Hey everyone,

Yesterday my friend and I did a spontaneous lunch run to Smiley Creek for lunch. Pretty smokey all the way up but no TFRs and the vis got better north of Galena Summit. First time taking a 172 up there. After a couple of mods, we were happy to see how it performed. Light breeze out of the north and cool temps helped. Lunch was great. In fact, so good, we are doing a breakfast run again in the morning. If anyone is headed that way, give us a holler!


Worst visibility over the Snake River Valley. A really high pressure has it all trapped in the valley.




Sun Valley area.




Appropriately attired.




Never get tired of coming here!


Tasty burger!!


Approaching Ogden. It was this smokey all the way down to northern UT.

Love that place Cory!

My wife caught my arrival at Smiley Creek back in '08 on the south camera while she was at work.

Awesome Ernie! For a second I thought you were going to tell me that was earlier today...and that we would be having a lot of company for breakfast.

I may go up tomorrow, what time are you thinking?

Love that place, too!!

Sorry I missed your post Soaringhiggy. We got there around 9:30. Vis was MUCH better today. Pics to come soon.

my son and I had a good flight around the desert. We stopped at Bear Trap, Laidlaw corrals, big southern butte and peakaboo.

We will have to try and coordinate again some time.

That would be great. How were the desert strips? We were going to check out Laidlaw Corrals but ended upgoing to Gooding for fuel and didn't fly by it on the way home. Where are you based out of?

Sorry. I see Kimberly now.

They were good, it is a nice route. Pickaboo is a great place as well. You can gas at the station there, good food and the owners are great. They fly a turbine 210, nice ride. The dad is in his 90's and still flys a cherokee 235.

I keep my plane at Twin Falls.

Let mi know when you are coming by sometime.

I've wanted to check Picabo out. Didn't know if it was open to the public. Good to know. I'll drop you a line the next time we head that way.

Lunch was so good that we went back up Saturday for breakfast. What a difference a couple of days made. The vis was much better than I was expecting since the high pressure was still over the area.








Sun Valley area


Perfect temperature for breakfast outside.


At first Adam wasn't so sure about sitting on the bear.


Me and my little buddy wearing our "team" shirts as he calls them.


Some sort of a turbine kit plane was up there doing touch and goes. Later we found him doing the same in Gooding.


St. Luke's Life Flight out of Boise.

Great pictures Cory. Looks like little Adam and Sprocket are having a blast.

The turbine is a Comp Air (looks to be 7?)

Soaringhiggy,

Can you taxi right up to the pumps at pickabo? Any idea whether their mogas is ethanol free? If they have food too it sounds like I need to add it to my list when I am coming/going from the Idaho backcountry. Let me know or PM me. Thanks.

you have to go out of a gate, but after that it is all yes and yes. Great place. Nice people, great fishing.

I've fueled up at Picabo many times. The owner asks that you not taxi to the pumps but that you shutdown as you come out of the west gate and onto the dirt road then push your plane to the pumps. They don't want you on the highway or your prop spinning when you are outside the airport property. They are more than happy to help push your plane to the pumps. Picabo is a very cool spot.

Picabo is the coolest... and has been like that for at least 30 yrs, that's how long I've been stopping there. Carey right around the corner has a nice grass strip also but no easy access to fuel. Anything beats stopping at the hi faluting Sun Valley/Ketchum controlled airport!

Is that 91 Oct ethanol free? Thought about stopping there a coupkle of times but knew nothing about fuel.
Ernie

Can't tell ya for sure Ernie. My best guess is no. last couple times I was there I just needed coffee Smiley on the other hand had real gas.

Went to Smiley Creek for lunch today. They will be closing the restaurant and store for the season next Sunday.

DEGJR