Current Snow Conditions

[907jeff]

Looking for input on conditions of unmaintained strips within a 120 mile radius of Lake Hood. I have a new to me as of August Aeronca Sedan 180hp fixed pitch currently sitting on 29" tires. As of writing this I am on the North Slope and was curious where I might go when I get back to town. That is of course if the weather clears up. I am planning on flying wheels until the end of January when I will put Atlee Dodge 2500 straight skis on until around April 15th, then back to wheels until float season. I am really enjoying flying this plane.

[Troy Hamon]

I have no direct info to contribute...only that I would proceed with caution...

[AK-HUNT]

Valley river bars are about 2-3 compacted snow. some clear areas, some 4-5" and pretty draggy. Be careful.
I hear theres a decent amount of snow up by skwentna/peters hills

[Float Pilot]

Homer, Seldovia, Quartz Creek area, no snow. Some ice.

[Bearsnack]

I landed on Nancy lake yesterday with 35" tires. Good ice with about 7 or 8 inches of snow on it. Very little overflow.
I saw a couple of guys on Seymour lake fueling airplanes with their trucks. Good indicator of thick ice. Snow on the valley lakes is very thin if you want to land on them with wheels right now.
I had an Aeronca Sedan years ago, cool airplane. Had a lot of great adventures with it.

[907jeff]

I appreciate the updates. I will report back as soon as I get the time to go. I might do some cruising around on Monday weather depending. How draggy was the 2" to 3" on the Susitna?

[907jeff]

I will definitely be very careful! I will probably just stick to clear areas or even just do some recon for ptarmigan. Looking forward to February ski flying.

[907jeff]

That might be a winner. The Kenai is beautiful this time of year!

[Tcraft]

I will definitely be very careful! I will probably just stick to clear areas or even just do some recon for ptarmigan. Looking forward to February ski flying.

February and March in southcentral is ideal. Skis go on my bird and move to the lake about mid January. Put tie downs in a week ago...about eight inches of clear dense ice at Anderson Lake.

Interesting date today...12-13-14.

[907jeff]

Figure 8 has thick ice and open water

I landed on Nancy lake yesterday with 35" tires. Good ice with about 7 or 8 inches of snow on it. Very little overflow.
I saw a couple of guys on Seymour lake fueling airplanes with their trucks. Good indicator of thick ice. Snow on the valley lakes is very thin if you want to land on them with wheels right now.
I had an Aeronca Sedan years ago, cool airplane. Had a lot of great adventures with it.

Took the Sedan out last Saturday and had fun landing on some of the wind blown lakes. The ice was over a foot thick but strangely enough the other end of the lake had a very large open water section right in the wind trough possibly some organics breaking down creating heat. Anyway not long after we were over there someone ran their 4 wheeler into that hole.

[Float Pilot]

..about eight inches of clear dense ice at Anderson Lake.

Years ago I had a J5/PA-12 hybrid based out of Andersen lake. A buddy of mine flew a T-crate off the same strip.

[AK-HUNT]

Be Careful
Couple Wheelers went thru fig 8 lake last week. Ice seems iffy yet close to town.