Alaska Day 14, Fairbanks into the Yukon

It’s 4:00 in the afternoon in Fairbanks Alaska and I’m in the cockpit with the engine running, giving Dave a thumbs up that the new alternator is working. Thank goodness. While Dave does some paperwork I file my flight plan and customs notifications for leaving the US and entering Canada. There are still a lot of low debris clouds and occasional showers from the storms but the route is over low terrain above the Alaska highway so I take off and fly low.

Rainbow alaska (Large)
Almost collided with a double rainbow. The new ADS-B equipment totally missed it.
Showers (Large)
Nearby showers. You can see the river is pretty high.

I clear Canadian customs in Whitehorse (which involves picking up a phone and being told you are cleared) and then decide I probably have enough daylight to get to a better camping airport at Watson Lake.  I land at 11:00 pm, dusk, at Watson Lake, the first time I’ve seen nightfall in two weeks.

Watson lake
Unforgettable approach into Watson Lake. Taken with my iPhone, which I dropped for the landing and had a heck of a time finding it again later.

I read there is airplane camping but I don’t see it.  Canadian airports are little strange in that there are flight service guys there seemingly at all hours.  There is absolutely no one at the airport, but a friendly voice comes on the radio, the FSS guy, and he directs me to “taxi” down a gravel road until I see the lake and community camp shelter.  There is airplane camping here too but I’m the only one around.  Nice because I’m tired and I get the community shelter all to myself to layout my sleeping bag.

IMG_1806
With cell coverage this was my office for the morning at Watson Lake. With a cup of hot coffee? Awesome.

Next: Flying the Trench

1 thought on “Alaska Day 14, Fairbanks into the Yukon

  1. So long from Alaska I am glad you had some great adventures there… have a safe flight home.

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