Since its beginning Phoenix Multisport has done a winter trip to Ouray, Colorado. It includes ice climbing, snow shoeing, skiing and snowboarding, hot springing, and hanging in the charming mountain town of Ouray. For several years the trip was a highlight of our winter. There is no better way to take in the new year than sipping Martinellis in a natural hot spring in the Colorado Mountains. We missed it last year and I had to work until late on New Year's Eve this year. The only way to get there would be to fly. The last commercial flight into Montrose left before I finished work. I thought about flying myself, Jo and Lisa in a rented Cessna, but a major wind storm ruled out that as a possibility.
Getting a taste of the mountains was looking bleak, but the first day of 2012 was a new day. Enter Jon. I met Jon through a friend at work. He owns a modern Piper Saratoga II TC (TC stands for turbo charged) and is enthusiastic about flying as well as life in general. I can tell we are going to be great friends. The windstorm had been replaced by a stable high pressure system and Jon was excited about taking a day trip to Ouray on the most beautiful day of the year.
Jon's Saratoga II TC
We met up at Erie Airport and loaded up the Saratoga. I've flown some nice planes over the years, but for a cross country machine, Jon's Saratoga is one of the nicest. It has six leather seats, a turbo charged Lycoming IO-540 engine capable of delivering sea level power up to 18,000 feet, 180 knot true airspeed at 75% power, and touch screen Garmin avionics. It is like the BMW 7 Series of the air! We took off and cruise climbed to 12,500 feet. In no time we were over South Park approaching the Collegiate Mountains. With multiple peaks over 14,000 feet, the Collegiates are a formidable obstacle. The winds aloft at mountain top were about 30 knots. In the stable air that was conducive to light mountain wave formation, but the worst of the wave was forecasted to be north of the I-70 corridor. We aimed for Monarch Pass at the southern end of the Collegiates.
Jon and I Up Front
Jo Enjoying the View
Mt. Princeton in the Collegiate Range
I approached the pass from the south side of valley giving us the widest berth from any rotor lurking in the lee side of Bald Mountain. It also gave us plenty of room to angle out of the pass if we hit strong sink. The ride was smooth as glass over the pass and the views of Monarch Mountain Ski Resort and the Monarch Crest Trail were amazing. The remainder of our route took us over Gunnison, Blue Mesa Reservoir, and The Black Canyon where Jo and I began feeling the affects of Venti Latte's. Our bladder's decided that any touring of the beautiful scenery would be cut short by landing as soon as possible. The Saratoga was firm on the controls, but landed smoothly. An airline pilot trying to land a small plane is always good for a laugh, but I kept the drama to a minimum. They will get better with practice!
Monarch Pass
Monarch Mountain Ski Resort on the far side of Rt. 50, Monarch Crest Trail on the near side
Looking Back from the West
The Rim of the Black Canyon
Landed at Montrose
Jonny V met us at the FBO and drove us into the northern San Juan Mountains to Ouray. We hooked up with Scott, Sean, and few other Phoenix Multisport people and had lunch at the Timberline Deli. Jon fit right in with crew, like he'd known everyone for years. Ouray is situated in a box canyon with cathedralesque rock walls on three sides. The sun was already getting low on the snow caps, but the light reflecting off the east valley wall painted the town in rich late-day light. I wandered off for a few pics. The low sun was our cue that we should keep on the move. We met up with Matt and some Colorado Springs folk for a quick hello then headed back to the airport.
Ouray
After a preemptive emptying of our bladders we took off on runway 31 and turned south for Ouray. I cruise climbed up to 11,500' and looked for the right box canyon in the silhouetted peaks of the San Juans. We followed the Uncompahgre River, which lead us straight to Ouray. Even from our high altitude the box canyon was massive with peaks still thousands of feet above us. We were nothing but a spec, a tiny pixel in a 3D landscape that enveloped us. I entered on the west side of the canyon, ensuring we had enough room to turn around (a bad problem to have in a box canyon). I slowed down slightly to keep our turn radius tight and put Ouray just off the left wing. Once directly overhead we did a few 360's waving at our friends thousands of feet below.
Ouray from Above
The View Out the Front
The sun was really getting low now, it was time to head east. We climbed up to 13,500 feet and crossed over the jagged peaks of the Uncompahgre Wilderness in the northeastern San Juans. I fly over these mountains regularly at work and even after countless of hours of looking down I have yet to get bored. Seeing them out the window at eye level was even more dramatic. The pastel pink alpenglow framing the snowy peaks painted a serene picture that betrayed the danger of flying a small plane over the mountains at night.
The Northeastern San Juans in the Uncompahgre Wilderness
Pointing the Nose Eastbound
The Most Beautiful Mountains in Colorado
Jon and I worked well as a team and the Saratoga flew like a dream. He had recently installed a Garmin Touchscreen Avionics package. The moving map display showed our course, terrain, traffic, weather, airport information, and XM satellite radio on a touchscreen iPad-like display. Night flying through the Rockies had nothing on us. Faint apparitions of the mountains lit by a sliver of moonlight passed under us at 200 knots with a tailwind. The ride was smooth up to Kenosha Pass, but even then the bumps didn't last long. Before we knew it we were on the ground in Erie after my smoothest Saratoga landing yet. It was a perfect New Years day spent with friends - old and new.
Touch Screen Garmin Avionics
No comments:
Post a Comment