For the TL;DR's: I may get around to posting pictures, but enjoy the 3-part video series covers most of it! Lots more words below explain the moving pictures.

Part 1


Part 2


Part 3



Full Story:

Well, a few weeks ago I had to be in Breckenridge, CO for a friend's wedding. Being in Tehachapi, CA and not having a car with working A/C, and having avoided the airlines for over 2.5 years now, I was left with one logical choice: Cessna 120.

The middle of August in the Rockies with a 100 HP 71 year old airplane may not really fit the bill for "best idea ever", but it was still an idea and one I thought could be achievable. I gave myself a comfortable margin of time to get there and back, spreading the trip across an already extant 3-day weekend plus a few vacation days (Mr. Branson didn't need me that badly for a few days).

The basic plan was to fly to work (I work at the Mojave Airport) and leave in the afternoon strait from work to make Prescott, AZ the first night. Fly Prescott to somewhere in southwest CO on the second day (to be down before afternoon thunderstorms) and then make it to the final airfield, Leadville, by late morning of the third day.

But alas, monsoon season is very much still a thing in mid-August in Arizona, so as I approached Baghdad, the building cumulus ahead did not settle with the setting sun, but instead continued its fury and made the decision easy to divert. Options: Left to Kingman (not a good place to camp), reverse to Havasu (even worse, it’s 120F!), or…well…I know! The Wayside Inn at Alamo Lake, it’s a dirt runway with beer and burgers! Perfect!

Change course, head south a little ways and descend from the comfortable perch up at 7500’ down to the desert floor. Quickly, OAT has gone up. It can’t really still be a 100F out at 8 in the evening can it? Oh yes, yes it can…oh and the Inn is closed in the summer, it’s too hot. Lessons Learned.

Day two was an early morning launch to Prescott for gas. Followed by breakfast at Flagstaff with an old friend. A quick side trip to Valle (40G) to see the Planes of Fame museum and update on the status of things up there (the owner of the airport has passed as of a few years ago, so services are limited and future uncertain). A pass over the Old Grand Canyon Airport, followed by circumnavigating the Grand Canyon SFRA via the Painted Desert.

Enough with all these normal airports, time for some adventure! Step 1: Marble Canyon Airport (L41). What a thrill to land at that is! Even at 105F…and good eats. A worthy stop, maybe in winter next time. On to Page for gas, and then up the length of Lake Powell to past the Cal Black area for a landing at Fry Canyon, UT (don’t forget the cliff dwellings!). Onward to Blanding for gas (pricey!) and then finally Dove Creek, CO for the night.

Why Dove Creek you ask? Public use dirt strip and possibly the last strip before the Rockies at which camping would be a non-event. Worth it? Meh.

Day 3 was again an early launch (hey, there’s a trend here!) up into the rocks for s first stop at Telluride for 1. Cheap gas, and 2. To say I did. Then back around and over the hills, past Ridgway and Gunnison, over a “low” spot at Monarch Pass (12,000’) before descending to Salida. A strange place where the water flows somewhere other than the Pacific. Then a final push (by now it is after 10AM) up the draw to Leadville/Lake County Airport. Landed with a DA of about 11,500’ so elected to do one qual lap in the pattern to make sure this whole scheme would work when I get back from the wedding to go home. It did…it worked, and wasn’t *that* scary.

The return trip of course followed the same themes: “fly early and land cool places”. So leg one was thusly (at sunrise) a hop over Hagerman Pass, past Aspen, and into Marble. If there is anywhere you ever go to fly to in Colorado, fly to Marble. Simply amazing. Grass, water, trees, green, mountains, rocks, all the great things. One of those Crown Jewels of the backcountry experience.

After an OK departure from Marble, it was over the last pass with some quick stops at North Fork Valley and Crawford before reaching the Hubbard Airstrip in Gateway, CO. Red rocks and a red dirt strip. What a sight.

With morning tiring on, one last push to make Prescott that day, headed south towards Blanding again, and onward to Monument Valley via Comb Ridge and the Valley of the Gods. Cresting the last rise as Monument Valley comes into view, suddenly is the scene from Forrest Gump as he stops running and goes home. The spot is now of course a tourist trap.

One last hop across the Navajo Nation (what a spectacular region) and their Painted Desert before a pass through Flagstaff, some place called “Sedona” (We know the truth, Utah is prettier…sorry), cheap gas at Cottonwood, and then Prescott for the night. Made Prescott by about noon, just as the BIG BOOMERS were developing all around.

Final day was a run across the desert to home, with a pit-stop at Amboy, and a diversion to Orange County/John Wayne Airport to visit family before finally going home.

22 Hours or so of flying. Lots of gas. And another great bit of flying memory.

Looks like you had a great trip. Well thought out, hit some of the cool spots, good job. Nice trip report.
Thanks
Gary

What a great way to spend my breakfast and coffee time watching this fun trip, through some of my favorite country- and in a Cessna 120 no less- how awesome!. Nice editing of the video. If I was a billionaire I'd restore steam engines and put them in service, especially Shays. If you would have thrown some fly-fishing in your video you'd have covered my three favorite things. Thanks for taking us this great trip. When you flying up to Alaska?

Nice TR! Looks like it was a great trip!

We need a thumbs up smiley! Nice report!

Cary

If you have not run into Fiddler yet, don't give up hope. He and his 120 will show up in the most unlikely place when you least expect it, and while you are still admiring him for flying the 120 to such a place, he will jump back in it and take off for an even more unlikely place. That 120 gets around.

Epic trip report Dustin! Nice job taking the 120 through the big rocks, I enjoyed following along.