This is an old hangar from the land-lease program during WWII when we were delivering warplanes to Russia to fight Germany. We put in airfields up into and across Alaska to Russia, and this later became the route of the Alaska Highway.
This is why you fly into a little-used airport like Watson Lake but the runways are huge.
Watson Lake, BC. The best stop on the way north, with a pilot’s camping area and wooden pavilion (shade structure). The only issue is that you need to taxi through rough gravel to get there. My 210 did it but I was nervous. A plane with smaller wheels may not want to risk it.
I actually got stuck in gravel the next morning. I got to about 50% power and the plane wasn’t moving. I didn’t want to give it more power because it starts to suck pebbles up into the prop. In fact I did ding up the prop a little. Then I remembered a trick. I got out and dug out smooth ramps for the wheels. The key is to get the plane moving and this worked.
Although lots of clouds they were high enough it wasn’t an issue. Occasionally I would have to veer right or left to stay under them. I flew through light rain occasionally.
So yeah, we do try to maintain a workout schedule during extended trips. Betsy and I, like most anyone else, have had back issues and we’ve found doing core exercises and doing some weight workouts helps greatly in keeping us ready for doing adventures. This is Haines Junction, still in Canada but now only a day away from Alaska.
West Coast Flying Adventures 