flight Planning and filed a flight plan to Beaver Creek.  In fact, for my trip home through Canada I decided I would call Canada Flight Service and file a flight plan/ get a weather brief for each leg.   I found the Canadian flight planning staff to be very friendly and knowledgeable; their weather briefs were excellent.
   

SPOT Track from Wolf Lake to Tok.
   
 
   
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