A few weeks back I hopped in my friend Dave’s, 1995 Maule. A super light, back country flying machine, capable of short take-off and landing. The mission was to scout out a 30 mile trail I will be hiking in a few weeks on the main Salmon river, to Shepp ranch to see my friends Wes and Christina, who are the new caretakers of this iconic Idaho wilderness ranch. On the way to scout the trail, Dave flew us into North America’s deepest river canyon, Hells Canyon, on the Snake river. He wanted to check out Big Bar airstrip. It was a thrilling flight, and nice to get out of the snow in McCall, down 3000 ft., where it was t-shirt weather. In the photos below you will see a few images I snapped of this morning adventure.
Dave fuels up his 1995 Maule.Dave prepares for take-off from McCall, Idaho’s airportLittle Ski hill in the foreground, and Payette Lake, and McCall, Idaho in the backgroundA section of Hells Canyon, and the Snake river, as seen on our approach. Big Bar airstrip can be seen on the left side of the river. The airstrip is the little jelly bean shape of land closest to river, just across from the green section of ground.Big Bar air strip, with an old tractor motor, long passed it useful daysDave’s 1995 MauleRusty iron tells a story of the past.Machinery of days pastA snowy section of the Salmon River mountains on our way back to McCallA snowy March shot of Payette lake, the resort town of McCall, and greater Long Valley
Radical Earth 