Route Notes

• This Scenery is for "Return to Misty Moorings" only.
• Maximum Altitude: 6000 feet (Check WX before takeoff)
• Landing zone is: small land strip & water
• Note: Water is frozen in winter
• GPS for destination: - N56 24.88 W129 44.27 Alt: 1256
• Print-Able copy HERE

Elliot Fire Base and Cabin

Each day during the time of year when fires are most likely to be a threat, this airstrip comes alive. Elliot Fire Base is a short flight from Stewart (CZST) and is situated at the Bowser Lake airstrip. All firefighting efforts in the region are coordinated from here. There are two helicopters that are based here and their pilots are on call during the day to coordinate fire watch alerts. There are also two forestry service spotters on call and they share a nearby lakeshore cabin with the two chopper pilots. The cabin is close enough that the crew can quickly reach the airstrip when a fire is reported.

Each morning, one of the spotters is flown up to the fire tower on a nearby mountaintop. They spend their day sitting high above in the tower, looking for telltale signs of any fires. The pilots also ferry supplies to and from the outpost and to any forest fire crews that need them in the area. Local firefighting crews that are needed to be flown into hard to reach landing zones are first flown into the airstrip by small plane. Then they jump into choppers and are flown out to battle the fires. A small supply depot is located at the airstrip so equipment and gear can be reached quickly when needed. Inside the hangar, is a modified version of a Lake Renegade amphibious aircraft. It's fire fighting modifications allow It to skim across a lake surface and pull in enough water to help with fire supressant and containment activities

TreeTop VFR Plan

FROM: Stewart Airport (CZST)
TO: Elliot Fire Base

Background: Your flight begins in Stewart, BC. Stewart's setting can only be described in superlatives, combining an oceanfront location with alpine scenery, glaciers, ice fields, and spectacular waterfalls. This setting and the outdoor recreation opportunities it offers, contribute in an important way to the communities lifestyles. The area offers, fresh and saltwater fishing, boating, hiking, cross country skiing, snowmobiling, and numerous other activities.

Stewart's colorful history has been dictated by the fortunes of the mining industry. The first exploration in the area took place in the late 1890's and the town site was named in 1905. An estimated 10,000 people resided in the area in the early 1900's, attracted by the prospects of gold; yet during World War I the population was reduced to less than twenty. Stewart was founded by two Scottish brothers, John and Robert Stewart.

Major mines such as Premier Gold, Big Missouri and Granduc Copper have been established in the Stewart area. These projects created the impetus for population increases and attracted a skilled work force to the community. Mining is also primarily responsible for the development of support services such as heavy duty mechanics, welding shops, and transportation-related businesses, which provide service to all the basic resource industries. Today employment in the community is much more broadly-based and includes opportunities in transportation, mining, logging, retail and hospitality sector, and public administration.

As a contact zone between the Coast Range Batholith and sedimentary formations to the east, the Stewart area is highly mineralized and contains proven reserves of a wide range of precious and base metals including gold, silver, copper, lead and zinc.

To intercept the flight plan, if you are taking of from 18 (south), you will have to fly out over the channel ahead of you and make a "U" turn back to the north. If you are taking off from 36, fly straight ahead. Heading north from Stewart, you will see a valley with mountains on both sides, fly up the center of that valley. You will be flying up the Bear River Basin.

Over the mountains to port are the major glaciers in the area, Chicamin, Boundary, Greenpoint ... They are all there starting about 5 miles to the west of your position.

Ahead of you is Mt Johnson. You will soon come to a "fork" in the river, a tributary coming in from the right and left. You will want to turn to port and fly up the "left" fork again staying in the valley.

After you turn into the left fork of the Bear River, 6 miles over the mountain to port will be the Salmon Glacier. A safe altitude at this point is about 2500 feet ... notice the terrain is narrowing and rising.

The valley now takes a slight bend to the right. Now begin to climb to about 5500 feet. You should see a "flat" mountaintop soon to your port ... and two small lakes below. Keep climbing, to 6000+ feet as you'll have to clear "high pass" ahead. The high mountain to your left is Mt. Jancowski,

Ahead is "High Pass" ... twin mountain peaks, you will fly through the notch between them and must be at an altitude of about 6500 feet.

After High Pass, start a descent. After High Pass, slow down and start your descent. Look up ahead and you will see the valley and river turning to starboard. Be down to about 1200 feet as you make that turn.

Once you make the turn, Bowser Lake is 8.4 miles ahead but the airstrip only three miles. Fly down and stay low over the river. The short landing strip is about 3 miles ahead ... shoot the "gap" between the trees low and slow to land safely.

Orientation ... once your aircraft has landed and you are pointed toward the lake ahead. Look closely on the mountain at your forward left, the Fire Watch Tower is on that peak. (You may need binoculars!). Straight ahead of you on the lake are two cabins. The one on the left is the Bowser Lake Cabin. The one on the right is the facility for the firebase helicopter pilots. Both have docks for float planes, but the lake is frozen in wintertime.

Doug Linn
Charter Manager
Misty Moorings, Inc
contact@mistymoorings.com