by Jim Demsey
My Mooney airplane (N9161Y) and I took off from the Reedley, California, airport about 6:45 Monday morning, June 21, 1999. My wife couldn't join me due to a death in her family. Having checked the weather, I knew that there were clouds along the route, reportedly well higher than I would be flying. That report was accurate only until I reached the Reno area. Just north of Reno, after Oakland Center had handed me off to Salt Lake Center (to stay above the clouds) I requested an IFR (instrument flight rules) clearance direct to La Grande, Oregon, from my present position at flight level 200 (20,000 feet). The controller gave me the requested clearance almost immediately. It's really nice to be flying away from the big cities where the controllers can give you pretty much anything you ask for. So, for most of the last two thirds of the flight I was up in the bright sunshine above a solid layer of clouds.
Digging the approach plates for La Grande, Oregon, out of my Jeppesen, I discovered that the airport had one NDB (nondirectional beacon) approach, with a GPS (global positioning system) overlay, and a second independent GPS approach. After a bit of fiddling with my GPS, I got the NDB, GPS overlay approach loaded into my flight plan. I also set up the basic NDB as a backup. I was in the clouds nearly all the way from the Baker City, Oregon, to the La Grande airport, some 32 miles. After doing the procedure turn, heading inbound at the minimum decent altitude, I was still in the clouds. I really thought that I was going to have to declare a missed approach and go elsewhere. But, about two miles from the La Grande airport, still at the 5,400 foot minimum, I popped out of the clouds and was able to land in the clear. Even though I've had the GPS in the Mooney for over four years, this was my first GPS approach in actual IFR weather conditions. Piece of cake!
At the FBO (fixed base operator) in La Grande there were about six old guys sitting around. They immediately wanted to know everything about my flight, where I was going, and all about the Mooney. One guy noticed my hat with Palmer Station, Antarctica, on it, and we got off talking about the South Pole for awhile. It was fun talking with them, but I soon realized that I would be there forever if I didn't make a move to get on. I made a quick call to my wife to let her know I'd arrived in La Grande. After refueling the Mooney, the FBO signed me up for their courtesy car for $5 a day! It was an old Chevy with 164,000 miles on it.
It took a bit of doing to find my way into La Grande from the airport, but I finally made it. When I spotted a Safeway store that had a deli advertised, I went in and got a sandwich made. Then I drove east on Oregon highway 82 toward the Wallowa Mountains. Stopped at a roadside rest to eat the sandwich, and then drove up the beautiful Lostine Canyon. It was still overcast, but every once in awhile I could catch a glimpse of a snow covered peak. At a remote Ranger Station near the end of the Lostine Canyon road I picked up a Forest Service map of the Whitman-Wallowa National Forest. After walking about a bit, I drove back out of the canyon and on into Enterprise, Oregon. It's a pretty ordinary little town, placed in an absolutely beautiful setting. I went up the road to Joseph, Oregon (about 5 miles) and looked around. I would have stayed there, but the only motel I saw showed "no vacancy." So, I went back to Enterprise and got a room at the Wilderness Inn.
It began to rain, so I read for awhile at the motel. When the sun came out again, I drove up through Joseph again and on to Wallowa Lake. It's very pretty, but a bit crowded with tourists. On the way back to Joseph I checked out the small cemetery where "Old" Chief Joseph is buried. In Joseph I had a good Italian dinner before returning to my motel in Enterprise. The sun stays up well past nine o'clock each evening, so I walked all over the entire town of Enterprise. Found what I thought would be a good place for breakfast (Maye's Café).
On Tuesday, June 22nd, I was up early and discovered that Maye's Café was closed. Ended up having a great breakfast (but too much food) at a place next to the motel called The Large Time Café. With a name like that I should have known that the helpings would be huge. After checking out of the motel, I drove the Wallowa Mountains Loop. This is mostly a Forest Service road, but it's paved all the way. Really a pretty drive. The cloud cover was scattered to broken, but I still got good views of the Wallowa Mountains. Along the way there's an overlook of the Hells Canyon of the Snake River; stunning views. At the south end of the loop, I drove east, down to the Snake River. Checked out the Oxbow Dam, and then drove down the Snake River on the Idaho side to the Hells Canyon Dam. By this time the sky was almost clear, and the views of the canyon were awesome. On the east side of the Dam there is a long, narrow, metal stairway that leads to the base of the Dam and to a mountain trail. Of course, I had to try it. It was fun, but the climb back up to the top of the dam left me in a sweat! Just down from the Dam there's a ranger station and a dock where the raft trips start for their journey through the Hells Canyon proper. Looks like it would be a fun trip.
Back tracked to Oxbow, and then took Oregon highway 86 toward Baker City. Checked out the cute little town of Halfway, Oregon. Checked out the Ranger Station there. Just outside of Baker City, I saw the sign for the Oregon Trail Museum. So, I stopped. It is one of the most fascinating museums I've ever been in. After going through the exhibits, I took the two mile trail down to the actual Oregon Trail and around the Flagstaff Hill where the museum is built. Then on to Baker City.
Baker City, Oregon, has a delightful, old downtown. The City used to be the heart of a mining area. I found a place to stay at the Bridge Street Inn, right along the Powder River. Walked all over the town, and had a great dinner at a Chinese restaurant. Took another long walk around the town before turning in. Back at the motel I studied the maps for a long while, trying to decide where to go the next day. Decided on the Elkhorn loop in the mountains northwest of Baker City.
Wednesday, June 23rd. Had a simple breakfast at a trucker's café on the way out of Baker City. The Elkhorn loop goes up old U.S. 30 to Haines, Oregon, and then on Forest Service roads up into the mountains. It was a steep climb, and I noticed the engine temperature of the Chevy getting up pretty high. I passed a ski resort (closed for the season, of course), and about a mile further, around a bend, I discovered the road blocked by a four foot wall of snow! So much for the Elkhorn loop! On the way back down the mountain the "coolant low" light on the Chevy's dashboard came on. So, at a Baker City service station I added water to the coolant reservoir, and the light didn't come on again.
It was still early, so I decided on a drive to the west. I took Oregon highway 7 to Sumpter. It's a cute old mining town. Then it was U.S. 26 over to John Day, Oregon. This town is in a fabulous setting. Lots of snow covered mountains to the south, and lush valleys all about. I decided to check out the airport. It's on a plateau high above the town. The place looked pretty busy. There was a small jet parked there, so it must be a pretty good airport. Right next to John Day is Canyon City, the county seat. The courthouse there is old and it reminded me of the one in Mariposa, California, only not quite so quaint.
The drive from John Day was on U.S. 395 and Oregon highway 244, back to La Grande. The route took me over several mountain passes, with nice views. Rolling cattle country, with lots of forests in between. Ate my sandwich at a rest stop just over one of the passes. It was deserted when I arrived, but I was about two bites into my sandwich (standing up looking over my map spread on a log) when a car with an elderly guy and three ladies rolled in. His first words to me after exiting his car were "are we in time for lunch?"
Back in La Grande, my room at the Budget Inn proved the point that you normally get what you pay for! However, I had one of my best dinners on the trip at a place called "Ten Depot Street." Great salmon dinner, with a good bottle of wine. After dinner, I drove out to the airport (found the shortest way) and checked on the Mooney. It was just fine. Took a long walk before turning in.
On Thursday, June 24th, after a quick breakfast at another truck stop on the way to the airport, I got ready to fly to Wenatchee, Washington. It was clear in La Grande, but a weak cold front was reported between me and my destination. The FBO wasn't open yet, so I decided to take off VFR (visual flying rules) and file IFR in the air if I needed to. I was checking out the Mooney at the end of runway 30 when the FBO called me on the radio. He'd just arrived and found a message from my wife on his recorder. She wanted me to call. That worried me a bit, but I decided that I would call her from Wenatchee since that was only about an hour away. As it turned out, I was able to fly the entire way in VFR conditions, although I did fly through some heavy rain. The runway was wet at Wenatchee, but the sky was clearing rapidly. At Wings Wenatchee (the FBO there) I called my wife, but she wasn't home. I called Enterprise Rent-a-car, and they came for me.
Enterprise gave me a bright red Ford Escort. Since I was allowed only 150 miles a day without further charge, I reset the trip odometer leaving the Enterprise parking lot. I drove east on U.S. 2 to Grand Coulee, and then up Washington highway 155 to Grand Coulee Dam. Lots of beautiful rolling wheat land. The last thirty miles or so were in a wide canyon where the Columbia River used to run years ago. The canyon walls are very different from anything I'd seen before --- twisted rocks carved by the old river. After a quick lunch at a small café, I drove to the dam. Even though the Grand Coulee Dam is one of the largest in the world, I didn't find it to be anywhere near as impressive as Hoover Dam. So, I only spent a brief time at the visitor's center and then drove on.
The road from the Grand Coulee Dam that I took was Washington highway 155, mostly through the Colville Indian Reservation. I anticipated a barren, bleak drive. It wasn't that way at all. The route goes over a high pass, through thick forests. Really pretty country. Finally, the road drops down into Omak in the Columbia River Valley. Okanogan is five miles south of Omak, and I had thought I might lodge there if I saw something interesting. I didn't. So, I kept on going on Washington highway 20, up over a pass, and down into the Mathow River Valley. Passed through the town of Twisp. At the town of Winthrop I stopped at a Ranger Station to get some information and maps. The ranger there suggest several hikes out of Winthrop, so I decided to look for a place there to stay. Found the Rio Vista Hotel, and I got a super room directly overlooking the junction of the Mathow and Chewuch Rivers. I was so taken with the room, I booked it for two nights. Finally I was able to get my wife on the phone; nothing was wrong; she was just worried about me. Spent the rest of the afternoon walking around Winthrop and having some good baby backed ribs at one of the town's restaurants.
Next morning, June 25th, after breakfast at J's Saloon and Grill, I headed up Forest Service road 51which follows the Chewuch River. It was all paved except for the last two miles. I arrived at the trailhead for the Lake Creek Trail. Five miles up the trail I got to Black Lake, a beautiful alpine lake located in the Pasayten Wilderness. It was rather cold and windy at the lake. I had been a bit worried that there was poison oak along the trail, but I later learned from Steph Gonser that the plant I thought was poison oak was probably something else. Anyway, it was a beautiful hike, but I was back at the car by 11:30. I had packed my lunch all the way up and back, but I still wasn't hungry!
After retracing my route back to Winthrop, I turned west on state route 20 up into the North Cascades. By the time I got to Washington Pass and Rainy Pass, there were snow banks along the road, and it was raining. The pass is appropriately named! Nonetheless, I got some spectacular views of the Cascade peaks. I headed back down highway 20 to the Cedar Creek trail, where I finally ate my lunch. Then I took the two mile hike up to Cedar Falls. Met a nice family there that was in the area for a wedding. Back to Winthrop, after a shower, I took a wonderful nap listening to the flow of the rivers right below my room! I asked the lady at the hotel desk for a dinner recommendation. She sent me to the Duck Baird, just down the street. I ate another super salmon dinner, with good wine, seated outside on a deck. Back at the hotel, I found the phone number for the Lady of the Lake Boat Company that runs trips up Lake Chelan. So, I called and made a reservation on the "Lady Express" for the following day, to depart at 8:30 a.m.
Up early on Saturday, June 26th, I drove down to Pateros for breakfast at a truck stop. The food was o.k., but the service stunk! I got to the Chelan boat dock in plenty of time. The Lady Express is a stainless steel, double decked boat that does about 25 knots. It doesn't look like much, but the inside is comfortable. With one stop, it took two and a half hours to go up the lake to Stehekin. After the first third of Lake Chelan (where there are homes along the shore) the sides of the lake are sheer canyon walls. Lake Chelan is the third deepest lake in the U.S., after Crater Lake and Lake Tahoe. The bottom of Lake Chelan is about 400 feet below sea level! We only had an hour layover at Stehekin. I did the tourist thing and paid $6 for a short bus tour to Rainbow Falls. The falls were really quite spectacular, but the best part of the tour was the bus driver. He was a young guy filled with stories about Stehekin. It's the most remote town in the U.S. outside of Alaska. Several people have come there to escape the IRS or law enforcement! But since there is no way out except to hike over the Cascades or on the boat, there is virtually no crime there, and everyone leaves their keys in their cars and the doors to their homes unlocked. The bus driver pointed out to us the only mobile home in town. The owner purchased it at a sale somewhere in Washington State, where the dealer offered free delivery anywhere in the state! Apparently, the company lost tons of money getting the mobile home to Stehekin! Had lunch on the boat coming back. Arrived back in Chelan about 3:00 p.m.
After leaving the boat dock at Chelan, I took the short drive back to Wenatchee. It is not a particularly exciting place, but the mountains around the city are pretty. Also, there's a neat park and walkway along both sides of the Columbia River. I stopped at several motels only to discover that some sort of convention was in town, and the city was sold out! I was advised to drive to Levenworth, about 20 miles northwest, to look for a place to stay. I really didn't want to do that because I was almost out of "free" mileage on the rental car, but I figured that I didn't have much choice. On the way out of town, I saw that the Star Lite Motel didn't have their no vacancy sign on. I pulled in, and I got their last room on a cancellation that had just come in! Had a so-so dinner at a steak house, and then took a long, beautiful walk along the Columbia River.
Up early on Sunday, June 27th, I had a good breakfast at a place across the street from the motel. The phone in the motel would not let me dial an 800 number, so I packed up and called Flight Service from a pay phone on the way to the airport. It was clear east of the Cascades, but on the west side, it was solid overcast, rainy, etc. Typical Seattle weather, I guess. So, I filed IFR from Wenatchee to Eastsound on Orcas Island. On the way over the Cascades I got specacular views of Mt. Rainier, Mt. Baker, and many of the other Cascade peaks. The controller cleared me direct to Orcas Island from right over the top of the Cascades. When they cleared me down to 8,000 feet, I was in the clouds and began picking up a bit of ice! So, I requested lower, and they sent me down. By the time I got to 6,000 feet, the ice had blown away. At 4,000 feet I broke out beneath the overcast and had a good view of the San Juan Islands. All of the San Juan airports use the same frequency --- 128.25. I don't know why they do that, because the radio traffic is really busy. Anyway, I landed uphill on runway 16 at Orcas Island.
Even though the runway is only 2,900 feet long, there is airline service to Orcas Island. They fly single engine Cessna 206's. At the airline counter, I was able to rent an old car. Another old Chevy! I drove it all over the island. The highest point in the San Juan Islands is Mt. Constitution on Orcas Island. By the time I got up there, the overcast had lifted and broken. I could clearly see the high buildings in Victoria, B.C. and the town of Friday Harbor on San Juan Island. I checked into the Outlook Inn in Eastsound about 2:00 p.m. I walked all over town until a rain shower sent me back to my room. Had a really good dinner at the Outlook Inn restaurant, where I was able to talk awhile with some natives also having dinner there.
I awoke early on Monday, June 28th. It was raining. Picked up some coffee and a muffin at a service station down the street, packed up, checked out of the Inn, and drove back to the airport. Because of the overcast, I flew at 1,000 feet, over the water, down to the Lopez Island airport. The light wind was from the south, so I selected runway 16. The runway was really wet, and ran downhill. The Mooney really didn't want to land there! Had to go around twice to get her firmly on the ground! Been awhile since I've had to do that. There's no FBO at Lopez airport, but when I was taxing in I noticed four guys standing at a shack there watching me. I could just feel them laughing at my landing skills! I turned the Mooney around in front of a tie down nearby. It was still raining pretty hard. When I tried to push the Mooney back into the tie down, I discovered that it was uphill and I couldn't move the airplane but a foot or two. So, after struggling awhile, I went over to the four guys and asked for help. They all eagerly volunteered. We got the Mooney pushed back and tied down. In conversing with these guys I discovered that none of them were pilots. They were waiting for the airline service to pick them up. So, they had no idea what I was doing not landing until the third try! My embarrassment went away, but I was still upset at myself for not being able to get the Mooney on the ground on the first attempt!
At the airport shack there was a red phone! I wasn't sure why it was red, but when I dialed the Lopez Lodge number I discovered that it was just an ordinary phone, not a direct line to Boris Yeltsin! I got a recorded message that they were not open until 9:00, so I called a cab and got into Lopez Village that way. Had a coffee and another muffin and looked around until they got there. The owner is a realtor named Ken Jones. Turns out he's been a pilot for about a year and owns a Tri-Pacer. So, we traded Tri-Pacer stories for awhile and became friends. He seemed amazed when I told him that I'd once flown a Tri-Pacer from Fresno to South Dakota and back. The room I had reserved was a large room over some small retail stores. It had a full kitchen and living room. I explained to Ken why my wife was not with me, and suggested that I could take one of his smaller rooms if one was available. He didn't say one was or wasn't, but he gave me the key to the big room anyway. Nobody was in those smaller rooms that night, so I guess Ken just needed the rent money I had agreed to pay when I made the reservation. That worked out o.k., because I was sort of tired of restaurant food by that time. I bought myself food for dinner and breakfast at a market across the street and fixed my own meals.
The rain let up about 10:30 a.m. I asked Ken about renting a bike, and he suggested the Lopez Bike Works about a half mile down the road. So, I walked down there and rented a 21 speed mountain bike. Rode for about three hours, working up a really good sweat because of the high humidity. Pretty much covered the length of Lopez Island. When I got off the bike to return it, I realized that I wasn't a bit sore from the seat. So, I asked the proprietor about the bike seat. He showed me that it was a new design he had found after long investigation. It had springs under the seat and really good padding. I ended up buying two of those bike seats for our tandem at home. The proprietor assured me that they will fit. I hope they do. The proprietor's wife gave me a lift back to Lopez Village.
When I got out of the shower I discovered that it was raining again! So, I sat and read for the rest of the afternoon. After fixing myself dinner --- fresh filet of sole --- I took a long walk along the beach and through town. Next morning about 8:00 a.m. I called Tom Gonser and told him I'd probably be at the Friday Harbor airport between 9:30 and 10:00 a.m.
Ken Jones took me back to the Lopez airport about 8:30 on June 29th. He was drooling over the Mooney. I remember doing that sort of thing during my early days of flying. He sat in his truck and watched me take off. The flight from Lopez to Friday Harbor took all of six minutes, block to block! After refueling, I found the transient parking on the far side of the field. Just after I finished covering the Mooney, Tom and Steph Gonser pulled up.
I hadn't seen Tom in over five years and Steph in over ten. We had a great visit. They took me to their beautiful home on what is known as the San Juan Cape. It is up on a shore bank overlooking the water. They originally bought the small house next door and were eventually able to buy the adjacent lot with the better view. Tom designed the home, and they built it while still living in the small house next door. It is one of the most stunning homes I've ever been in. Lots of glass; lots of angles; beautifully furnished. I slept in a first floor bedroom with its own bathroom. Later Steph showed me the whole house, including a neat wine room Tom built himself.
We drove into Friday Harbor for lunch. Then we toured the entire island. Ownership of San Juan Island was disputed between the U.S. and the British for a long time, and was finally settled by arbitration (the Kaiser of Germany was the arbitrator) after the Civil War! There are now two parks on the island --- American Camp, where the U.S. soldiers were camped, and British Camp, where the British soldiers stayed. The only casualty of the dispute was a pig that was shot! So, the "war" is known as the "Pig War." American Camp is adjacent to San Juan Cape where the Gonser's home is situated. British Camp, the smaller of the two parks, is up at the north end near Roche Harbor.
Tom had some business to take care of, so Steph, their dog "Bones," and I took a walk through the American Camp. Lots of forest, shoreline, flowers, and good views. I had to push to keep up with Steph. With the humidity, I was ringing wet by the time we got back to the house.
We had a grand evening over drinks, barbecued steak, Gonser Reserve cabernet sauvignon, and other delicious fixings Steph put together. I learned lots about the RV world that the Gonsers are into. They have ordered a new motor home that should be ready for them in September. Tom was suffering with a cold, and I was getting sleepy, so we all turned in early about 9:30. Next morning, June 30th, I checked the weather and filed IFR to Medford, Oregon. Tom and Steph seemed fascinated with the flying stuff. They drove me back to the airport, and I was in the air about 8:45.
There were lots of clouds at various levels, but I was up on top at 12,000 feet. I had filed for 17,000 feet, and that's what they gave me. Seattle Center vectored me west out over the Olympic Range. I could see the top of Mt. Olympus at one point. With a good tailwind, I was in Medford after only 1:55. Picked up a quick lunch at the Red Baron Restaurant at the Medford airport. With the tailwind, it was 1:50 to Reedley at 17,500 feet. I knew it was going to be hot, and it was! 106 degrees at home.
It was a great vacation.