Backcountry Pilot • 8600' ski landing

8600' ski landing

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8600' ski landing

On a lunch run to Afton yesterday I landed one of the high Wyoming ridges that looks to my Idaho eyes like it should 5 or 6 K, but was 8600'. By that I mean I find it interesting from a geology point of view, it just didn't "look" that high, much above 7500' around my neighborhood they "look" like a MOUNTAIN, this just looked like a ridge. The first time I landed here a couple summers ago, I thought I had forgot to reset my altimeter before takeoff, the GPS set me straight, just a damn high ridge line.Image

A short while later I parked near the Husky plant as usual and made the short walk to the cafe, which was much more comfortable inside then the ridge was outside, it was about 10 degrees there. Nothing like going into a dry warm place full of people, where they serve you food, after being in a place that is the opposite of all that :D

Back at the plane, I met one of the Husky plant pilots, who happened to be passing by (Afton is a real small town) and got a quick peek into one of the hangars, and saw some extremely interesting things, nuff said, I need to get back during the weekday sometime and get the full plant tour.

What I carried yesterday and every day I ski fly by myself (no one else on skis here, what the heck, is it just James up at Clear Creek and me in Idaho?? Oh yeah, the flying mailman in the Frank Church pilot), 2 lightweight sleeping bags, one with a flannel liner, one heavy sleeping bag, and a gore-tex bivy sack, engine cowl cozy that could also double as yet another sleeping bag (half sized)plus a Thermarest pad. A 10x12 tarp,PLB, signal kit with smoke and flares and mirror, flashlites,rope comalong and over 200' of various line, a couple pairs of extra heavy socks and gloves, googles and a warm hat (unlike the ball cap worn while flying), 50' of parachute light cord, lots of pipe wrap tape, nomex insulated flight suit, an old snowboarding gore-tex jacket, tool kit, several highway flares and several BIC lighters, cat propane heater that can also engine heat, high quality trail mix, jug of water, and the rest pictured, that's about all. #-o I leave the summertime tie down stakes and the entrenching shovel at home, and am debating carrying a couple squares of light plywood, with a hole drilled in the center for my tie down rope, that could be buried under compacted snow and serve as tiedowns or comalong pull points. I guess I should try that at home first and see if it's worth doing? Image
courierguy offline
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Re: 8600' ski landing

Sounds like a good way to turn an oops into a pretty cozy camping trip till help arrives... Or just snowshoe home:)
ping170 offline
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It all looks good, "from a distance".

Re: 8600' ski landing

Nice work Tom! We should connect and have some fun! Ski flying is all time down here now. Just about all of our landings here are between 6-9000'. Over 10 feet of snow above 7500' here.

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If it looks smooth, it might be. If it looks rough, it is...www.bigtirepilot.com ...www.alaskaheliski.com

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