Backcountry Pilot • COURIERGUY:LOOKING FOR TROUBLE part 2

COURIERGUY:LOOKING FOR TROUBLE part 2

Did you fly somewhere cool, take photos, and feel like telling the tale to make us drool from the confines of our offices? Post them up!
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COURIERGUY:LOOKING FOR TROUBLE part 2

Saturday I had to fly through the smoke about 100 miles to make a service call on a large solar water pumping setup I did a few years back. A working cattle ranch, and from what I can tell that is an occupation that seems to entail a lot of work everyday of the week, the cows don't take a day off and are always thirsty, hungry, or both. This ranch holds the record for the most cowdogs on a ATV, I saw 5 piled on the front and back once, I could hardly see Rocky the ranch head honcho, it looked like a circus act but just another day at work for all of them.

First shot is right after takeoff between the rows of hay.Image The solar arrays are spaced apart just right to act as tiedowns if I'm going to be there very long. Coincidence? Not really, I installed them with that in mind, partially anyway!
Image Work done, I headed home, hugging one side of the big valley and poking my nose into the canyons that lead up to 10K+ peaks. Soon enough I started getting that urge, the urge to land. :o Image This crane has been sitting here unmoved for some time, years now, and I land by it every year and cogitate about the failed dreams that it represents. It must have seemed like easy money, picking up boulders for free and selling them, and then something went horribly wrong I'm guessing. A brutal landscape, but I like it.Image Obviously,lots of rocks, but honest ones, not like those sneaky bastards that hide, these you can see. Hard to tell maybe from this pic, but this entire hillside was honeycombed with small caves and even had some small rock arches, I hiked over there and explored for an hour or so. Image Meanwhile the ubiquitous Subaru Outback with mountains bikes on the roof drove into the canyon and a young couple in bike gear got out and got ready to head up the canyon. When I started coming down the hillside prior to climbing the other side to get back to the airplane, suffice it to say they were surprised to see me, not having noticed the plane parked above! They weren't really all that friendly, but we went through the motions anyway, maybe they felt I was intruding on their wilderness experience, that they drove to..... I couldn't resist as I got about 100' away back towards the plane, I turned around and asked the lady if she was being kidnapped. This got a big laugh, no not really, I thought it was funny anyway. :shock: I took off and only made it another couple miles downrange and autolanding struck again. This time because I saw the biggest natural rock arch yet, and more caves.....the landing was tight with large rocks on either side of a narrow twisting one lane road, but worth it for this shot.Image You could just about drive a semi through this arch, and the nearby cave could house the semi if you could drive it sideways. The Idaho landscape continues to amaze and surprise, I mean this wasn't exactly the first time I flew this area, I just never saw these particular areas I guess. Next, I want to land down in the canyon where the Yuppies parked their Soob , tie down, (got the spot picked out) and get the folding mt. bike out follow that trail up to the 10K+ peak or at least until I get a gut full of pedaling. I'm guessing there are more surprises up that way. ImageImage Lastly, a quick stopover at the Blackfoot Airport Skunkworks, always something going on there.ImageImage
courierguy offline
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Re: COURIERGUY:LOOKING FOR TROUBLE part 2

I sure hope that's an FAA approved chair holding up that RANS!

Oh, wait, I guess they are experimental. Never mind...
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Re: COURIERGUY:LOOKING FOR TROUBLE part 2

Good report CG!

I had to laugh about the Subaru encounter. They are public enemy number one when we are out on dirtbikes in southern Utah. I have never seen one wave yet hahaha. Hang out around Moab for a couple of days and check out the people in the Subarus, especially the ones with Colorado plates, sneering at all the motorized inhumanity riding down the street. Many will give you the one-fingered salute. Just funny that your story touched on that genre.
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Re: COURIERGUY:LOOKING FOR TROUBLE part 2

Deleted...
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Re: COURIERGUY:LOOKING FOR TROUBLE part 2

blackrock wrote:Deleted...


Well now I'm really curious!

Courierguy, thanks again for some great pictures and a fun story!
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Re: COURIERGUY:LOOKING FOR TROUBLE part 2

Darn you guys!!! I am a Subaru driver and sure hope I am not in the category of those 'yuppies' you encountered!! Heck, my house walls are covered with dead critters so I am on the opposite side of the spectrum. People are people, no mater what they drive or own. :lol:
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Re: COURIERGUY:LOOKING FOR TROUBLE part 2

Actually I have to hand it to the couple for going WAY off the beaten track, at the same time it was a little dismaying to think they even knew about the place. They for sure could have been a bit more outgoing though, maybe they were from California? Ha ha. I thought later I should have mentioned that I had just dropped off a party of 4 to hike the same trail they were heading out on, and was going back for 4 more, so they would be sandwiched between them, but that would have been wrong :twisted:

No fears Hunter, Soobs are cool, we all know that, and speaking for myself this was the first time I ever connected anything less then laudatory about a Soob, and for that I'll lay the blame on them not the car!
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Re: COURIERGUY:LOOKING FOR TROUBLE part 2

CamTom12 wrote:
blackrock wrote:Deleted...


Well now I'm really curious!

Courierguy, thanks again for some great pictures and a fun story!


Yeah, I know I hate deleting posts. It made reference to soob owners and I didn't want to offend any of my friends and colleagues who drive them, including my mom. It was all in good fun however so only the overly sensitive ones would have not thought it funny.
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