2008 Wandering

[sloPoke]

I'm getting ready for the 2nd annual "see where I end up with the 170". The fuel prices are not cooperating, but I guess I'll cruise slow and lean carefully and eat peanut butter and crackers. I plan on heading north from San Diego with a stop in Reno on Jun 18-20 to help out with the pylon race school. After that It'll be up through OR and WA. Boiler Bill's flyin at the end of the month sounds like fun. I'd like to continue up to AK if the weather cooperates. I used to fly for AAI and Pen. Air long ago so I'm somewhat familiar. I have my camping gear and will try to take some photos and post some updates.
I decided to buy a SPOT personal tracker. I got an email that you can get one free if you attend Oshkosh. It figures - I went there last year! To get that deal you have to sign up for the regular service plus the optional 49.95 unlimited tracking service. I bought mine for 132 + 10 ship at http://www.roguewavemarine.com/store/pr ... d=sptspot1
When you subscribe to the service you can get one year free unlimited tracking by using promo code B2VFCP5D6 (good through the end of June).
Hopefully I'll run into some of you along the way,
Charlie

[1SeventyZ]

SloPoke,

Join us at Johnson Creek, Idaho the weekend of June 27-29. Otherwise, I'm envious that you get such a long and wanderous adventure in your 170.

[Metal Master]

SloPoke,

Join us at Johnson Creek, Idaho the weekend of June 27-29. Otherwise, I'm envious that you get such a long and wanderous adventure in your 170.

My group my 170A ,140A & 172TD is planning to fly into Big Creek the morning of the 26th for the week end. I was planning on fly out to a couple of other places maybe I can see you there.

Jim

[170C]

Gosh that sounds like FUN

[sloPoke]

Thanks for the invitations. I'll try to make them. I checked out smiley creek, sulfur creek and cavanaugh bay last year and lots of other interesting places. It'll depend on weather, broke stuff, and the usual.
Here's a site with some photos from last year and a couple of odds and ends thrown in.
http://home.earthlink.net/~slopke/
Hope to see you on the road.
Charlie

[1SeventyZ]

Hey Charlie, great photos.

Some of them, however, won't open as an image in a web browser becasue they're not suffixed by ".jpg" Would be great if you could add that to the end of the filename.

[sloPoke]

Not being all that computer savy, I'm not sure why some ended up without the jpg or how to put it back on. If I have time I'll work on it. More likely the next group will be jpg'd. I think I will have to remove some from last year to add more to the site.
Charlie

[n3833v]

I didn't have any trouble opening all of the pictures. They make me dream about sometime.

John

[hilltop170]

Charlie-
If you make it up to Alaska, stop in and say hi. PM me for contact info.

[sloPoke]

Update - I made it up to Stead (north of Reno) on Wed. Stopped at Tehachipi for cheap?(er) gas ($5 gal). Nice flight direct to Stead with great views of the Sierras. A couple of places would have been interesting forced landings if the engine had decided to quit. Not much snow pack left already. We had a big turnout of potential Formula 1 race pilots that brought their airplanes. I helped out with some flight evaluations and had a good time meeting the new guys and old friends.
I'll be out of here tomorrow at noon - probably go visit a friend at Lake Almanor and then head up to the Oregon Coast if the weather holds out.
I'm using the computer at Aviation Classics to send this. Nice of them to let me. I couldn't find WiFi.
Charlie

[sloPoke]

I made it to Gold Beach at the mouth of the Rogue River today. Flew past the top of Mt. Lassen over lake Shasta and past lots of smoke near Crescent City filling the valleys. The coast is amazing with the Rock Spires jutting out of an angry sea. The wind was up and there were lots of white caps.
The town is right next to the airport and the airport guy I talked to said that he didn't know of any reason I couldn't camp, but the wind was high enough I decided to forego trying to get the tent up and took a room in town a small motel that has free wifi.
No photos unfortunately as I have found I left my USB cable at home. There is a radioshack down the road, so hopefully I'll be back in business tomorrow.
Charlie

[1SeventyZ]

SloPoke, I'm not sure how much time you have on your trip, but if you want a secluded camping experience, try Powers (6S6) just inland from Bandon. It's a short hop from Gold Beach and has a nice grass runway with a mowed camping area. I'm headed down to Grants Pass on Wednesday evening to prep my 170 for the trip to Idaho this coming weekend.

[sloPoke]

Thanks for the tip, 1seventyZ. I think i'll check it out. I picked up a few groceries and I'm ready to camp out. I guess I'll be out of touch for a while. Have a good flight!
Didn't have the right cable at radio shack this morning, so no photos yet.
Charlie

[sloPoke]

Good camp out at Powers. Nice path to river, just no facilities but a pilot that flew in said they are bringing in a new portajohn for a fly in next week. Stopped at Roseberg and Creswell. Steve Wolfe showed me around his shop - he builds aerobatic works of art. Stopped at Independence for a night and looked at some hangar homes. I'm considering relocating and considering all possibilities. Camped at Sportsman airpark then headed back to the coast as the wx was forecast for 97 degrees. Camped out at Siletz Bay. Local pilot loaded me his motorcycle for a scoot up the coast. headed for Manzanita next.
Charlie

[sloPoke]

Camping at Orcas island. Nice to have a hot shower in the morning. Little cloudy this morning, but cleared up nicely and temps in the 70/s. So do I stay here and enjoy the weather or keep going north?
Charlie