No Words

This morning was my last day of instruction.  I wish I had a Go Pro camera strapped to my forehead to share the experience of flying into these back country strips, words aren't enough.  However, I am working so hard to nail my approach numbers, and altitudes that there isn't much more I can handle.  Gary was my instructor this AM.  Our first stop was Johnson Creek
 
 which I flew into in 1995, I thought it would be the easiest but the rising sun angle was so blinding I couldn't tell where the canyon wall was on the east side, so circling down in a canyon that gets more narrow as you get lower and then you can't use a third of it because you can't see where it really is, made it challenging.  That is one disadvantage of flying early.  Johnson Creek is wide, 4933 elevation and 3400 ft long.  Then it's off to Big Creek, 5743  elevation, 3500 ft long,
 
Cold Meadows 7030 elevation, 4500 ft long,
 
and a full stop at Chamberlain 5765 elevation, 4100 ft.
 
A few campers at Chamberlain, an out house, a Jack Russell terrier and a bunch of ground squirrels and holes.  We got out and walked around, looked at our take off path, filled a dozen holes, watched Nick and Paul come in, then left with it now 80 degrees and density altitude of 8000 feet.  Even though the length of these runways sounds long and forgiving, there are still a lot of ways to mess up, rodents, DA, non standard approaches, how to get out, make it a busy brain.
  The plane has been running great and all instructors have been very complimentary about 2TB.  The 180 HP is great, and I have had take off rolls 300 to 500 ft here but still like that long runway for that long roll out on landing and much  slower climb than at sea level Troutdale.
   Off to Dixie Forest,
 
 pretty place in a canyon, and to Warren,
 
 probably the least scenic, old mine with lots of tailings.  Now the wind is up and Warren is at 5900 ft ant 2700 ft long, trees on one side, non standard approach.  Those who know how I like to sleep in and end up flying late in the day out of Troutdale, know that wind is a standard part of that.  Gusty winds on final to Warren, no big deal.
   I have yet to abort a landing so we decide to do a low approach, abort to Krassel
 
on the way back to McCall.  3982 ft, 1500 ft long , tall trees all sides, another narrow canyon.  I circle down from 8000 ft. and "shop" the field, do another non standard approach and nail my numbers the whole way.  Gave up the tempt to land and full powered out of there.
  Even though the strips today were maybe not as short and technical as yesterday, Gary had me do all the navigation and work through my shopping list.  We tweaked the numbers a bit as they change with the weight of the plane getting lighter as I burn fuel and can do my final approach at 55 mph, but use 60 at the beginning of the flight.