Your thoughts on this routing

[Mike Schneider]

Starting at Cheyenne follow I-80 to Salt Lake City then I-84 to the Columbia River then to the coast. Retrace the route to Salt Lake City then I-15 to San Diego then east on I-8 to I-10 and then east to Tallahassee. One passenger and 200 pounds (or more) under gross. Leaving on the 15th of July. Any input would be appreciated. -- Mike in Tallahassee with a Maule MXT-7-180

 

[Michael]

Sounds like fun. Go for it

 

[ejensen]

Depends on your objective. That route will work but why the backtrack to SLC. And unless you need to go to Salt Lake the cutoff mentioned Logan will save a bunch and avoid the MOA and Cls B. What are you required stops? Maule is perfectly capable of more scenic routes.

 

[pcorman]

Re: Objectives

Minor suggestion... it's a hot time of year... Fly early or fly late in the day for a much better ride, in general.

Are you flying the interstates because they make good landing strips? Or because they tend to be lower terrain? Just curious.

Enjoy the flight.. should be spectacular.

phil

 

[ejensen]

Re: Objectives

Two objectives. (1) See my daughter in Salt Lake City. (2) Land and takeoff in the last 7 contiguous states that I have not flown to (WA, OR, CA, NV, WY, AZ, and CO). I will seriously consider more scenic routes and would appreciate suggestions. Thanks. -- Mike

OK, I'll give it some thought. What airport in the Salt Lake area? And is San Diego a desired destination?

 

[pcorman]

Re: Ejensen and Phil

If San Diego is not a destination, I would strongly recommend the San Francisco area.
The coast is much more dramatic and you also get to do a Bay Tour over the city, the bay, and Alcatraz... quite exceptional.

 

[poadeleted3]

If you are going to San Diego, why come back the way you went? You can come back via Arizona and New Mexico and check out the Grand Canyon and other sites along the southern route.

 

[ejensen]

Re: Ejensen and Phil

OK, here's my quick try at scenic route that doesn't stray too far from civilization. I'll leave it to you on how to get to Colorado. I'll give the closest VORs with some discription in between.

TBE - Tobe
Head toward SE Colorado - La Veta Pass
ALS - Alamosa
After the pass up the San Luis Valley to Marshall Pass
HBU - Blue Mesa
north to Crested Butte - Kebler Pass - east side Grand Mesa
RIL - Rifle
EKR - Meeker
north toward Dinasaur - Flaming Gorge then around the north side of the High Unitas
EVW - Evanston (this is your Wyoming stop)
SLC - Salt Lake airiport of your choice. Depends on where daughter lives
Flight up the Utah Watsatch front
LGU - Logon
TWF - Twin Falls
BOI - Boise
staying south of Idaho wilderness
BKE - Baker City
north to Washington
ALW - Walla Walla for the WA landing
DSD - Deschutes
now over Crater Lake
MFR - Medford for a possible Oregon stop
down the valley past Mt Shasta
RDD - Redding
ENI - Mendicino
over to the coast
PYE Point Reyes
down the coase past San Fransico as recommended
BSR - Big Sur
on down the coast
GVO - Gaviota
now back east, direct North Las Vegas if Joshua Approach lets you othewise
PMD - Palmdale
DAG -Daggett
VGT - North Las Vegas (there are other choices) for Nevada stop and gas for Grand Canyon
PGS - Peach Springs - Hit Hoover dam on the way
Grand Canyon tour
GCN - Grand Canyon
INW - Winslow
restored Harvey hotel and good food
SVC - Silver City
thru the New Mexico mtns
LRU - Las Crusces
around the south side of White Sands
EWM - Newman
skirt El Paso
and home

Obviously lots of variations possible and some of the legs would not be VOR direct but follow Valleys/highways. If time permits there are many options without adding much.
Stop at LXV - Leadville, CO
Afton, WY tour Aviat factory (Husky and Pitts)
Jackson Hole/ Driggs, ID - Grand Tetons
Mount Saint Helens
Sunriver, OR
Death Valley - Furnace Creek
Monument Valley, UT (UT25)
and .........

Anything beats I-80 through Wyoming.

 

[Richard]

Death Valley in July? That would be worse than Michael and Diana at Buttonwillow. However, on the off chance that Mike is game for such a thing I claim first dibs....on the Maule over there by the bleached human skeleton.

 

[ejensen]

Death Valley in July? That would be worse than Michael and Diana at Buttonwillow. However, on the off chance that Mike is game for such a thing I claim first dibs....on the Maule over there by the bleached human skeleton.

Yeah, I know, he'd have to start REAL early that day. Just a chance to get the lowest airport in the country. Touch and go and climb back to cool. If it's a hot spell Vegas area can be a bear. I remember several times over 110.

Much of this route depends on weather. Much whole coast could be fogged in.

 

[ejensen]

Have a great trip

Thanks for taking the time to put together a more scenic routing. I have plotted the locations you gave me on a planning map and it certainly looks interesting. I will certainly use parts of your routing (maybe a lot of it). Weather will be a factor (this trip could go clockwise instead of counterclockwise). -- Mike

Wx may cause a diversion or two but that time or year you should make most of it. Great adventure.

If you wan't to discuss specifics in the Colorado, Utah, Wyoming routes I'd be glad to try to help.

Eric

 

[ejensen]

Re: Colorado, Utah and Wyoming

Eric -- Any details that you may offer would be appreciated. Have you had a chance to fly the route you gave me? That route does look very interesting! -- Mike

Yes, all except the Bay area I been over it at least once most legs several times. Not as a single trip though. We have relative and friends in OR and WA and my in-laws are in Santa Maria, CA. I love flying up the coast to Monterry and back. I had a chance to do the Grand Canyon 4 times now. I've flown the Colorado and S Wyoming areas to many times to remember. Nothing better for me than a day spent flying in the mountains. Hope this doesn't sound like bragging but really do love flightseeing. So I do like to encourage folks. Here's a gps track of a flight I gave a friend for a retirement gift last September. He got to pick the destination for a $100 hamburger. He picked Cortz down by 4-Corners.

Not sure where to start with details. The VOR routing is real rough, definately not direct between navaids. Make more sense on a sectional. As you plan the flight and look at sectionals I'm sure questions will come up. Feel free to post or email me direct. I'd even be will to talk on the phone with map in hand.

 

[ejensen]

Re: GPS Track

Eric -- I like your GPS track. It looks like there were eight or so circles around points of interest. I understand the VORs are only a rough routing guide. "Flightseeing" is a pick your way around, not a straight line. I have done this by asking at airports along the way what sightseeing opportunities are available. -- Mike

Yeah, you can find some pretty neat stuff if you not in a hurry. Just a couple hours covers a lot of ground. That Cortez trip took in the heart of the Colorado rockies and put 4.3 on the tach. We did circle places he'd camped and hiking.

Eric