Hey All,
I have to make a trip this weekend from Olympia over to Yakima (I fly a 90hp cub) and was wondering what the best route would be this time of year?

Tedd

TGoth wrote:Hey All,
I have to make a trip this weekend from Olympia over to Yakima (I fly a 90hp cub) and was wondering what the best route would be this time of year?

Tedd

Greyhound.

But, if you go on a clear calm day pick any low point. If you want to be safer follow I90 or 12 over.

By all means think safety first. SPOT/PLB flight plan, survival gear.

Rob

Would that be the same 90hp Cub I heard report "descending out of ten thousand" over central Idaho this last summer ?!?

TGoth wrote:Hey All,
I have to make a trip this weekend from Olympia over to Yakima (I fly a 90hp cub) and was wondering what the best route would be this time of year?

Tedd

For those who are playing along at home and aren't familiar with the Cascade mtns., they run north-south down through the middle of Washington. They aren't that high, with most of the tops from 5 to 8 thousand feet and some 3 to 4 thousand foot passes. However, in the fall and winter the prevailing winds from the west bring in quite a bit of moisture off of the Pacific and the ceilings are often lower than the passes.

I-90 over Snoqualmie Pass is probably your safest bet, although Stampede Pass is a more direct route from your location and isn't that much higher. Some days VFR will not be an option, so check the weather first.

The important thing to know is that there is a weather station at Stampede Pass, which is 10 miles south of Snoqualmie Pass. You can get preflight METAR using the code KSMP.

http://adds.aviationweather.gov/metars/index.php?submit=1&station_ids=KSMP&chk_tafs=on&chk_metars=on&hoursStr=2&std_trans=translated

You can check the weather enroute via the Stampede Pass ASOS at 135.275 (note that the frequency is displayed on the sectional).

Thanks for the information, I did fly the Stampede Pass route this past summer and even then there were low lying clouds on the Enumclaw side.

Looking for some potential alternatives? Southern route maybe in the event the passes are all blocked?

I've never taken my cub up to 10k, so wasn't me.
Tedd

If you go far enough south you could go down the Columbia River Gorge. I have gone that route many times. Even when the wind was blowing a good clip.

skybobb wrote:If you go far enough south you could go down the Columbia River Gorge. I have gone that route many times. Even when the wind was blowing a good clip.

It's the only sea level mountain pass on the west coast.

skybobb wrote:If you go far enough south you could go down the Columbia River Gorge. I have gone that route many times. Even when the wind was blowing a good clip.

It can get pretty rough with the wind racing through the gorge and over the surrounding ridges. Bear in mind my comfort level is fairly low.

skybobb wrote:If you go far enough south you could go down the Columbia River Gorge. I have gone that route many times. Even when the wind was blowing a good clip.

I just looked at the distances on runwayfinder.com

Direct from olm to ykm is 100 nm (which would go through white pass which is 4500 ft.)
Going through Stampede Pass (3800 ft) is 120 nm.
Going through Snoqualmie Pass (3000 ft) is 135 nm.
Going down through the gorge is 180 nm.

And, according to google maps, driving via I-90 is 184 miles, which is 160 nm.

So, if the passes were impassable, I'd pass on the flying and just drive.

I'm potentially showing the airplane, so it's not a matter of either flying or driving, more of either going or not going.

I think stampede is the best bet since I'm not familier with the southern route around Ranier.

Tedd

Most direct route other than over the top is to follow the high tension lines east of Seattle up into the hills. Just prior to Stampede is Green pass to the right/south. Hop over it, pick up the drainage into the Naches River and follow it all the way into Yak-a-vegas. 'Bout half way down the river you will pick up Highway 12 where it makes the hard turn and follows the drainage the rest of the way down.

I've flow it in Cubs, Skywagons, and a RV-8 once. Its doable even down into pretty awful weather.

Stampede Pass and down through Ellensburg is next best. Full I-90 route was always my third choice.

I'd just file IFR, climb to 24,000 and you'll be over most of the weather.

Does your cub have boots or TKS?

kevbert wrote:.....I just looked at the distances on runwayfinder.com

Direct from olm to ykm is 100 nm (which would go through white pass which is 4500 ft.) ............................

On my map, OLM diect YKM is about 100 nm alright -- but right through Mount Ranier (about 14000 feet), not White Pass. You have to go south-ish to Morton or Packwood then east to fly White Pass.

Eric

hotrod150 wrote:

kevbert wrote:.....I just looked at the distances on runwayfinder.com

Direct from olm to ykm is 100 nm (which would go through white pass which is 4500 ft.) ............................

On my map, OLM diect YKM is about 100 nm alright -- but right through Mount Ranier (about 14000 feet), not White Pass. You have to go south-ish to Morton or Packwood then east to fly White Pass.

Eric

Don't use a map, use a chart!

When I use the word direct, I allow for minor course variance for obstacle avoidance.

The direct route goes a few miles south of Rainier, not right through it, although there are some mile high foothills there. You would have to veer about three miles to the south of the direct route to hit White Pass, and that would take you away from the higher terrain around Rainier as well. The course deviations only raise the distance by one to two percent, so I think it can still be considered a direct route.

If you are flying over to show the plane to a potential buyer and he passes on the plane, you will have to fly it back. Have him take the bus. Then he can fly it over the mountains.

Tim