Backcountry Pilot

[courierguy offline]

I had an urge to fly my S7-S up to St. Ignatius Montana this weekend, I thought there was a flyin there (according to my calender, it seems I was off a month or so as to the date, no matter, still a nice flight), on the way from my place in Inkom I camped out Friday night near a warm spring fed pool thats about 100' around and 2 to 4' deep. It has (as rumor has it) been "stocked" over the years by unknown persons. The area is very remote, north of Howe Idaho is about all I want to say. The water never freezes, year around it stays about 80 degrees or so. When you swim in it its obvious there are a lot of fish in there, you can feel them, for the first time I got a good look at whats in there: bright blue fish about 4 to 6" long, a type found only in AFRICA, as determined by a recent study by some Boise State University types, they were kinda suprised........ Oh yeah, did I mention the elevation is over 7000'! I took some pictures, and I'll post them if they came out OK.

Flying north the next morning, I checked out the "new" strip I'd heard about, unique in its big city anemities while very remote. I've been flying the area north of Howe and south of Salmon for a lot of years, and always enjoyed its seclusion and scenary: 11 to 12 K mt. ranges on both side of a big alluvial flow valley, and almost no development of any kind, even the cattle ranchs are very far and few between. This made the fairly recently built new strip of greater interest: its listed as private and the unknown owner means it , its even printed on the runway in big block letters! I could see by the chart it was 5600' long and paved. A flyby revealed not only is it paved (and about 150' wide at least) it is totally surrounded by a high chain link fence, complete with an electric gate for vehicles, and I assume a key pad entry system. A very large hanger, looking big enough for a small airliner, and a large fuel farm completed the installation. The hanger has living quarters, large living quarters. Seeing this super high dollar installation in this very remote area was amazing, as everything had to be trucked at least 100 miles or so, over dirt roads. More power to the person responsible, I'm not criticizing, but man oh man, who the heck are you and whats in the hanger? Anyone know whazup with this setup? None of my business I know but it makes me curious.

Later the same day on the way home I overflew Dell, Mt. (4U9) which used to be 2600' or so of gravel, now it is 7,000' and paved. It was upgraded I was told by a new local who needed the improvement for his G IV, as it was a state strip before I understand he paid for everything, and it is still open for public use. He has a vacation home in the nearby mts. the local refer to as Disneyland, apparently one of the most high dollar private homes in the country, especially notable for its remote location. I heard he invented the surgical staple, and is a close friend of Ted Turner.

Later that day while on short (very short) final on my turf/dirt/hayfield 400' long strip I wondered:do these two guys know each other?? If not, they need to meet!

[courierguy offline]

<a href="http://s649.photobucket.com/albums/uu213/simkot/?action=view&current=DSC_0135.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i649.photobucket.com/albums/uu213/simkot/DSC_0135.jpg" border="0" alt="blue fish"></a>

[courierguy offline]

Oops, I have to work on how to post pictures..the blue fish showed up nicely.

[patrol guy offline]

S7 guy, that is a nice trip report. You have me curious too.

[mountainmatt offline]

[mtv offline]

The information on the Dell airport is true. Apparently, the guy came to MT Aeronautics, wanting a bigger airport at Dell, and they told him there was no money or justification for that. He told them to get him a quote, and paid for the quote. He then paid for the improvements, and as I understand it, his only condition was that he be permitted to lease a parcel of land on the airport for a hangar. He pays a lease for that.

I don't know who he is, but more power to him.

MTV

[courierguy offline]

Thanks to mountainmatt for bringing that picture up.... I was not kidding about the blue fish right?? I forgot to mention there was also plenty of goldfish, or at least gold colored fish of some type.

[dawgdriver offline]

They look like African Ciclids. Come in many different colors. Great aquarium fish.

[Juan80 offline]

I think the fish are Buitecoverie? ,any way you spell it,I have one in my fish tank.
I also hear a rumor of Bruce Willis doing a big runway in that neck of the woods,sooo maybe thats it?
Nice looking pool though.

[courierguy offline]

Bruce Willis? He's more over in the the Hailey area, I know he's part owner of the Soldier Mt. ski area and around the corner from Hailey. This part of Idaho, where the "strip" is, is way down the scale from the Hailey/Sun Valley area, its the real deal and the surrounding area would hold little attraction for a jetsetter type, I mean there ain't nothing there, just sagebrush and rock. Who knows however.

Thanks for the info on the fish, I'm glad to find it wasn't an optical illusion! BLUE FISH will be an addendum in my log book for that flight.

[kevbert offline]

How about providing lat/long for the private airport in the woods so that the armchair pilots can play along on google earth?

[whee offline]

Flying north the next morning, I checked out the "new" strip I'd heard about, unique in its big city anemities while very remote. I've been flying the area north of Howe and south of Salmon for a lot of years, and always enjoyed its seclusion and scenary: 11 to 12 K mt. ranges on both side of a big alluvial flow valley, and almost no development of any kind, even the cattle ranchs are very far and few between. This made the fairly recently built new strip of greater interest: its listed as private and the unknown owner means it , its even printed on the runway in big block letters! I could see by the chart it was 5600' long and paved. A flyby revealed not only is it paved (and about 150' wide at least) it is totally surrounded by a high chain link fence, complete with an electric gate for vehicles, and I assume a key pad entry system. A very large hanger, looking big enough for a small airliner, and a large fuel farm completed the installation. The hanger has living quarters, large living quarters. Seeing this super high dollar installation in this very remote area was amazing, as everything had to be trucked at least 100 miles or so, over dirt roads. More power to the person responsible, I'm not criticizing, but man oh man, who the heck are you and whats in the hanger? Anyone know whazup with this setup? None of my business I know but it makes me curious.

I know the strip you are talking about. I don't know who ownes it but I used to fly over it fairly often. I haven't been over it since the hangar and fence were put in. I used to see a private jet parked there...don't know what kind as I'm not into that kind of thing. I almost landed there once but decided to just pee in the pop bottle I had

I'll have to go lookin for this "pool" you speak of...if I find it I won't tell

[courierguy offline]

The strip is "not there" in 2004, according to google earth.....when the sat pic was taken. I can't find it anyway....

[hotrod180 offline]

That "mystery strip" is mine, all of y'all please feel free to land there any time.
You better make sure them ble fish aren't some sort of pirahna, they ight nibble off something important while youre soaking in the hot tub.
Surprised people would still plant non-indigeneous wildlife,esp fish-- they have on-going problems in various places with people planting stuff like muskies & pike, which then raise hell with the native species. No telling what those blue fish might be able to do to upset the local ecosystems.

Eric

[kevbert offline]

You can't keep secrets on the internet!

http://www.cichlid-forum.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=199342&sid=3a75251b4291a83bb89a664b3f5e8707

[courierguy offline]

I've never heard it referred to by that name, but everything else matches up. Great pictures, they are even more colorful then I realized! And again, this is all taking place at over 7,000', pretty amazing.

[whee offline]

you land on the road?