Anybody fly the trench recently?

[pipercub]

Flying a cub down to WA State. Interested in a fuel availability report for the big gaps...

[Grizzly 2]

Flying a cub down to WA State. Interested in a fuel availability report for the big gaps...

Used to be plenty at Fort Nelson, Fort St. John, Prince George, and Williams Lake. Must still be so ..........

[pipercub]

I prefer the more up to date "there is" to the "used to be or must be" version....

[Float Pilot]

Last fall I avoided flying the trench and did the highway route because I could not find a sure sign of gas along the trench and the plane I was ferrying had short legs.
Watch out for the hotel prices in Prince George and Fort Nelson.

Will you be on floats or wheels?

Trying calling the Mackenzie Muni Airport.

TRENCH AVIATION FUELS

Phone: 250-997-1304
Address:

Fuel Brands: Indep
-
WILLISTON LAKE AIR

Phone: 250-997-5557
Address:

Arinc Frequency: 129.35 Unicom: 123.5 Air To Ground Frequency: 129.35 Fuel Brands: Indep

[pipercub]

I'll be on wheels, thanks for the info....

[labdad]

If you can take cans with you there's a great strip at the north end of Williston Lake you can stop at to dump them in then proceed to Mackenzie or Prince George. I have done this several times going both directions.

[Wldlndfirefghtr]

I flew a 150 up in May. Carried 10 gallons with me. Filled in Mackenzie, a quick stop in Fort Ware (was told in Mackenzie don't get stuck there or spend the night). I landed went to the far end fueled and took off. There is a remote outlet commo for nav Canada, so I was able to "pause" my flight plan. There are other strips south of there to do the same. I then carried on to Watson Lake. In theory, should be able to do in reverse. Key is carrying fuel jugs. I have 22.5 gallons usable and plan for 6 g/hr.

Hope that helps. Good luck, have fun and fly safe


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[pipercub]

good info...thanks all

[Float Pilot]

The guy who sells av-gas in Watson Lake used to have a B&B with good prices.

If you have to go through Fort Nelson, try to just buy gas and get out of there...

Fort St John, south of there is a slightly better place to get stuck for the night.
From there you can zip over through Piney Pass and down to Prince George. ( Hotels in Prince George are pretty expensive and the airport is way the heck out of town.)

Instead head south to Williams Lake BC, there is a guy named Tim who used to work at the airport and is now retired. He and his wife have a B&B not far from the Williams Lake airport and the folks who work there now should know how to call them. I can't find my phone number box...
Williams Lake is a nice little town and it has a nice laid back airport.

By the way, watch out for weird steam and such around the town of Quesnel BC. There is some sort of manufacturing around there and the exhaust stacks made green colored snow during one late fall trip. It was very bizarre.

I like to go from Williams Lake down to Kamloops ( more weird smelling steam form stacks by the big lake) and from there I weave over to Pentictin and then across the boarder to Oroville WA. ( Dorthy Scott airport.) The US customs guy or gal can drive over to clear you through. If you can talk them into a lunch drive into Oroville, there is an old cafe there that has killer hamburgers in a nostalgic style cafe. Also the motels there are pretty cheap. I camped at the Oroville airport a couple times with no problems.

Just south of there is Omak and they have a couple nice eateries as well. I think one near the airport is called The Bread Line or something like that.

[Float Pilot]

Wldlndfirefghtr

a quick stop in Fort Ware

Did you see the interesting grave yard over past the wind sock at Fort Ware ???



PIPERCUB,,,, Here are some web cams down along your route...


http://www.webcamgalore.com/EN/webca...are/20927.html

[Wldlndfirefghtr]

FP, honestly didn't look close enough, flew over to check winds, favored landing to the north, landed and rolled out to the end. Pretty bumpy runway w/ 6.00x6's.


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[Float Pilot]

It is full of Spirit Houses....

[Troy Hamon]

The Bread Line in Omak is awesome...

[rppearso]

You could also look into turtle pack ferry fuel bladders and figure out a way to tie them into your fuel system so that you can bypass fuel stops if necessary. Some planes have easy tie ins some not so much. You might technically need an STC but if you have an easy tie in it could save a lot of aggravation trying to deal with accomodations when they know they have you over a barrel. I prefer to land at airports with card reader fuel.

[azsupercub]

I try to fly the Trench every year up and back (for mileage and time reasons) and make it most of the time. Just south east of Terminus there is a bottle neck that tends to get closed if the Wx is dicey.

There is no 'official' fuel from Watson lake to Makenzie.... , there are outfitters at both Scoop Lake and Fort Grahm that will usually sell a guy fuel in a pinch. over the years I have bought fuel at every village and logging camp in the trench at one point or another, and from the outfitters as well, however ... given the time of year, I doubt you'll have much luck from outfitters or loggers as by now they will eother be done, or wanting to save what they have left for themselves. Fort Ware has mogas as do a couple other villages, and although they seem to carry less than appealing images from others, my experiences have always been pleasant. I *think* it's a matter of how some folks present their first impression in someone elses land... Be advised that the fuel pump at Ft Ware is a few yards from the cemetery Float Pilot speaks of, your first impression will be less than lack luster if you are making a whole bunch of commotion at the fuel island You pay for the fuel first in the small grocery store a hundred yards or so away in the village.

If you can bring your own you have a multitude of places to stop a cub and fuel, Scoop lake, Terminus, Finbow, Tsay Khe, Ingenika, Fort Graham, Ospika, and Meslinka ... are just a few that come to mind.

Call the number above for Trench aviation fuel and talk to Vikie. She always has up to the minute intel on what's going on in the Trench, and who's playing nice, her info is better than flight services, always... Buy gas from her at Makenzie, and buy her a bottle of Baileys for the info.

The last number I had for the lodge at Scoop was 250 469 9597, but I haven't used it since last year, sorry...

Good luck and have fun... Oh and BTW, Wx not fuel is what will really tell whether or not you can shoot the Trench

Take care, Rob

FP, thanks for putting a name to the little huts over the graves for us. We have always been intrigued by them. Have you noticed some have glass tops?
The people at Ft Ware have always treated us ok, but the info to taxi to fuel or wait out Wx is good, if for no other reason than the fact that you are otherwise parked right next to someones cemetery...