The Stikine Icecap Excursion
For Wed. Oct, 25, 2023

Introduction:

Based on its real world counterpart, the JIRP (Juneau Icefield Research Program), this excursion takes us into the Stikine Glacier Icefields and we will explore 11 isolated icefield strips in the vast Stikine Icefields also known as the Stikine Icecap. The Stikine Icecap straddles the Alaska/British Columbia border. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stikine_Icecap)

 

Background:

The Stikine Icecap (sometimes referred to as the Stikine Icefield) is a large ice field straddled on the Alaska–British Columbia boundary in the Alaska Panhandle region. It lies in the Boundary Ranges of the Coast Mountains. Within the United States, most of it is under the administration of the Tongass National Forest and is part of the Stikine-LeConte Wilderness within the national forest.

A good size ice field, the icecap is a primary source for both the Taku River, which forms its northern boundary, and the Taku's southern tributaries, and also the Stikine River and its lower western tributaries, notably the Chutine, which form its southern and southwestern boundary, respectively. The Stikine Icecap is the parent icefield of the LeConte and Sawyer Glaciers on its US side, and the Great Glacier on its Canadian side. Also on the Canadian side and entering the lower Stikine, like the Great Glacier, are the Mud and Flood Glaciers, which form the boundaries of the small Boundary Range, which is an eastern abutment of the range comprising the Stikine Icecap and marks the approximate boundary claimed by the United States prior to the Alaska Boundary Settlement of 1903.

The Stikine Icecap area is also renowned for its technically demanding and dangerous peaks and spires of granite that have garnered comparisons as North America's version of Patagonia. Peaks of particular renown include Devils Thumb, Witches Tits, Cat's Ears, and the Burkett Needle.  

This area has is beautifully rendered with glacial textures and mountain ranges but has often remained a rarely traversed and underappreciated region. There's a great deal of stunning glacial wilderness scenery out there and this is an opportunity to test and challenge ones pilot's skills in visiting some interesting ice field destinations atop the Stikine Icecap and the mountain ranges. These wintry ice-field strips range from well-equipped regional supply centers to lonely, wind battered outposts.

The Excursion:

We depart from Petersburg, Alaska: (Airport ICAO PAPG) and we’re heading to Bronson Creek (Airport ICAO CAB5) in British Columbia, Canada. Between our departure and destination locations we are traveling via the Stikine Icecap or Stikine Icefields of the BC Kitimat-Stikine Regional District.  

Previously, in FSX and P3D we had RTMM scenery for the SIRP Ice Stations, now thanks to creator Karl-Heinz Klotz, an RTMM member and one of the top pilots at Misty Flying Club VA, we have these eleven Stikine Glacier Ice Field stations for MSFS.

The approaches and landings on the ice fields are not easy, by any means, so recommend an overhead pass to establish your best approach for landing. The actual landing strips are very short but there are flat snowy areas beyond the strips to stretch out their length (if required!).

We’ll finish the trip, time permitting, descending off the Hoodoo mountain range into the Bronson Creek Airport (CAB5) which was originally built to service the Snip Gold Mine. (Now closed)

The full journey is 292 nm and the majority of it takes place in the Stikine Icecap which is mountainous and glacial terrain.  We have 11 icefields to inspect

Flight plans, weather preset and documentation download: LINK:  HERE

Aircraft:

We’ll require a STOL type aircraft that can travel 150kts+ and that is durable to withstand higher altitudes and colder temps. A larger STOL Type aircraft: Caravan C208, DHC6 Twotter, Kodiak or similar. I will plan to fly the Caravan 208 in RTMM livery (livery creator (extraordinaire “billgranada”).  https://flightsim.to/file/50517/cessna-208-rtmm-livery : And as always, please use your aircraft of choice.

Time/Weather:

If possible, and live weather. Set time for 1400 Local. Alternatively have added a nice atmospheric SIRP preset which is included in the FP Download.

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Add-on Scenery – Pre-assembled package: Download LINK: HERE  (for a short time...until after this tour run)
NOTE: This download zip is 1.1 gb (expands to 4.4 gb) which includes the following:

Alaska-airport-papg-petersburg-v0.2 (quelcertoleo)
https://flightsim.to/file/14033/petersburg-james-a-johnson-papg
(*There is also payware PAPG by DC Designs or by NSS. (Feel free to use if you have)

RTMM for MSFS: libs 1, libs-2, effects lib, and SIRP Icefield scenery Only*.
* https://return.mistymoorings.com/z20_homepage/index.php * (see note below*)

Misc supporting libs (in case you don’t already have)
daves3dpeople-v1.0.5 (badmed) (https://flightsim.to/file/5452/dave-s-3d-people-library)
davesseaplanebase-v1.0.3.a2 (badmed) (https://flightsim.to/file/5806/fisherman-dave-s-seaplane-base-object-library)
edhk-lights-objects-dev-pack-v1.0.8 (mrmo) (https://flightsim.to/file/2549/edhk-lights-pack)
tsr-windy-things-v1.08.1 (trfsto) (https://flightsim.to/file/14024/windy-things)

(*The RTMM MSFS page link above also contains a complete freeware MSFS Express RTMM Add-ons Pack (All RTMM for AK/BC areas). (zip 1.4 gb, expands to 5.55gb)

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(MSFS Add-ons Linker recommended: https://flightsim.to/file/1572/msfs-addons-linker (bad2000)

Finally, recommend use of the Lillte Nav Map US VFR Sectional Charts Map for this trip:
LINK: https://flightsim.to/file/51541/little-navmap-map-themes (NCHawk5018)

*NOTAM: Be sure to turn off any add-on Navdata packages as this will prevent the showing of the SIRP airfields.

Hope you enjoy this glacier excursion in the Stikine Icecap.

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Multiplayer Particulars
Date and time: Wednesday, October 25, 2023. 1800 UTC
AVSIM Discord Server: https://discord.gg/K5Vy6UxWNm  - AVSIM GROUP EVENTS-WED. COM2
Microsoft Flight Simulator Multiplayer: EAST USA server. (Set ALL Players)

If you want to help others enjoy the multiplayer experience, don't forget to enter your aircraft details on the Wednesday multiplayer spreadsheet (linked HERE). Please be kind enough to enter the title exactly as it stands in the title=”xxx” line of the aircraft.cfg file. Your courtesy will save others a lot of time and effort. Thanks!

Edited October 19, 20232 yr by nbrich1

MSFS NA Alaska Mesh (Orbx) might add some higher resolution 5m DEM data for the Alaska side of this trip.. but not guaranteed nor is it free. but if you have it, might as well try it!  https://orbxdirect.com/product/na-alaska-mesh-msfs.

A couple of thoughts. First, this event is really spectacular, Norm. You have put together an eye-popping route. And thanks to Karl-Heinz Klotz for his wonderful ice station strips – they are both lovely and a little “interesting”. And second, if you use MultiplayerModelMatching (M3) and want to substitute for the Aerosoft DHC-6 Twin Otter, then you might think about changing the “target” from the King Air 350 to the C208B Caravan. A matter of taste.

Finally, a good reason to look more closely at Devils Thumb – and especially at its northwest face. From Wikipedia.

Devils Thumb is a very challenging climb even for advanced mountain climbers. ...
The most famous feature on the Devils Thumb among climbers is its Northwest Face, rising 6,700 ft (2,042 m) from the Witches Cauldron at its base to the summit, at an average angle of 67 degrees. This is the biggest rock face in North America. The conditions prevalent also make it perhaps the most dangerous climbing proposition on the continent.

The first ascent of the Devils Thumb was a landmark in North American mountaineering. Fred Beckey, along with Clifford Schmidtke and Bob Craig, climbed the East Ridge, a route that combined technical difficulty equal to anything ever climbed on the continent to that time with great remoteness and terrible weather conditions.

The Northwest Face has seen many attempts; at least three teams have died on this face. It stands as a huge wall with bad weather, bad rock, bad ice, and bad avalanches. "It is a dangerous and difficult face that rarely, if ever, comes into condition," says Dieter Klose, who in 1982 made it halfway up the route, higher than anybody else alive.

For a scenic helicopter tour, take a look at Devils Thumb The North Face. (Maybe start here.)

3 hours ago, MM said:

And second, if you use MultiplayerModelMatching (M3) and want to substitute for the Aerosoft DHC-6 Twin Otter, then you might think about changing the “target” from the King Air 350 to the C208B Caravan. A matter of taste.

Good idea... Just went in and did it.. Thanks!