Hello everyone, I have only been flying just over a year. I have a 172B with the O-300. I am planning to put on a 206 nosefork with a 6:00/6 and 8:00/6 mains right away and as soon as I can afford it a Sportsman STOL Kit. I know it is not a bush plane but that is what I could afford. Can any one tell me if there are any backcountry strips in Idaho or Utah that I can fly into (and out of) without needing to change pants afterwards? Thanks

As in Wheel pants or the blue jeans you are wearing ???

Take a day and fly up the Clearwater river and head up the Selway. You can hit Lewiston (LWS) for gas and then head East. Hit up Orofino, Kamiah, Kooskia. Kamiah and Kooskia are grass. Orofino S68 is a good warm up strip. You'll fly over my Dads ranch on Final if your headed downriver. This whole area is the gateway to the Church Wilderness and the Selway River if you continue East. Absolutely gorgeous place to fly.

On final for Orofino

I was actually talking about my pants not the planes Aviidflyer, looks like pavement at Orofino is it plowed? I should have my license in less than a month and I wouldn't mind quick trip up there in the cold air to look around. I was hunting outside of Ketchem and you guys have some STEEP mountains! Saw two giant bucks but unfortunately they were on the golf course in Ketchem and too many tree huggers around to get a good shot.

Jaerl wrote:Hello everyone, I have only been flying just over a year. I have a 172B with the O-300. I am planning to put on a 206 nosefork with a 6:00/6 and 8:00/6 mains right away and as soon as I can afford it a Sportsman STOL Kit. I know it is not a bush plane but that is what I could afford. Can any one tell me if there are any backcountry strips in Idaho or Utah that I can fly into (and out of) without needing to change pants afterwards? Thanks

I can't speak about any Utah strips, but I have taken my O-300 172 into some of the least challenging Idaho backcountry strips. McCall is a good choice as a base of operations for getting supplies, food, gas, etc for the Frank Church wilderness strips. Some of the easiest strips in my opinion are Johnson Creek (3U2), Indian Creek (S81), Big Creek (U60), and Chamberlain Basin (U79).

If you take AvidFlyer's advice and go east from Lewiston, Moose Creek (1U1) is a good backcountry destination that can be done in a 172. I don't know why the chart labels it as hazardous.

ALL of the backcountry strips can be hazardous. Berk Snow, a contributor to this site, was killed after colliding with terrain when he turned up the wrong canyon on a flight from JC to Big Creek. You can read about it here: http://www.discovermccall.com/mccall_news/2007/062107_plane-crash.htm It was tragic, because it was avoidable.

Learn the rules of backcountry flying that will keep you safe, follow them, and have fun!

Jaerl,
get a copy of Fly Idaho and the one about Utah from www.flyidaho.org and check out Utah Backcountry Pilots based in Bountiful

n2485q wrote:Jaerl,
get a copy of Fly Idaho and the one about Utah from www.flyidaho.org and check out Utah Backcountry Pilots based in Bountiful

...and go up with someone with experience,i.e. get some dual. Nothing personal, but a freshly minted pilot knows just enough to get him into trouble without knowing he is getting into trouble. With some exposure and experiecne, though, it will be some of the best flying you'll ever do.

Good luck on your upcoming checkride.

I myself, think that Sulphur Creek is easier that Big Creek. The canyon is wider, the get away straighter, no down drafts on short final. Yes it is probably a not go around strip by go arounds at Big Creek can get a pilot in trouble.

skybobb wrote:I myself, think that Sulphur Creek is easier that Big Creek. The canyon is wider, the get away straighter, no down drafts on short final. Yes it is probably a not go around strip by go arounds at Big Creek can get a pilot in trouble.

Bob's got the right idea here. Pick strips that you can accomplish a go around if needed. As you get more experience, then do the one ways. The availability of a viable "Plan B" can be a lifesaver.

tom

It looks like my plane is capable of a lot of strips, now I just need to make myself capable. I do have the Fly Utah and I am waiting for the Fly Idaho book. It looks like I also need the Mountain flying Bible and as someone suggested, pay for some mountain flying instruction. I am writing down all the strips you guys have suggested to research and hopefully by next summer I will be ready for a try at a few of them. Thanks, for all the input. PS, this is a great site!

jaerl, having grown up in and around loon at falconberry, i wouldn't play

in the middle fork district with out some quality instruction for at least

a day. lot's of good advice here as well. believe me, j.c.,sulphur,b.c, and

etc. all look quite tame, and are quite easy to operate in and out of, but

pleez be sure u have your speed control and slow-flight in serious order

first. one good source for instruction is in mccall at lori's place...

mountaincanyonflying.com..... a good plan would be to pick out

which 3 or 4 places u would like to visit first, and pay for the dual at

lori's place to go into them. i realize that this sounds overly cautious,

but take it from someone who has already tried out his a/c ins., it

will be worth it's weight in gold to u in safety and fun...!

Jaerl wrote:Hello everyone, I have only been flying just over a year. I have a 172B with the O-300. I am planning to put on a 206 nosefork with a 6:00/6 and 8:00/6 mains right away and as soon as I can afford it a Sportsman STOL Kit. I know it is not a bush plane but that is what I could afford. Can any one tell me if there are any backcountry strips in Idaho or Utah that I can fly into (and out of) without needing to change pants afterwards? Thanks

I wouldn't get too excited about getting into the backcountry until you get to know your plane REALLY well. I don't know what kind of strip you call home but practice tight patterns, short takeoffs and landings until you puke, pick your spot on the runway and hit it time after time, get familiar with non pattern approaches and departures, right pattern turns, straight ins, stalls in all types of configurations (landing configuration, steep turns, climbing turns, decending turns, etc,) Find a good instructor who will really help you with these proceedures...find out what you and your plane will really do. The instructor who I do my BFR's with knows I know how to fly..so when we go out he really puts me through the wringer with what I just mentioned. When we get out of the plane my back is always wringing wet, but I know more of what myself and the plane are capable of doing.
As far as the wheel pants...take them off if you are planning to land off of hard surfaced runways.
HC

BTW...I have many videos of myself of takeoffs and landings so I can evaluate what it felt like vs. what it looked like during practice. I have also done this for others. You might try this if you could get someone to video for you. It sure helped me so SEE what I was doing from a different perspective.
HC

Good advice by everyone here, particularly with regard to getting very proficient (not just FAA proficient) in your airplane before you go to the backcountry, and also getting some specific instruction in MOUNTAIN flying. Flying that country isn't all about landing in difficult strips. A HUGE part of flying safely in the intermountain west is being a proficient MOUNTAIN pilot.

I would add Smiley Creek to the list of pretty easy strips in the Idaho backcountry. It's high, but long and good approaches.

MTV

I concur with MTV on Smiley Creek, and mountain flying proficiency. Moose Creek Runway 19/1 and Chamberlain are also good beginner strips. They both provide lessons in flying pattern that are influenced by the surrounding terrain, Moose Creek more so than Chamberlain.

Also, never underestimate the effects of high density altitude on the performance of your plane. The C-145/O-300 is particularly vulnerable. My 170 climbs at around 200 fpm loaded up hot and high, making for pathetic margins for error.

good points, scolopax. even when turbo-charged, these high mtn strips
and warm temps are a real test of our stuff. both man and machine.
one of my instructors in mccall has reminded me a few times that flying
these places are really not that tough, but at the same time should not
be taken lightly as far as your safety is concerned. some people here
say that sulphur, as an example, has no down-drafts or sinkers.
simply not true. after living there for a wk last june, it is a very technical
strip, and has seen a lot of wrecked a/c. believe me, even one day
of dual to these places increases your chances HUGE for some serious
fun and huge safety margins. isn't that what back-country flying is all
about...?! you don't have to spend thousands, spend a few hundred
on yourself and your bird, you're worth it.

How about Owyhee Res. (Pelican Point)?

Oh Shit North, too? (south of the lake along the river)