Hello fellow pilots.

I live way off grid in Northern California on a riverfront placer mine which I’ve been reclaiming for 15 years. It still has good gold great private swimming holes good hunting packing and riding and only about a hundred people for the surrounding million plus acres. It’s beautiful remote and a little slice of heaven.

I’ve recently smoothed out a strip and graded it with a D8.

It’s about 800 feet x 75 and presently smooth enough to drive a car or truck over 50mph. I’ll be grading it further and as a byproduct adding some length. Likely to 12-1400 feet.

I’m interested in seeking out qualified and experience pilots to have a look and for those with sufficient skills experience and aircraft capability to eventually fly in and visit, make recommendations and talk about my plans and some possibilities going forward. I’m quite open to advice suggestion and picking the collective brains of experts.

I own a zenith 701 built by another and it’s being refurbished by me. It’s presently in AZ where I’m finishing some work but I hope to fly in later this year however I have not only maintenance work milestones but skills milestones to achieve before I fly in myself.

Prior to that I’d like to get some folks in to give their thoughts and recommendations give some advice and hear any ideas or suggestions.

However I wat to be clear that the terrain is mountainous though I’m at 1300’

there are NOT a lot of places to land. In fact I have one of the few open spots in the area. It certainly is not for beginner skill sets imo and as such I’m really asking presently for visits only by pilots who really know their stuff and have the aircraft capability to safely arrive and depart and provide some sound advice and consultation.

I’m even open to some development and partnership ideas so don’t be shy but presently that’s putting the cart before the horse.

I’ve put some pictures in my profile and will post more as changes happen and put up a drone video soon.

Please contact me to discuss. Thank you all for your interest.
Howard

Sounds like fun. Will Fly for Food. Where abouts are you?

Count me in. Looking forward to more details.

RoughAir wrote:Sounds like fun. Will Fly for Food. Where abouts are you?

Good comment. I am also in nor cal. i keep my 182 at my ranch and have 1100 ft grass to wok out of. If you do not want to publish the co ordinates pm them to me

Howard,

I'll be in California the third week of April and will bring my 185 north to Alaska. Will your strip be snow free by then?

Phil

Hello Howard,
I'd be happy to fly-in and chat with you. The Cal Salmon is one of my favorite spots on earth. I spent nearly 20 years kayaking there during the 80s and 90s. I still know a few of the local residents and would love a good excuse to head over. I'm currently a flight instructor providing training from both Reno, NV and Cascade, ID where I specialize in mountain/canyon training. You can see what I do at my website - advflying.com. Send me a PM with your direct contact info and I'll coordinate.
Fred

That's some serious no-shit terrain out there. BEAUTIFUL area of NorCal. It's 50 miles west of Castle Crags, basically. Looking on the satellite view kinda gives me some butterflies how sparse the strips and options are. Kinda like the Frank Church but...without landing strips.

Anything’s possible with this winter but it’s snow free now. I’m at 1300’ and have sun again. Generally have little to no snow accumulation and it’s gone within hours if not days. We had a foot and a half two years back that lasted just about a week. By April the upriver thermal has often started unless there is weather.

I would love to take a look at it with my 185. Where exactly are you? Looks like downstream from Forks of the Salmon.

He's upstream from Forks on the South Fork.

Too bad I’m not in California anymore.. that looks like a beautiful spot I’d love to visit some time!

Following this thread close.....I grew up over in the valley and spent some time on the river when I was younger. Although I now live in Alaska its on my short list to fly south some day and explore my old stomping grounds. Would love to check out your strip! Unless its hot hot out, its plenty doable for me. Greg

Wish I was closer, I’d love to give that a shot.

Rob, where are you now?

Looks better than some of the private strips I've seen in that country.

I guess the real question is: are you looking for lab rats to see if it's even possible, after which you'll close it to everyone but you? Or will those rats be welcome to come and visit afterwards? I suspect you'll get volunteers either way, but if I were to give-it-a-go, I'd want more than just a thanks-and-bye.

I don't mean that to sound rude, but it's a legitimate question.

NorCal contingent has seen this and likely you’ll have some fun dudes making a visit and get some good pics

It looks like a sweet strip for sure. It's a little far from the Bitterroot, hard to get away that far. Would sure love to make a training video for you. 1300' elevation would be awesome!

Cut the trees at both ends. That will allow a lower approach and departure. Any bench gold left above the river? Was the river ever diverted out to mine an inside channel cut?

Gary

CamTom12 wrote:Wish I was closer, I’d love to give that a shot.

Rob, where are you now?

San Antonio now.

Nice talking to you on the phone. I google earthed it. I assume it is the first bar upriver from the fork on south fork. Your 54 statute miles from my strip

Your neighbor Tim

PA1195 wrote:Cut the trees at both ends. That will allow a lower approach and departure. Any bench gold left above the river? Was the river ever diverted out to mine an inside channel cut?

Gary

Especially the trees at the downriver end between the strip and the river.