August 24, 2024 - Alaska Flight
Return Trip Day 2A - The Trench
Watson Lake to Mackenzie

Today I will be flying The Trench, which starts at Watson Lake and ends at Mackenzie, 342 nautical miles away.   The Trench was one of the routes considered -- Option B -- when planning the Alcan Highway.  It's considered much more scenic than the Alcan Highway route.

Usually on my long cross-countries, I get up early and try for a dawn takeoff.  But on this trip, there was no point in getting up early, thanks to the frequent ground fog.   This morning I looked out my tent and the weather looked good.  But then I glanced out over the leg and saw the fog covering the water.  Soon the fog moved in over the airport grounds.  I wouldn't be taking off for awhile.

I was already in telephone communication with the U.S. Custom and Border Protection folks at Whetstone.  The latest arrival time they would give me was 4:45 PM their time.  But losing an hour due to the time zone change plus getting a late takeoff due to ground fog meant that I would have to push it to make the 4:45 PM.   I called up Canadian Flight Services and got a weather brief and filed my flight plan.   Since there is little to no civilization between Watson Lake and Mackenzie, a distance of 342 nm, the weather briefer just didn't have much information to give to me.  But I did get the overall impression that I should be able to make it weather-wise.
   

The Rocky Mountain Trench, also known as the Valley of a Thousand Peaks or simply the Trench, is a large valley on the western side of the northern part of North America’s Rocky Mountains. The Trench is both visually and cartographically a striking physiographic feature extending approximately 1,000 miles from Flathead Lake, Montana to the Liard River, just south of the British Columbia–Yukon border near Watson Lake, Yukon. The trench bottom is wide and is 2,000–3,000 ft above sea level. The general orientation of the Trench is an almost straight 150/330° geographic north vector and has become convenient as a visual guide for aviators heading north or south.

The Trench is visible from space, as seen here from the International Space Station.   -- Wikipedia & Chuck Jarecki
   
Finally the ground fog cleared and I was ready to roll on Runway 27.
 
My destination is Mackenzie Airport, 342 miles away.  There are no airports with fuel in between.  In fact, there are no airports in between at all, except for some turf strips near the end.  Nothing but wilderness.
   
I pass over the Alcan Highway and Upper Liard River heading south south-east.
   
I'm  making a decent groundspeed.  That's good!  The Trench is 342 nm of wildnerness; this is one of those flights you really, really don't want a big headwind!
 
The speed and range of the RV pay off big time on this leg.  The flight should only be a little over two hours.  If I encounter weather anywhere along the route, I'd have enough gas to get back to Watson Lake.
   
I had the Canadian aeronautical charts on my iPad/Foreflight.  One thing I really like about the Canadian charts is they show the VFR routes on the charts using a dark blue diamond trail.  The Trench Route was clearly defined as you can see below (the one in the middle heading south-southeast).  .
   
What's with all this smokey haze!  The Trench is supposed to be beautiful and I can hardly see anything.  I'm guessing the smokey haze is from forest fires somewhere.
   
I couldn't believe it;  was the famous scenic Trench going to be like this the entire way?
   
Aeroplane Lake maybe.
   
 
   
 I merge with the Kechika River which basically runs the length of the Trench.
   
Thankfully the visibility gradually improves.
   
Sand dunes!
   
Following the Kechika south with mountains on each side.  Now you begin see why they call it the Trench.
   
The sky is turning blue.
   
Big sandbars on the river.
   
I looked closely for wildlife on the sand but never saw any.
   
 
   
 
   
The sandbars on the river would give you a chance in a forced landing.
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
Looking east through a gap in the mountains.
   
The mountains are getting jagged.
   
I bet the fishing is pretty good on the Kechika.  Look how clear the water is!
   
The Trench is living up to its reputation.
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
One of the many river tributaries coming down from the mountains.
   
The river starts to turn back and forth.
   
But then straightens out.
   
 
   
Muskeg!
   
The first civilization I have seen in the Trench.
   
A green and blue lake.
   
Looking east.
   
Not much river left at this point.
   
A large log cabin under construction.
   
I am surprised to see a dirt road.
   
A dirt airstrip!  This is Fort Ware.
   
A close-up of the Fort Ware runway.
   
The town of Fort Ware or simply Ware, also known as Kwadacha.  It's an aboriginal community in northern British Columbia at the confluence of the Finlay, Kwadacha and Fox Rivers.
   
Although its not on the chart, a dirt road does run to Fort Ware through the lower portion of the Trench, all the way to Mackenzie.
   
Continuing southeast, now following the Finlay River.
   
 
   
The river starts winding back and forth.
   
I spot a substantial airstrip in the bend of the river.  It's Finbow Airstrip, but it is marked closed on the chart.
   
 
   
A nice section of the Finlay River.
   
 
   
The river cliffs are too much fun to resist.
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
Having fun on the Finlay River in the Trench.
   
Where are the griz?
   
You really couldn't ask for a better day, weather-wise.
   
A gigantic sand bar.
   
Wow!  A bridge!   It's strange but the road and bridge aren't on the chart.
   
I come to Williston Lake.  At the top of the lake is Tsay Keh airstrip and town.
   
Tsay Keh is another aboriginal community.
   
I was surprised to learn that the southern half of the Rocky Mountain Trench is now Williston Lake, formed in the mid-1960s behind a massive hydroelectric dam on the Peace River west of Fort St. John.
   
A little way down the lake on the west side is the older Ingenika Airport.  It is no longer in regular use, but is maintained as an alternative, since visibility is sometimes acceptable there when it is not at Tsay Keh Airport.
 
This is the north end of Ingenika Airport.
   
And the south end.
   
Cruising down the west side of the Lake.  As you can see, there's a road on this side.
   
This lake has nice beaches.
   
I wondered why this smaller lake was so clogged up with logs.
   
 
   
This huge beach was calling me ...
   
Rolling in hot.
   
Here we go!
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
Willison is a big lake.
   
Through that gap to the east comes the Gold Bar River.  Up the river 25 miles or so is the dam that creates Williston Lake.
   
Continuing down the lake.
   
A boat!  The only one I've seen on this massive lake.  It's a mini-tub-boat.
   
I'm approaching my destination now.  I encounter this big power station complex.  It's Conifex Power.
   
And then there is Mackenzie Airport.  It's not what I expected.  I was thinking I'd land at this little airport in the middle of nowhere with a 1960's-era fuel pump.
   
On base for runway 35.
   
Rolling out on runway 35.
   
The FBO building was very modern and nice.  There was Wifi and good cellphone reception.  There were some chairs on which to relax and flight plan.  But I believe the building is locked up outside of working hours so it's not a place you could sleep on a couch overnight.
   
The all-important fuel pumps.  They are not self-service though.  The attendant was this nice woman who came right out and turned the pumps on for me.  I had called the FBO two days ago to make sure avgas was available.  I was also aware that the FBO was closed on Sundays and Mondays -- if you landed then, you could get avgas but you'd have to pay a hefty call-out fee.  But today was Saturday so I was good.
   
My plan after Mackenzie had been to fly south to Prince George and then fly the VFR route through the mountains to Jasper, exut the Rockies in the Edmonton area, and finally fly down to Whetstone on the border to clear customs.  But the Canadian weather briefer told me weather was bad east of the Rockies:  thunderstorms.  So my plan was not recommended.  But the weather was decent if I continued south.  I should be able to make a place called Kamloops.  Of course, my border crossing time of 4:45 PM at Whetstone was out of the question.  I would have to cross the border tomorrow.  So be it.  You have to be flexible on these long cross-countries.
   
SPOT Track from Watson Lake to Mackenzie -- the famous Trench Route.
   
 
   
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