NVflyer wrote:Try a bigger image....???

Dave I shot you a PM. I'm looking to maybe head up that way this weekend and land a few of these spots. Been a while since I've been more than 50 miles from home. Weather tomorrow is looking fantastic.

mountainmatt wrote:Solid work! It's great to see your wife tagging along.

My wife finds comfort in the O'-shit handle too!

Haha, same here... I think she's gotten better since getting her license though.

Earn your turns - unless you have a helo or a ski plane. Civilized - I love it.

Rob and I are flying up tomorrow morning. Looking forward to playing on the ice.

A big TR here....this is the past two days.

Cold temps and bluebird conditions have allowed for some really good flying, skiing, ski flying, sun tanning, ice fishing and a lot of smiles. Spent the day Friday with a few friends ski touring with the plane. Actually felt like a commercial operator given it took a couple loads to get out and back with everyone. I need to get serious about the possibilities at some point as I now have people asking like crazy to go skiing with the plane. I am not really interested in taking just anyone (as I will be deep into that in just a few sort weeks 3500 miles north from here) but it sure is fun taking good friends. On this day we skied just under 5000' of vertical (we climbed that much as well). I was tired... ...tried catching a some fish..no luck today as you will see and captured a nice sunburn on the peak as inversions have the temps at 9000' almost 60 degrees. There was almost a 40 degree temperature change between 6 and 9000'. It was hot! Anyhow, here are some photos from the past two days.


Notice my ski tracks above the right wing...


You cannot start to ski up hill without first putting a line in the water in hopes that you have something on the end when you return...on this day they did not like our bacon... Ice in this photo is almost 18 inches think with about a foot and a half of snow on top...perfect for ski flying


Our 1st objective is the high point in this photo upper left


We make it to the top and its hot...looking toward Sacramento


Catching a tan...


Dropping in off the top...good hard edge-able snow...the wind blew the two previous days but it was still good fun. The summit is much steeper than it looks...


Good skiing about half way down


Steep little shot on the way down to the lake


MT prop self portrait...have I said lately how much I love my MT prop??? Its truly unreal!!!


Fast forward to today...this lake is a bit intimidating given all the pressure cracks and flooding. The ice is about12- 14 inches thick and has a lot of pressure cracks and flooding. You need to be very careful here. "Most" of the cracks are smooth but you must do a few fly byes to verify your touchdown spot. Once down you feel good about things but this lake in-particular gives me the creeps. You can hear the water under the lake making noises that sound like a whale is underneath it. Spooky but fun! It also has great access for skiing (the kind thats on your feet)


Met up with some friends that were already here, including our own NVflyer...( he has the hanger at Stead for the Air Races)


They were fishing


As NVFlyer mentioned in this thread earlier, this Sea Ray is a cool plane. On this day, this guy won. He fished, landed on the ice and then went over to Tahoe and landed on the water... How much better can it get??


We then packed up and headed over to the lake that Rob56 and Avidflyer will be going to in the AM. Its perfect for wheels...just not a Red Mooney...
Its a fun approach down low through the slot to the sun shadow line where we all parked



NVFlyer needed to get back as the sun was going down quick. The second photo here is 15 minutes after NVFlyer left.



Sierra sunset...another great day. Looking forward to tomorrow...


Thanks for your time!!!

AKT

Me likey!

Thanks for always keeping us updated! Western goodness. Ahhhhhh, the good life.

Absolutely stoked! I can't wait for tomorrow, I got the split board out and all my gear ready to go! See you in the morning.

Can't wait!!

I'd be there in a heartbeat, but it's just too damn far! Besides I have my own plans for the day Have a ball you guys!

On that inversion thing: it's a dramatic difference around here also, barely double digits during the day in the valley, where my work usually is, and over 40 up at the ski area weather station (which I check into with my smart phone) and warmer up at the top of the mountain. Funny how the people who don't ski, board, or otherwise participate in winter activities think we are all freezing our ass's off up here when actually they are the ones!

courierguy wrote:I'd be there in a heartbeat, but it's just too damn far! Besides I have my own plans for the day Have a ball you guys!

On that inversion thing: it's a dramatic difference around here also, barely double digits during the day in the valley, where my work usually is, and over 40 up at the ski area weather station (which I check into with my smart phone) and warmer up at the top of the mountain. Funny how the people who don't ski, board, or otherwise participate in winter activities think we are all freezing our ass's off up here when actually they are the ones!

Tom is seeing the same killer inversions over in Idaho...

Last week it was -19f in front of my hangar at JAC. Less then 3 miles away and 4000 higher at the Jackson Hole Mountain resort the top of the tram was +29f... Biggest temp spread I have ever seen.....

And...............

The pics and stories in this thread are biblical... Keep um comin...

Kevin, this thread is intoxicating.

I can't wait to hear about today's adventure!

mountainmatt wrote:Kevin, this thread is intoxicating.

I can't wait to hear about today's adventure!

Uhh yeah, my jealously has reached critical mass. Isn't anyone jealous that I'm here at my desk working on the new website?

Livin' that good life, man!
How about the near-future, when your little One can join you on skis?!!
Hope it just keeps on gettin' better and better... and can't wait to join you in Six Five Charlie!
B.R.

This could be the 1st annual BCP Sierra Ice Fly in!!!

I left thinking this AM that we may have 3 or 4 planes today. That turned into 8 or 9 along with 6 snowmo's!

What a good time. I still cannot get over the fact that Kalifornia and ice fishing and ski flying just doesnt sound correct but, it happened and what a great time! We all kept saying how lucky we were to be out on the ice in the beautiful weather.

I wont write much more as I will leave that to the first time ice fliers that arrived today and let my photos do the talking...

Stop #1


Avidflyer and me


Avidflyer


MFraser and his beautiful 185


Robw56 and his board getting ready to take a run in the Sierra sun!


Rob getting it done!


Stacey mesmerized by yesterdays frozen over ice fishing hole...pretty cool to look down in these holes


Avidflyer ready to go and fired up for his first ice departure!


Avid flyby


Off to the next spot were we would gather...This is when the fun really began

Lowrider


Lowriders 206, Avid and my buddies Stinson


MFraser's 185




Giving everyone spaceon the ice...the joke was dont park next to Lowrider


More arrivals


Stacey is hot, Rob is making sure he got his photo, NVflyer is cooking as usual and our Pro Photog Grant "AKA Flame" is making sure he is primed for his artistic impression


This lady flies a Supercub and a 757! Her man flies for the Patriot Jet team with our own "Jughead" and is a check pilot for the P51 Mustang...she is also my hanger neighbor...


These two pics pretty much summerize the day...



A very good day gang!!

Anxious to see the other photos to come...

AKT

Very Cool Kevin! I might have to come over soon so as not to miss out on these epic trips. Looks like a good time was had by all. How was the fishing?

What a good day! We had 8 planes total, did some ice fishing, BBQ'd some meat, and I even got a few turns in on the snowboard!



Our first stop




Mark in his 185




We didn't stay here long but I still got in a few turns










On to the second lake, Joey's landing in front of us


Mike and his kids in the 206




Ice fishing








A group of curious snow machine riders stopped by for a while






Joey heading home

blackrock wrote:Very Cool Kevin! I might have to come over soon so as not to miss out on these epic trips. Looks like a good time was had by all. How was the fishing?

Well we didn't catch a damn thing but it was still a good day of fishing!

robw56 wrote:

blackrock wrote:Very Cool Kevin! I might have to come over soon so as not to miss out on these epic trips. Looks like a good time was had by all. How was the fishing?

Well we didn't catch a damn thing but it was still a good day of fishing!

Rob, yes I understand just being out makes it all worth while. I've a few days of chukar hunting like that this year. And on the bright side, I didn't have to clean anything when I got home!

Well it kind of looks like we were all taking the same types of photos but I'll go ahead and add mine

Little VFR on top over Sac this morning



Headed up the hill





One of a few firsts today...First landing on Ice/snow... First landing in the 7000ft range...First landing at 13 degrees in Truckee this morning!



Kev you should be a CFI. Awesome job today telling us what we needed to know to do this smart and safe. Here he is explaining the approach into the next stop.



Another shot of Rob



Can't have too many pictures of your own airplane







Shot this one spiraling out to head home



Sac Int'l on the way home




Awesome time today guys! Thanks again to Kevin for putting in the time to scout the areas and make sure everyone was good to go. It was bittersweet heading back down the hill into the valley after being up there all day. I had a tailwind all the way home at least!