Return to Misty Moorings Trip Ticket Driftwood Depot and Darb Lake (cabin) By Doug Linn 07.09.2012 Route Briefing This Scenery is for "Return to Misty Moorings" only. Suggested Altitude: See Altitude at each leg. Landing zone is: Water - Freezes in Winter GPS for destination: N56 33.38 W126 10.58 Distance approximately: 106 Miles Darb Lake & Driftwood Depot This is an interesting VFR Flight. You will first be following a lake, then a compass, then a railroad, then a river, then a compass across a faceless high plateau expanse. We will first stop at Driftwood Depot where we will look around, then take off again following the railroad. With the instructions in the flight plan, you will eventually find Darb Lake Cabin ... far out in the wilderness ahead. People read books about building a cabin and living in remote regions but have no idea what it takes. People come up to Alaska and actually complain about the lack of fast food restaurants or about the fact they have to drive a day to get to the nearest Wal-mart. These are the same people who go up there and stop dead in the center of the highway to take a picture of a bear or walk up to a cow moose and her baby to get a better look. Young eco-hipsters move up there thinking that living in a small town on a road system, peeing in an outhouse, getting drunk at bonfire parties every night is "living" in the wild but not one of them would survive one month at a true remote homestead. Living remote is not one long camping trip. It is the type of lifestyle that can cost you your life. In a Oh-My-God I'm-Gonna-Die-Alone-In-The-Woods kind of way. This cabin property is located in the farthest North East reaches of the Pacific Fjords coverage area. The closest settlement is Takla Narrows. If you want isolation and seclusion, this is the spot. WaveTop VFR Plan FROM : Tekla Narrows (CBD5) TO: Driftwood Depot and Darb Lake [Cabin] Before you take off, be sure to visit the little community of Tekla Narrows, complete with pier and boat! Remember, you are over 2200 feet in altitude in this area. (So use a radio altitude of 1200 feet.) Your first altitude setting should be 3400 feet! Leg: Takla Narrows to Takla Landing Initial Course: 309 (Follow Takla Lake) Leg Distance: 21 Miles Leg Altitude: 3400 feet (1200 Radio Altitude) Fly a heading up Takla Lake, on an approximate 309 heading. Just fly the middle of the lake to Takla Landing which will show up on your starboard shore. Takla Landing is about 20 miles ahead. (If you are flying in winter, the lake will be frozen. The altitude of the lake is at 2266). Takla Lake is the fifth largest natural lake in British Columbia, Canada. It is a deep fjord-like lake with the Swannell Ranges to the east, the Driftwood River flowing into it from the north, and the Middle River draining it. It is the terminus of the early Stuart-Takla sockeye salmon run, and noted for its large rainbow trout, lake trout and Dolly Varden. The peninsula is the home of Mount Blanchet Provincial Park. Also on the peninsula is a herd of collared woodland caribou, and the winter range of grizzly bears. Two special features are Takla Lake Marine Park, and an Ecological Reserve on the peninsula, a stand of very northerly Douglas Fir. Takla Lake is also the origin of both of Canada's national airlines, both Russ Baker and Grant McConachie running bush plane routes out of Takla Lake. It is a popular canoe route from the top end down to Fort St. James. Takla Landing, also known as McLaing Landing is an unincorporated locality and former steamboat landing on the east side of Takla Lake[1] in the Omineca Country of the Central Interior of British Columbia, Canada. In the days of the Omineca Gold Rush, Takla Landing was a port for steamboats connecting trails from Hazelton, British Columbia via Babine Lake to trails leading from Takla Landing eastwards to the area of the gold strikes in the lower Omineca River. Leg: Takla Landing to Bulkley House Initial Course: 309 Leg Distance: 16.7 Leg Altitude:3400 After you pass Takla Landing, you will fly over Red Bluff and White Bluff, two small land masses that jut out from the starboard shore. Continue to fly up the lake until it ends. That will be Bulkley House. Leg: Bulkley House to Driftwood Depot Initial Course: 297 Leg Distance: 9.4 Miles Leg Altitude: 3700 Set your altitude to 3700 feet. Driftwood Depot will come up about 9 miles ahead. It is recommended you land and look around at this amazing scenery location Brad Allen has built. This is the depot for the railroad, and we will be following the railroad when we leave Driftwood Depot. The airstrip is dirt and you will becoming to it almost on the runway heading. The altitude of the runway is 2382 feet. Adjust landing configuration and course accordingly when it comes into view. Leg: Driftwood Depot to Sustut River Turn Initial Course: 303 Leg Distance: 33 Miles Leg Altitude: 3800 Set your altitude for 3800 feet on this leg. When you leave the depot come to a heading of 303, you will see the railroad below. Follow the railroad for 33 miles to the Sustut River. On this leg you will pass by Bear Lake and see the railroad running along its starboard shore. The railroad curves here and there to avoid ridges and bluffs, follow the railroad and maintain your altitude. About 5 miles past Bear Lake, you will see an open, non-forested area ahead. The Sustut River flows from starboard down the valley you will see there. The river has cut some deep ravines in the landscape, look for the ravines and turn up the Sustut River Valley. Leave the railroad to port and change your heading to 038. Leg: Sustut River to Sustut Peak Turn Initial Course: 038 (following river and valley) Leg Distance: 24 Leg Altitude: Turn to 038 and begin to follow the Sustut River. About 5 miles ahead, there will be a branch off to port, go to starboard and continue to follow the river. A few miles ahead, another branch of the river will go off to port, continue to follow the starboard branch. 5 Miles beyond this, you will see Sustut Peak coming up to starboard. you are going to fly around the base of that peak coming to a new heading. Leg: Sustut Peak Turn to Johnson Lake Initial Course: 062 (see map below) Leg Distance: 13 Miles Leg Altitude: 5500 Set altitude for 5500. You will be flying over a high plateau. Check the map carefully above. As you curve around the peak, you will be wanting to come to a heading of 062 for 5 miles until you are between the peaks there and over the river. That is a course correction point where you will alter your heading to 085 for 8 miles which should put you over Johnson Lake. Reduce altitude to 5100 after the rise ahead of Johnson Lake. Put your aircraft into landing position before Johnson Lake. You will be taking a sharp turn to port and landing at Darb lake. Leg: Johnson Lake to Darb Lake Initial Course: 142 Leg Distance: 3 Miles Leg Altitude: 5100 to lake level at 4826 As you cross Johnson Lake, look for the sharp peaked mountain and fly to the starboard of that, the lake is there 3 miles ached. Your altitude of 5100 feet is a good landing height for this lake. The cabin is at the far end of the lake. Safely land. Welcome to the Darb Lake Cabin! Doug Linn Charter Manager Misty Moorings, Inc contact@mistymoorings.com (Created 07.09.2012) Copyright Return to Misty Moorings 2012