Finally got our s#it together and went to the B.C. drainage to see what up.
Here it is.
First of all, James, NO GO on Simonds. Big ass tree has fallen across the strip about half way down. Not sure how we are going to fix this one. Maybe S. Cub with HAND saw on board but I'm not even sure if that would work. The tree is really about at the half way point.
Vines is a bit rocky as usual but in fine shape and there was a kickass 185 in there with some hunters getting ready for bow season.
Dewey Moore is smooth and nice, a bit tall on some of the vegetation but no problem.
Mile Hi was in fine shape and beautiful views.
We hope to do some camping up that way this year.
I'll make some calls to the IAAA and see what we can do about Simonds.
See ya,
G

delete

Not to worry James ....someone with your connections will have that tree out of there in no time with no tree it still sounds scary to me Better make 2 or 3 ferry trips to stay lite.

Lowflyin,
Was that you on top of mile hi today with another 180? We flew over in a red and white Pacer. I had the family on board so I had to be good........We went into Cabin creek and Vines. Saw that 185 with the belly pod and the hunting camp. About asked them to haul my wife and daughter out as it started getting warm, but the old pacer did fine.

Yeah that was us. We were wondering if you were going to drop in and visit. Maybe next time. Glad you had fun out there today.

Simonds cleared of tree. Brush cleared at Simonds and Dewey Moore. Trees getting TALL off the departure end of Vines. Worry that may be the next accident waiting to happen.

Thanks for the update Matt,
I agree with you about the trees departing Vines. On May 1st I landed there by myself in my Maule. On the departure, those trees got my attention and I'm glad I was light, no wind, and only about 50 degrees F.

James
Spokane

Greetings,

I received a call yesterday (Sat.29th) from George Parker (JER); it was a follow-up call from last week, when he told me about an apparent deadfall tree across Simmons airstrip. He saw it during a fly-by.

He received several messages via SPOT from Matt Conklin. Matt had landed and set his camp up at Dewey Moore, then with a hand saw, hiked up to Simmons and cut that tree up in 5 chunks. He was able to move 4 of them off the runway, enough so landing was possible. He needed help to get the big chunk off the runway. He was alone.

The hike he thought was about 5 miles was really closer to 9. It took him so long to get there, saw up and move most of the tree, that he did not make it back to his camp. The last spot message said he was just going to lie down and sleep along the trail, he was beat. That was 2 a.m.

I’ll get more details when Matt gets back here. His hanger is near mine.

George suggests, and I agree, that he deserves a “Herculean” award as some recognition for his efforts and dedication to airstrip maintenance.

George Parker; 208.358.1802.

Jerry
859-7959

If I could upload Matt's photos, I would

NEVER MIND! I SEE SOME IN THE GALLERY. THANKS!

Kenny wrote:Greetings,

I received a call yesterday (Sat.29th) from George; it was a follow-up call from last week, when he told me about an apparent deadfall tree across Simmons airstrip. He saw it during a fly-by.

He received several messages via SPOT from Matt. Matt had landed and set his camp up at Dewey Moore, then with a hand saw, hiked up to Simmons and cut that tree up in 5 chunks. He was able to move 4 of them off the runway, enough so landing was possible. He needed help to get the big chunk off the runway. He was alone.

The hike he thought was about 5 miles was really closer to 9. It took him so long to get there, saw up and move most of the tree, that he did not make it back to his camp. The last spot message said he was just going to lie down and sleep along the trail, he was beat. That was 2 a.m.

I’ll get more details when Matt gets back here. His hanger is near mine.

George suggests, and I agree, that he deserves a “Herculean” award as some recognition for his efforts and dedication to airstrip maintenance.

Nice work Matt...wish I would have been able to help out.

Thanks for the dedication.....
How did you hike Matt? Did you follow the trail up big creek past Dewey Moore and then head up Monumental creek or did you head direct up over the ridge/buckpoint and then down. Looks like the elevation gain would be brutal going direct (4000ft) each way

Also interested in the spot messages. With my spot (as far as I know) I can only send pre-prepared messages. Wondering how he could send the spot message that he was sleeping by the trail unless he had planned to do this?

Buy that guy a 12-pack.

highroad wrote::shock:
Thanks for the dedication.....
How did you hike Matt? Did you follow the trail up big creek past Dewey Moore and then head up Monumental creek or did you head direct up over the ridge/buckpoint and then down. Looks like the elevation gain would be brutal going direct (4000ft) each way

Also interested in the spot messages. With my spot (as far as I know) I can only send pre-prepared messages. Wondering how he could send the spot message that he was sleeping by the trail unless he had planned to do this?

I don't use SPOT, but I thought one could send a message any time, so long as the sats were in view?

Kenny wrote:Greetings,

I received a call yesterday (Sat.29th) from George Parker (JER); it was a follow-up call from last week, when he told me about an apparent deadfall tree across Simmons airstrip. He saw it during a fly-by.

He received several messages via SPOT from Matt Conklin. Matt had landed and set his camp up at Dewey Moore, then with a hand saw, hiked up to Simmons and cut that tree up in 5 chunks. He was able to move 4 of them off the runway, enough so landing was possible. He needed help to get the big chunk off the runway. He was alone.

The hike he thought was about 5 miles was really closer to 9. It took him so long to get there, saw up and move most of the tree, that he did not make it back to his camp. The last spot message said he was just going to lie down and sleep along the trail, he was beat. That was 2 a.m.

I’ll get more details when Matt gets back here. His hanger is near mine.

George suggests, and I agree, that he deserves a “Herculean” award as some recognition for his efforts and dedication to airstrip maintenance.

George Parker; 208.358.1802.

Jerry
859-7959

Thanks for your hard work and didication, Matt!!

Kenny wrote:

highroad wrote::shock:
Thanks for the dedication.....
How did you hike Matt? Did you follow the trail up big creek past Dewey Moore and then head up Monumental creek or did you head direct up over the ridge/buckpoint and then down. Looks like the elevation gain would be brutal going direct (4000ft) each way

Also interested in the spot messages. With my spot (as far as I know) I can only send pre-prepared messages. Wondering how he could send the spot message that he was sleeping by the trail unless he had planned to do this?

I don't use SPOT, but I thought one could send a message any time, so long as the sats were in view?

You can but the message is what ever you have set up on the website. The SPOT people were testing a unit with a keyboard so you could send any message you wanted but they apparently aren't coming out with it.

Warning: Story may "improve" with campfire and promised beverages.
Had the SPOT, but also had the sat phone we purchased just before the Alaska trip. The straight line distance from Dewey to Simonds is ~4-5 miles. Hiking up Big Creek and then Monumental, theres a definite curve to the path and I figured adding a couple miles might be about right - too much figuring ahead of time and you can talk yourself right out of something, so I purposely avoided too much planning. I hoped for a quick day hike to do the work and get back for some fishing in Big Creek. Starting off from Dewey shortly after 9A, I had a pack with shovel, tree saw, pruning shears and ax, along with some snacks, water and warm clothes. (I think it hit >100F in Boise that day ) Took me more than 5 hours at a good clip to hike up to the Airstrip. I kicked myself for being old and out of shape and told George when I called him (on the sat phone) later in the day it must've been closer to 9 miles. Later (back home) looked at Frank Church trail guide and the distances came out to 14 miles one way. Cleared fallen tree and grown up "shrubbery" at Simonds by ~8:30P. But wait, the "adventure" gets better! I had changed headlamp batteries back in Boise and somehow the light didn't make it back into my pack. So after hiking past bear scat and wolf tracks all day on the way up, I hiked the last 10 miles or so back to the plane in pitch black, guided as needed by the LED backlight on the sat phone and the flashing LED light on the SPOT. When it's truly pitch black, you'd be amazed how much light those darn things make - you can check it out yourself, but the feeling is altogether different when you're alone and the critters are making noises around you and you have many miles to get back to camp. . While it helps calm the nerves to remind yourself that mankind has ventured out in the dark without flashlights, etc. for eons, the thought loses weight noting that several of those dudes probably stumbled blindly off cliffs or were eaten. Surprisingly, by running the first 4 miles downstream from Simonds (wanted to get the creek crossings behind me before dark) and with feet that got pretty good at reading the dished out trail in braille fashion, I made it back to Dewey in 5.5 hours (yes, after 2AM). Woke up to Mike Doris coming in to cart 4 nice backpackers out of Dewey. He shuttled one person and gear over to cabin creek and then came back for the other 3. I thought it was good that I had worked up to going into Dewey, but am again humbled by the Master! Did some maintenance at Dewey and headed over to McCall for breakfast. The guy sitting next to me at the bar at Pancake House said it would've taken him 2 days to eat all that food. I told him I had saved up 2 days to eat it.

Matt...I would have been bear scat if Id've tried that. Don't think I will ever make it into Simmonds but I imagine others that want to, owe you some thanks. HC

Hello Backcountry Pilots,

I'd like to nominate Matt for Backcountry Pilot of the year! He gave 200% clearing the tree from Simmonds, and clearing brush at Dewey Moore. What a hike and great story too. I wish there were more people like Matt around.

I'm flying into the Idaho back-countryry this month for a two week elk and wolf hunt. People like Matt make it possible and safer to utilize these back country airstrips. PS: see any elk?



A new fan,



James

Spokane

Haha! That is a great story, you certainly have some stones my friend. Nice work!

tough, way tough...must be from idaho...!