Hey everyone,

Yesterday Adam, Sprocket and I decided to go explore a bit and headed out to check out a couple of strips. This trip actually stems from another thread, but I decided to post a new one in case others weren't watching this thread.

http://www.backcountrypilot.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=8653

This ended up being one of the most fun days flying I've had in a while. We took off with the plan to check out Promontory Point, Spiral Jetty, and Black Mountain. It was a little windy and cool, but not too bad for a flight. We first went over Promontory. There were a couple of planes there so we opted not to drop in. I flew for the shrimpers and figured that at that time in the afternoon, some pilots were probably trying to get some sleep in the trailers near the planes and I didn't want to wake them.




Adam catches a few winks on the way out to explore.

We continued north from there and flew over Spiral Jetty on our way to Black Mountain. Once there, I dragged the strip and it looked really good so we came back to land. The strip is in great shape and quite smooth. We walked the strip, took some pics, and then took off for Spiral Jetty. I definitely plan on going back to explore some more. You could tell that the strip does get muddy from the cattle, bunny, coyote, etc. tracks on and along it, so that is something to be heads up on.


The Spiral Jetty.


Black Mountain looking south. The plane is parked at the circular parking place at mid-field.


Black Mountain looking north from the south end of the strip.


My co-pilots Adam and Sprocket.


Black Mountain looking north.

At Spiral Jetty, we did the same drill: dragged the strip to check the condition as well as for any turbulence from the wind coming over the nearby ridge. It all checked out good so we came around for a landing. It too is in great shape with only a few more bumps from cattle tracks when it was muddy. I definitely want to get back out there and hike the mile or so down to the Spiral Jetty.


Spiral Jetty at the southeast end of the strip.


View of the north arm of the Great Salt Lake from the Spiral Jetty strip.


Spiral Jetty looking northwest.


Spiral Jetty looking to the northwest.


Fall colors on Promontory Point.


Adam practicing his steep turns on the way back home.

All in all, a great afternoon of flying checking out some new places with my buddy. And it was nice only have a 20 minute flight to get out to a place to play!

I'll post a Pirep on Shortfield.com, but thought I'd post some info here too.

Great pics and trip report

Grassstrippilot,
From your photos it looks like you landed on the old spiral jetty strip where the trailer is/was. In your photo is what looks like a new strip with nice turn around just up the hill from the Jetty. I looked it over on my last flight over to Black Mt. Thinking I may head out to the "new Jetty strip" tomorrow morning. Did you look it over or land there?

This is the first I've heard of a "new" strip out there. What details do you have on it? Who made it, length, width, orientation, who owns the land, etc. I'll have to look more closely at my photo and see where it is.

Roads are cheating.... county maintained roads are really cheating.

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I'm not sure if it's a road or an airstrip. The end of it and a turn around shows in your 3rd photo. I noticed it on my last trip to Black Mt. It's on the hill right above the jetty. Appears to be newly graded.

Last winter the county reworked that road. It is a county road that ends at the Jetty. That is the end of the road in the pic.

Got it. Sure looks like a nice airstrip!

Now I know what you are talking about. Yeah, I had that thought too...that it looked like a nice end to a runway for parking/turning around. But, as mentioned, that's the road. Sure be a shorter walk to the jetty, but I'm thinking the walk will be a good part of the fun.