Ok everyone, with the new season coming up, I'd like to hear everyones' opinions/experiences with some of the remaining options for breakfast. (Man, I still can't even think about Big Creek being gone without feeling sick to my stomach.)

So, with BC gone, where is the best breakfast to be found for the buck?

It's been years since I have been to Sulpher Creek. From what I have heard talking to other pilots, it has gotten pretty pricey (like $15-18 for breakfast. It was $8 the last time I was there.) Same with the Flying B. Smiley Creek has good food at decent prices. Of course, I'm comparing to BC's $5 for a half breakfast and $10 for the full breakfast. I heard from some that I camped by last summer that had eaten breakfast at Dixie Town and Root Ranch (I think??).

So, let's hear what you all have found and prefer!

I haven't flown into the Idaho back country YET but $18 don't sound to bad if it is the right setting and you get your moneys worth. Don't get me wrong I don't have extra money to blow just because I can.
An example would be the Cowboy Dinner Tree Inn out of Silver Lake, OR. I think it is $22 or $23 a plate now but there is no other place like it in Oregon that I know of and you can eat on it for days. We put left overs in tinfoil and put it on 4 wheeler or pick-up motors for lunch the next day-it don't get any better. Try to do it once or twice a year.

Don't forget Minam Lodge between LaGrande (LGD) and Enterprise (8S4) here in NE Oregon...I don't think I've eaten a better fly-in breakfast for $10....I know it's not in Idaho, but it's dang close...They get my vote ....just a hop, skip and jump west of McCall and Hell's Canyon....

I haven't been in to Sulphur Creek since it reopened but it used to be good for breakfast. I have been in there quite a few times. I like the minam Lodge also and they put out a good breakfast.

If you haven't browsed my videos into these places you can find them here: www.youtube.com/skybobb just search the name of the place, like Sulphur Creek, or Minam Lodge.

Bob

had breakfast two times at Elk City last summer.... Not that great a setting like sulphur or BC but a breakfast that will last you all day...and cheap... Just walk down the airport road to the main road turn left and a couple hundred yards is a gas station/store on the left, that's it... Dixie town was good too. They opened early for us too...Remember they are on Pacific time not mountain time...

Don't forget Tex at West Fork Lodge! Elk River is a great place with Huckleberry Ice Cream. Elk City and Dixie Town are neat places I've stopped, but haven't eaten at - intend to soon. Haven't been into Temperance Creek Ranch in Hell's Canyon either, but Abe says Butch and Karen do a great job.

When you are looking at the prices of Sulfur, Root and Flying B breakfast, you need to take into account that EVERYTHING is flown in. At Big Creek, they would bring in a trailer full of provisions via road every so often. Makes Minam's prices and the previous cost at Sulfur seem VERY reasonable.

It's fun to just throw the family in the plane and head to McCall for the Pancake House Breakfast or over to Nampa for Starvin' Marvin's. Sometimes can be better to spend the morning fishing or hiking in the wilderness and then when the tummy or the kids start to complain just before the winds pick up, we hop over to do brunch at one of these two places. Keeps us from getting stuck at a one way strip in the mtns. waiting for winds to die down.
Matt

i vote for the pancake house in mccall for sure. sometimes i even get to drive the silver 30 yr old lebaron, and arrive in style...!

Don't know what's changed lately but ALL of these reports are within the last 10 months. Some fairly recently.

Fairfield - Either the Wrangler for a burger (real good), the Sawtooth Grill for a more restaurant feel, or the Market Basket grocery for picnic supplies.

Magic Reservoir - The west magic bar and grill. Great steak sandwich.

Picabo - The store right on the strip has really good selection of various sandwiches and usually soup and chili.

Smiley Creek - Good Food, easy access.

Stanley - A little walk down the hill but really good food at the restaurant and great danishes at the bakery right at the bottom of the hill to the WEST.

Sulphur Creek - Good food in a great place. Who cares if it costs $15 bucks. You gotta be kiddin' me. It only costs $100 an hour to get to and from a place they can't drive in a $60k to $120k piece of equipment that costs $200 to $600 a month to hangar. Let it go.

Dixie Town - Great breakfast sandwich from the nice people at the B&B

Elk City - Don't know about breakfast but you can carry two 12 packs back to the plane without passing out from exhaustion.

Warren - Rustic little joint that provides surprisingly good food in an old mining setting.

McCall (not backcountry) - I LOVE the pancake house.

Glenns Ferry (not backcountry) - Short walk to the Carmella Winery yields good food in a nice setting.

Others I haven't frequented for food yet.- Smith's Prairie and Idaho City.

George
What is the feeling about landing at Picabo? I've heard that some were unwelcomed after landing there and told to leave. Was that maybe a disgruntled person complaining or is everyone welcome, or maybe an old wife's tale?


Trudy's is at Idaho City and just a short walk (5 minutes) down a short trail to the east, or go north into town (10 minutes) for ice cream.

Murphy has a place just across the street from the airstrip.

If you're farther north, Elk River has great breakfasts, just a short 5 minute walk into town.

At Dixie town, call the Silver Spur to the find the days Deb will be there for breakfast. I think she tries to take Mondays off or only open Fri - Sun in the slower seasons, but is known to open for wayward airplanes anyway. Great huckleberry pancakes in the fall..... I think a call, even weeks before will insure a great breakfast.

Annie, the caretaker at Garden Valley has a place with picnic tables for lunch, on the highway to Banks, just west of Crouch. It'll take the courtesy car to get there, but she has great burgers or steak fingers.

If way north around Cavanaugh Bay, a short walk into town, maybe 10 minutes, at Priest River if you want a change from Coolin, although the Marina is pretty good.

Jack

Lots of good suggestions here,
Tex at west fork lodge is the greatest in my book, sometimes he sells fuel at a good price too!

There's a courtesy car at Garden Valley??????? Been there a half dozen times and I never saw a courtesy car ...

I've not used it this last summer, but in the past they've had one there. There is a phone number on the building as I recall or Annie will leave the key and signout clipboard, if you call ahead. Its a State of ID car like Johnson Creek or Cavanaugh Bay so its a fee, but under $10. Or - she's out there about every morning, moving sprinklers so if you get in early, you're set.

ATT cells do not work at the airstrip, but I've seen other people have success from the strip.

Jack

lowflyin'G3 wrote: ALL of these reports are within the last 10 months. Some fairly recently.

You AG pilots have way too much free time! In my next life I'm gonna be an Ag guy.

Desert Dessert spots
Murphy Burgers are tasty. closed on Mondays I think.
Fields Station out in the desert has great milkshakes!
Rome Station is OK. Field occasionally muddy in the Fall and Spring.
Burns Junction has good burgers and shakes. Short and Rough "spot" to land right across road at the bend in the highway. Make sure you time traffic on the road for short final. The BLM strip (long, graded and suitable for DC-3) is just to the east, but I haven't landed there yet - heard it wasn't a problem with them.

Prairie has 2 eateries. When I was recently stranded on skis in Praire, Cort and Carline from the Y-stop store couldn't have been more helpful. They have a couple of nice "cabins" to stay at for a very reasonable $60-80/night and serve great burgers and steaks. Plenty of other sandwiches and such too. If you call ahead and then buzz the place, they will pick you up at the strip.
Ed, owner of the Prairie Store and Bar is a pilot. He has a radio and if you give a position report nearby, will commonly call you up to ask if you are coming in and need a ride. If he doesn't seem to be listening, buzz the place and if there, he'll be on the radio shortly.

Fairfield used to be a nice winter ski strip until some Ag pilot had em plow it... Can still land in the fields to the south of the airport though.
Other year round ski flying breakfast or lunch stops to encourage you all to buy some equipment: Warren's Winter Inn, Magic Reservoir, Dixie Town, Cavanough Bay, Prairie, Pine (never been there when they are open - anyone have info?), Elk River, Elk City. Steve, I don't think Tex is around in the winter, is he? Others?

Pretty tough to beat sittin at the Root Ranch, wolfin down some great grub, and lookin out the big picture window, watchin elk at the salt lick.

If you are talking about great breakfasts in the valley and not in the back country. Give EUL Caldwell a shot. the cafe is a taxi up and be careful not to hit your wingtip on the cafe. Their ham steak breakfast comes on two plates. There will be enough left over for a sandwich at noon.

Tex at the West Fork Lodge is tough to beat. He'll drop what he's doing and fix breakfast for one or a dozen as long as you fly in.

Root Ranch is pretty good as well. Nice scenery and good grub.

Convenience will eventually triumph.

Most people will end up staying at JC.

Straight line distance to breakfast:

1) Warren (3U1) 23 nm
2) Sulfur Creek (ID74) 23.3 nm
3) McCall (MYL) 26.2 nm
4) Cascade (U70) 33.8 nm
5) Dixie town airstrip (no id) 38.5 nm
6) Stanley (2U7) 48.3

Any others within 50 nm?

don's cooking at sulphur is way hard to beat. more peace and quiet there than just about anywhere...

Picabo has always been friendly to me and my pack. I've been in there working and playing with no problem. We don't do touch and goes but I've been in there with three 180/185's and no problem. Now they may get a little testy in the spring when it's soft and people land right on the east end and rut it up but that's all I can think of.

We stopped into the Root Ranch last summer. Beautiful place. Great scenery, nice people, but the food sucked. We went there for lunch., Basically, a choice between bologna sandwich or peanut butter. And they had some prepackaged chicken strips they pulled out of the oven. hey were even done.

Wouldn't hesitate to go back, but I would bring food incase I didn't like what they were serving.

Probably just depends on who is running the show at the time, and what mood the cook is in.

I don't think the one that was there, was going to be there much longer, thankfully.