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Return to Misty Moorings - Trip Tic

Destination: Eagle Lake Cabin

Route Notes

  • This Scenery is for "Return to Misty Moorings" only.
  • Minimum Altitude: 1200 feet
  • Landing zone is: Water, does not freeze in winter
  • GPS for destination: N56 2.28 W131 27.48 Alt 340
  • Print-Able copy HERE

Eagle Lake Cabin

Located about 40 miles north of Ketchikan on Eagle Lake, this little cabin is a great place to spend a week in the beautiful wild of the Tongass National Forest. It has a great dock for fishing or for tying up your boat or floatplane. There is a Jeep for exploring the land around you and a SnowCat to help you get around in heavy snowfall. Eagle Lake is full of Dolly Varden and Rainbow Trout. The fishing here is fantastic. The silty-green color of Eagle lake and its brilliant blue twin, Reflection Lake, show a contrast best seen from one of the high ridges within hiking distance of the cabin. The colors are different because Reflection Lake is fed by a nearby glacier while Eagle Lake is fed by the Eagle River, rain and snow melt run-off. You can reach each of the lakes by an easy hiking trail and a short climb up the ridges past the trail’s end will reach the overlook. This hike is easily done in a day, but Eagle Lake cabin also makes a good base for exploring more distant reaches of the park.

WaveTop VFR Plan

FROM Ketchikan International Airport (PAKT)
TO: Eagle Lake cabin

COURSE: Our journey to Eagle Lake Cabin begins at Ketchikan International Airport. After takeoff, orient yourself over the Tongass Narrows on a rough heading of 290, a safe flight level is 1200 feet.

Our first waypoint is Vallenar Point, the furthest northwest point on Gravina Island of the northern cape in Gravina Island. The cape received the name from Captain George Vancouver on August 13, 1793 at the time he came to the area to sign the Nootka treaty.

COURSE: At Vallenar Point turn to starboard to a heading of 338. Maintain safe altitude.

Off our starboard wing is Point Higgins and behind it the community of Port Higgins.The final six names, believe it or not, represent an Irish legacy stemming from the same person, who acquired the title of Marqués de Vallenar, Ambrosio O'Higgins, a somewhat shady figure in Spanish American history. About his origin and early years, we have only his word. Born around 1720 in Ireland, he first appeared in the Hispanic world in Cádiz in 1755 and was known to be a merchant in Argentina. Through Irish connections in Spain, he was made captain in the Spanish Army by the Governor of Chile and was sent to control the Araucanian Indians. He rose rapidly to brigadier general and then to general of a division. Feeling the need for a pedigreed background, in 1788 he dispatched a nephew to Dublin to research his ancestry. The nephew obligingly returned with genealogical papers establishing the O'Higgins' as descendants of the noble house of Ballinary (whence the hispanized Vallenar) connected with the Irish royal family of Ballintober. On the basis of these antecedents, the King of Spain by royal decree authorized him to use the title of Marqués de Vallenar and in 1789 appointed him governor of Chile. Six years later, he became the Viceroy of Peru dying in Lima in 1801 while still in office. Not many years later, his son Bernardo O' Higgins would be acclaimed as the liberator of Chile from the Spanish rule.

COURSE: Passing Betton Island, maintain 338 at 1200 feet. The inlet to starboard is Clover Bay and the the two islands coming up are "Pup" and "Betton". Pup is the small one, Betton the larger. Betton Island is well known for a kayak resting area, picnicking, and camping. On the port side of Betton Island are the Tatoosh Islands.

COURSE: When the tip of Betton island is on your starboard wing, alter your course to Zero or 360 ... maintain altitude. Our next waypoint is Bushy Point ... about 7 miles ahead.

COURSE: As you pass Bushy Point, set your heading about 5 degrees to port to 355. You are heading for Chin Point, straight ahead.

COURSE: As you near Chin Point, set your heading for 330, turning to port.

COURSE: Watch for the Bell Arm, a channel of water to starboard past Gedney and Hassler Island ... turn to starboard to follow the Bell Arm. A heading of about 15 degrees. Follow the Bell Arm

COURSE: As you pass Black Island to starboard, alter your course to fly the center of the Bell Arm (heading about 40)

COURSE: The channel ahead splits left and right at Snipe Point. Take the port (left) channel ... fly the center of it.

COURSE: Fly to the starboard side of the channel because you will soon be making a sharp turn to port and this gives you more room for the maneuver. The small inlet that comes up to port is Short Bay ... continue heading.

COURSE: Slow down ... the channel becomes very narrow and ahead you can see that it actually ends. You will be flying over the shoreline at the end. As you approach the shoreline steer a few degrees to port to fly between the low ridges.

COURSE: Watch for a small lake below after you cross the shoreline. Over that lake, turn hard to port to a heading of 265. Eagle lake is before you ... flaps, seatbelts ... prepare for landing.

COURSE: Watch for the Eagle Lake Cabin on the port shoreline. As the lake bends to starboard, the cabin in about 11 o'clock.

Welcome to Eagle Lake Cabin!

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