...of year for a greenhorn to venture into the Idaho and surrounding back country?

I was reading through the fire/smoke thread and got to wondering. I would like to venture out that way to see some of that area and try some of the easier strips. I'd I correlate a visit to Kitfox in Homedale and some time with Stick and Rudder for a little training so that I don't kill myself right away.

I was lead to believe September is a great time. Anyone care to discuss?

Av8r3400,
My first trip into the Idaho backcountry was at a Kitfox fly-in during September. It is a great time of the year with fairly good weather and cool temps for flying. A group of 8 or 10 Kitfox's lead by Paul of Stick and Rudder. Paul is a great guide. That trip gave me the confidence to venture into that area on my own later. It looks like the Kitfox Fly-in will not be scheduled for this year but maybe I can get away and meet you.

We are actually looking at '16 for the trip. I'll have the new plane done and debugged by then.

I'm wanting to get all of the possible ducks wrangled sooner than later...

'16 is perfect. Time it for the Homedale Fly-In.

September can sometimes be my favorite month in the Idaho backcountry if the smoke goes away. It is cool enough to enjoy the areas near the lower strips, the brown trout are running the rivers, the weather is still usually nice, the mosquitoes start to go away, and the alder and brush start to turn color fast.

It's also the time to see all your favorite mammals duke it out in their fall rituals. I've watched Boone and Crockett contender bull elk tangle for an hour at a time, and caught up on a lot of good reading in my thermalounger while watching rams butt heads periodically all morning and again in the evening in early September, and sometimes even later in August.

All this while just several miles and a couple thousand feet up of hiking from the nicer airstrips in the Frank Church.

The last week and into October is often a real weather crap shoot. But the change in weather can also encourage an incredible concentration of wildlife in the ravines. I've come across elk, moose, sheep, goats, a couple of bears, and a coyote all in the space of 24 hours in mid October north of Big Creek.

Some of the strips can be really(!) busy by late August with hunter traffic, while others are wide open.

As for the flying itself, spring and fall have nice cool weather that keeps the air smooth and safe for more of the day during blue sky/ high pressure weather. Some days are unreal: 65F all day, sunny, and not too cold at night.

It's also the time to see all your favorite mammals duke it out in their fall rituals. I've watched Boone and Crockett contender bull elk tangle for an hour at a time, and caught up on a lot of good reading in my thermalounger while watching rams butt heads periodically all morning and again in the evening in early September, and sometimes even later in August.

All this while just several miles and a couple thousand feet up of hiking from the nicer airstrips in the Frank Church.

Where in the Frank Church would you recommend camping/hiking to see wildlife? I will hopefully be out there the second week in September and we would like to camp a few places beside JC that have some good hiking.

Jim

During hunting season, one has to work a bit to see the critters. And the closest strips to the critters are some of the busier ones for hunters. In addition, some airstrips might not be the ones you may or may not want to go to right away on the first trip in, but,.....

From Soldier Bar, the access along Big Creek offers good fishing, great views of the Creek, the Gorge, petrographs and glyphs, teepee rings, access to the Middle Fork, and good camping upstream along the Creek. For the intrepid, the ridge from the strip offers access towards Dave Lewis peak, where goats occasion. The east fork of Rush creek offers an entire drainage pretty much to yourself and away from the hunting camps. Lots of elk, and numerous moose. Sheep are found mostly on the north side of Big Creek..the best places for seeing them butt heads are the benches at various places above 4800' or so...above Taylor, around Horse Mountain, up Cliff Creek, and directly above Soldier Bar up towards timberline to the north. The spring lambing cliffs are to the northeast overlooking the Main and Middle Fork.

All of the above can be found up to the head of Waterfall Creek, which takes off at a nice grade right above the Big Creek/Middle Fork confluence.

The area is pretty hot and dry for me in the summer, and is still dry in the fall. Numerous springs can be located with USGS quads and paying attention to the usual animal signs. Few trails are depicted or maintained in this area away from Big Creek, but there are old trails from even more than 50 years ago that make the going pretty good for most of the suggestions given above, and outfitter trails elsewhere.