Agree About Traffic Rules
The Knik was always one of my favourite flights, just 10 minutes from my place in Chugiak. Did you land at the packed glacial mud strip by Lake George? A lightly loaded RV9a should have no trouble landing there. Someone has a canoe, life jackets and paddles stored at the lake and you can take it out amongst the small icebergs.
Wonderful place. It is quite busy in there at times but safe if everyone uses the assigned CTAF and follows the rule of flying on the right side of the valley and gorge.
Mountain goats and Dall sheep were a guarantee. Whenever I took someone new that wanted to see Alaskan wildlife I knew just where to go.
Great pictures, great memories.
Yes, Vlad, not only in my backyard, hours and hours of flying Hueys there in the 1980's.
True about the Goat and Sheep, easy to spot if you know where they're at. Knik River is a popular 4-wheel area, but lots of areas along it to get into trouble, probably near 4th of July Creek near the base of the North mountain when flying in.
To see black bear, good spot is a couple of the very steep valleys above 4th of July Creek.
Your last photo is of Lake George, Corp of Engineers had to blast the "dike" to create a spillway. Used to fillup with ice melt and then dump into the Matanuska Valley and flood Palmer area.
If you would have continued along the right side of the South part of valley staying to the right of Lake George, you could have flown up the big glacier that leads towards Eagle River Valley.
Going over the top of Lake George Glacier to the left or center, you can then cross over into Hariman Fiord and cruise back to Whitter along the Northwest shore of Prince William Sound. Lots of wildlife and scenery to see!
Almost flew back that way last Sunday the 15th, but Capt John and Markham decided to spend more time in Talkeetna. Was going to take them for a 280-mile sight seeing tour to get back to Kenai.
Used to fly Huey's based out of Anchorage, we had many, many routes to fly in that area.
Fantastic Photos once again, they bring back great memories!
Thank you Vlad!
A very sad note to this area, back in the 1970's thru early 1980's a serial killer would stalk and rape young women "strip" club dancers. He then flew them to the Knik area and then hunted them with a high powered rifle. A movie was made about him, "Robert Hansen" was his name.
The movie is called "Frozen Ground" with Nicolas Cage as the Alaska State Trooper who finally caught him.
Hansen died last year at the Seward Spring Creek prison.
Best regards,
Mike Bauer