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fly3g
12-05-2010, 05:37 PM
Mexican Mountain Trip Part 1

Test post.....

Last July I was sitting around and realized I hadn't made any plans for the first part of the 4th of July weekend so I decided I would try and head to Mexican Mountain, UT for an overnight trip. I had heard about the strip from some Kitfox flyers in the Denver area. Checked the weather and with a big fat "H" on the map sitting over the Rockies for a few days it looked good to give it a shot. Some great info on Mexican Mountain was available on the Utah Backcountry Pilots Assn website http://www.utahbackcountrypilots.org/. So I plotted my way out from the Front Range via Cameron Pass, Steamboat Springs, fuel up in Meeker Colorado and stopping at Green River for fuel before heading the last 20 or so miles into the Mexican Mountain airstrip. Some notes I had made were:

-Approx 4 hours flying time
-Airstrip kind of primitive but smooth enough, a few tall bushes along the edge of the runway
-Forgot the airstrip was at ~4000 elevation, packed camping gear for much cooler higher elevation mountain camping. Was a bit hotter than expected, oh yeah, its July!!! Next time warm weather gear.
-Bug spray needed
-Cool native petroglyphs on the rocks
-Neat hiking area
-Super scenery
-Awesome night sky
-Not a soul for miles
-Good camping sites along side of runway
-Pack everything in and out, bring plenty of water in the hot months.
-Right next to San Rafael River

Flying just out West of Steamboat Springs still had snow on the hillsides:

http://i1230.photobucket.com/albums/ee490/fly3gt/IMG_2411.jpg

A little bit after the refuel stop in Meeker the mountainous range continues. Not alot of "good" landing sites but plenty you could "walk away from".:

http://i1230.photobucket.com/albums/ee490/fly3gt/IMG_2419.jpg

http://i1230.photobucket.com/albums/ee490/fly3gt/IMG_2427.jpg

But as you get a little East of Green River Utah, my last stop before heading up the San Rafael things fold out flat:

http://i1230.photobucket.com/albums/ee490/fly3gt/IMG_2430.jpg

fly3g
12-05-2010, 06:28 PM
Green River Airport(U34) is just East of Mexican Mountain. The airport is pretty quiet, only a pair of Cessnas on the ramp, one without wings and a Mooney. I added a bit of fuel to top off the Fox and it was off to the final destination:

http://i1230.photobucket.com/albums/ee490/fly3gt/IMG_2435.jpg


http://i1230.photobucket.com/albums/ee490/fly3gt/MexMtnSectional.jpg

This is the entrance into the canyon area leading back to the landing strip, the San Rafael River is the gorge below:

http://i1230.photobucket.com/albums/ee490/fly3gt/IMG_2447.jpg

Made it into land on the 11 runway, plenty of distance to stop in. The vegetation was growing up pretty good on the sides of the runway but no trouble for a high winger. I had watched a video of a Piper Cherokee landing in here and I think the wings would have taken quite a few swats on the roll out.:

http://i1230.photobucket.com/albums/ee490/fly3gt/IMG_2448.jpg

Looking down the strip from the 29 end:

http://i1230.photobucket.com/albums/ee490/fly3gt/IMG_2452.jpg

I set up camp along the South side of the runway under a nice canopy of trees. The shade was great as noon was coming on and it started to get hot. That's Mexican Mountain in the background to the South:

http://i1230.photobucket.com/albums/ee490/fly3gt/IMG_2457.jpg

Canyon wall to the North:
http://i1230.photobucket.com/albums/ee490/fly3gt/IMG_2455-1.jpg

fly3g
12-05-2010, 06:50 PM
After setting up camp and making a little lunch I hiked around the area for the afternoon. Off the East end of the field is a signpost. Essentially back in the 70's they dug an oil/gas well here and came up dry. The airstrip must have been part of the setup. Since then recreational pilots have maintained the airstrip. There is a lot of loose wood on the ground for making a campfire. Road access to the site looks pretty challenging so I don't think too many folks come back into here.

Signpost off of the east end of the strip about 250 feet past the windsock:

http://i1230.photobucket.com/albums/ee490/fly3gt/IMG_2459.jpg

Native American petroglyphs or pictographs all around the area:

http://i1230.photobucket.com/albums/ee490/fly3gt/IMG_2464.jpg

http://i1230.photobucket.com/albums/ee490/fly3gt/IMG_2463.jpg

http://i1230.photobucket.com/albums/ee490/fly3gt/IMG_2465.jpg

The San Rafael River just a couple of hundred feet from the runway to the South:

http://i1230.photobucket.com/albums/ee490/fly3gt/IMG_2473.jpg

http://i1230.photobucket.com/albums/ee490/fly3gt/IMG_2474.jpg

fly3g
12-05-2010, 06:56 PM
Just some awesome scenery in the area, makes you feel kind of small:

http://i1230.photobucket.com/albums/ee490/fly3gt/IMG_2493.jpg

http://i1230.photobucket.com/albums/ee490/fly3gt/IMG_2483.jpg

On the way back to camp I rolled a couple of rocks off of the runway at the east end:

http://i1230.photobucket.com/albums/ee490/fly3gt/IMG_2471.jpg

After hiking around in the sun most of the afternoon I headed back to my shaded campsite and took a little siesta for awhile. When I came around it was dinner time as the sun was setting:

http://i1230.photobucket.com/albums/ee490/fly3gt/IMG_2498.jpg

fly3g
12-05-2010, 07:25 PM
The evening was quiet and the stars were plentiful with many shooting stars that you get to see without the background light pollution of civilization.

I made a video of the landing and takeoff sequences and posted it on YouTube. The camera placement kinda didn't work out but if you have a few minutes to burn...............

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AMXKmI0w9o8

Heading home the next day I flew just North East of Canyonlands towards Delores Point airstrip east of Moab on the Colorado/Utah border with an intent to land, but, there were very strong winds across the plateau. Heading back up towards Grand Junction area I had a pretty interesting flight east up the valley from Gateway, no fun. On up to Meeker and then retraced my way back to the Front Range. A great overnight trip, hope to do it next year a little earlier or later in the year in order to avoid the heat of midsummer.

http://i1230.photobucket.com/albums/ee490/fly3gt/IMG_2548.jpg

DesertFox4
12-05-2010, 07:47 PM
Gregg, great photos and video. Glad you're getting so much fun from 121AW. It found a good home with you.:) Wondering how many hours on her now. Look me up if you get in my neighborhood. Happy Holidays.
Steve

SkySteve
12-05-2010, 08:54 PM
Greg,
Thanks for the great photos and write up. Now I want to go there too! Oh, and thanks for moving those rocks!

fly3g
12-05-2010, 09:37 PM
Steve ol' Alpha Whiskey cleared 1000hrs TTAE this fall when I flew East to Chicagoland, Tennessee and Cape Hatteras NC.

Oregon Inlet Cape Hatteras:

http://i1230.photobucket.com/albums/ee490/fly3gt/IMG_2763.jpg

Wright Brothers Memorial at FFA:

http://i1230.photobucket.com/albums/ee490/fly3gt/IMG_0773.jpg

Andrew G
12-06-2010, 03:20 PM
outstanding trip report... thanks, Andrew