High Sierra Fly-in soared above my expectations. I left Seattle on Monday to be sure I didn’t get stuck because of weather. First stop was Hood River.

Along the way, I stopped in The Dalles and saw Andy, a rafter on my trip down the Colorado. Then on Bend to pick up Alyssa, my companion for the event.

Flying from Seattle to Dead Cow (location of High Sierra) was uneventful – always a good thing.

As soon as we arrrived, we set up our camp, then began strolling. Within fifteen minutes, I had run into Purple Haze, a Burner I have known since I first arrived on the scene at Burningman. He was wearing a coyote jacket, riding a “playa bike” (so sorry I don’t have a photo). We knew immediately, that we were in for a thrilling weekend.

We were there to watch the STOL Drag races, but got so, so much more. Every night, there was a bon fire where people gathered. This was the “town square” and we met SO MANY people there each night. We met Cathy and Nat – the only two female racers; and we met Steve Henry – the legend who has won the event many times. We mostly met other attendees, who will be our friends from here forward.

The races were so fun and even more so after meeting racers at the bonfire. We rooted for Cathy and Nat – the female racers, and even got those around us rooting for them too.

In the end, Steve and Nat came in second in their class. Not bad at all.

What a fun, fun time in the desert! Another event I won’t want to miss – ever! My plan is to take the training and race next year. I have my helmet, the plane will have a new engine, and I will be off to the races!

Sometimes I love Facebook! When I saw Thomas Kelly mention he was heading to the Pacific Northwest with kayaks, I responded asking him where he was going, and if I could fly in and meet up with he and David Brown, his paddling partner.

I’m pretty sure I invited myself…..but hooray for me! I got to tag along on their paddling odyssey!

It’s so easy to forget how stunningly beautiful our archepeligo of San Juan Islands truly is! Re-visiting the islands after my long hiatus, updated my very out-of-date recollections. Damn! The San Juans are well appointed! And well Loved!

We arrived to Sucia on a Tuesday, and we were the only tent in our camping area. We paddled over to Patos on Thursday, and found we had the camping area again, to ourselves. On Friday, when we returned to Sucia, wow! Every camp site had a tent. This was the third week of September. What must the summer be like?

The camping areas are lovely, with fresh water (not on Patos), composting toilets and well maintained trails covering the islands we visited. The park asks you to take out your own trash, so there are no garbage cans. I didn’t see any trash on the ground. There are two docks on Sucia for boats and probably sixty or so campsites on the Island.

On Patos there is a working light house. The camping area on Patos is small, but it’s grassy, flat with views into Canada and the Haro straight.

There is an organization called Washington Water Trails Assoc. who has, over the years, laced together the Cascadia Marine Trail, which includes campsites exclusively for human powered water craft. Talk about feeling special!

We visited only two islands, (Thomas and David paddled from Anacortes to Orcas, so visited more) and covered every inch of both, on foot and circumnavigating. We saw tons of wildlife: otters (many), sea lions, harbor seals, birds, birds, birds, owls, and a few spouting whales.

What a lovely surprise and what a lovely week! Our next trip will be many more days and islands. Getting re-acquainted with the San Juan Islands by kayak was a great gift from Thomas and David. Thanks guys!

Flew commercial to Saint George Utah to pick up Charlie Mike. As the weather turns to fall here, there, it was still nearly 100 degrees during the day. Fortunately, there was no smoke!

I took off early Sunday morning and headed toward Elko. I was debating the best smoke-free route home and had two apps running to chart the course. Gaia GPS had the best smoke map layers of any of my apps. That, with Foreflight, led the way.

My first night was in Burns, Oregon. I have stopped for fuel at Burns in the past, but this was my first overnight. On the Foreflight App, a pilot left a note saying to “not miss” the Historic Central Hotel in Burns. That person was right! What a lovely surprise! The place was stunning! If you are in Burns, definitely stop by to check this place out!

The next morning, I was off to say Hi to a friend in Redmond, Oregon. I saw him for a quick hello, then headed back to the runway to take off, and darn! My left mag was unhappy. Three hours with a mechanic later, we found the problem, fixed it, and I was back up in the air. (The problem was a stuck valve on my #4 cylinder – which you fix by hitting with a 2 x 4). M

Made it to Lynden after a quick fuel stop in Kelso – who, by the way, had the lowest price fuel of my entire trip, I think.

Flying in the PNW is SO different than flying in hot, high, dry places. The sea-level air is so thick and wonderful! I must admit, there’s no place like home.

I am so far behind…..so much has happened since I got back to the PNW. Here goes:

Surgery: Got my wrist fixed. I saw two surgeons eary in the week and had the surgery Friday. My wrist was 40 degrees out of alignment. Sheesh! All went well, but ouch!

Bought a new car: Yup. Goodby Ford (reliable, comfortable, sturdy) and hello 1987 Synchro Westie! My new home. I am delighted. It was a super great find and I am now tricking it out for an overland expedition to Central America.

Spanish: If I am going to drive to Panama, I had better speak at least some of the language. I am taking spanish via zoom five days per week. It’s awesome, I’m terrible, but I will get there. Part of my overland plan is to spend a month in Todos Santos in a language immersion class. Sweet!

Wedding: Sam and Melissa tied the knot. It was a magical event. I feel so lucky to have been able to share and even help with the planning and party.

Hiking: For the first time in a long time, I put on my backpack and went for an overnight trip. The PNW is beyond beautiful and experiencing a full weekend immersion in the backcountry is truly where I feel centered.

Ok, you are all caught up. I am hanging out at Dad’s farm until I head back to Saint George Utah to pick up Charlie Mike.

I left Ohkay Owingy (Cha Cha’s neighborhood airport) at daylight on Wednesday. Instead of flying back the way I arrived, I opted to take the more southern, scenic route.

My first stop was Paige AZ. Upon arrival, I pulled my bike out of the plane and rode straight to Lake Powell. What a treat! The water was was so warm!

Next morning, I was up and out early, headed to Kanab. I’m so glad I went early, because by 10am the wind was blowing about 20 knots. Looking at weather from there to Reno: nothing but smoke, smoke and more smoke. Ugh. Flying in smoke is tough and I’m not willing to press the limit.

My solution was to leave my plane in Saint George Utah and fly home commercially. I booked a bus to Las Vegas and found a timely Southwest flight home.

First, though, I needed to get to Saint George from Kanab. I got up early to fly out before it got hot or windy, and wow, the smoke had rolled in over night. I had to circle up over the airport to altitude to make sure I cleared the highest point. I could see the ground and that was it. I would sure not want to fly all the way home in this.

I’m so glad for the decision I made. Charlie Mike is safely tied down and together we will wait out the smoke for a safe-and fun-trip home.

If you have not been there, you need to go. It’s stunning!

Ken (Scott’s brother) and Debby (Scott’s sister-in-law) were heading there for vacation. I was hanging with Cha Cha in New Mexico – only a short 5 hour flight away. I had to get there to see them…and I did.

Was a great flight! No words, just some photos:

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We had a blast sightseeing, hanging out, and appreciating the beauty of the area. So much to do and see!

The rolling hills of Custer State Park

One morning I got up early to trail run to the highest peak East of the Rockies and West of the Pyreneese. It’s only 7200′, along the needles hwy. The rock formations look like they are from a Dr Suess book.

While driving through the rolling plains, we got to be part of a buffalo stampede.

I spent three days and then flew back to Santa Fe. I’m so glad I got to go and LOVED my time with Ken and Debby!!

Northern New Mexico is an outdoor person’s odyssey. I have been here a total of 12 days, and durning that time, have adventured on land, water and air!

I have my mountain bike and my SUP, and I have been putting both to good use.

Our first outing was on the Chama River. We both supped. The river was so low it took us about six hours to go four miles! The shuttle went about equally as well…..my mountain bike blew a tube on the way to the truck. Urgh.

Next, we mountain biked the “best ride in New Mexico”. It really was! We rode The South Boundary Trail, a ridge for about 25 miles. Instead of walking the last two miles through a really rough, rocky, trail, we opted for the longer, smoother finish of the Ojitos Trail. The Aspen trees were amazing, the views were stunning and the ride itself was super fun! I see why the trail gets such high ratings.

The following day called for something cool, wet and without a bike seat. We chose to float a five-ish mile section of The Rio Grande. What a blast! Cha Cha wanted to soak his bike-seat-sore hind side in the water, and I chose my SUP. For some reason, Cha Cha thought a shovel would be a good paddle……I ended up towing him. People along the way got quite a kick out of the sight of us!

Our timing was impeccable. I rode my bike to get the truck, just as the daily thundestorms were rolling above the Rio Grande. We loaded the truck, and began to drive, just as the sky opened and rain fell – hard!

Good morning New Mexico! Me, Charlie Mike, James Bush and Brown & Tan Pacer all landed safe and sound at Ohkay Owingeh.

What an adventure-flight it was. I left from Lynden, WA – just a short hop from the Canadian Border, on the 4th of July. First stop: Boeing Field, where I met up with James to start the journey.

We flew only early in the morning to beat the heat, and then tried to experience the local culture each place we stopped. Lucky for us, every airport we visited had a loaner car, enabling us to get around easily.

Our first day ended in Baker City, Oregon. After landing, we headed straight to the rodeo we had flown over on our way in. We arrived just in time to catch one bull ride.

My favorite thing from Baker City were the three owls perched in the tree near our campsite.

When we left Baker City, we were trying to find a backcountry airport we could stop at and stay the night. Murphy Hot Springs seemed like a great idea. The place has a colorful history and the fact that I am flying a Murphy sealed the deal. Upon landing we met a local who informed us that the Hot Springs has been purchased by a Californian who has closed everything to the locals (visitors too). We got back in our planes, and took off, sad that we didn’t get to spend a night there.

“We woke up at dawn, and headed to Wendover Utah. It sits at the edge of the Utah/Nevada border and is mostly a Casino town. We found the Four attractions”: the huge cowboy, Bonnelville Salt Flats, Danger Cave and the WWII historic airport! Wendover hosts an enormous Army base, used during WWII for pilot training. Famously, the Enola Gay was stationed here. The airport employee who gave us a tour swore that several of the buildings are haunted. He had many stories to support his beief. Some buildings are being restored by local enthusiasts A worthy effort. The place was amazing. I hope they can breathe life back into the buildings that remain.

Next, and last, stop on our route was Nucla, Colorado. This airport had a lovely pilots lounge! Bathrooms, a shower, a nice kitchen and a loaner SUV. Wow. What a relief to finally get to go swimming….and biking. We drove into the hills and found some BLM land that was welcoming. The river was warm, the dirt roads were bikable and it was a lovely way to spend the afternoon.

Flying around the West is a treat that few get to experience. The scenery is breathtaking, the facilities are impressive and the experience is unparalleled. I feel grateful and lucky to have the opportunity for a trip like this one.

James, Jason, Wally (the puppy) and I escaped the record breaking heat in Seattle last weekend. We flew up to the San Juan Islands for a weekend of fun!

Leaving Friday night, we made Orcas Island just before dark. There were many other pilots there with the same idea. The spirit was festive!

We were so lucky to have a car available to us. Saturday morning we spashed the day away in Cascade Lake in Moran State Park. Sunday, we found a nice park in downtown Eastsound where we swung in the hammock, slack lined and SUP’d. I don’t swim in Puget Sound that often, but this weekend it was essential.

Monday, we decided to try another island. We first went to Stuart, but no one there was very friendly, we we moved on to Lopez. Toby was kind enough to loan us his car, and we again soaked in Hummel Lake, and then out on Agate Beach Park.

Our hottest day in Seattle was not that hot. Lucky us with our airplanes!

While the plane gets worked on by Ephraim, I am staying at my Dad’s. He lives on a “gentleman” farm that borders Canada. It is stunningly beautiful here. His back porch looks straight at Mount Baker and his front porch overlooks the Nooksak valley.

Living with Dad has been quite easy. He has his daily routine that gives him comfort, and, I would argue, joy. His day starts with a coffee session with a group of men at a gas station. He then, a couple of days per week, plays pool with a different group of guys. He attends to chores almost every day – mowing hay for a neighbor or mowing his own grass. He spends an hour a day reading, (a routine I admire and want to adopt), then he has dinner, watches some TV (mostly PBS) and then turns in early.

Work is part of who he is. Although he retired from building homes more than 35 years ago, he has had several “retirement” careers since. He owned a number of mini-storage properties for many years, and now he funds and builds homes in the local vicinity. For the home building he just writes checks. Seems like the perfect way to make some extra cash.

Dad let’s me store my stuff in his big “pole building” garage, and I have the upstairs of his house to myself. He cleared out a cabinet and a drawer in the kitchen for my stuff. It’s quite comfy.

I try to stay out of his way and also provide some company to him. He has lived alone a long time and when I first arrived he asked that I “not try to change” him. No problem. I am the guest, it’s his space and his life. I am grateful to him for allowing me to stay.

We ususally connect first thing in the morning before he goes to coffee. We talk about what happened yesterday and what is planned for tomorrow. I try to keep him posted on my comings and goings.

Living with my Dad is a gift. I have not lived with, or even near him, since I was 18 years old. He is now 85, I am now 60. I know I will treasure our time together for many years to come. Another special part of my journey.