I would like to have the lat/longs for Monache Meadows in CA. Also, does anyone know if Sacatar Meadows still has a useable airstrip? My Dad flew his Tri-pacer into both of these strips in the early 60's. I would like to revisit them in my Husky!

LT

LT,

I did a Google search on "monache meadows airstrip", and I think I found your site on calpoly.edu. Kind of a cool story, you should post it here.

Z

Zane,

Thanks! I guess my Dad wasn't the only one flying a Tri-pacer into Monache. While searching google for Monache I also found Tunnel Meadow Airstrip. It's nearby and at 9000 msl.

LT

Oh that story wasn't you? hahaha. I thought it was since the guy had 'Nam stories, and you go by LT...lieutenant? Since when did the tri-pacer become the choice bush aircraft of the Sierras?

For those wondering, here is the article i found:

http://pacer.calpoly.edu/tri/pacer/monache.html

z

Zane,

LT stands for Laurie. I really don't know how my Dad managed to get that little 135 hp bird tucked into some of the places he flew it into. Most weekends there would be 4 of us (Mom, Dad and Me holding the barf bag for my little brother) flying into the old Porter Lodge in Sacatar Meadows. Very happy times and that started my love of backcountry aviation!

LT

The original Forest Service strip at Monache is said to be unusable. I drove a dune buggy on it a few years back and it seemed smooth enough for 26" tires or bigger, but it had a lot of sage brush on it, so prop clearance could be an issue. However, the runway isn't X'd out - at least it wasn't the last time I was up there two years ago. The East Camp airstrip is privately leased and you have to get permission to land on it, but many don't bother asking. Lots of pilots fly in there to trout fish on the south fork of the Kern. I know a guy who can relay info for permission if you want to keep it legit. I'm gonna be up there in July, so I think I will walk the old public strip to check it out.

Sacatar is also a private restricted airstrip requiring permission to land. You can call the number listed here for permission - http://www.airnav.com/airport/91CL

The Tunnel Meadow and Templeton Meadow airstrips are now closed, they were closed when the area they were in became the Golden Trout Wilderness years ago. It's a shame those two closed because the area is amazingly beautiful and generally hard to get to without a lot of walking or a horse. Too bad enough people didn't make enough noise to keep them open.

The Forest Service has a history of being very hostile to any kind of motorized traffic in this part of the Sierras even though the only areas off limits to motorized vehicles are the wilderness areas.

LT, I'll see if I can dig up the lat-longs for East Camp from my GPS for you.

Thanks SR for the info on East Camp and Monache. I think we'll try camping in the Sierras this summer. I plan to call the owners of both Sacatar and Porter Ranch in Kennedy Meadows for permission. I'll post their replies.

I have ridden my horse all around the Golden Trout Wilderness. I worked for the BLM at the 9 mile canyon (Chimney Creek? I think)station in the 80's. I was able to keep my horses at the station so I rode all over the place on my days off. Too bad about Tunnel Meadows. You are totally correct about the access into the GT Wilderness. It's a long way to hike or ride.

LT

Here's a link to an aerial photo of East Camp airstrip - http://mapper.acme.com/?lat=36.228735&long=-118.17225&scale=13&theme=Image&width=3&height=2&dot=Yes The strip is on the triangular shaped sand bar and the cursor is at the north end on the hillside. You can use this hillside as a little extra takeoff run, but use care because the sand is soft up there and can put heavy loading on the tailwheel when you turn around. The baby bushwheel was made for just this sort of thing. The runway has an X on the south end but people still land on it. I've been told it's there for liability protection.

Spent a lot of my youth hiking and riding all over this area. Have a friend with a cabin up there...truly a wonderful place with a lot of great memories.

I spent a little time poking around Kennedy Meadows & that area up 9 Mile canyon years ago when I lived in LA, after a buddy of mine moved to Ridgecrest to work for the Navy at China Lake. We fished for trout in the South Fork of the Kern, and also got after the elusive quail ( they eluded us anyway!). Beautiful country!
I never knew there was any airstrips up there, as I wasn't into aviation back then. I seem to recall a little general store &/or eatery called Grumpy Bear's or Huggy Bear's or something like that. Is it still there?

Eric

Hi Eric...Glad you like Taz's paintjob!

The store/bar/cafe was called Grumpy Bear's.

Thanks for the map and lat/longs SR! Now we've got somewhere besides Idaho (love it!) to camp and explore this summer.

LT

zero.one.victor wrote: I seem to recall a little general store &/or eatery called Grumpy Bear's or Huggy Bear's or something like that. Is it still there?

Don't know for sure if it's still called Grumpy Bear's. The last time I was in Kennedy meadows was July 2001. We were in the general store but I never bothered to look at the sign to see if the name had changed, but it is still there. We usually drive up to Monache over Sherman Pass so we don't get into Kennedy meadows very often, unless there's a liquor or beer crisis.

For those of us that *kinda* know the area, where exactly are we talking about here? Mt Whitney was mentioned, so I guess eastern Sierras near Kernville and Lake Isabella. Somebody paste in a map. I think this is not that far a flight south from Reno.

LT, where do you live, WA or AZ?

Zane

Zane,

You are in the right area. Sacatar Meadows is on the Los Angeles sectional. North And East of the Kernville area. Monache is north of there. The 9 mile canyon road is on the chart. It takes off east from Hwy 395 north of Inyokern.

My husband (C-170B) & I (Husky A-1) live in Western Washington, not far from Eric. We base at AWO. In AZ we live in our hangar house at Indian Hills Airpark, 2AZ1.

LT

Actually, the 9 Mile Canyon road takes off to the west from 395. Zane, if you drew a line on a map between Porterville & Inyokern, the Kennedy Meadows area would be right about at midpoint .

You're right Eric, I get my easties and westies mixed up sometimes...LT

Zane,

Click on the aerial photo link I provided above. There are controls that let you zoom in and out, pan, and change the photo to a topo. The images come from Terraserver, but I like Acme's control panel better.

Check out this map. All four of the airstrips mentioned are on it.
[url]http://mapper.acme.com/?lat=36.286409&long=-118.20788&scale=14&theme=Topo&width=5&height=8&dot=Yes[url][/url]

Sacatar is a few miles SSE of Monache.

huskydriverlt wrote:You're right Eric, I get my easties and westies mixed up sometimes...LT

I like to say there's east.... and then there's the OTHER east!
That "traffic at your 3 o-clock" thing sometimes throws me for a second too-- that's why I still have the old wind-up clock in the panel!
Laurie, I didn't notice the other day if you have a new Taz on the tail or not. ???

Eric

I've got a pair of (15 year old plus) Forest Service maps of the Sequoia & Inyo Nat'l Forests. I just looked them over & they don't show either one of these strips (Sacatar & Monache). A not very subtle way to try to deny their existence? Iwould think that they would be included at least for their value as landmarks.

Eric

What are the chances of petitioning the Forest Service to reopen or allow us to reopen Monache Meadows and other Sierra air strips in California? Or am I being silly? These strips are in, or should I say were in my back yard. Is there anything that can be done to reinstate them? I would love to help. A sad as it sounds I think the closure of these strips helped make the RAF the force that it is today, it showed others what could happen to their back country air strips as it did ours.

Here is some cool info I stumbled onto containing info, maps, and pics from Monache Meadows, Tunnel Meadows, and Templeton Meadows. It would be great if we could get these re-opened!

http://www.whitneyzone.com/wz/ubbthread ... cs/17926/1