58Skylane wrote:

701driver wrote:Like Glidergeek said, the chicken strip is closed so no fly ins only drive ins.

Rick

I'll help you out here, Rick.


The Chicken Strip is CLOSED. NO Fly ins! Drive ins Only, for this work party!!!!

OK How bout I skydive in

Glidergeek wrote:
OK How bout I skydive in

Hmmm....... yeah, I want to see Bill skydive in!

In Lone Pine, CA there is one of those joint department tourist centers (NPS, USFS, BLM, etc). There is also an area US Forest Service office in town.

Mount Whitney Ranger Station
640 South Main Street, Lone Pine, CA
(760) 876-6200

One or all the departments undoubtedly have a work yard with equipment and vehicles and, given the public service nature of the effort, might let you sign out everything you need and send along a representative with a truck. Might even send a truck to the Lone Pine Airport at a specified time to pick everyone up and return them (after dinner in town).

Springs are labeled on Google Maps as the Saline Valley middle springs.
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=warm+spri ... 5&z=15&t=h

qmdv wrote:It is obvious that a work party may be necessary to fix up Chicken Strip. Just vote for any weekend you can go. If all five weekends are good for you, vote for all five. A good BBQ and Breakfast would be in order.

Tim

DETAILS:
Date, Saturday OCT 15TH
If you are interested in attending, please contact Rick Lach @ 760-378-3870 (Kernville airport manager) to have your name be added to the list.
Road info/Driving conditions:
So if anyone comes from the South you will need to go to Big Pine and take the North Pass road. No real issues with the North Pass but it is still rough. North Pass is on all the maps. It is called Wacoba/Saline road.
The route would 395 to Big Pine to 168 to Death Valley Road to Wacoba / Saline road down to the valley. Later we can worry about the turnoff to get to the Warm Springs and Chicken Strip.
NPS contact (address/phone) ????-TBA

Bump

Just got off the phone with Rick Lach he said he could use some more commitments from volunteers for the Chicken Strip repair if you can help contact him. If you need a ride from Lone Pine, Independence or Bishop he will coordinate that. He asked me to organize an equipment list and who would bring what. I'll make recommendations on what needs to be brought and if you can bring these items/tools let me know. If you've got recommendations PM me and I'll edit my post and as I get commitments I can edit them in also.

One of my questions is how close can we get to the strip? Is there actually an "approved road" right onto the strip that can we use to get our equipment right onto the strip and a vehicle that can drag it onto it or are we going to have to carry? I know LL got his Suzuki on there but as we all know sometimes rules don't always apply too everybody.

Suggested things to bring:
Shovels both round and flat
hard rakes
post hole digger
wheel barrow
1-275 gallon water tote w/water Glidergeek
1-2" gas/pump with hoses Glidergeek
gloves, boots
portable generator
small chain saw
gas air compressor or 12v compressor
2000 gallon water truck
road grader or tractor w/ganon
2-8' rail road ties
chain/tow straps/cable
Lawn rollers that can be filled w/water
white recflective paint to mark rocks.
day glo orange paint.


1-sat phone
tables/chairs/shade canopies
BBQ /charcoal/
Blender
Coolers w/food/beer/drinking water ect
Breakfast/lunch/dinner suggestions and people that can volunteer to cook or prepare food.
first aid kit sun screen
tools/jack and fix a flat/ tire plug kits.


Again any suggestions or methods are open, PM me and I'll edit this post accordingly
Russ

Desert Rat wrote:

Glidergeek wrote:My best window of opportunity and I suspect others are going to be on the weekends (except for you old retired geezers) . I would rather see an October weekend(s) Given that bear in mind that some research is bringing to light that driving in is quite a trip and might best be done with 4 wheel drive. The link below is a good source of knowledge but has plenty of rants. I'm seeing reports of up to 4-5 hrs driving from the last pavement to the Chicken Strip. I think there's only 3 ways in on the surface.

http://forum.salinepreservation.org/

LOL It ain't 4-5 hours. Mt. bike ?? Its 50 miles from Big Pine the first 15 are paved. 30 down to the turnoff to the springs the first 15 are excellent.
So about 15 miles of rocky road. The last 5 over to the springs are good. did that total 50?

Ok this is the deal: For $1,000. I will walk/run from the pavement to the springs in 5 hours. Make it 10 hours.

OK I stand corrected bout how much time can we expect from Big Pine to Warm Springs?

Glidergeek, driving time depends mostly on road conditions, it took me 8 hours once after a rainstorm, but only 90 minutes on a clear road. Driving style can extend the time, a lot of folks drive pretty slow on gravel, but remember that the closer you get to stall speed, the rougher the ride. Upwards of 45mph you get a nice aerodynamic cushion (but you probably already knew that).

Take lots of water, and have fun. Here's a decent area map from the NPS Death Valley site:
http://www.nps.gov/deva/planyourvisit/u ... oads-2.pdf

nutria rat wrote:Glidergeek, driving time depends mostly on road conditions, it took me 8 hours once after a rainstorm, but only 90 minutes on a clear road. Driving style can extend the time, a lot of folks drive pretty slow on gravel, but remember that the closer you get to stall speed, the rougher the ride. Upwards of 45mph you get a nice aerodynamic cushion (but you probably already knew that).

Take lots of water, and have fun. Here's a decent area map from the NPS Death Valley site:
http://www.nps.gov/deva/planyourvisit/u ... oads-2.pdf

Thanks for the map that's helpful looks easier than I thought. So you'll be leading us in

Russ and the rest of you, I want to thank you for taking the initiative to help plan this event you’re really helping all of us get things together for this trip, should be a great time, my work has me in LA on Friday I will have to travel Saturday morning from my home base in Lake Isabella. Joe

Things are starting to come together.

After talking with Desert Rat I have the following information about the drive in. It's about 2-hours from Big Pine, most of it on dirt roads. So if you’re driving in don’t think about taking the family sedan. Desert Rat says is might be OK for two wheel drive but, their are some sandy spots and thinks 4 x 4 is the best. The chicken strip is out in the middle of NO-WHERE so bring anything you may need especially WATER. Don’t assume, think ahead.

John Kounis will be in Bishop on Friday night and has three seats to drive fly-in pilots in to help. Please if you’re flying in e-mail me or call to make sure we have a ride for you. I and others will be coming in from the south and can pick-up fly-in pilots at lone pine on our way through to Big Pine but, you must e-mail me or call to make sure you have a ride. We are trying to get to the Chicken strip by 10:00AM to 11:00AM

I think by this Friday things will have cleared up a lot and I can post more specific information.

Rick

701driver wrote:Things are starting to come together.

After talking with Desert Rat I have the following information about the drive in. It's about 2-hours from Big Pine, most of it on dirt roads. So if you’re driving in don’t think about taking the family sedan. Desert Rat says is might be OK for two wheel drive but, their are some sandy spots and thinks 4 x 4 is the best. The chicken strip is out in the middle of NO-WHERE so bring anything you may need especially WATER. Don’t assume, think ahead.

John Kounis will be in Bishop on Friday night and has three seats to drive fly-in pilots in to help. Please if you’re flying in e-mail me or call to make sure we have a ride for you. I and others will be coming in from the south and can pick-up fly-in pilots at lone pine on our way through to Big Pine but, you must e-mail me or call to make sure you have a ride. We are trying to get to the Chicken strip by 10:00AM to 11:00AM

I think by this Friday things will have cleared up a lot and I can post more specific information.

Rick

Here are some good pix. of the area: http://air-and-space.com/201004%20Saline%20page%202.htm

nutria rat wrote:Glidergeek, driving time depends mostly on road conditions, it took me 8 hours once after a rainstorm, but only 90 minutes on a clear road. Driving style can extend the time, a lot of folks drive pretty slow on gravel, but remember that the closer you get to stall speed, the rougher the ride. Upwards of 45mph you get a nice aerodynamic cushion (but you probably already knew that).

Take lots of water, and have fun. Here's a decent area map from the NPS Death Valley site:
http://www.nps.gov/deva/planyourvisit/u ... oads-2.pdf

Nutria Rat I left you a PM on Sunday

Many thanks to all of you going to work on the strip. If I wasn't 1600 miles away I'd join in.

The road over North Pass may be in interesting condition, (and weather can change it quick). Here's the Saline Preservation Assoc's road report forum, which is probably better than info from the NPS:
http://forum.salinepreservation.org/pos ... 6&trail=45

If the North Pass road gets blocked, it's not a good idea to try the South Pass without specific current knowledge. I had to back out of it once.

I don't mean to sound like a priss, you can almost always get in with 2WD, but it really is the boonies.

edit to add: Something else to watch out for: "Beware that 395 between S. and N. Passes is a speed trap. "

Glidergeek is based out of Riverside and needs some help with the equipment he will be bringing out to the Chicken Strip for the work party. Can anyone with a pick-up in the south go by and give him a hand hauling things out to the strip??

Rick

Thanks all. If I was home and the motor was in my plane I would be there.

I was out in Saline Valley today. There were about 30 cars at the Warm Springs. The work on the road has progressed about two miles. The ground is damp so they got some rain. I didn't drive out there but with that many cars the North Pass must still be good.

The Samurai and drag are still on the runway (how strange). Bret said he would get it moved to show a bit of good faith.

One question: The "other strip" has tires on it. They may have been there before and I never saw them. Does anyone know whether the tires have been added?

I don't know, man. But the more and more I think about this whole deal. The more I think it smells fishy Call me a sour puss all you want, but something just doesn't seem right.

Desert Rat wrote:I was out in Saline Valley today. There were about 30 cars at the Warm Springs. The work on the road has progressed about two miles. The ground is damp so they got some rain. I didn't drive out there but with that many cars the North Pass must still be good.

The Samurai and drag are still on the runway (how strange). Bret said he would get it moved to show a bit of good faith.

One question: The "other strip" has tires on it. They may have been there before and I never saw them. Does anyone know whether the tires have been added?

What airstrip is that on the bottom taken from ground level?

Hey Rick, is there anything else you need? For those of us too far away to attend, is there anything we can do from afar? I wouldn't mind pitching in a meager amount to help cover some gas for airport shuttling/supplies/etc (do you have a paypal?).

I don't feel right just sitting around.

58Skylane wrote:I don't know, man. But the more and more I think about this whole deal. The more I think it smells fishy Call me a sour puss all you want, but something just doesn't seem right.

Glad someone said this. I didn't want to be first to be called SP

BTW I double checked my ATT phone and it works fine in the valley. Two bars and 3G. I made calls and sent SMS. I only have ATT so anything else

Where is that strip and whose airplane is that anyway? Too bad he was so far away I couldn't get the N # in the pix. I would have turned that sucker in to the Park Service. Oh well he said he made an emergency landing because his EGT was pegged and he wanted to be sure all was well.