Here's a little update. Last Thursday we left my parents house in Vancouver and flew out to Memaloose to camp for the night. Memaloose really is a great spot, I think it will be one of our new favorites to go to. We hiked out to the Hat Point watchtower while we were there. It's a nice 4.5 mile round trip hike that follows a two track road up the rim of the canyon then joins a gravel road for the last portion. Total elevation gain is only 300 feet or so but the terrain rises and falls several times throughout the hike.

Heading eastbound through the Columbia River Gorge




Wallowa Mountains


Almost to Memaloose


Looking northwest at the strip


What a view!




Hiking to Hat Point


Looking back at camp


The watch tower in sight

Nice Rob, how did the weather treat you? We drove through that area middle of the night Thursday and it was pouring down rain. Great photos and it looks beautiful up there.

Wow! Beautiful. I love that area.

Thanks for the update!

The photographs mesmerized me. Made me feel great! Thank you.

Thanks for posting! Lots of familiar territory for a former NW guy like me. Headed up there again in August.

Great trip report!!

highroad wrote:Nice Rob, how did the weather treat you? We drove through that area middle of the night Thursday and it was pouring down rain. Great photos and it looks beautiful up there.

It wasn't too bad, Brent. We had a tailwind all the way there between 15-30mph and it was fairly smooth. We only hit a little bit of rain just west of Joseph. We also had a brief rain/hail storm on our hike. Other than that it was pretty good.

After we camped at Memaloose we woke up Friday morning and headed down into Hells Canyon. We made our first stop Temperance Creek for breakfast. We got a tour of the ranch after some biscuits and gravy then took off north through the canyon. Since we were heavy with 80lbs of dog in the back and all our camping gear we only were able to make it into a couple of the longer strips. We landed at Dug Bar and Rogersburg on our flight north. I would like to go back sometime and check out the rest of the strips when we aren't carrying a load. After we got out of Hells Canyon we eventually made our way to Cavanaugh Bay for a late lunch then onto Sullivan Lake for the night.

Waking up to good wx on Friday morning


Landing up river at Temperance Creek Ranch


Free taxi from the strip


You need reservations for breakfast, they also have cabins you can stay in








Landing down river at Dug Bar




Rogersburg


Priest River Valley


Cavanaugh Bay


Great place to get lunch




Priest Lake


Sullivan Lake in NE Washington


Moonrise

Thanks for the inspirational shots! I grew up in Enterprise, so flying around that corner of the state is high on my to do list I've heard that Memaloose wasn't very well maintained anymore, would a Stinson on 7:00x6's do OK up there?

Surreal! Love picture of Priest Lake! Northern Idaho is beautiful.

Great photos, Rob!

Nice work Rob!

Time for an update...living vicariously

Well we made it back home, didn't quite make it three weeks but about 2 and a half. Stacey is a trooper making it that many nights in a tent while 6 months pregnant! After Sullivan Lake we went into Priest River for Breakfast and fuel then into Magee to camp for the night.

Lake Pend..... I mean Lake Pond-O-Ray


Magee


Tieton got to chase several deer


Forest Service buildings across the creek from the airstrip


The next morning we woke up to fog but it quickly burned off




After we left Magee we had a quick fuel stop at Shoshone County then we flew to Breakfast at Elk River then onto Cabin Creek to camp for the night.

On final at Elk River




General store/restaurant




Overhead at Cabin Creek


We walked down to check out the cabins




Tieton and I went on a hike up the ridge

Ah, summer in the forest...I can almost smell the pines and hear the river flowing. Surreal.

On Monday June 1st we woke up at Cabin Creek, packed up our camp, and took off for a short flight to Johnson Creek. We're lucky we got in when we did because the weather really deteriorated and it rained fairly steadily into Wednesday afternoon.

Rain at JC


A big thanks to Terry for bringing a big enough tarp to keep us dry


Tried flying to Dixie Town for breakfast on Thursday but much of the area was fogged in


It was clear at Chamberlain




We decided to go to Sulpher Creek for breakfast instead








Warm Springs


Graham




Two deer came to check us out


Weatherby




Atlanta




Deadwood Dam


Friday Morning at Bernard


Flying B Ranch




Soldier Bar


I took Tieton for a short but steep hike up the hill to the west, elevation gain was about 350ft


A nice looking 180 came and landed as I took in the view from above


Cold Meadows


The colors here are amazing!






On Saturday we went to Lower Loon for breakfast


Terry landing














Mahoney Creek


After breakfast we met up with my dad and his neighbors Harley and Jackie at Thomas Creek and Hiked to the hot springs up river




The water here was just the perfect temperature and very refreshing after the hike in


A Kodiak came in and landed while we were at the hot springs, bringing guests to the Middle Fork Lodge


Bryan and I running the raffle

This year we were lucky enough to be invited to stay with Willie Stene and his family at there cabin 10 miles north of the Condon USFS strip. Thanks Willie for showing us what Montana has to offer, we had a great time. Anyone who hasn't flown in this area it is a must see! We will be going back again for sure.

West Fork Lodge for breakfast on the flight up from Johnson Creek




Willie met us at Condon to give us a ride back to his cabin




The next morning Willie took us on a tour of the area. This is the Big Prairie strip which is unfortunately closed now, it would be great if it could someday be reopened.


Another closed strip, Big Bear


Meadow Creek, this would be a great place to camp! There are several camp sites and stacks of cut firewood.


South fork of the Flathead River


There is a campsite here with great views






Left downwind for Schafer






Inside the Ranger Station


Middle Fork of the Flathead River


Scott taking off








Mt. St. Nicholas in Glacier National Park


Station Lake and the Flathead Range


Next we landed at Ryan Field where we took the courtesy car and went into Glacier National Park




Willie heading back to the Cabin


Montana traffic jam


Two Medicine Lake


Saint Mary Lake


We had a July snowball fight on Logan Pass!




My Dad on the flight back to Condon


Cruising down the Swan River near Willie's cabin

Yesterday, 2 July we made the 8 hour flight home from Montana. It went fairly well except the flight from Mountain Home to Nervino was very hot and bumpy. This was a big trip for us, during the 18 days we flew over 43 hours over 6 states, spent 11 nights in a tent camping at 6 different places, and landed at 56 different airfields.

South end of the Mission Range


Scott over southwestern Montana on the flight to Smiley Creek




Smiley Creek in sight






We ate Breakfast at the Smiley Creek Lodge then made the rest of the way to Rio Vista stopping for fuel at Mountain Home and Nervino


Looks like a great spot to land for Bushwhacker


The 45 Ranch in southern Idaho, we almost stopped but it was already 90+ degrees out and getting pretty bumpy

This is an epic TR.

This could be the coolest vacation ever. This is what its all about!!!

Zzz wrote:This is an epic TR.

For sure!! Awesome!